3:1–15 · The final instructions: At the beginning of the final part of the letter, the apostles request prayer (3:1–2). Their concern is not simply for their personal needs but for the mission of the church. This and the following wish prayer (3:5) and intervening material (3:3–4) form the transition to the section of the letter containing Paul’s principal exhortations (3:6–15).

The exhortation in 3:1 is the same as in 1 Thessalonians 5:25, but here with more specifics about the needs of the apostles. Paul frequently solicited such prayers from the churches (e.g., Rom. 15:30–32; 2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:19–20). He and his companions ask for prayer “that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.” The message of the Lord is the gospel (see Acts 8:25; 13…