1 Thessalonians 3:11-12 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

In these words we have the earnest prayer of the apostle. He desired to be instrumental in the further benefit of the Thessalonians; and the only way to be so while at a distance was by prayer for them, together with his writing or sending to them. He desired that their faith might be perfected, which he could not be the proper cause or author of; for he pretended not to dominion over their faith, nor to have the donation of it, and he therefore concludes with prayer for them. Observe, I. Whom... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

3:11-13 May he who is our God and Father and the Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you. May the Lord increase you and make you to abound in love to each other and to all men, even as we do towards you, in order that he may strengthen your hearts so that you may be blameless in holiness before the God who is our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. It is in a simple passage like this that the instinctive turn of Paul's mind is best seen. For him everything was of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:11

Now God himself, and our Father ,.... The Oriental versions leave out the copulative "and", and read, "God himself, our Father" the first person in the Trinity, who is God himself, truly and properly so; and who is a God that hears prayer; and who is omnipotent, and able to do more than the saints can ask or think; and omniscient, and knows their persons and cases, and what is proper for them, and how and when to help and supply them; and he is also the God of all grace, the author and giver... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:12

And the Lord make you to increase ,.... That is, the Lord the Spirit; so that the object of prayer, addressed by the apostle, is Father, Son, and Spirit, as in Revelation 1:4 . The Alexandrian copy reads "God". The Spirit is God, equally with the Father and the Son, and so a fit object of prayer with them, which otherwise he would not be. The request is, that he would cause these saints to increase in number, as the first churches greatly did: and in the gifts of the Spirit, which he... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:11

Now God himself and our Father - That is: God who is our Father, who has adopted us into the heavenly family, and called us his sons and daughters. Direct our way - As he was employed in God's work he dared not consult his own inclinations, he looked for continual directions from God, where, when, and how to do his Master's work. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Make you to increase and abound in love - They had already love to each other, so as to unite them in one Christian body; and he prays that they may have an increase and an abundance of it; that they might feel the same love to each other which he felt for them all. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:11

Verse 11 11Now God himself. He now prays that the Lord, having removed Satan’s obstructions, may open a door for himself, and be, as it were, the leader and director of his way to the Thessalonians. By this he intimates, that we cannot move a step with success, (562) otherwise than under God’s guidance, but that when he holds out his hand, it is to no purpose that Satan employs every effort to change the direction of our course. We must take notice that he assigns the same office to God and to... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Verse 12 12And the Lord fill you. Here we have another prayer — that in the mean time, while his way is obstructed, the Lord, during his absence, may confirm the Thessalonians in holiness, and fill them with love. And from this again we learn in what the perfection of the Christian life consists — in love and pure holiness of heart, flowing from faith. He recommends love mutually cherished towards each other, and afterwards towards all, for as it is befitting that a commencement should be made... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

I. PAUL ALONE AT ATHENS . "Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone." There is continued the use of the plural; but it is to be regarded as corrected by the use of the singular in the fifth verse. The correction relates to the mission of Timothy, which is to be understood as covering Paul's being left behind at Athens. For want of full materials it is difficult to understand the bearing of what is said in the Acts of the Apostles... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:11

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:12

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:11

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Thessalonians 3:12

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

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