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INDEX
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COLLECTIONS
Commentaries, Word
Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
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NOW MAY OUR GOD AND FATHER
HIMSELF AND JESUS OUR LORD DIRECT OUR WAY TO YOU: Autos de o
theos kai pater emon kai o kurios hemon Iesous kateuthunai (2SAAO) ten
hodon hemon pros humas: (13;
Isaiah 63:16;
Jeremiah 31:9;
Malachi 1:6;
Matthew 6:4,6,8,9,14,18,26,32;
Luke 12:30,32;
John 20:17;
2 Corinthians 6:18;
Colossians 1:2;
1 John 3:1)
(Romans
1:3;
2 Thessalonians 2:16)
(Ezra
8:21-23;
Proverbs 3:5,6;
Mark 1:3)
Now Paul tells them specifically
what he is praying for them.
God and Father Himself and Jesus
our Lord - Thomas writes that here we see...
Two persons viewed as one (cf. John
10:30) possess power to open the way to Thessalonica once again; ‘our
God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus’ is the compound subject of
a singular verb . . . probably an indication of the unity of the
Godhead.
Denney remarks
It is an involuntary assent of the
Apostle to the word of the Lord, "I and My Father are one.
Hiebert writes that...
Thus to address the Lord Jesus as
the object of their prayer, equally with the Father, is to ascribe
full deity to Him. To make Christ one with the Father in the
prerogative of hearing and answering prayer is to bracket Him with the
Father as equal in power and glory. For a strong monotheist like Paul
this would have been unthinkable if he had regarded Christ Jesus as a
mere man, however exalted.
His view of Christ is further underlined by the fact that the verb
"clear" is singular in number although the subject is plural. One can
hardly conceive of a stronger way for Paul to indicate his
unquestioned acceptance of the lordship of Jesus and His oneness with
the Father. And the fact that this occurs in his prayer and not in a
doctrinal discussion indicates that it was part of the accepted faith
of the Thessalonians as well as Paul...It was an essential part of the
faith of the Christian church from the very beginning. Here we see
implicit in Paul's earliest letter the Lordship of Jesus Christ which
is made explicit in the epistle to the Colossians. (Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
Direct (2720)(kateuthuno from
kata = down, intensifies meaning + euthunô = straighten
from euthus = straight) means to make straight, to straighten fully, to guide or
lead directly straight towards or upon something, to guide one's way
or journey to a place. The idea is that of conducting one straight to
a place, and not by a round-about course.
Note that this verb is singular
whereas the subject is plural (God...Jesus our Lord) which
substantiates the deity of Christ and the unity of the Godhead.
Vine thus translates the verse as...
But God Himself even our Father and
our Lord Jesus, direct our way unto you (Vine,
W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
or
Logos)
Kateuthuno gives a picture of opening up the way by removal of obstacles so that
the desired goal may be reached. Paul recognizes the uselessness of
personal efforts toward a revisit unless God "clears the way"
and removes the obstacles that Satan had previously placed in his path
of return which made that path impassable. Paul had learned the secret
(see notes
Philippians 4:13) that
it is God
Who "directs our way" and Who Alone is powerful enough to remove
all hindrances (cf notes
1Thessalonians 2:18)
that Satan places in our path.
The missionaries are making their
request, but they recognize that the Sovereign God is the supreme
Disposer of events. They acknowledge their dependence upon Him and
know that it is His prerogative to determine the time and manner in
which their prayer will be answered.
Here are the only other NT uses of kateuthuno and in each place
it has the sense of divine providence controlling human action.
Luke 1:79 To shine upon
those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our
feet into the way of peace."
