3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens^{(A) 2} and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker^[a] in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith,^{(B) 3} so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for.^{(C) 4} In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor had been in vain.^(D)