Affection and Afflictions (I)
This is a transcript. It may contain small inaccuracies.
To remind us of the general setting of this section of Paul's letter, this infant church there in that city, Thessaloniki, brought into being under the ministry of Paul, immediately experiencing opposition, persecution, affliction. Paul has been forced out to leave them abruptly, and now he's down at Corinth, and he writes to them out of his deep affection and concern. And having vindicated his motives and his methods while among them in the second chapter of this epistle, he's now describing his feelings, his affection towards them while absent from them.
It's one thing to love them in their presence, but now how does he feel now that he has left them and the providence of God has been hindered from coming back to them? And so beginning in verse 17—or verse 17—of chapter 2, he begins to describe his attitude with regards to these dear beloved people, and his longing for them and his concerns for them. And you remember last Lord's Day evening, we saw how he regarded them as his hope and joy and crown of boasting, crown of rejoicing. These were his most precious possession outside of Christ. The people of God were a delight, pure delight, to the heart of the apostle.
As we consider this portion of God's Word in this letter this evening, let's delve right into it, and let us first of all consider together, number one, what prompted Paul to send Timothy, his messenger, to these beloved people in Thessaloniki? What prompted him to send his messenger, Timothy, to those people? He begins by saying in verse 1, "Therefore, when we could endure it no longer, we were pleased to be left behind at Athens alone." Notice verse 5: "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent." So we have in the very introduction of this section, and then repeated in verse 5, Paul telling us that which really prompted him to send a messenger, Timothy, to the Thessalonians, and he describes it under the phrase—and this is a very interesting phrase, and I love this—"when we could endure it no longer." I love that.
Now, this word translated endure, *stego*, is the Greek word, is an interesting word. It's a word that has as its connotation to hold out against something. The picture of perhaps covering something or concealing it by covering. Some, in fact, suggested it's the picture of seeking to keep a container airtight. I like that picture. Seek to contain, to keep a container airtight. It paints the picture—now picture with me—that Paul is seeking to keep down, airtight, suppress this tremendous concern for the Thessalonians. I mean, it's just brewing, it's just ready to pop, and he's just trying to keep it down.
Remember, he said in verse 17, in chapter 2, that he was severed only in presence, but not in heart. And he had only been gone for—he uses the expression—the space of an hour when he was making plans how to get back to be with them, and he made several definite attempts to return to be with them. He says in verse 18, "For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—that is, I made several attempts, concrete attempts—but Satan hindered us." And so here's the picture of a man so anxious for these beloved people that when he's separated from them, the space of an hour, he's already making plans to go back, and he's frustrated. He makes another plan, he's frustrated again, and yet this concern for them is so deep and so intense in his heart that he said, the time came when I could no longer hold it under, the dam just broke loose. It just burst out of my heart, and though I couldn't come, I conceived a way of sending someone else in my place in order that I might give vent to this concern of my heart for you, my beloved brothers and sisters there in Thessaloniki.
What a beautiful picture. What a beautiful picture. Oh, the affection, the care, the concern. So it was the pressure of a godly concern that Paul could no longer tolerate. He could no longer really keep the lid on that caused him to send Timothy as his representative and as his messenger.
Now, before we move on this evening, I just want to pause for a moment to say that we have in this reason for Paul sending Timothy, his messenger, a tremendous lesson of godly concern, and secondly, of scriptural guidance. A tremendous lesson of godly concern and of scriptural guidance.
This concern that Paul had for the Thessalonians, where did it come from? How does a man get involved with a young group of believers, so much so that he says, I could no longer contain my concern. I couldn't keep it. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I could no longer endure it. I had to do something about it. I had to send somebody else. I couldn't come myself. I'm going to send somebody else.
Well, of course, there's only one way that that concern is ever born in the human heart, and that is the Holy Spirit sheds abroad that love that seeks not its own, for left to ourselves, beloved, there's only one person in the world that you and I are concerned about, and that's ourselves. And even there, we're not concerned in the right way. We're concerned about ourselves temporarily and physically, but not concerned spiritually. And just as it takes a work of grace to awaken us to true spiritual concern for ourselves, it takes, beloved, a work of grace to awaken us for a concern for others, to serve others, to love others.
And this concern awakened by the Spirit was obviously sustained by the Spirit, particularly, I want to underscore, by means of faithful prayer. That's how. For remember, Paul had said in the first chapter, verses two and three, "We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers. See, all of it is interconnected. Making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing." And as Paul prayed for these beloved people, the Holy Spirit, who had given birth to that concern, used the context of faithful prayer to keep that concern alive and fresh and cultivated.
Oh, beloved, I'm sure every one of us who has experienced anything of this will know that our prayerful involvement with the people of God is that which keeps the fires of concern glowing. Isn't that right? Stop praying and concern will dwindle. Begin to pray, as it were, even out of a sense of duty, even if you don't feel like it, but you know you must do it, and you pray, and concern will be kindled, and the appetite will open up, and the fire of concern will deepen.
This is why Scripture commands us to pray for one another. This is why we have a corporate prayer meeting. It's a duty, a duty to be performed, yes, even when we don't feel like it, because the human heart, being what it is, and indwelling sin, being what it is, there would be this continual tendency downward, away from mutual concern. And so we have a lesson here on how concern is born and sustained, a concern that sometimes will just make you pick up the phone and call somebody. A concern that will make you sometimes pick up the pen and write them a letter, and write them a note, or it will force you out of your doors to pay them a visit, to send them a text message. That's not ideal, by the way. There's that concern which can no longer be held under, but must give vent to action.
You behold the affection that the servant of Christ has for these people. Pastor MacArthur, commenting on Paul's concern and his affection, writes, even though he faced his own trials, Paul was more concerned about his people's spiritual well-being in the midst of their difficulties. In fact, his affection for them was so strong that in chapter 3 and verse 5, that in chapter 3 and verse 5, he also declared, "I could endure it no longer." That love was far more than a mere sentimental desire for social fellowship with the church. It was Paul's desire to help the Thessalonians fulfill God's calling to be loyal to the truth and to experience spiritual maturity in their lives.
