“So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 NIV).
Since Paul the Apostle had been hindered in his attempt to return to the city of Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18), he chose the next best option in seeking to assist the young church there. That option involved sending one of his trusted associates back to Thessalonica. That person was a man named Timothy.
The “Timothy” referenced here within 1 Thessalonians chapter three is perhaps best known for the two New Testament books that bear his name. Timothy was someone who had been well-acquainted with the Scriptures from his youth (2 Timothy 1:5, 2 Timothy 3:15). Even though Timothy held a leadership role within the church at Ephesus at one point in his ministry, it appears that he acted as a kind of problem-solver or emissary for Paul on several occasions.
For instance, Paul dispatched Timothy to work with the church in Corinth with the following endorsement: “…I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians 4:17 NET). Paul also sent Timothy to minister to the churches in the region of Macedonia (Acts 19:22) and may have sent him to work with the Philippian church as well (Philippians 2:19).
In this instance, Timothy’s mission involved strengthening or establishing the Thessalonians in their faith. A look at the original language of this passage defines his specific responsibility as “to render mentally steadfast.” (1) Thus we can say that Timothy was assigned with the task of stabilizing and building up the faith the Thessalonians already possessed.
We can follow a similar path of edification in two important ways: reading the Scriptures daily and regularly attending a church that teaches through the individual books of the Bible. For instance, a person who prayerfully reads the Scriptures each day is someone who has direct, unfiltered access to the wisdom and direction contained within God’s Word. In addition, a church that features regular expository teaching from the pulpit (as opposed to a weekly topical sermon) is one that generally offers the best opportunity to establish, build, and strengthen the faith of those who attend.
(1) G4741 sterizo Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/sterizo