1 Thessalonians 3:10
nNight and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might operfect that which is lacking in your faith?
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ὑπὲρ ἐκ περισσοῦ δεόμενοι εἰς τὸ ἰδεῖν ὑμῶν τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ καταρτίσαι τὰ ὑστερήματα τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν;
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Acts 26:7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
2 Timothy 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
Romans 1:9-1:12 9. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10. Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Romans 15:23 But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;
Luke 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
1 Thessalonians 2:9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
1 Thessalonians 2:17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
o:
2 Corinthians 13:9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Colossians 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
2 Thessalonians 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
2 Thessalonians 2:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
We have here the last effect of Timothy’s message upon the apostle, it put him upon prayer for these Thessalonians; expressed by the assiduity of it, night and day, & c., that is, in a constant course; as we noted before, 1Th 2:9. And by the fervency of it, exceedingly, or excessively. The Greek word cannot well be Englished, yet is often used by the apostle when he would express any thing with an emphasis, as Eph 3:20, and in this Epistle, 1Th 5:13. And by the matter of it; that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith.
Though his Epistles might avail towards it, yet his personal presence would do more. There is a peculiar blessing attends oral preaching, more than reading. The like prayer he made with respect to the Romans, and upon the same account also, Rom 1:10,11. Though the apostle had before commended their faith, yet there was something lacking in it. No faith is made perfect at first; yea, the best faith may have some defects. And the word is used elsewhere to signify something that is wanting, or left behind, 1Co 16:17 Col 1:24. And their faith might be defective:
1. As to the matter of it, some mysteries of faith they might not yet understand; as the disciples did not, till after Christ’s ascension; and some of the Corinthians a while doubted the doctrine of the resurrection, 1Co 15:12, &c.
2. As to the clearness of it, with respect to the truths they did already know and believe.
3. As to the lively operations and fruits of it.
The former defects are removed by doctrine, the last by exhortation and comfort, and the apostle desired to see their face on the account of both: and to perfect a thing is to make it complete, both as to parts and degrees. The word here used we find often in the New Testament, 2Co 13:11 Gal 6:1, &c.; and variously rendered in the several translations, but yet much to the same sense: the apostle being so suddenly driven from them, he left them as a house half built; but his affection to them was so great, that he longed to return to them for the perfecting of their faith, though he had met but a while before with such great perils at Thessalonica.