A man with a true and faithful pastoral heart is not concerned about his own success or his own reputation, nor is he preoccupied with his own trials. Rather, he is deeply concerned with the spiritual condition of his people, for whom he will suffer and rejoice with an unflagging affection. Paul exhibited that kind of spiritual care no matter what the response was. He wrote to the Corinthians, "I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls." End of quote.
And then in the second place, this prompting of Paul is really a tremendous lesson on guidance. It is. You see, he didn't say, therefore, when we were convinced by divine revelation that Timothy ought to go, we sent him. That's not what he says. That's not what he says. He said, when I could no longer stand it. That's the language of the text. "When I could no longer stand it, I sent him." Now again, guidance doesn't seem spiritual when it breaks out in the language of Paul, the apostle.
We have some very mystical, unscriptural ideas about guidance. We touched upon this in the latter part of chapter two. Paul didn't have a perfect streak. He said, I tried to come to you, was hindered. I tried again, was hindered. So what did he do? Oh, well, you know, the door is shut. I'm just kind of, what can I do? No, no, no, no, no. As long as that concern was there, he said, well, I'll try another means. I'll try another means. Maybe Timothy will be able to get there. And sure enough, when he began to make travel arrangements for Timothy, everything worked. When Paul did it for himself, nothing worked. And it's obvious God's hindering me. But now let's see what happens if I try to get Timothy, my son, there. And lo and behold, when he did, all the pieces fit together and he read the will of God and the factors of providence.
I think there's a tremendous lesson for us in the matter of guidance. When we are prompted by the Holy Spirit with holy concerns, those concerns are the indication of the will of God for us. And so often we wait for some other means, some other vehicle, some other channel to indicate the will of God when the Apostle Paul took this pressure of concern for these beloved people as an indication of the will of God for him.
Now hurrying on, number two, what attitude did Paul have in sending this representative? We saw the reason, what prompted him. Well, now what attitude did Paul have in sending this representative, Timothy? We see why he sent him, he says, because of the pressure of godly concern for their spiritual welfare. Well now, how did he do it? Did he do it reluctantly? Did he do it half-heartedly? No, no, he says in this first verse, we were what? Pleased. We were pleased to be left behind at Athens alone. "We were pleased to be left behind alone." This word, pleased, is a good translation in the LSP. It renders it, the NASB renders it, we thought it best. I like “we were pleased”. Literally it could be translated to be well pleased. It was our pleasure to be left behind at Athens alone and we sent Timothy. Our pleasure.
In order for this messenger to go from Paul to the Thessalonians, it meant that Paul would have to be alone. And if you read through the Pauline epistles, you will notice that Paul didn't like to be alone. And we find Paul again and again mentioning his fellow laborers, his companions in ministry. And as you read through the epistles, you begin to catch something of this sense. Though a great man and a strong man, Paul was not a loner. He recognized his need for his brethren and Timothy in this sense was so dear to his heart, he could say of him in Philippians chapter 2 in verse 20, "For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about your circumstances." Kindred spirit.
And yet the Apostle Paul was well pleased to send him because his concern was such for the Thessalonians. He was willing to bear the discipline of loneliness in order that the Thessalonians might have the ministry of Timothy. Tremendous lesson in self-denial, isn't it? A man so involved with the needs of others that he's willing to forgo lawful liberties in order to minister to other people's need. Talk about servanthood.
The great test, beloved, of the depth of our piety. Mark it down. The great test of the depth of our piety is not primarily what we do with that which God clearly labels sin. Let me say that again. The great test of the depth of our piety is not primarily what we do with that which God clearly labels as sin. If by the grace of God you avoid corrupt communication, by the grace of God you avoid sinful anger and wrath and bitterness and clamor and evil speaking, as we read in Ephesians, that's not too much of a test of the depth of your Christian life and mind. The real test is this. How many lawful, legitimate privileges are you willing to forgo as a believer for the sake of others? Self-denial. Not denial of sin, that's Christian duty, but self-denial.
Now Paul could have retained Timothy with him. He could have reasoned, well, I'm an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm in great need for support and companionship in the service of Christ and Timothy is God sent and he is so desperately needed here in Corinth, but he said, it is, it was my pleasure, I was well pleased, it was my delight to send Timothy unto you. Why? Because of Paul's love for them, his tender affection, his care for their welfare.
Having considered what prompted him to send Timothy and the attitude with which he sent him, consider with me in the third place what he says about this man, Timothy, whom he sent. Verse two: "We sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ." I love this. He calls Timothy two distinct things. He calls him a brother, and now watch the words, "God's fellow worker." Wow, isn't that amazing? A co-laborer with God.
In Philippians 2, he says he's my kindred spirit who served with me in the furtherance of the gospel. In another place, 1 Timothy 1:2, he says of Timothy, my son in the faith, and here he calls him a brother. I think the apostle's indicating here, though there's a place of rank in terms of respect and authority—Paul was an apostle, Timothy was an apostle's helper, Paul was the aged, experienced man of God. Timothy, Timothy the young, younger fledgling minister—yet all of this, when we regard the perspective with which we see our standing in Christ, utterly breaks down, and he saw Timothy as his brother in the Lord Jesus Christ, sharing common life, common standing in the family of God.
And so he calls him his son, his brother in the gospel, and then he uses a very unique term, used only one other place, clearly in the sense, God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ. This term fellow worker, or co-worker with, is the Greek word. It's together with. It's used many times of Paul's companions, the fact that they are laboring together in the gospel. But in 1 Corinthians 3:9 and in this particular passage here, our text, the servant of God is called one whom God employs as His assistant, a fellow worker with God.
