¹⁷But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time ⁱin presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. ¹⁸Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but ^jSatan hindered us. ¹⁹For ^kwhat is our hope, or joy, or ^lcrown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the ^mpresence of our Lord Jesus Christ ⁿat His coming? ²⁰For you are our glory and joy.

Concern for Their Faith

3Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, ²and sent ^aTimothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, ³^bthat no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that ^cwe are appointed to this. ⁴^dFor, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. ⁵For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, ^elest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and ^four labor might be in vain.

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Cross references

i 1 Cor. 5:3
j Rom. 1:13; 15:22
k 2 Cor. 1:14
l Prov. 16:31
m Jude 24
n 1 Cor. 15:23
a Rom. 16:21
b Eph. 3:13
c John 16:2; Acts 9:16; 14:22; 1 Cor. 4:9; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Pet. 2:21
d Acts 20:24
e 1 Cor. 7:5
f Gal. 2:2