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“"We Sent Timothy"”
Categories: edification, encouragement, endurance
“So, when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith” 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2
“We sent Timothy”, such a simple comment that seems only to serve the purpose of conveying what Paul did to learn about the condition of deeply beloved brothers and sisters he had only recently met, had imparted the good news of the kingdom and had seen many who had “turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,” 1 Thessalonians 1:9
Paul further lays the backdrop to his anxiety and affection concerning them as he opens his first thoughts and pours out his heart to them, especially as Timothy has returned with news joyfully overwhelming. Paul shares with his friends his and their remembrances, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.
“We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8. “You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers;” 1 Thessalonians 2:10
“You know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,” 1 Thessalonians 2:11. And then Paul closes his outpouring of affection and reminders, “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
When Paul recounts the story of what he endured for the gospel and as a “man under obligation” he ends his list of persecutions and sufferings with “besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:28. This is what Paul means in the anxiety and the relief of his daily concern for the saints, in this case the saints in Thessalonica.
Paul confesses, “When we could stand it no longer, we sent Timothy”. Paul and the others had to know how they were doing. Especially as they had to flee under the threat of further persecution.
Paul’s command or exhortation, to Timothy and Timothy’s acceptance, his willingness and submission to Paul’s request for relief did not happen in a benign, or mildly inconvenient personal overreach. The recent historical context behind Paul sending Timothy back to Thessalonica comes from the story Luke records in Acts 16-17.
Paul had received the Macedonian call and along with Silas and Timothy answered it heading first into Phillipi where after some success, “Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them secure. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.” Acts 16:22-24,
Paul and his companions are released (miraculously and then officially) and headed south towards Thessalonica, which is about a hundred-mile journey after being beaten with rods and having received many stripes.
Luke picks up the story of the three evangelists in Acts 17 when they first arrive, beaten and tired but wasting no time Paul began preaching to the Jews in the synagogues in the city. Not only did Paul waste no time but he reminds the Thessalonian saints, “even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Phillipi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.” 1 Thessalonians 2:2
Things did not get better for Paul and Silas in Thessalonica. Soon after early successes, “some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.” Acts 17:4 “But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.”Acts 17:5
In probably less than a month or two, having born the trauma, physically and psychologically, of beatings, imprisonment and the anger of mob mentality, Paul and Silas faced it all again.
This is the recent and relevant context to the simple statement, “we sent Timothy”. Where? Back to the city, the mob and the threat of harm, imprisonment, or death. This is the hard thing Paul needed Timothy to do, and Timothy did.
Sometimes…Leaders must ask people to do hard things, risky things, uncertain things, inconvenient things and things we would not normally do unless we are asked and unless we understand the importance, the significance and the urgency of the need.
Sometimes, whether by command, example, or necessary submission, when asked we need to be ready to do HARD THINGS for a greater cause, for the kingdom, for someone in need or in the practice of pure religion.
We have seen so many families for the sake of a child do incredibly hard things, taking great emotional risks, dropping everything on the schedule in a moment’s notice, driving across the country, heading into storms (literally flying into a hurricane), waiting patiently for months by the beside of a newborn, standing by the side of a mother about to deliver a still born baby, knowing they would not return with the “bundle of joy” but going simply to hold the hand of a woman they’d never met so she would not bear the loss alone.
Families who have received an unexpected call, “Can you adopt my [another] child, so the two can be raised together?” Couples who have had their adoption hopes dashed several times over and somehow manage to overcome their grief, heal, and regain their hope, faith and love to try again.
Jesus told us, “In this world you will have tribulation.” Paul reminds Timothy, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”. 2 Timothy 2:3
Whether it is receiving a child in His name, helping those who have set a place at their table, answering the call to take a meal, visit the sick, hold the hand of the dying, standing for what is right, speaking truth to power, offering forgiveness when wronged, extending grace and mercy to the “undeserving” or the least of these we need to be prepared, ready, and willing to answer calls, and to do hard or inconvenient things.
Sometimes it is even harder to send someone, like Paul did to Timothy, and put them in harm’s way, taking personal or financial or emotional risks for good work, to bear another’s burden or other opportunities to spread the gospel.
