2. Joy on hearing about them 3:6-13

Paul rejoiced when he heard that the Thessalonians were withstanding persecution. He shared his reaction to this news with them to encourage them to persevere as their afflictions continued.

 Timothy's report 3:6-10

3:6-7 Timothy had evidently rejoined Paul in Corinth (v. 16; cf. Acts 18:1). He brought good news that the Thessalonians were holding up well against the winds of persecution. They continued to trust in God and to love others as well as to remember Paul fondly and to desire to see him again (cf. Phile. 5). This news comforted Paul who felt distress because of his concern for all the churches and because of other external afflictions.

3:8-10 Things could not have been better for Paul, however, so long as his readers were standing their ground. God was enabling them to stand firm, and for this Paul gave thanks.⁶¹The apostle and his companions kept praying earnestly by night and by day that God would give them the opportunity to return to Thessalonica. They desired to return so they could minister to the continuing needs of their spiritual children. These Christians were doing well, but they needed to grow more. They were only baby Christians at this time. They lacked maturity.

"Contemporary Christians can learn from Paul's missionary practice by recognizing that meaningful evangelism must aim for more than acceptance of Christian beliefs by converts. Evangelical Christianity needs to strive to create a social context or community in which converts may be resocialized into a new and distinctively Christian pattern of behavior and practice."⁶²

 Paul's prayer 3:11-13

This prayer illustrates Paul's genuine concern for the Thessalonians, and it bridges the narrative material in chapters 1-3 and the parenetic material in chapters 4-5.⁶³

3:11 Paul summarized the content of his prayer in the form of a wish to conclude this section of the epistle (1:2-3:13). He asked God his Father and Jesus his Lord to clear the way so he and his fellow missionaries could return to Thessalonica. He addressed two members of the godhead in prayer. He regarded both of these as God as is clear from his use of a singular verb ("direct") with a plural subject. "Himself"emphasizes Paul's dependence on God to grant his request.

3:12-13 He also prayed that the Lord, not man, would cause the believers' love to increase and overflow even more among themselves and toward all people. Paul's love for them did so. He prayed for this so God would strengthen them spiritually to be free from any reasonable charge whenever Christ might return.⁶⁴Again, Paul anticipated the judgment seat of Christ (cf. 2:19; 5:23).

As mentioned earlier (cf. 2:19), "coming"(Gr. parousia) is a term that Paul used to describe a person's extended visit (cf. 1 Cor. 16:17; 2 Cor. 10:10; Phil. 2:12) as well as his or her arrival for that visit. Consequently, it may refer to the Rapture, the actual arrival of Christ for Christians, or what will follow that arrival. The context determines whether a "coming"or what will follow it is in view.⁶⁵Here Paul's concern was that the Thessalonians would be ready to give a good account of themselves to the Lord, not just that they would be ready for His arrival.

The saints who will join the Thessalonians before the judgment seat of Christ include all other Christians (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:10).