Thriving In the Faith Together

Bible Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

The whole letter that Paul writes to his friends and Thessalonica is a relational piece, drawing on the encouragement that he finds in them and trying to strengthen them in their faith. In this middle section of the letter we see him address this theme most directly, and in these verses we get a sense of the deep and heartfelt affection that Paul has for these believers.

Longing for One Another (v17-20): The passage begins with Paul explaining to the Thessalonians how much he misses them. He had to leave the city much earlier than he had planned, and he described this experience with the strong language of being ‘orphaned’. This kind of longing should characterise how we care for one another spiritually. Though circumstances prevented Paul from being with them in person, he did make clear that he both carried them in his heart and also was doing all he could to get to see them personally. Sometimes we can treat fellowship with other Christians as a secondary matter, as though faith is primarily individual, but in these verses Paul challenges this kind of mindset and models what it truly looks like to care for each other in our hearts and long for time in the presence of other believers. In fact, he describes them as ‘our glory and joy’, showing that the relationships are more than just earthly friendships (though certainly not less than that), but there is also something of being spiritually knit together among them.

Working Together for One Another (v1-5): Though Paul is not able to get to Thessalonica himself, he is able to send Timothy, and this models another dimension of his community approach. For Paul, ministry was not a solo pursuit, but something he did as part of a community of others. In verse 2 he describes Timothy as both a ‘brother’ and ‘co-worker’, and in doing so he echoes the way Jesus initially called his apostles to both be with him and to be sent out. Both a place of relational belonging, and a real share in God’s mission come together, and this is what we are to invite one another into. As Timothy is sent, he is commissioned to strengthen and encourage the faith of the believers, in light of the trials they are facing. Again, this is a role that we can play for one another. We are called into community, and part of what this means is being able to encourage the faith of each other in hard times and give one another strength. This should be a big mark of our church community.

Rejoicing in One Another (v6-13): The report that Timothy brought to Paul about the faith of the Thessalonians was a positive one. He spoke of both their faith and love, and how these attributes were thriving in them, but also about their warm memories of Paul and his team, and how they longed to see Paul just as Paul wanted to see them. Hearing about this brought great joy and encouragement to Paul, and this shows us another aspect of how we can mutually thrive in faith. As we reflect on the relationships we have with others, and how we have seen God work in their lives, this can fuel our prayer for them, give us cause for thanksgiving, and provide encouragement for our own faith as well. Paul’s encouragement does not cause him to stop praying for them. Instead, hearing of God’s work among them fuels even greater prayer that they would continue to grow in love, holiness and readiness for Christ’s return.

Potential Applications

• Invite people to think about their own Christian community. Do they have faith-building relationships with other believers, and if not what steps might they take to develop them?
• Paul worked together with Timothy to both give him a place of belonging and an opportunity to serve. You could use the opportunity to encourage people to step further into church life – for example by joining a community group or getting involved with a serving team.
• Are there believers who have been important to you in the past who you haven’t spoken to for a while? Perhaps take a cue from Paul and reach out to them to encourage them in the faith.