3:5a

For this reason: Commentators do not agree about what this refers to. There are two possibilities:

(1) It refers back to 3:4. Paul was saying that, because he knew that the Thessalonians were being persecuted, he was anxious about them.

(Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, SSA)

(2) It refers forward to the rest of 3:5. Paul was saying that, because he could no longer stand not knowing how the Thessalonians were, he had sent Timothy. In this case, this verse repeats 3:1a, which contains a similar phrase in Greek.

Many English versions are ambiguous, and it may be possible for you to translate this in a way that leaves both possibilities open. However, if that is not possible, it is recommended that you follow the first option (1), along with the majority of English versions that are not ambiguous.

3:5b

I sent: The Greek text does not explicitly say whom Paul sent, but from the context it is clear that he was referring to Timothy. You may need to make this explicit in your translation. For example:

I sent Timothy (Contemporary English Version)

to find out about your faith: Paul was not spying, nor did he want to know what facts the Thessalonians believed. He wanted to know whether they still firmly believed in Jesus Christ.

3:5c

for fear that: These words translate the Greek phrase mē pōs, which means “lest.” Paul was concerned that the Thessalonians might have stopped believing in Christ.

the tempter: This refers to Satan, the devil. The same expression is also used in Matthew 4:3. If your readers would not understand that this term refers to Satan, you could:

• make explicit that it refers to Satan, for example, use an expression such as “Satan, the one who tempts people.”

• replace the term “the tempter” with “Satan” or “the devil”. For example:

Satan (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
devil (New Century Version)

• use a footnote or a note in the glossary.

had somehow tempted you: In some languages the same word is used for “tempting” and “testing” and it is necessary to specify what someone is tempting people to do. In this context, Paul meant that he was afraid that the devil might have successfully tempted the Thessalonians to stop believing in Jesus.

3:5d

our labor: This refers to the effort Paul and his companions had made as they worked and preached so that the Thessalonians would follow Christ.

to be in vain: However, if Satan had succeeded in tempting the Thessalonians to stop following Christ, all that effort would have been worthless.

© 2002 by SIL International®

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.