2 Thessalonians 3:5 And may the Lord direct your hearts
into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
There are 50 uses of kateuthuno
in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Jdg. 12:6; 1 Sam. 6:12; 2 Sam. 19:17; 1 Ki. 11:43; 1 Chr. 29:18; 2
Chr. 12:14; 17:5; 19:3; 20:33; 30:19; 32:30; Est. 3:13; 8:12; Ps. 5:8;
7:9; 37:23; 40:2; 59:4; 78:8; 90:17; 101:7; 102:28; 119:5, 133;
140:11; 141:2; Prov. 1:3; 4:26; 9:15; 13:13; 15:8, 21; 21:2; 23:19;
29:27; Jer. 15:11; 21:12; Ezek. 17:9f, 15; 18:25; Dan. 3:30; 6:28;
8:24f; 11:27, 36; Hos. 4:10; Zech. 11:16; Mal. 2:6)
Way (3598)(hodos) means
any place along which one travels and so a way, a road, a highway.
Hodos is a way for traveling or moving from one place to
another.
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1Thessalonians 3:12
and may the
Lord
cause
* you to
increase and
abound in
love for
one
another, and
for
all
people,
just as we
also do for
you; (NASB:
Lockman) |
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Greek:
humas
de
o
kurios
pleonasai
kai
perisseusai
te
agape
eis
allelous
kai
eis
pantas,
kathaper
kai
hemeis
eis
humas
Amplified: And may
the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one
another and for all people, just as we also do for you,
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
NLT: And may the Lord make your love grow and overflow to
each other and to everyone else, just as our love overflows toward
you. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: May the Lord give you the same increasing and
overflowing love for each other and towards all men as we have towards
you. (Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: the Lord cause you to increase and superabound in
your divine and self-sacrificial love for one another and toward all,
even as also we have this divine and self-sacrificial love for you,
(Erdmans)
Young's Literal: and you the Lord cause to increase and to
abound in the love to one another, and to all, even as we also to you, |
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AND MAY THE LORD CAUSE YOU TO
INCREASE AND ABOUND IN LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER, AND FOR ALL MEN, JUST AS WE
ALSO DO FOR YOU: humas de o kurios pleonasai (3SAAO) kai perisseusai
(3SAAO) te agape eis allelous kai eis pantas, kathaper kai hemeis eis
humas: (4:10;
Psalms 115:4;
Luke 17:5;
2 Corinthians 9:10;
James 1:17;
2 Peter 3:18)
(4:9,10;
Philippians 1:9;
2 Thessalonians 1:3)
(5:15;
Matthew 7:12;
22:39;
Romans 13:8;
1 Corinthians 13:1-13;
Galatians 5:6,13,14,22;
2 Peter 1:7;
1 John 3:11-19;
4:7-16)
Increase and abound - the idea is that their love be enlarged and
made abundant, taken together giving the force of "increase to
overflowing"! Clearly this was not a loveless church (eg they had a
labor of love - see note
1Th 1:3), but
they were not yet glorified (!) and therefore still had room to grow in love,
the essential mark of the Christian faith as our Lord declared...
A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have
loved you, that you also love one another. By this
all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love
(agape) for one another. (John
13:34-35).
And so it is not surprising that
Paul prayed for increasing love for other churches such as the one at
Philippi...
And this I pray, that your love
may abound (perisseuo - superabound, overflow;
present tense
= as a continual supernatural outflow of your Spirit controlled and
empowered life) still more and more (and here is the qualifier of such
an overflowing love - it is not mindless sentimentality) in real
knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that
are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of
Christ (See notes
Philippians 1:9;
1:10)
In Paul's second letter we see his
thanksgiving to God for having answered this prayer...
We ought always to give thanks to God
for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly
enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever
greater (2Thes 1:3)
Increase (4121)(pleonazo from
pleion = more) means to cause to increase or to
superabound. It suggests an abundance, an increase in number. It means
to have or cause to have much, or more than enough. To have a surplus
Abound (4052)(perisseuo from
perissós = abundant from peri = in sense of
beyond) means to cause to overflow or superabound (quantitatively or qualitatively),
to cause to
excel. It means to exceed a fixed number
or measure, to exist in superfluity.
