Future Glory | Present Trial: 1 Thess. 3:11-13
Future Glory - Present Trial :: Abound in Love
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
The extended introduction by Paul in his first letter to the young church at Thessalonica ends with a powerful and simple prayer. If the church today took up this same prayer and sought to live it out, untold beauty and power would be realized.
“With these words the long narrative with which this letter began (in 1:5) is now brought to an end. Here at last is the prayer report, which in Paul’s later letters, whenever they do appear, come right after the thanksgiving. …In this earliest of his preserved letters Paul records a prayer for them that seems to have two purposes. First, he hereby concludes the narrative of his and the Thessalonians’ past and present relationships on a note similar to, and thus forming a kind of inclusio with, the prayer of thanksgiving with which the letter began (1:2-3). At the same time, second, he anticipates the matters addressed in the rest of the letter, where he deals with the “deficiencies” mentioned at the end of the preceding sentence (v.10).”—Gordon Fee
This prayer begins with a request that God the Father and Jesus the Lord bring the apostles and the church family back together again. This simple request holds an unexpected treasure of theology: what is impossible to notice in English is peculiar in Greek:
“Notice that our God and Father is linked in the closest fashion in the address of this prayer with our Lord Jesus (again in 2 Thess 2:16, in the reverse order), and that the verb (to direct) is in the singular. There could scarcely be a more impressive way of indicating the lordship of Christ, and his oneness with the Father (the singular verb ‘implies that God and Jesus count as one in this connection’). From a very early time (this letter is dated about AD 50) Christians accepted the deity of our Lord without question. (Prayer is not the place for the introduction of an argument.) Prayer is offered to God alone: only one who was divine could be bracketed in this way with the Father.”—Leon Morris
The heart of the prayer focuses on the church family, not the apostles. Paul asks that they increase and abound in love for one another and all men. Love is at the very center, literally and thematically, of this request to God. The word for love here is, of course, agape.
Agape love is not the impulsive love of passion or the congenial and warm love of family or friends. Agape love is a matter of will and action. It uniquely involves self-giving and should often be understood as “to show love.” It is a selfless, giving, active love focused on another person. It is no wonder then why God’s nature and essence is described by this term: God is love (agape).
It may appear that Paul’s prayer for increased and abounding love is not particularly connected to the Thessalonian context, for this prayer finds ample placement and relevance throughout the New Testament. Yet, there may be something else on Paul’s heart. In an extended study of the Hebrew, Greek and biblical context and background of the word agape, the authors include this insight when referencing Jesus’ use of the word. Notice the place and relevance of suffering:
“Two forces particularly are mentioned by Jesus as forces which man must renounce and fight against if he is to love God, namely, mammon and vainglory. He who would heap up riches is a heathen of little faith who is of no use in the kingdom of God (Mt 6:24b, 30 ff.). And Jesus pronounces a woe on the Pharisees: “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.” The love of prestige is incompatible with the love of God. Yet there is also a third danger which threatens this love, i.e., the stress of persecution.”—Quell, Stauffer, TDNT Kittel
If persecution, suffering and affliction threaten the showing of agape love, then it makes great sense why Paul would pray for this kind of love to increase and abound.
The prayer ends with yet another mention of Jesus’ return (see 1:10 and 2:19). Paul keeps directing the Thessalonians upward and outward in time, to the future, to the end times, primarily because they seem to be struggling on these points of truth. This is why Paul discusses eschatology - the study of end times - so much in the remainder of the letter as well as the second letter. Remember Jesus said in Matthew 24:10-12 that in the end times, men’s love will grow cold. Again, he uses the word agape.
So it seems there is a conflation of several critical elements in Paul’s prayer: the vital role that agape love plays within and through the community of God’s church during times of persecution and suffering, and in light of the approaching of the end times. Because cultural pressures and community affliction can be so damaging, the reconciling effect of agape love must be a primary hope for Paul and us. When the community of faith is divided and wounded, the healing and reconciliation needed is the responsibility of the whole community. This is Paul’s sentiment in the last verse of the prayer and chapter. This expressed love is connected to God “establishing” our hearts before Jesus’ return and His judgment seat.
We all have a part to play. And love is the center.
So how’s your love?
Group Discussion Questions:
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
The extended introduction by Paul in his first letter to the young church at Thessalonica ends with a powerful and simple prayer. If the church today took up this same prayer and sought to live it out, untold beauty and power would be realized.
