May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and the patience of Christ!
3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God (Romans 5:5; Romans 8:39; 2Co 13:14), — that the hearts of the saints be moved to love God because of God’s love for us. “We love him, because he loved us first” (1Jn 4:19). — and to the patience of Christ. — The persevering endurance of Christ, the perseverance of Jesus here on earth in the midst of adversity. “HUPOMONE, lit., a standing low… is almost invariably translated ‘patience’” (WEV). Its practical sense is perseverance. “In almost every instance in which the apostle uses this term, he also uses some word indicating the hostility directed against Christ and his followers, or the trials and afflictions they have to endure. Note the following examples: Romans 5:3-4 : perseverance in the midst of tribulation; Romans 15:4-5 : perseverance in the midst of reproaches; 2Co 1:6 : perseverance in the midst of suffering; 2Co 6:4 : perseverance in the midst of affliction; 2Co 12:12 : perseverance in the midst of persecution and anguish; 2Thes 1:4 : perseverance in the midst of persecution; 1Ti 6:11 : perseverance in the midst of the good fight (see ver. 12); 2Ti 3:10 : perseverance in the midst of persecution and suffering (see ver. eleven)” (GH).
Hebrews 12:1-4 says, “Therefore, let us too, having such a great cloud of witnesses around us, let us cast off all weight and the sin that assails us, and let us patiently run the race that is set before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the reproach, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who suffered such a contradiction of sinners against himself, so that your spirits do not tire to the point of fainting. 4 For you have not yet resisted to the point of blood, fighting against sin.”
Source: Commentary on the New Testament by Partain
and the Lord guide your hearts. 1Ki 8:58; 1Ch 29:18; Ps 119:5, Ps 119:36; Pro 3:6; Jer 10:23; Jas 1:16-18.
to the love of God. Deu 30:6; Jer 31:33; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:28; 1Co 8:3; Gal 5:22; Jas 2:5; 1Jn 4:19.
and to the patience of Christ. Ps 40:1; Ps 130:5, Ps 130:6; Lam 3:26; Luke 12:36, Luke 12:37; Romans 8:25; Phil 3:20, Phil 3:21; 1Thess 1:3, 1Thess 1:10; 2Ti 4:8; Tit 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 12:3; 1Pe 4:1; 2Pe 3:12; Rev 3:10, Rev 3:11; Rev 13:10.
Source: The Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
with the prayer the Lord direct your hearts, Paul indicated that the heart, the seat of a person’s will, is the place where spiritual renewal begins. There God plants his love and patience, traits that will produce a harvest of good works. Paul uses the word route to indicate that God will remove the obstacles that appear in the way of progress towards the love and the patience. Paul prays that when faced with persecution, the Thessalonians would be able to show the same kind of patience that Jesus expressed when the people rejected him.
Source: New Illustrated Caribbean Bible Commentary
Another of Paul’s blessings (cf. v. 2Thess 3:16; 2Thess 2:16-17), which were so common in his letters.
Source: MacArthur Study Bible
3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God (Rom 5:5; Rom 8:39; 2Co 13:14), — that the hearts of the saints be moved to love God because of the love of God for U.S. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1Jn 4:19).
— and to the patience of Christ. – The persevering endurance of Christ, the perseverance of Jesus here on earth in the midst of adversity. “HUPOMONE, lit., a standing low… is almost invariably translated ‘patience’” (WEV). Its practical sense is perseverance. “In almost every instance in which the apostle uses this term, he also uses some word indicating the hostility directed against Christ and his followers, or the trials and afflictions they have to endure. Note the following examples: Rom 5:3-4 : perseverance in the midst of tribulation; Rom 15:4-5 : perseverance in the midst of reproaches; 2Co 1:6 : perseverance in the midst of suffering; 2Co 6:4 : perseverance in the midst of affliction; 2Co 12:12 : perseverance in the midst of persecution and anguish; 2Thes 1:4 : perseverance in the midst of persecution; 1Ti 6:11 : perseverance in the midst of a good fight (see ver. 12); 2Ti 3:10 : perseverance in the midst of persecution and suffering (see ver. 11)” (GH).
Heb 12:1-4 says, “Therefore let us also, having such a great cloud of witnesses around us, let us lay aside all weight and the sin that besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 putting on the Eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the reproach, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who suffered such a contradiction of sinners against himself, so that your spirits do not tire to the point of fainting. 4 For you have not yet resisted to the point of blood, fighting against sin.”
Source: Reeves-Partain Notes
CROSS-REFERENCES
i 74 1Jn 5:3
j 75 Luke 21:19; Romans 5:3
Source: New World Translation
5 (1) By the leading of the Spirit, through whom the love of God has been poured out in our hearts (Rom_8:14; 5:5).
5 (two) That is, to love God with the love of God that we have enjoyed and experienced.
5 (3) Our love for God, which comes from the love of God (1Jn_4:19) that has been poured into our hearts.
5 (4) That is, to persevere with the perseverance of Christ that we have enjoyed and experienced.
5 (5) On the one hand, we need to enjoy God’s love in order to love him and live for him; on the other hand, we need to participate in the perseverance of Christ to be able to endure suffering, just as he did, and stand firm against Satan, the enemy of God. Loving God and persevering in suffering are excellent characteristics of Christian living.
Source: New Testament Commentary Recovery Version
patience of Christ. This may refer to our expectation of Christ’s coming, or it could mean that Christ’s patience during his life on earth should be our example.
Source: Ryrie Annotated Study Bible
TGr122 Τοῦ Χριστοῦ is used as a mystical genitive. It means: firm loyalty in the Body of Christ (similar to ἐν Χριστῷ), and not the patience of Christ.
T211 Τοῦ θεοῦ is a direct object genitive: may your hearts love God (the pronoun ὑμῶν also appears in a rare position, to indicate emphasis -T189).
Source: Grammar Help for the Study of the Greek New Testament
* “The patience of Christ” could mean the patience shown by Christ, or the patience given by Christ, or both.