Hiebert writes that the two
verbs increase and abound
are both
aorist,
optative
of wish. They are virtually
synonymous in import, and the use of both strengthens the expression of
the prayer-wish. The former means "to become more, to increase, to be in
abundance," while the latter means "to he present in abundance, to
overflow" They may be rendered "to increase and to overflow" (Weymouth,
Williams). The former may be viewed as "pointing to the process of
growth" and the latter "to superlative attainment."' Then they may be
thought of as standing in a relationship of cause and effect. The
petition is not merely that their converts will "increase" but will be
filled to overflowing in "love."
It is assumed that love is already present in their lives; the request
is that it may increase to overflowing fullness. Its overflowing
presence is the tangible evidence of a robust faith. Genuine Christian
love, whose characteristics are set forth in 1 Corinthians 13, is the
one thing in the Christian life that cannot be carried to excess. This
abounding love will first of all express itself in their relations to
"each other," the fellow-believers at Thessalonica. The reciprocal
pronoun indicates that this love is to be shown mutually. But it must
also be expressed as "for everyone else," not merely Christians in other
places, but all men generally. For the persecuted Thessalonians this
meant also loving their enemies, as Christ commanded (see note
Matthew 5:44).
To show love to their persecutors was the true safeguard against the
natural tendency to retaliate when mistreated by outsiders. Such a love
is not natural to man; it can he known and practiced only as it is
received as a gift from the Lord and made to increase and abound by Him.
(Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
Love
(26)
(agape)
is unconditional, sacrificial love
and a love that God is (1Jn
4:8,16) that God shows (Jn
3:16,
1Jn 4:9). Greek literature throws
little light on this distinctive NT meaning. Agape love is the
love of choice and of serving with humility. It is the highest kind of
love, the noblest kind of devotion, the love of the will (intentional,
conscious choice) and not done for appearance or motivated by emotional
attraction. Agape is not based on pleasant emotions or good
feelings that might result from a physical attraction or a familial
bond. From all of the descriptions of agape love, it is clear
that true agape love is a sure mark of salvation.
Agape does not depend on the
world’s criteria for love, such as attractiveness, emotions, or
sentimentality. Believers can easily fall into the trap of blindly
following the world’s demand that the one who loves is to feel
positive toward the beloved. This is not agape love, but is a
love based on impulse. Impulsive love characterizes the spouse
who announces to the other spouse that they are planning to divorce
their mate. Why? They reason “I can’t help it. I fell in love with
another person!” Christians must understand that this type of impulsive
love is completely contrary to God’s decisive love, which is
decisive because He is in control and has a purpose in mind.
Donald W. Burdick gives an
excellent summary of agape writing that...
It is
spontaneous. There was nothing of value in the persons loved that called
forth such sacrificial love. God of His own free will set His love on us
in spite of our enmity and sin. [Agape] is love that is initiated by the
lover because he wills to love, not because of the value or lovableness
of the person loved. [Agape] is self-giving. and is not interested in
what it can gain, but in what it can give. It is not bent on satisfying
the lover, but on helping the one loved whatever the cost. [Agape] is
active and is not mere sentiment cherished in the heart. Nor is it mere
words however eloquent. It does involve feeling and may express itself
in words, but it is primarily an attitude toward another that moves the
will to act in helping to meet the need of the one loved." (Burdick, D
W: The Letters of John the Apostle. Chicago: Moody, 1985, page 351)
EBC
comments that...
The goal of Paul's prayer for the
Thessalonians is that the Lord will grant them "inner strength" to be
"blameless" in holiness "in the presence of our God and Father" when the
Lord Jesus returns. He looks forward to the time of final accounting. An
overflow of love (v. 12) is the only route to holy conduct in which no
fault can be found (v. 13). For unless love prevails, selfish motives
inhibit ethical development by turning us toward ourselves and away from
God and blameless living. The holiness that belongs to God is the ideal
we must seek (cf. Lev 19:2; see note
1 Peter 1:16). (Gaebelein,
F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament.