“With these words the long narrative with which this letter began (in 1:5) is now brought to an end. Here at last is the prayer report, which in Paul’s later letters, whenever they do appear, come right after the thanksgiving. …In this earliest of his preserved letters Paul records a prayer for them that seems to have two purposes. First, he hereby concludes the narrative of his and the Thessalonians’ past and present relationships on a note similar to, and thus forming a kind of inclusio with, the prayer of thanksgiving with which the letter began (1:2-3). At the same time, second, he anticipates the matters addressed in the rest of the letter, where he deals with the “deficiencies” mentioned at the end of the preceding sentence (v.10).”—Gordon Fee
This prayer begins with a request that God the Father and Jesus the Lord bring the apostles and the church family back together again. This simple request holds an unexpected treasure of theology: what is impossible to notice in English is peculiar in Greek:
“Notice that our God and Father is linked in the closest fashion in the address of this prayer with our Lord Jesus (again in 2 Thess 2:16, in the reverse order), and that the verb (to direct) is in the singular. There could scarcely be a more impressive way of indicating the lordship of Christ, and his oneness with the Father (the singular verb ‘implies that God and Jesus count as one in this connection’). From a very early time (this letter is dated about AD 50) Christians accepted the deity of our Lord without question. (Prayer is not the place for the introduction of an argument.) Prayer is offered to God alone: only one who was divine could be bracketed in this way with the Father.”—Leon Morris
The heart of the prayer focuses on the church family, not the apostles. Paul asks that they increase and abound in love for one another and all men. Love is at the very center, literally and thematically, of this request to God. The word for love here is, of course, agape.
Agape love is not the impulsive love of passion or the congenial and warm love of family or friends. Agape love is a matter of will and action. It uniquely involves self-giving and should often be understood as “to show love.” It is a selfless, giving, active love focused on another person. It is no wonder then why God’s nature and essence is described by this term: God is love (agape).
It may appear that Paul’s prayer for increased and abounding love is not particularly connected to the Thessalonian context, for this prayer finds ample placement and relevance throughout the New Testament. Yet, there may be something else on Paul’s heart. In an extended study of the Hebrew, Greek and biblical context and background of the word agape, the authors include this insight when referencing Jesus’ use of the word. Notice the place and relevance of suffering:
“Two forces particularly are mentioned by Jesus as forces which man must renounce and fight against if he is to love God, namely, mammon and vainglory. He who would heap up riches is a heathen of little faith who is of no use in the kingdom of God (Mt 6:24b, 30 ff.). And Jesus pronounces a woe on the Pharisees: “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.” The love of prestige is incompatible with the love of God. Yet there is also a third danger which threatens this love, i.e., the stress of persecution.”—Quell, Stauffer, TDNT Kittel
If persecution, suffering and affliction threaten the showing of agape love, then it makes great sense why Paul would pray for this kind of love to increase and abound.
The prayer ends with yet another mention of Jesus’ return (see 1:10 and 2:19). Paul keeps directing the Thessalonians upward and outward in time, to the future, to the end times, primarily because they seem to be struggling on these points of truth. This is why Paul discusses eschatology - the study of end times - so much in the remainder of the letter as well as the second letter. Remember Jesus said in Matthew 24:10-12 that in the end times, men’s love will grow cold. Again, he uses the word agape.
So it seems there is a conflation of several critical elements in Paul’s prayer: the vital role that agape love plays within and through the community of God’s church during times of persecution and suffering, and in light of the approaching of the end times. Because cultural pressures and community affliction can be so damaging, the reconciling effect of agape love must be a primary hope for Paul and us. When the community of faith is divided and wounded, the healing and reconciliation needed is the responsibility of the whole community. This is Paul’s sentiment in the last verse of the prayer and chapter. This expressed love is connected to God “establishing” our hearts before Jesus’ return and His judgment seat.
We all have a part to play. And love is the center.
So how’s your love?
Group Discussion Questions:
- What parts of Paul’s prayer in 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 connect with you the most right now? Why? Share with your group.
- In order to better understand this prayer we’ll need to do some work to better understand love. Read John 13:34-35 and John 15:12-17. All of the uses of love in these passages are the word agape. What do these text reveal about agape love? What do they reveal about how love is shown and acted upon?
- Read 1 John 4:7-21. What does this text reveal about agape love? What other big application points appear?
- Read Galatians 5:13-15. Discuss this passage and specify points of application for the community of the church.
- Read Hebrews 10:19-25. Discuss the passage with your group and identify points of relevant and meaningful application for your church right now.
- Read 1 Peter 4:7-11. Discuss the passage with your group. How might you “keep fervent in your love for one another”?
- How might times of persecution and affliction affect the action of agape love within a community?
- Spend some time in prayer as you close. Focus on love and ask God to help you love others within the church and those outside when it is most difficult to do so.
Posted in Sermon Notes