<p>3:1 <em>Wherefore when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone</em>- The &quot;wherefore&quot; references Paul's explanation at the end of chapter 2 as to how his salvation is tied up in theirs; they would be part of his eternal crown. When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, it seems Epaphroditus was a great comfort to him; he didn't want to send him to Philippi, but he &quot;supposed it necessary&quot; (Phil. 2:25). Likewise, it was only when he &quot;could no longer forbear&quot; (1 Thess. 3:1,5) that he sent Timothy away from him when he was living at Athens, to strengthen the Thessalonians. Paul came to really need his brethren. We recall how Paul almost pathetically begs Timothy to come to him in Rom (2 Tim. 4); he so valued the company of others. So the sending of Timothy was a huge sacrifice for Paul, but he did so because he so loved the Philippians and was concerned at the state of their faith; for the nature of his eternity was tied up with their salvation.</p><p>Loneliness isn&rsquo;t at all a bad thing. Paul tells the Thessalonians how desperately he wanted to physically be with them, but God stopped him &ldquo;time and again&rdquo;; and so he concluded in the end that it was better for him to be left at Athens alone and send his close companion to them (1 Thess. 2:17-3:1). But looking back, we realize that that aloneness in Athens had actually been for his spiritual good, even though he so longed to be with his brethren. And here those who so bemoan understandably their spiritual isolation as they live out their Christian lives in ones or twos can take comfort. It was whilst left alone in Athens that Paul&rsquo;s conscience was stirred within him and he began an incredibly successful preaching campaign (Acts 17:16-22). The image of that wonderful man standing alone on Mars Hill taking Christ to the masses there for the very first time is inspirational; but he only stood up there and did it because he had been left in Athens alone by a loving Father. His loneliness led to his spirit / conscience being stirred within him by the need of the humanity around him. His loneliness made him see how unique was his relationship with God Almighty and His Son.</p>