Zondervan Publishing)
For one another and for all men
- Paul had been thankful for their labor of love (see note
1Thessalonians 1:3)
and here is praying for an ever widening circle of love, like the Father
has even for the unsaved (all men) and even their countrymen who
had caused them suffering (see note
1Thessalonians 2:14)
Just as we do for you -
Paul daringly set himself as a standard of love to be emulated. We
should live such Christian lives that we could tell young Christians,
“Love other people just the way that I do.”
Someone has paraphrased this
prayer as follows
The Lord enable you more and more to
spend your lives in the interests of others, in order that He may so
establish you in Christian character now, that you might be vindicated
from every charge that might possibly be brought against you ...
R Larry Moyer has an note
worth pondering regarding Paul's prayers for the saints (disciples)...
Paul’s emphasis on prayer for new
converts is seen in other portions of his epistles such as 1
Thessalonians 1:2–3; 3:10–13; and Philippians 1:3–4. What is striking is
that Paul was keenly aware that no matter how many times he revisited
the new believers, how many fellow workers he sent to labor among them,
or how much communication he maintained with them, only the Holy Spirit
could accomplish spiritual growth. God through His Spirit had to apply
the truths of Scripture to their lives and cause them to be
comprehended. Paul viewed his prayers to this end as an essential part
of his follow-through.
Referring to Paul’s emphasis on
prayer for new converts, Erdman notes,
A large portion of Paul’s time was
spent in this pursuit. The “anxiety of all the churches” he had
established found its natural expression in earnest intercession in
their behalf. In the preface of his epistle written to any one of these
churches, he states the requests which formed the substance of these
daily supplications. There were in each case petitions appropriate to
the particular need. However, these opening prayers of the apostle
indicate exactly the requests which should be offered for the churches
of the present day, and indeed for each individual Christian. They form
possibly the most precious portions of the New Testament epistles. (from
Charles R. Erdman, The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and to
Philemon Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966, 45)
One cannot help but wonder how much
further along new converts would be if the amount of time given to
criticism were directed to prayer for their spiritual growth. The
Christian community has often had the practice and reputation of talking
about prayer, but not praying enough. Moments given to persevering
prayer could do more for new converts than hours of criticism or days of
discussion on prayer. (Moyer, R. Larry: Assimilating New Converts into
the Local Church: Bibliotheca Sacra: Volume 151, Issue 603, Page 340.
Dallas TX: Dallas Theological Seminary)
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1Thessalonians 3:13
so that He may
establish your
hearts
without
blame in
holiness
before our
God and
Father at the
coming of our
Lord
Jesus with
all His
saints (NASB:
Lockman) |
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Greek:
eis
to sterixai
(AAN)
umon
tas
kardias
amemptous
en
hagiosune
emprosthen
tou
theou
kai
patros
emon
en
te
parousia
tou
kuriou
emon
Iesou
meta
panton
ton
agion
autou.
[amen.]
Amplified: So that He may strengthen and confirm and establish
your hearts faultlessly pure and unblamable in holiness in the sight
of our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the
Messiah) with all His saints (the holy and glorified people of God)!
Amen, (so be it)!
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
NLT: As a result, Christ will make your hearts strong,
blameless, and holy when you stand before God our Father on that day
when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to him. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: May he establish you, holy and blameless in
heart and soul, before himself, the Father of us all, when our Lord
Jesus Christ comes with all who belong to him. (Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: to the end that He might stabilize your hearts
blameless in the sphere of holiness in the presence of our God and
Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. (Erdmans)
Young's Literal: to the establishing your hearts blameless
in sanctification before our God and Father, in the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. |
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SO THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH YOUR
HEARTS UNBLAMABLE IN HOLINESS BEFORE OUR GOD AND FATHER AT THE COMING OF
OUR LORD JESUS WITH ALL HIS SAINTS: eis to sterixai (AAN) humon tas kardias
amemptous en hagiosune emprosthen tou theou kai patros emon en te
parousia tou kuriou emon Iesou meta panton ton agion autou: (5:23;
Romans 14:4;
16:25;
1 Corinthians 1:8;
Philippians 1:10;
2 Thessalonians 2:16,17;
1 Peter 5:10;
1 John 3:20,21)
(Ephesians
5:27;
Colossians 1:22;
1 John 3:20,21;
Jude 1:24)
(2:19;
4:15;
5:23;
1 Corinthians 1:7;
15:23;
2 Thessalonians 2:1)
(Deuteronomy
33:2;
Zechariah 14:5;
2 Thessalonians 1:10;
Jude 1:14)
So (1519) (eis) marks the conclusion of the
petition and introduces a statement of its goal or aim ("contemplated
result", Lenski). The verse thus reads not as another request but
the goal literally
to the end that he may strengthen
your hearts blameless in holiness The NIV
dynamic paraphrase is somewhat inaccurate rendering this
phrase as a separate prayer request...
