1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willingdActs 17:15, 16 to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and weeSee Phil. 2:19 sent Timothy,f2 Cor. 1:1; Col. 1:1; Philem. 1; Heb. 13:23 our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know thatgSee Acts 9:16; 14:22 we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction,hSee ch. 2:14 just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason,iver. 1, 2 when I could bear it no longer,iver. 1, 2 I sent to learn about your faith,j[1 Cor. 7:5; 2 Cor. 11:3] for fear that somehowkMatt. 4:3 the tempter had tempted you andlSee Phil. 2:16 our labor would be in vain.
6 ButmActs 18:5; [2 Cor. 7:6, 9] now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news ofnSee ch. 1:3 your faith and love and reportedo[1 Cor. 11:2] that you always remember us kindly andpSee Phil. 1:8 long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and afflictionq2 Cor. 1:4 we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if yourSee 1 Cor. 16:13 are standing fast in the Lord. 9 Fors[ch. 1:2] what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestlyt2 Tim. 1:3 night and dayuch. 2:17; [Rom. 1:10] that we may see you face to face andvSee 2 Cor. 13:9 supply what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now maywSee Gal. 1:4 our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus,x2 Thess. 3:5 direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lordych. 4:1, 10; Phil. 1:9; 2 Thess. 1:3 make you increase and abound in lovezch. 4:9; 5:15 for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he mayaJames 5:8 establish your hearts blameless in holiness beforew[See ver. 11 above] our God and Father, atbSee ch. 2:19 the coming of our Lord JesuscZech. 14:5; Jude 14 with all his saints.