What a privilege! Frail creatures of the dust, imperfect creatures, vessels of clay, marred fellow workers with God. That's the picture of Christian work. The most exalted, lofty concept of Christian work is a man laboring alongside of God. He's not just out doing something in the name of God, but he knows where God is at work. He's sensitive to that which God is doing. He's discovered it from Holy Scripture. He's sensitive to it by the indwelling Spirit and throws himself in that direction in which God is going, and he gives himself to the work of God. He goes in the same direction and he follows and he does the work of God.
If we had that concept, so much of the so-called Christian work would cease today because it cannot be God's work, because God's work is determined by God's Word. And people employing methods and evangelism techniques, they say, well, we believe God has led us to this. The question that ought to be asked and answered: how? By His holy Word. This is how He works. God's work determined by God's Word. It's not determined, regulated by man's opinion or feeling or sentiment; it is by God's Word, so it can be done God's way, in God's name, for God's glory. A co-laborer with God, laboring in the area of concern of God, laboring under the direction of God.
Now, fourthly, consider, in the next place, the express reason for which he sent Timothy. The express reason for which he sent Timothy. We find what caused him to send him: his godly concern. We find his attitude in sending him. He was delighted to do it, even though it meant self-denial. The person he sends, he's convinced, is a true brother and one who is a co-laborer with God. Now, the question is, what was his purpose? What was his purpose? Why send Timothy, who could be with Paul down at Corinth, evangelizing—why send him back to a place where a church is already established? Hasn't Thessaloniki been evangelized enough? And didn't he say, in chapter one, that from you, the Word of God has been out into all that region? I mean, isn't this sort of duplication to send the servant of God back to that area? It's already had the gospel, the gospel had been successful, why send him? The message and the ministry is going on wonderfully. Their faith is being strengthened. I mean, the report of them extended into that whole region. What's the purpose in sending him back?
He tells us. He tells us here. And in the original, it's very forceful. Two distinct purposes. Two distinct purposes. Look at verse two: "And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ"—here it is—"to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith," verse three, "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this," down verse five, "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to know about your faith, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you, and our labor be in vain."
Two reasons for sending Timothy. Verse two, I sent him to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith. Verse five, I also sent to know about your faith. You see them? Now, it's interesting, isn't it, that his purpose focused upon this matter of the faith of the Thessalonians. On the one hand, he sent Timothy to strengthen them as to their faith, on the other hand, to know the state of their faith. You see it?
Now, let's consider those things in that order as we find them in our text. What does this word strengthen—*styrizo* is the Greek word, strengthen translated—mean? Literally, to set fast, to fix firmly, establish permanently, to stand fixed. It's the word used in Luke 9:51. It's an interesting verse, and I think will help us to sense the meaning of the word. In Luke 9:51, we read, "It happened that when the days for Him, Christ, to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He—*styrizo*—He set His face to go to Jerusalem." We often quote, He set His face like a flint toward Jerusalem. He steadfastly set His face, firmly fixed His face to go to Jerusalem—that's the same word used. He firmly set His face, His face was in that direction and nothing was gonna make Him look to the left or to the right.
Now, His face was firmly set, but using this word here, now His face, even though it was in that direction, now as it were, He set it rigidly in that direction of Jerusalem. It's the word used in Revelation 3:2. Translated, "strengthen the things that remain." It's translated there, "strengthen the things that remain." And it has the whole idea that something is established and it needs to be established now with greater firmness. Something is put in a given direction and it needs to be fixed in that direction. Something is already screwed up tight, just turn it another quarter and make sure it will never come loose. That's the idea. It's the whole idea that the thing is right, now just case it in its rightness, firmly. Well, that's the whole connotation of this word.
You Thessalonians, my beloved Thessalonians, your faith is genuine. He'd already said that in chapter one. It's been spoken of throughout the area of the Roman Empire, but not only do I want it set right, I want it to be kept set and established in that proper perspective, immovable, unshakable. So faith was present, but it must be strengthened.
Now, in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, it's obvious that it's God alone who does the confirming, right? Absolutely. We read there, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, "But the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen"—same word, *sterizo*, same word—"who will confirm you, who will settle you and guard you from the evil one." But though God alone can settle men and women in their faith with that settledness from which they cannot be moved, God uses human instruments as well. And so he says, I sent Timothy for this express purpose, to strengthen you as to your faith, and then he says, and to encourage you—*parakaleo*. The general word translated sometimes exhort, console, comfort. It has that broad sense of admonishing where necessary also, also tenderly applying the promises where necessary.
And so we have that first purpose mentioned in verse two, then in verse five he says, I sent to know about your faith, that is, to know whether or not it was enduring. It was enduring. To know its strength, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you and our labor be in vain. He said, I was anxious to know whether or not my investment of labor was bringing dividends. Just like people who've invested in a certain company, they check the stock reports to see if they're getting dividends from their investment. Paul is anxious to know that this is the case here. Paul has invested many hours, many tears, much labor in the Thessalonians to the glory of God, and now he wants to know whether or not that investment has come to naught. He sends to know about their faith, lest they have moved off from the position of stability and steadfastness.
Having considered these basic factors, beloved, regarding the text, we come now to what are some of the basic lessons of this portion of Scripture.
And I'm going to mention only one tonight with our remaining time. We'll pick it up next Lord's Day. I don't want to rush this. And I was wrestling to know just where to begin. And I trust that I'm beginning where I ought to because the Lord alone knows who is there on any given day. And my prayer has been, Lord, out of Your knowledge of who's going to be here tonight and who needs what more today, Lord guide. And I trust the Lord has done that.
And so we'll have time this evening, at least just for one of the lessons really. But the overarching lesson that I want to focus on is this: the lesson concerning the purpose and place of affliction in the life of a child of God. The purpose and place of affliction in the life of a child of God. You will notice, beloved, that the whole climate of this passage is one in which the apostle's concern was directly related to the afflictions that these people were experiencing.
