Being Affectionately Desirous of You

One thing is obvious throughout the text of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians: he loved them dearly. His language is full of affection and concern for them. He wrote, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.” They were “beloved brethren” to Paul and his heart was full of feelings for them as he wrote these epistles (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4). He witnessed to how he and his missionary companions had treated them: “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us…. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.” When he had been among them as a missionary he had truly loved and cared for them, and he expressed his strong feelings for them now that he was away: “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 11, 18-20). His hope and joy and glory were to see these people coming into the presence of Jesus Christ: “For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you” (1 Thessalonians 3:9-12). Paul was filled with love for this people, and he yearned to see them and help them to come unto the Father and the Son.

                Throughout the rest of these epistles Paul continued to show his devotion and concern and love for the Thessalonians. He wrote with great feeling, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He expressed his deep gratitude for them to God: “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.” His glory and joy was found in them, and he sought earnestly God’s blessings for them: “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: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4, 11-12). He again wrote of how he was deeply thankful for this people who had accepted the gospel through his missionary labors: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2:13). His greatest desire was for them to find peace and joy through their Savior Jesus Christ: “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with mine own hand” (2 Thessalonians 3:16-17). These heartfelt expressions of joy and concern and gratitude for the people of Thessalonica from Paul are a reminder of how we should feel towards one another as we serve in God’s kingdom. We should seek to have this kind of affection and yearning in the gospel for those closest to us, especially in our families. These were Paul’s converts, and we have no more important converts than our own children and family members to whom we teach the gospel. We should always remember the love with which Paul gave his whole soul to these people and seek to do the same.