May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless
and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes
with all his holy ones.
Hiebert commenting on
establish your hearts notes that...
The Lord works through their
increasing love to strengthen them—make them firm and solid (cf. note
1Thes 3:2)—in
Christian character. Only as Christ develops in them the needed inner
spiritual stability will they be able to stand firm and unmoved through
whatever the future holds. Timothy had been sent to Thessalonica to help
strengthen and encourage them (1Thes
3:2); this prayer is a
reminder that however helpful the ministries of the Lord's servants may
be, it is the Lord Himself who must work that inner stability in them. (Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
Establish (4741)
(sterizo
from histemi = to stand
as in 1Pe 5:12 "stand firm in" the true grace of God)
means to make firm or solid, to set
fast, to fix firmly in a place, to establish (make firm or stable), to
cause to be inwardly firm or committed, to strengthen. The basic idea of
the verb sterizo is that of stabilizing something by providing a
support or buttress (a projecting structure of masonry or wood for
supporting or giving stability to a wall or building), so that it will
not totter.
Barclay
writes that stērízō
means to make as solid as granite.
Suffering of body and sorrow of heart do one of two things to a man.
They either make him collapse or they leave him with a solidity of
character which he could never have gained anywhere else. If he meets
them with continuing trust in Christ, he emerges like toughened steel
that has been tempered in the fire. (Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible Series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press or
Logos
Guzik has a wise remark noting
that...
The heart must be made holy first.
The devil wants us to develop a holy exterior while neglecting the
interior, like whitewashed tombs, full of death (Matthew 23:27).
T he following uses of
sterizo
demonstrate the various ways God uses
to strengthen His saints and thus what and how Timothy was enabled to
strengthen the faith of the saints in Thessalonica. These are the same
"methods" believers today can utilize to strengthen the faith of their
brethren, a need which is always present because every believer's faith
is continually subject to testing.
Have you ever been sent to
strengthen another's faith?
How would Timothy going to carry out Paul's charge to strengthen the
faith of the saints at Thessalonica? Read on...
Believers are
strengthened...
By
fervent, Scripturally based prayers of the saints...
May the Lord cause you to increase
and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do
for you that He may establish (sterizo)
your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the
coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. (see notes
1Thes 3:12;
13)
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal
comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen (sterizo)
your hearts in every good work and word. (2Th 2:16-17)
By the Lord
Himself, our Strength and Protector...
But the Lord is
faithful, and He will strengthen (sterizo)
and protect you from the evil
one. (2Thes 3:3)
By
looking and living for the Lord's return...
You too
be
patient
(makrothumeo
- having a "long fuse" especially with difficult people -
aorist imperative);
strengthen
(sterizo
-
aorist imperative
Do it now - it's
urgent!,
active voice
= you make the choice to do this)
your hearts (the "control center" of your life), for the coming (parousia)
of the Lord is at hand.
(Js
5:8)
By the God of
all grace working through suffering...
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace,
who called you to His
eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm,
strengthen and establish you. (See note
1 Peter 5:10)
By the truth
of God's Word...
Therefore, I shall always be
ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them,
and have been established (sterizo)
in the truth which is present with you.
(see
note
2 Peter 1:12)
By the
revealing of the mystery of
the gospel...
Now to Him who is able to
establish (sterizo)
you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept
secret for long ages past
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