Just look at the text and let your eye go there and see. Look at verse three: "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions." Verse four: "For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction, just as it happened and as you know." Verse seven: "For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted about your faith, about you through your faith." Here we have a context in which the people of God are experiencing what? Affliction.
This word affliction—we've come across this word, we're familiar with this word—*thlipsis*. It's used in verse three, verse four, speaks of pressures. To squeeze, to pressure, to crush, like the grape that goes into pressure, crushed in order to produce the wine. This is the picture of pressures that come upon the people of God. Those pressures could be persecution. Much of the pressure for the Thessalonians was open persecution. It could be particular trials, it could be physical ills, it could be financial problems. Anything that comes under the general heading of that which puts pressure on the saints, that's *thlipsis*.
Now what do we learn from this passage about the biblical doctrine of affliction? Number one—number one—we learn, we learn first of all, the certainty of affliction in the life of the child of God. The certainty of affliction in the life of the child of God. Notice Paul's words in verses three and four: "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been"—what?—"destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance"—this is not the health and wealth gospel, He told them right up front—"that we were going to suffer affliction, just as it happened and as you know."
And the first thing you and I must know, if we're to think biblically about this whole matter of affliction, whether it comes through persecution, whether it comes through difficulties, whether it comes through trials and testings, physical, financial, relational—you can just fill up barrel, the barrel with anything that comes under that heading—face it, they are certain for the child of God. For this word is a very strong word, translated "destined. We have been *keimai*, destined, literally to be set. We have been set for this. It's the word, same word used in the prophecy concerning Christ in Luke 2 and verse 34, where Simeon says of Christ, "Behold, this Child is"—what?—here, same word—"is set, destined, appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel." And Paul says in Philippians 1:16, "I am appointed, I am set for the defense of the gospel."
Now, just as surely the Lord, as the Lord Jesus was appointed by the Father to be the occasion of the falling and rising of many in Israel, and just as the apostle Paul was saved and set apart and appointed, set for the defense of the gospel, Paul says the children of God are destined, set, appointed for affliction in this life.
Now, once you get that settled in your mind, then you realize, well, I better not spend my life trying somehow to be fighting with God, wrestling with God concerning affliction. I better rather set myself to learn what is the purpose of God in affliction, for if He appoints it, He doesn't appoint it capriciously, but He appoints it with purpose.
Is it true with regards to affliction and tribulation generally when they come into our lives? I mean, the first thing we do is cry out, "Oh God, remove the affliction." The first chance we get, we usually turn to the people of God and ask them to pray that the Lord will take the affliction away. Paul says, look, you're marked out for it. You just better let that sink in and learn what to do with it, because when God appoints you for it, all the praying in the world isn't gonna get you out of it until it accomplishes its purpose. And that's the first thing we must establish.
In fact, Paul apparently made this a vital part of his ministry. He says to these young believers in verse four, "For indeed, when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction." He made that part of his gospel, that to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and to set out in the path of progressive sanctification is to welcome all that the Father appoints in the way of affliction that will help me onward in that process.
In Acts 14, verse 22, lest they didn't get the message the first time around, when he goes back and revisits all the young churches, notice what his subject matter is. Verse 21, "And after they had proclaimed the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch," verse 22, "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many flipsies, afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.'" Of course, of course we pray, and we cry out to God to help us and to remove the affliction. But let us not, in doing that, eclipse the marvelous, the important purpose of God through the affliction to sanctify us, to refine us, to strengthen us, and to make us more like Jesus, and an opportunity to glorify Him.
The troubles of life are God's tools to refine our character and to produce in us true Christian maturity. The troubles of life, beloved, are God's tools to make us what He wants us to be. I'm sure you remember, still with me, George Matheson, 19th century Scottish preacher. That wonderful hymn that we sing from time to time, "'Oh, love that will not let me go,' suffering under its extreme distress. I thought it fitting to just remind us of him tonight. This hymn was the fruit of pain.
"'Oh, love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee. I give Thee back the life I owe that in Thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. Oh, joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be.'"
In his late teens, he began to lose his eyesight. You know the story. Was blind at 20. Went through the process of losing his eyesight. As any of us would, he struggled greatly with the reality that God in His providence was permitting this to happen in his life and he wrestled with it. He couldn't understand it and it was very painful. Until the Lord gave him grace and really refined him to the point where he was able to pray this prayer that comes to us and I pray it's an encouragement to your heart.
He writes, Dear God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear. Teach me the value of my thorns.
And I want to conclude this evening with an article. I'm going to read a portion of an article that I came across this week and I was debating whether to do that or not, but I see it fitting and I'm going to close with this. Listen to what this author writes:
"There comes a moment after walking through grief, suffering, confusion, or long seasons of waiting when we begin to realize that something in us has changed. The circumstances may not be fully resolved. The sorrow may not be entirely gone. The questions may not all be answered. And yet, by the grace of God, we are not the same people we were when the valley first began. This is one of the quiet mercies of the Christian life. The Lord does not merely bring His people through suffering. He also meets them in it, sustains them beneath it, and uses it to deepen their trust in Him. We may not have all the answers. We arrive instead at something firmer and far better, a renewed confidence in the God who is faithful in the darkest places, and who never wastes the pain of His people.
"One of the greatest temptations in suffering is to believe that it is meaningless. In the moment of grief, it can feel as though pain has no purpose, loss has no reason, and waiting has no end. The valley can seem empty of meaning and full only of confusion. Yet, Scripture repeatedly calls us to a different conclusion. The Word of God teaches us that the Lord is never absent from the afflictions of His people, and never careless with their tears. What feels to us like unraveling is often in the hands of God a work of sanctifying grace.
"And then he concludes with this. Romans 8:28 reminds us, 'And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, to those who are called according to His purpose.' That promise is not shallow optimism, nor is it a denial of real pain. It is a declaration of divine sovereignty. God is at work in all things, including the things we would never choose for ourselves. He is at work in sorrow, in disappointment, in weakness, in mourning, and in the long ache of unanswered questions. The valley does not fall outside His rule. The suffering of His people is not beyond His reach. Even when His purposes are hidden from us, His character remains sure."
