The Apostle's activity, both in founding the Church of Thessalonica and in caring for it, is of the highest dignity. In this third section of the historical part of the epistle, the Apostle bears witness to an exceedingly warm, fatherly, solicitous love for the Thessalonians.
He shows it by his sorrow over separation from them and his desire to see them, 2:17-20. He shows it by his concern for them, which compelled him to send Timothy to them, to strengthen and comfort them, and to bring information about them, 3:1-5.
He shows it by his joy upon receiving satisfying news, by thanksgiving to God for it, and by a new expression of his desire to see them, 3:6-10. He also shows it by his good wishes for them, 3:11-13.
If there were someone capable of thinking about St. Paul, "He turned, drew us to his side, thereby cast us into sorrows, then slipped away and has no grief," such a person could no longer remain in these thoughts.
He would be convinced of the feelings St. Paul experienced after leaving Thessalonica. After departing, he felt himself orphaned, verse 17. Once and twice he strove to return to them, but could not, verse 18.
All this came not from any calculations, but only because his apostolic dignity required it. In this lay his joy and eternal glory, verses 19-20.
But we means, as far as we are concerned. Before this he spoke about how the preaching proceeded, how the Thessalonians believed, and how they began to suffer for the faith, to their glory and special dignity before the Lord.
He continues, as it were: at that point we had to withdraw, and this is what was in our soul.
Having been orphaned is said properly of unprovided children who are deprived of their parents. Yet it also applies to parents who lose their children. The Apostle regards himself as a father deprived of children.
Having been orphaned is a tender expression of the soul's state after separation from loved ones. Having parted from the Thessalonians, St. Paul feels himself an orphan. We also say: he looks like an orphan, or he is so orphaned.
Throughout this chapter, the Apostle applies to himself the strongest family feelings: those of a mother in verses 7-8, of a father in verse 11, and here of an orphan.
"First the Apostle likened himself to a mother who feeds and cherishes an infant. Then he likened himself to a father tenderly disposed toward his children. Now he likens himself to a child who laments premature orphanhood" (Theodoret).
One might have expected him to say that they were orphaned, having been deprived of him, their spiritual father. But St. Paul considers himself orphaned, wishing to show that not they, but he, lost more through being removed from them.
It is not you who were orphaned, but we. Just as little children who are orphaned have the greatest sorrow for their parents, not only by nature but also because of loneliness, so exactly were we.
By this he shows the longing in which he found himself because of separation from them. Yet one may suppose that the Apostle used this word not only to express his feeling.
He also hinted that this feeling tormented him for no other reason than that he had left his spiritual children not yet grown, not fully raised, and not established in the principles taught to them.
The following words also lead to this: for a short time. This phrase expresses brevity of time, προς καιρον ωρας, for an hour's time. We say: for an hour of time.
But what does the Apostle wish to say? Either that he was separated from them for a short time. When he left Thessalonica and was orphaned, he did not intend to remain long in separation from them.
He withdrew for a short time, only so that the disturbance might subside. This is how it stands in the Russian translation. Or he means that only a little time had passed since he was orphaned.
"We did not wait long, but a short and little time, as though one hour" (Theodoret). That is, a little time has passed after the separation, and I have already begun to pine for you.
"One cannot say that time raised the sorrow of separation to such a degree, but love did. Do you see what love is like? He longed after being separated for an hour, and only in face" (Oecumenius).
Or he means that he was separated from the Thessalonians too quickly. So quickly I was orphaned from you. I did not have time to speak enough with you, nor to hand on to you everything needful, before I had to withdraw from you.
Paul complains that, through the intrigues of the Jews, he was so quickly torn away from the Thessalonians as from children not yet grown and not firm.
Torn unwillingly and quickly away from you, before I had time to hand on everything and strengthen you, I desired all the more eagerly to see you again. But perhaps προς καιρον ωρας means, according to the circumstances of the time.
"In face, not in heart. Outwardly I was torn away from you, but in my thoughts I was continually occupied with you, and my heart remained inseparably with you" (Chrysostom).
Let no one say that I went away and abandoned you. I thought about you continually and carried you in my heart. There was not even a moment of separation there.
"I am deprived of sensory sight of you, but I continually behold you in spirit" (Theodoret).
We endeavored the more abundantly. The more abundantly means more than every other matter. We cared for nothing so much as for you. Everything else was secondary, and you were the chief thing (Chrysostom).
Or, the more abundantly means all the more. Having been so quickly torn away from you, we tried all the more to see you. We endeavored means that we sought out ways, planned, and considered how this might be arranged.
To see your face. Of course, the Apostle was drawn not by feeling alone, but by the extreme spiritual need of the Thessalonians. Yet it is also clear that the Thessalonians, by their sincere faith and love, had attached him to themselves.
He desired to see their face. "Although he always had them in his heart, he also desired their personal presence. Such is the property of burning love: it desires to see and hear the beloved, and to speak with them" (Chrysostom).
For this reason he added: with great desire. I did not desire to see you only from considerations of the mind about the need for my being with you. My heart itself drew me to this.
"Paul loved as if to ecstasy, and in the feelings of friendship he was irrepressible and untamable" (Chrysostom).
Ambrosiaster writes on this passage: "He desired to see their face also for their greater instruction. In divine things, one cannot teach everything at once.
There are mysteries in our faith that must not be revealed immediately, lest this serve as a stumbling block because of the hearers' uncleansed sensory understanding.
Not everything should be said to everyone. Rather, the word must be proportioned to each person's capacity. Thus the Apostle desired to see them again, in order to complete the handing on of the truth."
THEOSIS