Bible Strands

1 Thessalonians 3:4

Indeed, when we were with you, we kept warning you that we would suffer persecution; and as you know, it has come to pass.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Thessalonian believers while physically separated from them, explaining his decision to send Timothy after his own prior warnings about persecution were fulfilled.

The words — προελέγομεν (proelegomen) literally means "we were telling beforehand," marking the apostolic warning as a deliberate, past declaration rather than a retrospective observation.

The thread — The text anchors this fulfilled warning in 1 Thessalonians 2:2, where Paul recalls their shared endurance in Philippi, and in 1 Thessalonians 2:14, which aligns their experience with the Judean churches.

Why it lands — The text requires readers to treat persecution as a documented certainty rather than a random tragedy, compelling them to anchor their faith on the accuracy of apostolic warning.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

καὶkaiAndγὰρgarindeedὅτεhotewhenπρὸςproswithὑμᾶςhumasyouἦμεν,ēmenwe were,προελέγομενproelegomenwe were telling beforehandὑμῖνhuminyouὅτιhotithatμέλλομενmellomenwe are aboutθλίβεσθαιthlibesthaito suffer afflictionκαθὼςkathōseven asκαὶkaialsoἐγένετοegenetoit came to passκαὶkaiandοἴδατε·oidateyou know;

King James Version

For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

Cross-references