Amen, let's pray.
It's one thing to love them in their presence, but now how does he feel now that he has left them and the providence of God has been hindered from coming back to them? And so beginning in verse 17—or verse 17—of chapter 2, he begins to describe his attitude with regards to these dear beloved people, and his longing for them and his concerns for them. And you remember last Lord's Day evening, we saw how he regarded them as his hope and joy and crown of boasting, crown of rejoicing. These were his most precious possession outside of Christ. The people of God were a delight, pure delight, to the heart of the apostle.
As we consider this portion of God's Word in this letter this evening, let's delve right into it, and let us first of all consider together, number one, what prompted Paul to send Timothy, his messenger, to these beloved people in Thessaloniki? What prompted him to send his messenger, Timothy, to those people? He begins by saying in verse 1, "Therefore, when we could endure it no longer, we were pleased to be left behind at Athens alone." Notice verse 5: "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent." So we have in the very introduction of this section, and then repeated in verse 5, Paul telling us that which really prompted him to send a messenger, Timothy, to the Thessalonians, and he describes it under the phrase—and this is a very interesting phrase, and I love this—"when we could endure it no longer." I love that.
Now, this word translated endure, *stego*, is the Greek word, is an interesting word. It's a word that has as its connotation to hold out against something. The picture of perhaps covering something or concealing it by covering. Some, in fact, suggested it's the picture of seeking to keep a container airtight. I like that picture. Seek to contain, to keep a container airtight. It paints the picture—now picture with me—that Paul is seeking to keep down, airtight, suppress this tremendous concern for the Thessalonians. I mean, it's just brewing, it's just ready to pop, and he's just trying to keep it down.
Remember, he said in verse 17, in chapter 2, that he was severed only in presence, but not in heart. And he had only been gone for—he uses the expression—the space of an hour when he was making plans how to get back to be with them, and he made several definite attempts to return to be with them. He says in verse 18, "For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—that is, I made several attempts, concrete attempts—but Satan hindered us." And so here's the picture of a man so anxious for these beloved people that when he's separated from them, the space of an hour, he's already making plans to go back, and he's frustrated. He makes another plan, he's frustrated again, and yet this concern for them is so deep and so intense in his heart that he said, the time came when I could no longer hold it under, the dam just broke loose. It just burst out of my heart, and though I couldn't come, I conceived a way of sending someone else in my place in order that I might give vent to this concern of my heart for you, my beloved brothers and sisters there in Thessaloniki.
What a beautiful picture. What a beautiful picture. Oh, the affection, the care, the concern. So it was the pressure of a godly concern that Paul could no longer tolerate. He could no longer really keep the lid on that caused him to send Timothy as his representative and as his messenger.
Now, before we move on this evening, I just want to pause for a moment to say that we have in this reason for Paul sending Timothy, his messenger, a tremendous lesson of godly concern, and secondly, of scriptural guidance. A tremendous lesson of godly concern and of scriptural guidance.
This concern that Paul had for the Thessalonians, where did it come from? How does a man get involved with a young group of believers, so much so that he says, I could no longer contain my concern. I couldn't keep it. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I could no longer endure it. I had to do something about it. I had to send somebody else. I couldn't come myself. I'm going to send somebody else.
Well, of course, there's only one way that that concern is ever born in the human heart, and that is the Holy Spirit sheds abroad that love that seeks not its own, for left to ourselves, beloved, there's only one person in the world that you and I are concerned about, and that's ourselves. And even there, we're not concerned in the right way. We're concerned about ourselves temporarily and physically, but not concerned spiritually. And just as it takes a work of grace to awaken us to true spiritual concern for ourselves, it takes, beloved, a work of grace to awaken us for a concern for others, to serve others, to love others.
And this concern awakened by the Spirit was obviously sustained by the Spirit, particularly, I want to underscore, by means of faithful prayer. That's how. For remember, Paul had said in the first chapter, verses two and three, "We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers. See, all of it is interconnected. Making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing." And as Paul prayed for these beloved people, the Holy Spirit, who had given birth to that concern, used the context of faithful prayer to keep that concern alive and fresh and cultivated.
Oh, beloved, I'm sure every one of us who has experienced anything of this will know that our prayerful involvement with the people of God is that which keeps the fires of concern glowing. Isn't that right? Stop praying and concern will dwindle. Begin to pray, as it were, even out of a sense of duty, even if you don't feel like it, but you know you must do it, and you pray, and concern will be kindled, and the appetite will open up, and the fire of concern will deepen.
This is why Scripture commands us to pray for one another. This is why we have a corporate prayer meeting. It's a duty, a duty to be performed, yes, even when we don't feel like it, because the human heart, being what it is, and indwelling sin, being what it is, there would be this continual tendency downward, away from mutual concern. And so we have a lesson here on how concern is born and sustained, a concern that sometimes will just make you pick up the phone and call somebody. A concern that will make you sometimes pick up the pen and write them a letter, and write them a note, or it will force you out of your doors to pay them a visit, to send them a text message. That's not ideal, by the way. There's that concern which can no longer be held under, but must give vent to action.
You behold the affection that the servant of Christ has for these people. Pastor MacArthur, commenting on Paul's concern and his affection, writes, even though he faced his own trials, Paul was more concerned about his people's spiritual well-being in the midst of their difficulties. In fact, his affection for them was so strong that in chapter 3 and verse 5, that in chapter 3 and verse 5, he also declared, "I could endure it no longer." That love was far more than a mere sentimental desire for social fellowship with the church. It was Paul's desire to help the Thessalonians fulfill God's calling to be loyal to the truth and to experience spiritual maturity in their lives.
