3:7a

For this reason: This refers back to 3:6. Timothy had told Paul and his companions the good news about the Thessalonians (3:6), and For this reason, they felt encouraged despite their troubles.

brothers: See the note on 1:4.

our distress and persecution: The Greek words anagkē (distress) and thlipsis (persecution) mean almost the same thing. If you do not have two similar words to use here, one way you could combine the words in your translation would be to say: “we suffer much because people are persecuting us.” It seems that people were persecuting Paul and his companions in Corinth, where he was when he wrote this letter.

persecution: The Greek word thlipsis, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as persecution here, is the same word that was translated as “suffering” in 1:6c and “trials” in 3:3a.

3:7b

we have been reassured about you: What encouraged them was the good news that the Thessalonians were continuing to believe in Christ. Here is another way to translate this clause:

we were encouraged about you (New International Version (2011 Revision))

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