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1 Thessalonians 3:12

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Verse 12 of 13

Scripture focus

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all [men], even as we [do] toward you:

1 Thessalonians 3:12 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Theological / Devotional

And the Lord. Or, “but the Lord,” placing vs. 11 and 12 in contrast with each other. Paul is virtually saying: Whatever happens to me, I wish you to grow in spiritual stature.

Make ...to increase. Gr. pleonazd, “to superabound.” The additional “abound” serves to emphasize the intensity of Paul’s desire for his converts. He prays that Christ will give them an ever-deepening love, first, for their fellow believers, then for those without the church. He wanted the ardent love that he felt for them to be reproduced in their own hearts on others’ behalf. Fervent love for one another is a sign to the world of the genuineness of the Christian religion. This is Christ’s explicit teaching (John 13:34, 35).

By SdaBc