A man with a true and faithful pastoral heart is not concerned about his own success or his own reputation, nor is he preoccupied with his own trials. Rather, he is deeply concerned with the spiritual condition of his people, for whom he will suffer and rejoice with an unflagging affection. Paul exhibited that kind of spiritual care no matter what the response was. He wrote to the Corinthians, "I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls." End of quote.
And then in the second place, this prompting of Paul is really a tremendous lesson on guidance. It is. You see, he didn't say, therefore, when we were convinced by divine revelation that Timothy ought to go, we sent him. That's not what he says. That's not what he says. He said, when I could no longer stand it. That's the language of the text. "When I could no longer stand it, I sent him." Now again, guidance doesn't seem spiritual when it breaks out in the language of Paul, the apostle.
We have some very mystical, unscriptural ideas about guidance. We touched upon this in the latter part of chapter two. Paul didn't have a perfect streak. He said, I tried to come to you, was hindered. I tried again, was hindered. So what did he do? Oh, well, you know, the door is shut. I'm just kind of, what can I do? No, no, no, no, no. As long as that concern was there, he said, well, I'll try another means. I'll try another means. Maybe Timothy will be able to get there. And sure enough, when he began to make travel arrangements for Timothy, everything worked. When Paul did it for himself, nothing worked. And it's obvious God's hindering me. But now let's see what happens if I try to get Timothy, my son, there. And lo and behold, when he did, all the pieces fit together and he read the will of God and the factors of providence.
I think there's a tremendous lesson for us in the matter of guidance. When we are prompted by the Holy Spirit with holy concerns, those concerns are the indication of the will of God for us. And so often we wait for some other means, some other vehicle, some other channel to indicate the will of God when the Apostle Paul took this pressure of concern for these beloved people as an indication of the will of God for him.
Now hurrying on, number two, what attitude did Paul have in sending this representative? We saw the reason, what prompted him. Well, now what attitude did Paul have in sending this representative, Timothy? We see why he sent him, he says, because of the pressure of godly concern for their spiritual welfare. Well now, how did he do it? Did he do it reluctantly? Did he do it half-heartedly? No, no, he says in this first verse, we were what? Pleased. We were pleased to be left behind at Athens alone. "We were pleased to be left behind alone." This word, pleased, is a good translation in the LSP. It renders it, the NASB renders it, we thought it best. I like “we were pleased”. Literally it could be translated to be well pleased. It was our pleasure to be left behind at Athens alone and we sent Timothy. Our pleasure.
In order for this messenger to go from Paul to the Thessalonians, it meant that Paul would have to be alone. And if you read through the Pauline epistles, you will notice that Paul didn't like to be alone. And we find Paul again and again mentioning his fellow laborers, his companions in ministry. And as you read through the epistles, you begin to catch something of this sense. Though a great man and a strong man, Paul was not a loner. He recognized his need for his brethren and Timothy in this sense was so dear to his heart, he could say of him in Philippians chapter 2 in verse 20, "For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about your circumstances." Kindred spirit.
And yet the Apostle Paul was well pleased to send him because his concern was such for the Thessalonians. He was willing to bear the discipline of loneliness in order that the Thessalonians might have the ministry of Timothy. Tremendous lesson in self-denial, isn't it? A man so involved with the needs of others that he's willing to forgo lawful liberties in order to minister to other people's need. Talk about servanthood.
The great test, beloved, of the depth of our piety. Mark it down. The great test of the depth of our piety is not primarily what we do with that which God clearly labels sin. Let me say that again. The great test of the depth of our piety is not primarily what we do with that which God clearly labels as sin. If by the grace of God you avoid corrupt communication, by the grace of God you avoid sinful anger and wrath and bitterness and clamor and evil speaking, as we read in Ephesians, that's not too much of a test of the depth of your Christian life and mind. The real test is this. How many lawful, legitimate privileges are you willing to forgo as a believer for the sake of others? Self-denial. Not denial of sin, that's Christian duty, but self-denial.
Now Paul could have retained Timothy with him. He could have reasoned, well, I'm an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm in great need for support and companionship in the service of Christ and Timothy is God sent and he is so desperately needed here in Corinth, but he said, it is, it was my pleasure, I was well pleased, it was my delight to send Timothy unto you. Why? Because of Paul's love for them, his tender affection, his care for their welfare.
Having considered what prompted him to send Timothy and the attitude with which he sent him, consider with me in the third place what he says about this man, Timothy, whom he sent. Verse two: "We sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ." I love this. He calls Timothy two distinct things. He calls him a brother, and now watch the words, "God's fellow worker." Wow, isn't that amazing? A co-laborer with God.
In Philippians 2, he says he's my kindred spirit who served with me in the furtherance of the gospel. In another place, 1 Timothy 1:2, he says of Timothy, my son in the faith, and here he calls him a brother. I think the apostle's indicating here, though there's a place of rank in terms of respect and authority—Paul was an apostle, Timothy was an apostle's helper, Paul was the aged, experienced man of God. Timothy, Timothy the young, younger fledgling minister—yet all of this, when we regard the perspective with which we see our standing in Christ, utterly breaks down, and he saw Timothy as his brother in the Lord Jesus Christ, sharing common life, common standing in the family of God.
And so he calls him his son, his brother in the gospel, and then he uses a very unique term, used only one other place, clearly in the sense, God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ. This term fellow worker, or co-worker with, is the Greek word. It's together with. It's used many times of Paul's companions, the fact that they are laboring together in the gospel. But in 1 Corinthians 3:9 and in this particular passage here, our text, the servant of God is called one whom God employs as His assistant, a fellow worker with God.
What a privilege! Frail creatures of the dust, imperfect creatures, vessels of clay, marred fellow workers with God. That's the picture of Christian work. The most exalted, lofty concept of Christian work is a man laboring alongside of God. He's not just out doing something in the name of God, but he knows where God is at work. He's sensitive to that which God is doing. He's discovered it from Holy Scripture. He's sensitive to it by the indwelling Spirit and throws himself in that direction in which God is going, and he gives himself to the work of God. He goes in the same direction and he follows and he does the work of God.
