1 Thessalonians 3:11 BSB

1 Thessalonians 3:11

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way unto you:

KJV

Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.

⋯

Commentary

4 voices

Athanasius of Alexandria

296–373

Discourses Against the Arians 3.25.11 (373)

For one and the same grace is from the Father in the Son, as the light of the sun and the sun's radiance is one, and as the sun's illumination is effected through the radiance. So too when Paul prays for the Thessalonians, in saying, "Now God himself our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, may he direct our way to you," he has guarded the unity of the Father and of the Son.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Direct our way - This prayer is addressed to Christ, as well as to the Father.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

The taking of a journey to this or that place, one would think, is a thing depending so much on a man's own will, and lies so much in his own power, that Paul needed not by prayer to go to God about it.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

Now God himself - This is evidently a prayer. He earnestly sought of God that he might be permitted to visit them, and that he would so prepare the way that he might do it. And our Father - Even our Father. The reference is particularly to the “Father,” the First Person of the Trinity. It does not refer to the divine nature in general, or to God as such, but to God as the Father of the Lord Jesus. It is a distinct prayer offered to him that he would direct his way to them.

Voices on this verse

loading…

Original language & word study

18 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Αὐτὸς	Autos	Himself	G846 →
δὲ	de	now	G1161 →
ὁ	ho	the	G3588 →
θεὸς	theos	God	G2316 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
πατὴρ	patēr	Father	G3962 →
ἡμῶν	hēmōn	of us	G3165 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
ὁ	ho	the	G3588 →
κύριος	kurios	Lord	G2962 →
ἡμῶν	hēmōn	of us	G3165 →
Ἰησοῦς	Iēsous	Jesus	G2424 →
κατευθύναι	kateuthunai	would direct	G2720 →
τὴν	tēn	the	G3588 →
ὁδὸν	hodon	way	G3598 →
ἡμῶν	hēmōn	of us	G3165 →
πρὸς	pros	to	G4314 →
ὑμᾶς·	humas	you;	G4771 →

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
leads to
- Matthew 10:29–31
  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
- Psalms 147:9
  He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.
- Job 38:41
  Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?
- Luke 12:24–32
  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!
- Psalms 145:15–16
  The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.
Through
Matthew 6:32
For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
leads to
- Matthew 6:8
  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Through
1 Thessalonians 3:13
so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.
leads to
- Colossians 1:22
  But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Featured studies on this passage

Walks through 1 Thessalonians 3

The Names of Satan

Scripture rarely gives the adversary a plain name — it gives him titles, and each one is a claim about what he does.

Open the study →

About 1 Thessalonians

The Ascension — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

1 Thessalonians: the study guide →Read chapter 3 →The featured study →

Continue: 1 Thessalonians 3 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 1 Thessalonians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 1 Thessalonians