Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Thessalonians 3:11

"Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way unto you:" — 1 Thessalonians 3:11 (ASV)

Paul recognizes the uselessness of personal efforts toward a revisit unless God “clears the way.” At the moment, no return is possible (cf. 2:18), but he prays for the removal of the barriers. Two persons viewed as one (cf. Jn 10:30) possess power to open the way to Thessalonica once again; “our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus” is the compound subject of a singular verb “may... clear”—probably an indication of the unity of the Godhead. “Himself,” the first word in this prayer, possibly refers to both Father and Son, once again implying the one essence of these two persons (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:16). The Father and Son eventually did grant this request, for Paul returned to Macedonia approximately five years later (Acts 19:21; Acts 20:1; 1 Corinthians 16:5; 2 Corinthians 2:13) and in all likelihood made a point of visiting Thessalonica.