⁴ Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

그리고 너희의 참는 모든 핍박과 환난 중에서 너희 인내와 믿음을 인하여 하나님의 여러 교회에서 우리가 친히 자랑함이라

Literally, ‘therefore’ is appropriate rather than ‘and’ to begin this sentence.[1] Or even ‘as for us’. That is what’s happening with you (v.3) therefore as for we ourselves this is happening (v.4). So, verses 3 and 4 balance each other. The Thessalonians on one side and Paul and the companions on the other. They are organically connected to each other, giving influence to each other.

The Thessalonians’ growing and increasing in faith and love even in hardship makes Paul’s company boast about them for their steadfastness. ‘To boast’ here is not in the sense of showing off, but more of to unveil or to make known what something/someone is made of. That is, in an organic relationship, say, if you do something, that shows you what I am made of, what kind of person I am. Can you believe that? That is the relationship between the Thessalonians and Paul’s company, and in fact, between believers.

Therefore Paul has explicitly said in 1 Thess 2:19,20, ‘For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy’. So believers cannot really say to each other, ‘What’s it to you?’ or ‘Mind your own business’, because what you so present/uncover what they are. This thought also unarms ourselves from the desire/need to overly criticise others and should at least slightly alter our view of others. In this broader sense the translation ‘and … we’ also makes good sense.

Lord, in this one verse, I am reduced and humbled from the secret thought that I am better than all the others, which is of course not legitimate at all. No one among us is better than the other, for we present and represent each other before you our Lord. Therefore let us accept and pray for each other that your will of our sanctification (1 Thes 4:3) be done here among us so that we may be satisfied with our presentation in others and boast about them too in return. May we, our whole spirit, be made holy by you our God, the God of Peace, through and through (1 Thes 5:23). Praise and glory to our God our Creator.

---

[1] ὥστε (hōste) ‘so’ (G5620) Conjunction or conjunctive particle, a marker for introducing clauses: for this reason, therefore, so; so that, resulting in; to, for the purpose of