For whom is Paul praying?
For, the church of the Thessalonians in God
the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a great description of a church.
Our relationship with God through Christ is so deep and personal.
To whom is Paul praying?
He addresses the Lord (v12), but first
and specifically, our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ. What Paul asks for is related both to the
Father (the giver of every good and perfect gift) and the Son (who, as the Lord
of the Church, is directing Paul in his ministry). Notice that the Father and Son are also
critical to the end goal of this prayer, as we stand before God at the coming
of Christ.
What moves Paul to prayer?
The preceding chapters have been a recital of
God’s work through the gospel in Thessalonica.
This was the second city (the first being Philippi) of Paul’s “European”
ministry (Acts 16, where the Holy Spirit/Christ the Head of the Church led Paul
and the team to cross over to Macedonia.)
These reminders of God’s work and their receiving of God’s work prompt
him to desire to return to Thessalonica and to see God’s work continue until
the coming of Christ.
What requests does Paul present?
There are two requests. The first, that the Father and Son would, in
the process of directing Paul’s ministry, lead him back to Thessalonica. Second, that in the meantime, and regardless
of whether the first request is a “yes” or “no” or “later,” that God would make
you increase and abound in love to one another and to all.
The first request reminds us of the first prayer
of Paul we studied (Rom. 1:8-12) where he prayed that God would allow him to go
to Rome. The reason for this request, as
we noted then, is that ministry is generally best “in person.” The second request reminds us of the prayer
in Philippians 1:3-11. “Love” is one of
the three qualities of Christ that are to be seen in a local church. Thus, there is a constant need to be yielding
ourselves to God’s work in this matter.
Notice something special in this prayer. Paul adds the words, and to all. Love for the saints is fundamental to a
church; Christ said that would be how the world would know we are His disciples
(John 13:34-35). But we are also to be
known by our love for all who are around us.
The world should not think us to be contrary with the people of the
world, while no longer being enslaved to the world. We are not to be physically separate from the
people of the world (1 Cor. 5:10). Like
Paul, for the sake of the gospel, we are to be all things to all (1 Cor.
9:19-23).
What is to be accomplished by fulfillment of the requests?
They will be established in holiness when they
stand before God, when Christ returns.
This is our calling (Eph. 1:4).
But remember: he does not pray that they will be established. He prays that they will abound in love. If that happens, they will, in fact, be
established before God in the day of Christ.
Amen! What a great prayer to pray
for brothers and sisters who struggle with unfair treatment or who live in the
face of great opposition to Christ. May
our love not be dependent on how others treat us. May it be Christ’s unconditional love!
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