1 Thessalonians 3:2

and sent Timothy, our brother, and God's minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;

God's minister ... Some scholars insist on translating this, "God's co-worker," as some respected manuscripts have this; however, despite the attractiveness of doing so (it would fit in so beautifully with 1 Corinthians 3:9), there is no sufficient reason for the change. As Hendriksen said, "The external evidence in favor of the reading, "God's co-worker,' is not any stronger than that in favor of reading `God's minister.'"[9]

There were several reasons for sending Timothy (or Silas) to visit the Thessalonians. Not only was Paul most urgently concerned in knowing how they were doing and in receiving the encouragement which a good report might provide, there would also be definite benefits to the Thessalonians as well. They would be: (1) established and (2) comforted. They needed both. Young converts facing a storm of persecution might fall away unless established and comforted.

My fellow-laborer ... These words added to this verse in the KJV are quite properly left out of subsequent versions; but they are included here for the sake of an interesting comment made by Adam Clarke, as follows:

There were no sinecures then; preaching the gospel was God's work; the primitive preachers were his workmen, and labored in this calling. It is the same still, but who works?[10]

[9] Ibid., p. 83.

[10] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. VI (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), p. 546.