hotcoffee
New Member
1 Thessalonians 3:6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. 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. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
According to the commentary, Paul and Silas were in Corinth (Acts 18:5) when Timothy returned to Paul to tell him about Thessalonians. They were all in Corinth when this letter was written. Paul had been beaten in front of the proconsul and the proconsul had turned a blind eye to what was happening right in front of him. There was no doubt that the persecution Paul and Silas had endured was taking it's toll on them.
Then Timothy showed up and told Paul and Silas about the faith of the Thessalonians. In verse 8 [above] Paul says "For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.". They are rejuvenated..... ready to continue....
That's how it is when you learn that someone you brought to Christ later shows you their love of Christ. In the beginning of these verses, I told you that a child I had once taught in Sunday School started a facebook page concerning Prayer. I haven't been in a prison for my faith. I haven't been beaten in a town square for my faith. I'm not comparing myself with Paul because I really don't know what real religious persecution is. But I can tell you this, the warmth that I felt in my heart brought tears of joy and humility to my eyes. It gave me a glimpse into what Paul and Silas had to have felt. It's only a glimpse but it made me continue.
