1 Thessalonians 3
CCHS1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
III 2. ‘deacon of God’: another reading, ‘fellowworker of God’, is also well attested; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9.3-4. cf. Acts 14:21.5. ‘The Tempter’ is Satan; cf. Matthew 4:3.
6-10. Timothy’s favourable report filled him with joy and gave him fresh life. 10. ‘accomplish those things that are wanting’: to complete their catechetical instruction so abruptly broken off, cf. Acts 17:5.
11-13 A Prayer for the Thessalonians— He prays God not only to bring him to them but to enlarge their charity and keep them in readiness for the coming (Parousia) of Christ.
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‘direct’: this verb is singular in the Greek, thus showing that the two Persons, Father and Son, share the same divine nature.
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Christians are to direct all their attention to preparation for the Last Judgement, of which the Particular Judgement at the hour of death is in a sense merely the anticipation.—’the saints’: probably the angels, cf.Zach 14:5; Matthew 25:31; the souls of the just do not seem to be included under the term here. The ‘Amen’ is possibly a liturgical addition.