For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord - This is equivalent to saying, "My life and comfort depend on your stability in the faith, and your correct Christian walk;" compare Martial 6:70. Non est vivere, sed valere, vita - "Life consists not merely in living, but in the enjoyment of health." See also Seneca, Epis. 99, and Manilius, 1 Thessalonians 4:5, as quoted by Wetstein. The meaning here is, that Paul now enjoyed life; he had that which constituted real life, in the fact that they acted as became Christians, and so as to show that his labor among them had not been in vain. The same thing here affirmed is true of all faithful ministers of the gospel. They feel that they have something that may be called life, and that is worth living for, when those to whom they preach maintain a close walk with God.

For now we live - Your steadfastness in the faith gives me new life and comfort; I now feel that I live to some purpose, as my labor in the Lord is not in vain.

For now we live,.... Before they were dead men, lifeless, disconsolate, dispirited, carrying about with them the dying of the Lord Jesus, and death working in them, and they, as it were, under the sentence of that, being killed all the day long for Christ's sake; but now, upon this news, in the midst of all their sore trials and troubles, their spirits revived, and they became alive and cheerful; see Psalm 22:26, it was like life from the dead unto them:

if ye stand fast in the Lord: or "our Lord", as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read; that is, "in the faith of the Lord", as the Arabic version renders it: they were in the Lord secretly by electing grace, and openly by regenerating grace, and they abode in him; and by persevering grace, they were rooted and built up in Christ, and established in the faith of him, of his person, office, and grace; they were steady in the exercise of grace upon him, and stood fast in the liberty wherewith he had made them free, and continued steadfastly in the doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel; for the "if" here is not expressive of doubting, but of reasoning, "seeing ye stand fast in the Lord"; of which they were assured by Timothy: and this gave them fresh spirit and life amidst the deaths in which they often were.

Stand fast (στήκετε)

The sense of firm standing is derived from the context, and does not inhere in the word. In Mark 3:31; Mark 11:25, it means simply to stand. Comp. Philippians 4:1. It does not occur earlier than N.T.

For now we {a} live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

(a) For now you cannot otherwise think of me as at rest and in a good state of being, unless you go forward in religion and faith.

3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. How tender his affection for them if he could say that good news from them filled him with new life!

3:8 Now we live - Indeed; we enjoy life: so great is our affection for you.

8. now-as the case is; seeing ye stand fast.

we live-we flourish. It revives us in our affliction to hear of your steadfastness (Ps 22:26; 2Jo 3:4).

if-implying that the vivid joy which the missionaries "now" feel, will continue if the Thessalonians continue steadfast. They still needed exhortation, 1Th 3:10; therefore he subjoins the conditional clause, "if ye," &c. (Php 4:1).

3:6-10 Thankfulness to God is very imperfect in the present state; but one great end of the ministry of the word is to help faith forward. That which was the instrument to obtain faith, is also the means of increasing and confirming it, namely, the ordinances of God; and as faith cometh by hearing, so it is confirmed by hearing also.