1 Thessalonians 3:12-Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s Intercessory Prayer on Behalf of the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:11 Now may God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you. (NET)

In 1 Thessalonians 3:11, the apostle Paul writes that he, Silvanus and Timothy prayed to the Father that He and the Lord Jesus would guide their journey into the presence of the Thessalonian Christian community.

Now, here in 1 Thessalonians 3:12, Paul writes that they not only prayed for themselves but also the Thessalonians.

Specifically, they prayed to the Father that the Lord Jesus would cause each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to increase, indeed, to excel with regards to that which is divine-love for the benefit of each other as well as the non-Christian just as each of them does for the benefit of the Thessalonians.

A comparison of these two verses reveal a mild contrast between the content of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s prayer for themselves which is recorded in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 and the content of their prayer request for the Thessalonians here in 1 Thessalonians 3:12.

The former was a petition for themselves whereas the latter was an intercessory prayer request for the Thessalonian Christian community.

Verse 11 records the content of their petition to the Father which requested that both the Father and the Son guide their journey into the presence of the Thessalonians.

However, in verse 12, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy requested from the Father that the Lord Jesus would cause the Thessalonians’ divine-love for one another to increase and excel and for the non-Christian community.

Now, like 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:12 communicates to the Thessalonian Christian community “what” Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were politely requesting the Father in prayer.

1 Thessalonians 3:11-12 are merely communicating to the Thessalonians what these men prayed to the Father for themselves and them in Jesus name.

These verses are merely communicating to the Thessalonians the content of the petition Paul, Silvanus and Timothy politely offered to the Father in prayer.

The purpose of which is to express again to the Thessalonians, the great desire of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to see them again.

Now, in 1 Thessalonians 3:12, the noun kurios means “the Lord” and refers the Father’s one and only Son, Jesus of Nazareth who is the Christ since this word was ascribed to him by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 3:11.

This word indicates the following about Jesus of Nazareth: (1) His equality with the Father and the Spirit. (2) His joint-rulership with the Father over the entire cosmos. (3) His highest-ranking position as Chief Administrator in the divine government. (4) His absolute sovereign authority as Ruler over all creation and every creature. (5) His victory over the sin nature and Satan and His kingdom.

In His deity, Jesus Christ is “Lord” (See Luke 20:42), however, in His human nature He received this title as a result of His obedience to the Father’s will, which called for Him to suffer a spiritual and physical death on the cross as a substitute for every member of the human race-past, present and future (See Philippians 2:5-11).

“Cause to increase” is the verb pleonazō which is expressing the idea of the Lord Jesus Christ causing the Thessalonians to increase with respect to the practice of God’s love with one another as well as with the non-Christian community.

It is emphasizing the Thessalonians’ experience of practicing the love of God.

“Abound” is the verb perisseuō which is expressing the idea of the Lord Jesus causing the Thessalonians to be superior to practicing the love of God when interacting with one another and with the non-Christian than what they have already manifested and practiced with each other and with the non-Christian community.

It emphasizes the Thessalonians practicing this love even more than they have in the past and up to the present moment.

“In love” does not refer to the function of human love but rather, pertains to the exercise of divine-love that is produced by the Holy Spirit through the believer who exercises faith in the Spirit inspired teaching of the gospel which results in obedience to the Lord’s Spirit inspired command to love another.

This prepositional phrase contains the figure of metonymy which means that the love of God is put for the exercise or the practice of this love.

Paul has already mentioned the Thessalonians’ divine-love in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 3:6 and will do so again in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10.

“For all” refers to members of the non-Christian community who were in the periphery of the individual members of the Thessalonian Christian community.

It is emphasizing that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were expressing God’s concern for each and every unregenerate human being that they would be delivered from His wrath through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

It expresses the idea of the non-Christian community benefiting from the Thessalonian Christian community practicing God’s love when interacting with them.

The child of God is to manifest the love of God by their words and actions when interacting with the non-Christian.

Weima writes “This call to extend love to the non-Christian community would be especially challenging for the Thessalonian believers, who continue to endure much affliction at the hands of their fellow citizens.”[1]

1 Thessalonians 3:12 echoes Galatians 6:10 since both address not only the believer’s conduct with regards to their fellow-believer but also they address the believer’s conduct with regards to the non-Christian community.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 also echoes Philippians 1:9-11 since in both passages Paul is praying that both the Thessalonian and Philippian Christian communities would grow in love toward God and one another.

Now, in 1 Thessalonians 3:12, “just as we do for you” is expressing the idea that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy exemplified the love of God when interacting with the Thessalonians and while separated from them.

It emphatically marks a comparison between the Thessalonian Christian community exercising God’s love for one another and Paul, Silvanus and Timothy exercising this love for the Thessalonians.

It is expressing the idea that each one of these men exercised the love of God for the benefit of the Thessalonians which is manifested by their intercessory prayers for them and by their conduct when they were in their presence.

It is also emphasizing Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s experience of practicing the love of God and practicing it even more than they have in the past and up to the present moment.

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy not only increased with respect to the experience of practicing the love of God for the benefit of the Thessalonians, but also, they were getting better at practicing this love.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:10 expresses Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s divine-love for the Thessalonian Christian community.

In 1 Thessalonians 3:12, the prepositional phrases eis allēlous (εἰς ἀλλήλους), “for one another,” “for all” and “for you” bring out the reciprocal nature of God’s love since the Christian’s love for God and his fellow believer and fellow human being involves “reciprocation.”

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines the noun reciprocation, “a mutual exchange, a return in kind or of like value; alternating motion” and they define the verb reciprocate, “to give and take mutually; to return in kind or degree, compliment gracefully; to make a return for something.”

If we paraphrase these definitions and give them a spiritual application, we could say the following: With reference to the believer’s relationship with God there is to be a mutual exchange, a give and take between the believer and God in the sense of the believer obeying, honoring, respecting, revering and being dedicated and devoted to God, even to the point of self-sacrifice.

This exchange between the believer and God is the proper, appropriate, obedient and obligatory response by the believer to God’s revelation of Himself since the believer has been created and redeemed for God’s purpose and good pleasure.

With reference to the believer’s relationship with other believers there is to be a mutual exchange, a give and take between believers in the sense of the believer honoring and respecting his fellow believer, being dedicated and devoted to his fellow believer, even to the point of self-sacrifice.

This exchange between the believer and his fellow believer is the proper, appropriate, obedient and obligatory response by the believer to his fellow believer since both he and his fellow believer were created by God, according to His image of God, redeemed at the Cross and fellow members of the body of Christ.

In John 13, our Lord taught His disciples the principle of reciprocation in His washing of His disciples’ feet and in His command to love one another as He had loved them.

In 1 John 4:7-21, the apostle John teaches the principle of reciprocation in his command to love one another as the Lord had loved.

The following is a list of why we should love one another: (1) We are God’s children (Eph. 5:1). (2) We are brethren (Rm. 15:14). (3) We are members of one another (1 Cor. 12:25). (4) We are taught by God to love one another (1 Thess. 4:9). (5) God loves us (1 John 4:7). (6) It is the expression and fulfillment of God’s will (Mt. 22:35-40). (7) We want to glorify Him (1 Pet. 4:10-11). (8) We have a responsibility to love one another (Rm. 13:8-10).

The objectives in loving one another: For a testimony to the world of the reality of God’s love in Christ: John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (NASB95)

[1] Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians. (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.) (p. 239). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.