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派提摩太前往

我們既然不能再忍下去,就決定留在雅典, 派我們的弟兄,就是在基督的福音上和 神同工的提摩太去,為了要在你們的信仰上堅定你們,勸慰你們, 免得有人在各樣的患難中動搖了。你們自己知道,我們受患難原是命定的。 我們在你們那裡的時候,早已對你們說過,我們將會遭受患難。後來應驗了,這是你們知道的。 因此,我既然不能再忍下去,就派人去打聽你們的信心怎樣;恐怕那試探人的誘惑了你們,以致我們的勞苦白費了。

提摩太剛剛從你們那裡回來,把你們信心和愛心的好消息帶給我們。他還說,你們常常懷念我們,切切想見我們,好像我們想見你們一樣。 所以弟兄們,我們在這一切困苦患難中,因著你們的信心就得了安慰。 如果你們在主裡站立得穩,我們就可以活下去了。 我們因你們的緣故,在我們的 神面前滿有喜樂;為這一切喜樂,我們可以為你們向 神獻上怎麼樣的感謝呢! 10 我們晝夜迫切祈求,要見你們的面,並且要補滿你們信心的不足。

11 願我們的父 神自己和我們的主耶穌為我們開路,使我們可以到你們那裡去。 12 又願主叫你們彼此相愛的心,和愛眾人的心,都充充足足,多而又多,好像我們愛你們一樣。 13 也願他堅定你們的心,好叫你們在我們主耶穌和眾聖徒再來的時候,在我們的父 神面前,完全聖潔,無可指摘。

最后我们无法再忍受思念之苦,就决定我们这些人留在雅典, 派提摩太去你们那里。他在传扬基督福音的事工上是我们的弟兄、上帝的同工。他去是要鼓励你们,使你们信心坚定, 免得有人因遭受这些患难而动摇,因为你们知道我们必遭受患难。 我们在你们那里时曾预先告诉过你们,我们会遭遇患难,你们知道后来果然如此。 因此,我无法再等下去了,就派提摩太到你们那里看看你们的信心如何,免得那诱惑人的诱惑了你们,使我们的心血都白费了。

喜闻佳讯

现在,提摩太刚从你们那里回来,把有关你们信心和爱心的好消息告诉了我们。他说你们常常思念我们,很想见到我们,就像我们渴望见到你们一样。 弟兄姊妹,你们的信心使我们在万般困苦和患难中得到了激励。 得知你们靠着主坚定不移,我们现在感到振奋。 你们使我们在上帝面前感到非常喜乐,我们该怎样为你们感谢上帝呢! 10 我们昼夜恳切祷告,渴望能见到你们,弥补你们信心的不足之处。

11 愿我们的父上帝和我们的主耶稣引领我们到你们那里。 12 愿主使你们彼此之间的爱和对他人的爱一齐增长,甚至满溢出来,就像我们爱你们一样。 13 这样,当我们的主耶稣带着祂的众圣徒再来时,你们可以在我们的父上帝面前心里刚强,完全圣洁,无可指责。

Chapter 3

That is why, when we could bear it no longer, we decided to remain alone in Athens(A) and sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,(B) so that no one be disturbed in these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined[a] for this. For even when we were among you, we used to warn you in advance that we would undergo affliction, just as has happened, as you know.(C) For this reason, when I too could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had put you to the test and our toil might come to nothing.

But just now Timothy has returned to us from you, bringing us the good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us and long to see us as we long to see you. Because of this, we have been reassured about you, brothers, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith. For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord.

Concluding Thanksgiving and Prayer. [b]What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you, for all the joy we feel on your account before our God? 10 Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith. 11 Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you,(D) 13 so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. [Amen.](E)

Footnotes

  1. 3:3 We are destined: the Greek phraseology and the context suggest Paul’s concern to alert his readers to difficulties he knew they would necessarily face and to enable them to see their present experience in the light of what he warned them would happen in the future. This line of thought is followed in 2 Thes 2:1–15.
  2. 3:9–10 The tension between Paul’s optimism concerning the Thessalonians’ faith and his worries about their perseverance remains unresolved. Perhaps this is accounted for not only by the continuing harassment but also by the shortness of his own stay in Thessalonica (even if that were over twice as long as the conventional three weeks that Luke assigns to it, Acts 17:2).