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1 Thessalonians 3 Bible study: Glad news
When Timothy came, he "brought us glad news of your faith and love" (3:6): behind brought us glad news is the verb the WEB gives as preach the Good News in Romans 1:15, the only time 1 Thessalonians has it. And he had been sent "to comfort you" (3:2); now the letter says, "we were comforted over you" (3:7), with the same verb.
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“May the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men, even as we also do toward you,”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“1 Thessalonians 3:1 and 3:5 both say "couldn’t stand it any longer".”
Is that in 1 Thessalonians 3, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Left behind at Athens
"Therefore when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone," (3:1) (tap stand) "and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith," (3:2) (tap comfort) "that no one would be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task." (3:3) (tap moved and afflictions) "For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know." (3:4) "For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain." (3:5) (tap in vain). These notes give 3:1-5 as the WEB has them. They don't say who was left at Athens, or whether the letter's I in 3:5 was one of the we of 3:1-2 (see the honest question). They say no more of the afflictions than the verses say, don't say what this task is (3:3), and don't name the tempter (3:5).
Honest questions
Questions people ask about 1 Thessalonians 3
- "we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone, and sent Timothy" (3:1-2), and "For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent" (3:5). Who stayed at Athens, and who sent?
- "for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you" (3:5). Who is the tempter?
- "may perfect that which is lacking in your faith" (3:10). What was lacking?
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The Greek word behind it
εὐαγγελίζωeuangelizosay yoo-ang-ghel-EED-zo
Strong's: "to announce good news". "But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love" (3:6): behind brought us glad news is this verb, with the word for us. 1 Thessalonians has the verb only here (in all eight editions TAGNT compares). It is the verb behind preach the Good News in "I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome" (Romans 1:15). And Strong's gives the noun behind the Good News in "the Good News of Christ" (3:2) as "from the same as G2097", this verb. Favor's Luke 1 studies the verb where Luke first has it.
For your group
1 Thessalonians 3 Bible study questions
- 1"But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love" (3:6). When has good news of someone's faith and love encouraged you?
- 2"For what thanksgiving can we give again to God for you" (3:9). Whom are you thankful to God for, and have you ever told them?
- 3"May the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men" (3:12). What would it look like for love to increase in your group this week?
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Last reviewed October 8, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home