Anxiety in Athens

3 Therefore, when we could no longer stand it, we thought it was better to be left alone in Athens.^{(A) 2} And we sent Timothy,^(B) our brother and God’s coworker^[a] in the gospel of Christ,^(C) to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith, ³ so that no one will be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. ⁴ In fact, when we were with you, we told you in advance that we were going to experience affliction, and as you know, it happened. ⁵ For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing.