to roof over · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
longer
μηκέτιmēketi
G3371
no further · adverb — negative
forbear
στέγωstégō
G4722
to roof over
sent
ἔπεμψαepempsa
G3992
to dispatch (from the subjective view or point of depar… · verb — aorist active indicative, 1st person singular
to
εἰςeis
G1519
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
know
γνῶναιgnōnai
G1097
to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applicatio… · verb — second aorist active infinitive
your
ὑμῶνhymōn
G5216
of (from or concerning) you
faith
πίστινpistin
G4102
persuasion · noun — accusative singular feminine
means
μήπωςmḗpōs
G3381
lest somehow
tempter
ἐπείρασενepeirasen
G3985
to test (objectively) · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
tempted
πειράζωνpeirazōn
G3985
to test (objectively) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
you
ὑμᾶςhymâs
G5209
you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)
and
κἀγὼkagō
G2532
and · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular + conjunction
our
ἡμῶνhēmōn
G2257
of (or from) us
labour
κόποςkopos
G2873
a cut · noun — nominative singular masculine
be
γένηταιgenētai
G1096
to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — second aorist middle deponent subjunctive, 3rd person singular
in
εἰςeis
G1519
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
vain
κενὸνkenon
G2756
empty (literally or figuratively) · adjective — accusative singular neuter
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
James 1:13-14 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Isaiah 49:4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work…
Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning…
Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
1 Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together aga…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
In these words the apostle gives an account of his sending Timothy to the Thessalonians. Though he was hindered from going to them himself, yet his love was such that he could not forbear sending Timothy to them. Though Timothy was very useful to him, and he could not well spare him, yet Paul was content, for their good, to be left alone at Athens. Note, Those ministers do not duly value the establishment and welfare of their people who cannot deny themselves in many things for that end. Observe,
I. The character he gives of Timothy (Th1 3:2): We sent Timotheus, our brother. Elsewhere he calls him his son; here he calls him brother. Timothy was Paul's junior in age, his inferior in gifts and…
For this cause--Because I know of your "tribulation" having actually begun (Th1 3:4).
when I--Greek, "when I also (as well as Timothy, who, Paul delicately implies, was equally anxious respecting them, compare "we," Th1 3:1), could no longer contain myself (endure the suspense)."
I sent--Paul was the actual sender; hence the "I" here: Paul, Silas, and Timothy himself had agreed on the mission already, before Paul went to Athens: hence the "we," (see on Th1 3:1).
to know--to learn the state of your faith, whether it stood the trial (Col 4:8).
lest . . . have tempted . . . and . . . be--The indicative is used in the former sentence, the subjunctive in the latter. Translate therefore, "…
For this cause - Knowing that you would be persecuted, and knowing that your apostasy was possible, I sent to know your faith - whether you continued steadfast in the truth, lest you might have been tempted by Satan to consult your present ease, and abandon the Gospel, for which you suffered persecution.
John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 3:5
For this cause, when I could no longer forbear,.... Or "bear" the above vehement desire of seeing them, or of hearing from them. Here the apostle speaks in the singular number, and seems to intimate, as if what was said before of the like kind is to be understood singly of him; for these words are a repetition and summary of the foregoing, with some diversity:
I sent to know your faith; how it stood, whether it was staggering through these afflictions, or firm; whether it was weak or strong, what was wanting in it; and whether it grew and increased. The Arabic version adds, "and charity"; for of this, as well as of faith, Timothy brought an account, as appears from the following verse.
Les…
The Church Fathers
"For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain." A Question lies before us to-day, which is much disputed, and which is gathered from many sources. But what is this question? "For this cause," he says, "when I could no longer forbear, I sent Timothy that I might know your faith." What sayest thou? He, who knew so many things, who heard unutterable words, who ascended even to the third heaven, doth not he know, even when he is in Athens? And yet the distance is not great, nor has he been long parted from them. For he says, "Being bereaved of you for a short season." He does not know the affairs of the Thessalonians, but is compelled to send Timothy to know their faith, "lest," he says, "the tempter had tempted you, and our labors should be in vain." What then is one to say? That the Saints knew not all things. And this one might learn from many instances, both of the early ones, and of those who came after them. And this comes to pass out of great care on God's part. How, and in what way? For the sake both of the Saints themselves, and of those who believe in them. For as He permits that there should be persecutions, so He permits that they should also be ignorant of many things, that they may be kept humble. What means, "Lest by any means the tempter had tempted you"? Dost thou see that to be shaken in afflictions proceeds from the devil, and from his seduction? For when he cannot shake us ourselves, he takes another way, and shakes the weaker sort through our means. "And our labor," he says, "should be in vain." Wherefore! for even if they were turned aside, it was not through thy fault, not through thy negligence. But nevertheless, though this were the case, I think, from my great love of the brethren, that my labor had been rendered vain. "Lest by any means the tempter had tempted you." But he tempts, not knowing whether he shall overthrow. Does he then, even though he knows not, yet assail us, and do we, who know that we shall completely overcome him, not watch? Let us all hear, how Paul labored. He does not say work, but "labor"; he does not say, and you be lost, but "our labor." So that even if anything had happened, it would be happening with some reason. But that it did not happen was a great wonder. These things indeed we…
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Thessalonians, First Epistle To The — was written by the apostle Paul at Corinth, a few months after he had founded the church at Thessalonica, at the close of the year A.D. 62 or the beginning of 53. The Epistles to the Thessalonians,…
Devil, The · Saints: Tempted by — Saints: Tempted by
Satan · .The Tempter — .The Tempter
Temptation · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Titles And Names Of The Devil · Tempter — Tempter
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
1. Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
1. Quare non amplius sufferentes censuimus, ut Athenis relinqueremur soli:
2. And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
2. Et misimus Timotheum fratrem nostrum, et ministrum Dei, et cooperarium nostrum in evangelio Christi, ut confirmaret vos, et vobis animum adderet ex fide nostra,
3. That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
3. Ut nemo turbaretur in his afflictionibus: ipsi enim nostis quod i…
Paul was concerned that Satan, the tempter (Mark 1:13; 1 Cor 7:5), had undermined the Thessalonians’ faith (1 Thes 3:2, 6, 8) and rendered his work among them futile (Gal 2:2; Phil 2:16).