If we had that concept, so much of the so-called Christian work would cease today because it cannot be God's work, because God's work is determined by God's Word. And people employing methods and evangelism techniques, they say, well, we believe God has led us to this. The question that ought to be asked and answered: how? By His holy Word. This is how He works. God's work determined by God's Word. It's not determined, regulated by man's opinion or feeling or sentiment; it is by God's Word, so it can be done God's way, in God's name, for God's glory. A co-laborer with God, laboring in the area of concern of God, laboring under the direction of God.
Now, fourthly, consider, in the next place, the express reason for which he sent Timothy. The express reason for which he sent Timothy. We find what caused him to send him: his godly concern. We find his attitude in sending him. He was delighted to do it, even though it meant self-denial. The person he sends, he's convinced, is a true brother and one who is a co-laborer with God. Now, the question is, what was his purpose? What was his purpose? Why send Timothy, who could be with Paul down at Corinth, evangelizing—why send him back to a place where a church is already established? Hasn't Thessaloniki been evangelized enough? And didn't he say, in chapter one, that from you, the Word of God has been out into all that region? I mean, isn't this sort of duplication to send the servant of God back to that area? It's already had the gospel, the gospel had been successful, why send him? The message and the ministry is going on wonderfully. Their faith is being strengthened. I mean, the report of them extended into that whole region. What's the purpose in sending him back?
He tells us. He tells us here. And in the original, it's very forceful. Two distinct purposes. Two distinct purposes. Look at verse two: "And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ"—here it is—"to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith," verse three, "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this," down verse five, "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to know about your faith, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you, and our labor be in vain."
Two reasons for sending Timothy. Verse two, I sent him to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith. Verse five, I also sent to know about your faith. You see them? Now, it's interesting, isn't it, that his purpose focused upon this matter of the faith of the Thessalonians. On the one hand, he sent Timothy to strengthen them as to their faith, on the other hand, to know the state of their faith. You see it?
Now, let's consider those things in that order as we find them in our text. What does this word strengthen—*styrizo* is the Greek word, strengthen translated—mean? Literally, to set fast, to fix firmly, establish permanently, to stand fixed. It's the word used in Luke 9:51. It's an interesting verse, and I think will help us to sense the meaning of the word. In Luke 9:51, we read, "It happened that when the days for Him, Christ, to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He—*styrizo*—He set His face to go to Jerusalem." We often quote, He set His face like a flint toward Jerusalem. He steadfastly set His face, firmly fixed His face to go to Jerusalem—that's the same word used. He firmly set His face, His face was in that direction and nothing was gonna make Him look to the left or to the right.
Now, His face was firmly set, but using this word here, now His face, even though it was in that direction, now as it were, He set it rigidly in that direction of Jerusalem. It's the word used in Revelation 3:2. Translated, "strengthen the things that remain." It's translated there, "strengthen the things that remain." And it has the whole idea that something is established and it needs to be established now with greater firmness. Something is put in a given direction and it needs to be fixed in that direction. Something is already screwed up tight, just turn it another quarter and make sure it will never come loose. That's the idea. It's the whole idea that the thing is right, now just case it in its rightness, firmly. Well, that's the whole connotation of this word.
You Thessalonians, my beloved Thessalonians, your faith is genuine. He'd already said that in chapter one. It's been spoken of throughout the area of the Roman Empire, but not only do I want it set right, I want it to be kept set and established in that proper perspective, immovable, unshakable. So faith was present, but it must be strengthened.
Now, in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, it's obvious that it's God alone who does the confirming, right? Absolutely. We read there, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, "But the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen"—same word, *sterizo*, same word—"who will confirm you, who will settle you and guard you from the evil one." But though God alone can settle men and women in their faith with that settledness from which they cannot be moved, God uses human instruments as well. And so he says, I sent Timothy for this express purpose, to strengthen you as to your faith, and then he says, and to encourage you—*parakaleo*. The general word translated sometimes exhort, console, comfort. It has that broad sense of admonishing where necessary also, also tenderly applying the promises where necessary.
And so we have that first purpose mentioned in verse two, then in verse five he says, I sent to know about your faith, that is, to know whether or not it was enduring. It was enduring. To know its strength, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you and our labor be in vain. He said, I was anxious to know whether or not my investment of labor was bringing dividends. Just like people who've invested in a certain company, they check the stock reports to see if they're getting dividends from their investment. Paul is anxious to know that this is the case here. Paul has invested many hours, many tears, much labor in the Thessalonians to the glory of God, and now he wants to know whether or not that investment has come to naught. He sends to know about their faith, lest they have moved off from the position of stability and steadfastness.
Having considered these basic factors, beloved, regarding the text, we come now to what are some of the basic lessons of this portion of Scripture.
And I'm going to mention only one tonight with our remaining time. We'll pick it up next Lord's Day. I don't want to rush this. And I was wrestling to know just where to begin. And I trust that I'm beginning where I ought to because the Lord alone knows who is there on any given day. And my prayer has been, Lord, out of Your knowledge of who's going to be here tonight and who needs what more today, Lord guide. And I trust the Lord has done that.
And so we'll have time this evening, at least just for one of the lessons really. But the overarching lesson that I want to focus on is this: the lesson concerning the purpose and place of affliction in the life of a child of God. The purpose and place of affliction in the life of a child of God. You will notice, beloved, that the whole climate of this passage is one in which the apostle's concern was directly related to the afflictions that these people were experiencing.
Just look at the text and let your eye go there and see. Look at verse three: "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions." Verse four: "For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction, just as it happened and as you know." Verse seven: "For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted about your faith, about you through your faith." Here we have a context in which the people of God are experiencing what? Affliction.
