What does 1 Thessalonians 3:10 mean?

Paul tells the Thessalonians that he prays with all his strength both during the day and at night that God would enable him to see them again. This is something Paul had wanted to do earlier, but was prevented (1 Thessalonians 2:18). Such a face-to-face visit would give him the opportunity to increase their faith. They were young Christians who still needed to grow spiritually and to increase their knowledge of spiritual truth. They had not reached spiritual maturity, but they had made a good start towards that goal. They were like babies that needed to grow up.

As Peter exhorted his readers, the Thessalonians needed to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). In chapters 4 and 5 Paul would provide important information and instruction that would help the Thessalonian Christians grow up in the faith and become more like Christ. Paul's anticipated ministry at Thessalonica would "equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," and advance them toward "mature manhood" and "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12–13).