Chapter 3

¹So when I could not bear it any longer, I made up my mind to stay behind alone at Athens, ²and I sent my brother Timothy, a servant of God in preaching the good news of the Christ, to strengthen you in your faith ³and encourage you not to be led astray, any of you, in all these troubles. You know yourselves that this is what we must expect, ⁴for when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were going to have trouble, and it came true, as you know. ⁵That was why, when I could not bear it any longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for I was afraid that the tempter might have tempted you and all our labor might be lost. ⁶But now that Timothy has just come back to me from you, and brought me good news of your faith and love, and told me how kindly you think of me and that you long to see me just as much as I long to see you, ⁷I feel encouraged, brothers, about you, in spite of all my distress and trouble, at your faith, ⁸for now I can really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹For how can I thank God enough for you, for all the happiness you make me feel in the presence of our God, ¹⁰as I pray night and day with intense earnestness that I may see your faces and supply what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹May our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus open my way to you! ¹²May the Lord make your love for one another and for all men wide and full like my love for you, ¹³so that your hearts may be strong and faultlessly pure in the sight of our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus appears with all his saints!