1 Thessalonians 3:6
“But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Timothy returned with welcome news of their faith, love, and warm affection for Paul, longing to see him as much as he longed for them.
What Does 1 Thessalonians 3:6 Mean?
The tension breaks with good news. Timothy 'came from you unto us' carrying 'good tidings,' a phrase usually reserved for the gospel itself, so glad was the report. Their 'faith and charity' were intact; they had not been shaken. And there was more: they held a 'good remembrance' of Paul and longed 'greatly to see' him, even as he longed to see them.
Paul's fears are answered with joy. The faith he worried might collapse was standing firm, and the love between him and the church was mutual and strong. Notice that good news in the Christian life is often news that someone's faith has held. Timothy did not report wealth or numbers but steadfastness and love, and that was the best news Paul could receive. The longing ran both ways, a sign of a bond that distance and persecution could not break. After all his anxiety, Paul learns that his children are well, and his heart is flooded with relief and gladness.