The Meaning of 1 Thessalonians 3:11 Explained

1 Thessalonians 3:11

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

YLT: And our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you,

Darby: But our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does 1 Thessalonians 3:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Paul summarized the content of his prayer in the form of a wish to conclude this section of the epistle ( 1 Thessalonians 1:2 to 1 Thessalonians 3:13).
"It is characteristic of Paul"s letters that he frequently slips into some short prayer." [1]
The apostle asked God his Father and Jesus his Lord to clear the way so he and his fellow missionaries could return to Thessalonica. He addressed two members of the Godhead in prayer. He regarded both of these as God as is clear from his use of a singular verb ("direct") with a plural subject. "Himself" emphasizes Paul"s dependence on God to grant his request.
"We often wonder why the Christian life is so difficult to live, especially in the ordinary everyday relationships of life. The answer may very well be that we are trying to live it by ourselves. The man who goes out in the morning without prayer Isaiah , in effect, saying, "I can quite well tackle to-day myself."... John Buchan once described an atheist as "a man who has no invisible means of support."" [2]

Context Summary

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 - Awakening Thanksgiving And Intercession
At the outset observe that marginal reading by which Timothy is described as a fellow-worker with God. What a wonderful phrase, and yet it is applicable to all true workers for God! Think what it must have been for a young artist to be permitted to collaborate with Michelangelo! No thought of his own comfort interfered with Paul's efforts for the young churches he had planted; he was only eager that they should be established and comforted amid the storm of persecution that swept over them. There is only one path for the followers of Jesus, and it is lined with flints and flecked with blood.
Though the waters surged up to Paul's heart, he could bear anything, if only his work stood fast. What he suffered was as nothing compared with his joy at the stability of his charges. As he wrought day and night at his handicraft, so he prayed day and night for them. The stitches put into the tent cloth were accompanied by the holy threads of prayerful intercession. He only longed that Christ would make a straight thoroughfare to them, and would keep them blameless and strong. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Thessalonians 3

1  Paul testifies his great love to the Thessalonians,
5  partly by sending Timothy unto them to strengthen and comfort them;
7  partly by rejoicing in their well-doing;
10  and partly by praying for them, and desiring a safe coming unto them

Greek Commentary for 1 Thessalonians 3:11

Our God and Father himself [αυτος ο τεος και πατηρ ημων]
Note one article with both substantives for one person. [source]
And our Lord Jesus [και ο Κυριος ημων Ιησους]
Separate article here with Ιησους — Iēsous In Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1 only one article (not two) treating “our God and Saviour Jesus Christ” as one just like “our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” in 2 Peter 1:11; 2 Peter 2:20; 2 Peter 3:18. Direct our way (κατευτυναι την οδον ημων — kateuthunai tēn hodon hēmōn). First aorist optative (acute accent on penult, not circumflex first aorist active infinitive) of κατευτυνω — kateuthunō old verb to make straight path. Singular verb also, though both God and Christ mentioned as subject (unity in the Godhead). Apart from μη γενοιτο — mē genoito (may it not come to pass) the optative in a wish of the third person is found in N.T. only in 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 15:5, Romans 15:13. [source]
Direct our way [κατευτυναι την οδον ημων]
First aorist optative (acute accent on penult, not circumflex first aorist active infinitive) of κατευτυνω — kateuthunō old verb to make straight path. Singular verb also, though both God and Christ mentioned as subject (unity in the Godhead). Apart from μη γενοιτο — mē genoito (may it not come to pass) the optative in a wish of the third person is found in N.T. only in 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 15:5, Romans 15:13. [source]
Direct [κατεύθυναι]
Lit. make straight. Only in Paul and Luke. See on Luke 1:79, and comp. 2 Thessalonians 3:5. Frequent in lxx. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Thessalonians 3:11

1 Thessalonians 3:11 And our Lord Jesus [και ο Κυριος ημων Ιησους]
Separate article here with Ιησους — Iēsous In Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1 only one article (not two) treating “our God and Saviour Jesus Christ” as one just like “our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” in 2 Peter 1:11; 2 Peter 2:20; 2 Peter 3:18. Direct our way (κατευτυναι την οδον ημων — kateuthunai tēn hodon hēmōn). First aorist optative (acute accent on penult, not circumflex first aorist active infinitive) of κατευτυνω — kateuthunō old verb to make straight path. Singular verb also, though both God and Christ mentioned as subject (unity in the Godhead). Apart from μη γενοιτο — mē genoito (may it not come to pass) the optative in a wish of the third person is found in N.T. only in 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 15:5, Romans 15:13. [source]
1 Thessalonians 3:11 Direct our way [κατευτυναι την οδον ημων]
First aorist optative (acute accent on penult, not circumflex first aorist active infinitive) of κατευτυνω — kateuthunō old verb to make straight path. Singular verb also, though both God and Christ mentioned as subject (unity in the Godhead). Apart from μη γενοιτο — mē genoito (may it not come to pass) the optative in a wish of the third person is found in N.T. only in 1 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 15:5, Romans 15:13. [source]
2 Thessalonians 3:5 Direct [κατευτυναι]
First aorist active optative of wish for the future as in 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23 from κατευτυνω — kateuthunō old verb, as in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 (there way, here hearts) and Luke 1:79 of feet Perfective use of κατα — kata Bold figure for making smooth and direct road. The Lord here is the Lord Jesus. [source]
Revelation 6:17 The great day [η ημερα η μεγαλη]
The phrase occurs in the O.T. prophets (Joel 2:11, Joel 2:31; Zephaniah 1:14. Cf. Judges 1:6) and is here combined with “of their wrath” (της οργης αυτων — tēs orgēs autōn) as in Zephaniah 1:15, Zephaniah 1:18; Zephaniah 2:3; Romans 2:5. “Their” (αυτων — autōn) means the wrath of God and of the Lamb put here on an equality as in Revelation 1:17., Revelation 22:3, Revelation 22:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:16. Beckwith holds that this language about the great day having come “is the mistaken cry of men in terror caused by the portents which are bursting upon them.” There is something, to be sure, to be said for this view which denies that John commits himself to the position that this is the end of the ages. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 mean?

Himself now the God and Father of us Lord Jesus may direct the way to you
Αὐτὸς δὲ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ἡμῶν Κύριος Ἰησοῦς κατευθύναι τὴν ὁδὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς

Αὐτὸς  Himself 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
Θεὸς  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
Πατὴρ  Father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
Κύριος  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
κατευθύναι  may  direct 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Optative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατευθύνω  
Sense: to make straight, guide, direct.
ὁδὸν  way 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ὁδός 
Sense: properly.