The Encouraging Report Brings Joy Series

If you have seen a Popeye the Sailor Man cartoon you know how the story goes. Brutus pushes Popeye to his breaking point. Popeye say his famous line, "That's all I can stands, 'cause I can't stands no more!" Popeye is almost down and out but, somehow, he is able to open the can and eat the spinach. After eating the spinach Popeye gains a new strength and the tables are turned and Popeye defeats Brutus.

Twice Paul reached his breaking point. He said, “I could stand it no longer”. What turned the tables for Paul was the report that Timothy brought back from Thessalonica. For Paul the good report gives him new life and he could not thank God enough.

That's all I can stand (Verses 1-5)

Paul said I could stand it no longer. Twice in these verses Paul said he could stand it no longer, but in one of those he mentions that “we” could stand it no longer. The we must refer to him and Silas. “We preferred to be left by ourselves in Athens” (1 Thessalonians 3:1).

This verse 1 Thessalonians 3:1 is one of those verses that changes the way I see the ministry of Paul in Athens. When I read Acts 17, I thought Paul did all his ministry alone in Athens. Now this verse tells us that Silas and Timothy joined Paul in Athens and then from Athens Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica and Paul and Silas waited there in Athens.

What we know about the pattern of Paul, (I have included that pattern in the conclusion), we know Paul did not wait idle in Athens. He was most assuredly discipling those people who became followers of Paul and believed in Jesus Christ. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. (Acts 17:34) At the same time he would have been building his key leaders, Timothy and Silas as he was co-ministering Silas in Athens and sending Timothy for a key discipleship and church formation ministry in Thessalonica.

Paul himself wanted to visit Thessalonica. He said his desire to get back there was intense (1 Thessalonians 2:17). Over and over Paul tried to visit Thessalonica but each time Satan blocked his way. Paul wanted to go himself, but he was blocked every time. As a result, Paul sent Timothy to find out how the new believers were doing in an extremely hostile environment.

Timothy was not just the team messenger. Timothy was a brother and co-laborer with Paul and Silas in spreading the Gospel to Thessalonica. Timothy was the right person to strengthen their faith and encourage them when the antagonists in Thessalonica would be doing everything to unsettle their faith.

Paul may have talked about a peace that passes all understanding to the church in the next town (Philippians 4:6), but for the Thessalonians he was “in fear” that they had been persecuted and tempted to abandon the faith. If that happened and they had abandoned their faith, then the ministry there would have been in vain.

Timothy’s Report (Verses 6-11)

The report Timothy brought back put new life into Paul. The believers were standing strong in faith and love. Their testimony was ringing out. They were longing to see Paul and Silas as much as they also longed to see the Thessalonian believers. The report is so encouraging but they are still praying day and night for the church. Paul still prayed earnestly that he would be able to go see them himself.

He was asking God that the way would be clear to visit himself. It was clear that he was sending Timothy because he himself could not go. Visiting Thessalonica was an urgent matter for Paul. It was his first ministry priority.

May God Strengthen your hearts vs 12-13

The account of the Thessalonian ministry in Acts 17 mentions Paul in Thessalonica for three sabbaths. This may refer to only to the Jewish ministry and Paul, Silas and Timothy may have stayed longer in Thessalonica working with Gentiles because we also read the Philippian church supported their ministry there in Thessalonica more than once (Philippians 4:16). Paul was looking to exit each place and start new work (Romans 15:19), but he was also interested in revisiting, teaching the believers through letters, and pouring into key leaders.

Not only did Paul minister in Thessalonica as we read in Acts 17, but he wrote the two letters to them we know as 1 & 2 Thessalonians. He revisited twice on his third journey, and he was pouring into key leaders from Thessalonica like we see in other Bible passages (Acts 20:4, Acts 27:2 and Colossians 4:10). He mentions he was praying for the church in Thessalonica day and night. His investment in the believers there was a big part of his ministry.