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1 Thessalonians 3:2
New English Translation
1 Thessalonians 3:2
New English Translation
2 We[a] sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God[b] in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,
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- 1 Thessalonians 3:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:2 tc A variety of readings occurs in this verse. Instead of “and fellow worker for God” (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, kai sunergon tou theou), B and 1962 have “and fellow worker” (καὶ συνεργόν); א A P Ψ 0278 6 81 629* 1241 1739 1881 2464 lat co read “and servant of God” (καὶ διάκονον τοῦ θεοῦ, kai diakonon tou theou); D2 1505 M al and a few versional witnesses read “and a servant of God and our fellow worker” (καὶ διάκονον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ συνεργὸν ἡμῶν); and F G have “servant and fellow worker for God” (διάκονον καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ). The reading of the text (καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ) is found in D* 33 b d m o Ambst Pel. It may be argued that all readings that do not collocate συνεργόν with θεοῦ are secondary, as this is certainly the harder reading. Indeed, in only one other place in the NT are human beings said to be συνεργοὶ θεοῦ (sunergoi theou; 1 Cor 3:9), and the simplest (though by no means the only) interpretation is that the genitive should be taken associatively (“a fellow worker in association with God”). It is difficult to account for συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ here unless it is authentic because of the theological difficulty that would be easily seen in this wording. (However, the text in 1 Cor 3:9 is solid [Χριστοῦ(Christou) is found in 2400, a thirteenth-century minuscule; no other variants are known]. This gives some pause to attributing theological difficulty as a cause for scribal alteration in our passage.) A genealogy of the readings suggests that various scribes may have deleted τοῦ θεοῦ or swapped διάκονον for συνεργόν to remove the offense. The readings of the Byzantine text and two Western mss (F G) appear to be conflations of earlier readings, but the reading of F G nevertheless indirectly supports καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ since it does not remove the offense. Although the witnesses for καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ θεοῦ are minimal, the internal evidence is quite strong in favor of this reading. With hesitation, it is adopted as authentic.tn Although 1 Thess 3:2 is frequently understood to mean that Timothy is “God’s fellow worker,” such a view assumes that the genitive θεοῦ (theou) is associative for it is related to συνεργόν (sunergon). However, a genitive of association is not required by the syntax (cf. ExSyn 130), and it almost certainly is contrary to Paul’s theological outlook. See sn at 1 Cor 3:9.
1 Thessalonians 3:2
New International Version
1 Thessalonians 3:2
New International Version
2 We sent Timothy,(A) who is our brother and co-worker(B) in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ,(C) to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
1 Thessalonians 3:6
New English Translation
1 Thessalonians 3:6
New English Translation
6 But now Timothy has come[a] to us from you and given us the good news of your faith and love and that you always think of us with affection[b] and long to see us just as we also long to see you![c]
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- 1 Thessalonians 3:6 tn Grk “but now Timothy having come,” a subordinate clause leading to the main clause of v. 7.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:6 tn Grk “you have a good remembrance of us always.”
- 1 Thessalonians 3:6 tn Grk “just as also we you.”
1 Thessalonians 3:6
New International Version
1 Thessalonians 3:6
New International Version
Timothy’s Encouraging Report
6 But Timothy(A) has just now come to us from you(B) and has brought good news about your faith and love.(C) He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.(D)
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