Christian Brotherly Love

1 Thessalonians 2v19-3v2

24^th September 2021

Paul has been writing about his desire to visit Thessalonica and his inability to do so. Although Paul trusted God, he was nevertheless very disappointed to be kept away from the Thessalonians. He writes:

1 Thessalonians 2v19-20
For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

What a beautiful thing to write to one's Christian friends! Paul, Silas and Timothy loved the church in Thessalonica so much that, when they looked forward to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory, they thought about being there with the Thessalonians. The hope of glory wouldn't have been the same without them. They thought of the Thessalonians as their joy and their crown.

If you're privileged to be the person who brings somebody to Christ, then that person will always be special to you. If you've ever been a pastor, that church will always be special to you. If you're torn away from them, you will feel bereaved, like a father who can't see his children. That's how Paul felt. So when some people accused him of being indifferent to them, it must have hurt him deeply. He thought of them as his glory and his joy, as a good father thinks of his children.

Paul continues:

1 Thessalonians 3v1-2
So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow-worker in God's service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith

Paul really wanted to go to Thessalonica and visit this church which he loved so much. Eventually, he accepted that God wasn't going to make it possible for him to go, so he sent Timothy in his place. Paul and Silas remained in Athens, where a small number of people had found faith in Jesus through Paul's preaching. They would have felt alone in that very idolatrous city, but they were willing to go without the comfort of Timothy's companionship, in order to find out how the Thessalonians were doing, and in the hope that Timothy would bring strength and encouragement to that church.

As well has having deep love for the Thessalonians, Paul also had deep love and affection for Timothy. In Philippians 2:22, he says, "as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel". But he sent this young man, probably the nearest thing he had to a son, to encourage the Thessalonians. And Paul describes Timothy as "our brother and God's fellow-worker" (the older NIV is a better translation here).

I hope that as we read this, we begin to gain a better understanding of true Christian brotherly love, the deep joining of the hearts and minds of brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul celebrates the Thessalonians. He defends himself when somebody raises the idea that he doesn't care about them. He celebrates Timothy. He doesn't just call Timothy "our fellow-worker"; he calls him "God's fellow-worker" (again, don't trust the new NIV's translation here).

I suppose there is a sense in which we're all God's fellow-workers. We all try, to some extent, to work with God to reach those who don't yet know Jesus. But for most of us, to be called "God's fellow worker" would seem pretentious, because in our hearts we know that we serve God when we feel like it. Some, or perhaps all, of us are sort of part-time Christians, if I may put it that way. Not Timothy. Timothy was so dedicated to the work of the Gospel that it wasn't ridiculous to call him God's fellow-worker. And Paul wants the church to know what a great man Timothy is. From reading 1 and 2 Timothy, we gain the impression that Timothy was a rather shy, timid person. But Paul sees his qualities, and he celebrates them.

What fine Christians we would be, what fine churches we would have, if we always celebrated each other's good qualities, and never criticised each other's bad qualities! What churches we would have if we were dedicated to God's service like Timothy and Paul! And what churches we would have if we truly understood God's total sovereignty!