This word affliction—we've come across this word, we're familiar with this word—*thlipsis*. It's used in verse three, verse four, speaks of pressures. To squeeze, to pressure, to crush, like the grape that goes into pressure, crushed in order to produce the wine. This is the picture of pressures that come upon the people of God. Those pressures could be persecution. Much of the pressure for the Thessalonians was open persecution. It could be particular trials, it could be physical ills, it could be financial problems. Anything that comes under the general heading of that which puts pressure on the saints, that's *thlipsis*.
Now what do we learn from this passage about the biblical doctrine of affliction? Number one—number one—we learn, we learn first of all, the certainty of affliction in the life of the child of God. The certainty of affliction in the life of the child of God. Notice Paul's words in verses three and four: "so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we have been"—what?—"destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance"—this is not the health and wealth gospel, He told them right up front—"that we were going to suffer affliction, just as it happened and as you know."
And the first thing you and I must know, if we're to think biblically about this whole matter of affliction, whether it comes through persecution, whether it comes through difficulties, whether it comes through trials and testings, physical, financial, relational—you can just fill up barrel, the barrel with anything that comes under that heading—face it, they are certain for the child of God. For this word is a very strong word, translated "destined. We have been *keimai*, destined, literally to be set. We have been set for this. It's the word, same word used in the prophecy concerning Christ in Luke 2 and verse 34, where Simeon says of Christ, "Behold, this Child is"—what?—here, same word—"is set, destined, appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel." And Paul says in Philippians 1:16, "I am appointed, I am set for the defense of the gospel."
Now, just as surely the Lord, as the Lord Jesus was appointed by the Father to be the occasion of the falling and rising of many in Israel, and just as the apostle Paul was saved and set apart and appointed, set for the defense of the gospel, Paul says the children of God are destined, set, appointed for affliction in this life.
Now, once you get that settled in your mind, then you realize, well, I better not spend my life trying somehow to be fighting with God, wrestling with God concerning affliction. I better rather set myself to learn what is the purpose of God in affliction, for if He appoints it, He doesn't appoint it capriciously, but He appoints it with purpose.
Is it true with regards to affliction and tribulation generally when they come into our lives? I mean, the first thing we do is cry out, "Oh God, remove the affliction." The first chance we get, we usually turn to the people of God and ask them to pray that the Lord will take the affliction away. Paul says, look, you're marked out for it. You just better let that sink in and learn what to do with it, because when God appoints you for it, all the praying in the world isn't gonna get you out of it until it accomplishes its purpose. And that's the first thing we must establish.
In fact, Paul apparently made this a vital part of his ministry. He says to these young believers in verse four, "For indeed, when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction." He made that part of his gospel, that to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and to set out in the path of progressive sanctification is to welcome all that the Father appoints in the way of affliction that will help me onward in that process.
In Acts 14, verse 22, lest they didn't get the message the first time around, when he goes back and revisits all the young churches, notice what his subject matter is. Verse 21, "And after they had proclaimed the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch," verse 22, "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many flipsies, afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.'" Of course, of course we pray, and we cry out to God to help us and to remove the affliction. But let us not, in doing that, eclipse the marvelous, the important purpose of God through the affliction to sanctify us, to refine us, to strengthen us, and to make us more like Jesus, and an opportunity to glorify Him.
The troubles of life are God's tools to refine our character and to produce in us true Christian maturity. The troubles of life, beloved, are God's tools to make us what He wants us to be. I'm sure you remember, still with me, George Matheson, 19th century Scottish preacher. That wonderful hymn that we sing from time to time, "'Oh, love that will not let me go,' suffering under its extreme distress. I thought it fitting to just remind us of him tonight. This hymn was the fruit of pain.
"'Oh, love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee. I give Thee back the life I owe that in Thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. Oh, joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be.'"
In his late teens, he began to lose his eyesight. You know the story. Was blind at 20. Went through the process of losing his eyesight. As any of us would, he struggled greatly with the reality that God in His providence was permitting this to happen in his life and he wrestled with it. He couldn't understand it and it was very painful. Until the Lord gave him grace and really refined him to the point where he was able to pray this prayer that comes to us and I pray it's an encouragement to your heart.
He writes, Dear God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear. Teach me the value of my thorns.
And I want to conclude this evening with an article. I'm going to read a portion of an article that I came across this week and I was debating whether to do that or not, but I see it fitting and I'm going to close with this. Listen to what this author writes:
"There comes a moment after walking through grief, suffering, confusion, or long seasons of waiting when we begin to realize that something in us has changed. The circumstances may not be fully resolved. The sorrow may not be entirely gone. The questions may not all be answered. And yet, by the grace of God, we are not the same people we were when the valley first began. This is one of the quiet mercies of the Christian life. The Lord does not merely bring His people through suffering. He also meets them in it, sustains them beneath it, and uses it to deepen their trust in Him. We may not have all the answers. We arrive instead at something firmer and far better, a renewed confidence in the God who is faithful in the darkest places, and who never wastes the pain of His people.
"One of the greatest temptations in suffering is to believe that it is meaningless. In the moment of grief, it can feel as though pain has no purpose, loss has no reason, and waiting has no end. The valley can seem empty of meaning and full only of confusion. Yet, Scripture repeatedly calls us to a different conclusion. The Word of God teaches us that the Lord is never absent from the afflictions of His people, and never careless with their tears. What feels to us like unraveling is often in the hands of God a work of sanctifying grace.
"And then he concludes with this. Romans 8:28 reminds us, 'And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, to those who are called according to His purpose.' That promise is not shallow optimism, nor is it a denial of real pain. It is a declaration of divine sovereignty. God is at work in all things, including the things we would never choose for ourselves. He is at work in sorrow, in disappointment, in weakness, in mourning, and in the long ache of unanswered questions. The valley does not fall outside His rule. The suffering of His people is not beyond His reach. Even when His purposes are hidden from us, His character remains sure."
Amen, let's pray.
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