1 Thessalonians 3:10-Paul, Silvanus and Timothy and Earnestly Pleaded with the Father to See the Thessalonians and to Minister to Them Lesson # 47
Bill Wenstrom
First Thessalonians Chapter Three • Sermon • Submitted • 1:02:52
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1 Thessalonians 3:10 We pray earnestly night and day to see you in person and make up what may be lacking in your faith. (NET)
1 Thessalonians 3:10 contains three statements.
The first asserts that for their own benefit, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy made it their habit of earnestly praying during the night as well as during the day.
The second and third express the two-fold purpose of the first.
The second expresses Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s desire to see the face of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
The third expresses their desire to provide the things which are needed with regards to the Thessalonians’ post-justification faith in the gospel.
By making it their habit of earnestly praying to the Father to see the Thessalonians and provide the things which are needed with regards to their post-justification faith in the gospel would benefit these three men because they would see the Thessalonians if the Father fulfilled this request.
Secondly, they would benefit because they would be able to provide the things which are needed with regards to their post-justification faith since Paul, Silvanus and Timothy would be rewarded by the Lord Jesus Christ for doing so.
The desire of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to see the faces of the Thessalonians echoes 1 Thessalonians 2:17 and 3:6 since each of these verses express the desire of these men to see the faces of the Thessalonians.
Now, there is an interpretation problem in this verse with regards to the noun husterēma which some translations render “what may be lacking” (NET), “what is lacking” (TNIV, LEB, ESV, CSB) or “whatever is lacking” (NRSV).
I disagree with each of these translations since each of these phrases in our day and age has a negative connotation attached to it in that of failure since the word “lack” can pertain to being deficient or missing and not just having need of something.
A better translation would be “the things which are needed” (GNB) since the word pertains in this context to the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable.
This interpretation is indicated by the fact that Paul commends the Thessalonians for their faith in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 8, 3:6 and 7.
Therefore, 1 Thessalonians 3:10 is not expressing Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s desire to provide what is lacking in the Thessalonians’ faith but rather what they need with regards to this faith.
Thus, the implication of this statement is that they want the Thessalonians’ faith to grow or in other words, they want their faith to mature.
The ultimate purpose is to present each member of the Thessalonian Christian community as spiritually mature in the presence of Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.
Paul mentions this in Colossians 1:28 since this verse asserts that the Christian grows to spiritual maturity as a result of adhering to authoritative instruction by means of the gospel.
The Christian grows up spiritually by receiving and obeying authoritative instruction by being taught the gospel from their pastor-teacher.
Paul is making the assertion in Colossians 1:28 that the purpose of providing authoritative instruction to the Christian community by means of the gospel, which is a wisdom that is absolute, is to present each and every Christian as spiritually mature in the presence of Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat.
As was the case in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 9, 3:2, 5, 6 and 7, the reference to the Thessalonians’ faith here in 1 Thessalonians 3:10 is not a reference to justifying-faith since the Thessalonians were already declared justified by the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
In other words, they were already regenerated and thus Christians.
Rather, this faith speaks of their post-justification faith or in other words, the faith they need to exercise in the Word of God after their justification which would enable them to experience their sanctification and salvation and practice the love of God in their lives.
This interpretation is indicated by the fact that in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul associates their faith with work, which refers to their Christian service.
As we noted in our study of this verse, the Thessalonians’ faith in the Spirit inspired teaching of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy enabled them to perform work, which was produced by the Holy Spirit.
Their faith resulted in their obedience to the Spirit’s commands and prohibitions which were communicated to them by these three men.
Their faith resulted in their experiencing fellowship with the Trinity and with Paul, Silvanus and Timothy.
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 as well as 3:2 help us understand the statement in 1 Thessalonians 3:10 since they identify how Paul, Silvanus and Timothy would provide the things which are needed with regards to the Thessalonians’ faith.
So therefore, a comparison of 1 Thessalonians 3:10 with 1 Thessalonians 3:2 and 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 indicate that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy would provide the things which are needed with regards to the Thessalonians’ post-justification faith by exhorting, encouraging as well as urging them to make it their habit of living in a manner worthy of God.
Thus, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy would provide the things which are needed with regards to the Thessalonians’ faith by authoritatively training them in the gospel with regards to the person and work of Jesus Christ as well as their union and identification with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father (cf. Rom. 10:17).
This would cause the Thessalonians to become stronger in their faith and stabilized in their relationship with God.
Consequently, this would produce greater obedience and consequently, greater spiritual growth.
The Thessalonians would be “strengthened” in the sense that the Thessalonians would be more marked by firm determination or resolution with regards to their faith.
It means they would become more firm in this faith and unchanging in their attitude and belief in the gospel.
It means that they would be more steadfast in their mental attitude reflecting a mental state that is settled and firmly rooted in the truth of the gospel.
The Thessalonians would be “encouraged” in the sense that they would be filled with courage or strength of purpose so as to raise their confidence level with regards to their faith.
Paul, Silvanus and Timothy would “exhort” the Thessalonians by authoritatively training them through instruction in the gospel in order to compel obedience in every area of their lives.
This authoritative training through instruction in the gospel would include teaching, conviction, correcting and training with regards to living out in one’s life the righteousness of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
In other words, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy would urge them to accept sound doctrine by faith which results in obedience to sound doctrine which produces godly conduct and character.
This authoritative training through instruction would also involve encouraging and warning of danger.