1 Thessalonians 3:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Meanwhile, the opposite was the case. Their not growing faint from sufferings, but bearing them courageously, helped to strengthen the disciples. Yet Paul presents everything from the opposite side and turns this into praise of them.

You, he says, anointed us. You gave us breath. You did not allow us to feel the temptations. He did not say, “we took courage.” Nor did he say, “we were comforted.” What then? “Now we live.”

By this he shows that he considers nothing else temptation and death for himself but their stumbling. Therefore he also considers their progress to be life for himself.

He did not say, “we were comforted,” but “we live.” By this he shows that he regards their stumbling as death for himself, and their progress, steadfastness, and confirmation in Christ as life.

Therefore the Apostle says, I appeal to your love and summon you in the Lord: do not be anxious about the present, my brethren, which you cannot take with you after death. Beware of sins, beware of iniquity, beware of worldly desires.

Then our fruit remains unharmed in us, and our reward with the Lord is full of joy. For although we say what must be said, preach what must be preached, and fulfill our duty before the Lord in the Lord’s sight, because we have not kept silence about what we fear and what we love. So that He does not find in us what is charged as guilt against the watchman, upon whomever the sword of the Lord’s punishment may fall, nevertheless we want our reward to be certain.

“For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.” For a teacher and parent there can be no greater joy than when his children follow his instructions. Such joy even gave life to the Apostle. It made death itself neither fearful nor burdensome to him.

The Apostle compares his joy at receiving favorable news from Thessalonica with the impression of rising from the dead. By this he also defines the weight of his sorrow over the Thessalonians’ temptation, intensified by his own personal sufferings.

The Apostle was gladdened by news of the Thessalonians’ progress in faith and love. In particular, he was gladdened that they desired to see the Apostle just as he desired to see them.

“Faith and love, for the Apostle, are the essence of Christianity. Neither faith without love is worthy of praise, nor love without faith has value. Therefore, when he teaches, he teaches that all should hold faith working together with love.

Timothy, returning from Thessalonica, brought good news about the Thessalonians. This comforted the Apostle, for he lives only in the awareness that they, like other Christians, stand firm in the Christian faith.

“We live.” Everyone over whom misfortune has weighed and then passed away speaks so of himself. Uncertainty about the Thessalonians caused the Apostle mortal sorrow. Now this had passed. The stone fell from his heart, and he felt himself revived.

Or it may be taken thus: my circumstances are as heavy as death, so that I can say, “I die daily” (1 Cor 15:31). But, having received good news about you, I came to life. Everything is forgotten. Everything counts for nothing, when you stand.

The breath of life came upon us. Or again: the life of the Apostles is the progress of the Gospel and of faith in Christ. There lies their soul. Hearing of the Thessalonians’ unshakenness in the faith, the Apostle says: that is life for us, when we are faithful to the Lord.