3:6 But now Timothy has come 4 to us from you and given us the good news of your faith and love and that you always think of us with affection 5 and long to see us just as we also long to see you! 6
4:1 Finally then, brothers and sisters, 7 we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how 8 you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) 9 that you do so more and more.
1 tn Grk “for this reason,” which seems to look back to Paul’s behavior just described. But it may look forward to v. 13b and mean: “and here is another reason that we constantly thank God: that…”
2 tn Grk “God’s word of hearing from us.”
3 tn Paul’s focus is their attitude toward the message he preached: They received it not as a human message but a message from God.
4 tn Grk “but now Timothy having come,” a subordinate clause leading to the main clause of v. 7.
5 tn Grk “you have a good remembrance of us always.”
6 tn Grk “just as also we you.”
7 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.
8 sn As you received instruction from us about how (Grk “as you received from us how”). The Greek word translated received is used for accepting instructions passed on as fixed traditions from teacher to follower. Paul speaks in these terms about doctrinal traditions as well as ethical instruction that he passes on to his converts and expects them to keep (cf. 1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:1-3; Gal 1:9; Phil 4:9; 2 Thess 2:15; 3:6).
9 tc This parenthetical clause is absent in several later witnesses (D2 Ψ Ï), but it may have been expunged for sounding redundant. The longer text, in this instance, is solidly supported by א A B D* F G 0183vid 0278 33 81 104 326 365 629 al co and should be unquestionably preferred.