King James Version
1 Thessalonians 1
10 verses with commentary
Greeting
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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<strong>Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ</strong>—this threefold authorship reflects the missionary team that founded the church (Acts 17:1-9). The phrase <em>en Theō Patri kai en Kyriō Iēsou Christō</em> (ἐν Θεῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ἐν Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ) places the church's identity not in location but in relatio...
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(1) “The founders of the Church of Thessalonica, who have so recently left it, greet the Church in the common Father in whom they are united.”
**Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus.**—There was no need to add “Apostle” to the name of Paul, in writing to a Church with which his relations were so familiar and so cordial: it is probably omitted for the same reason in the Epistle to the Philippians and ...
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**12. understand--**Greek, "know." The Philippians probably had feared that his imprisonment would hinder the spread of the Gospel; he therefore removes this fear.
**the things which happened unto me--**Greek, "the things concerning me."
**rather--**so far is my imprisonment from hindering the Gospel. Faith takes in a favorable light even what seems adverse [Bengel] (Php 1:19, 28; Php 2:17).
Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' Faith
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
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<strong>We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers</strong>—Paul's thanksgiving contrasts sharply with Galatians (which has no thanksgiving section) because the Thessalonians remained faithful despite persecution. The phrase <em>eucharistoumen tō Theō pantote</em> (εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ πάντοτε, 'we give thanks always') establishes thanksgiving as continuous duty...
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(2) “We never set ourselves to prayer without remembering your faithful activity, loving laboriousness, cheerful and persevering endurance, and thanking God for it.”
**We.**—All three are regarded as the writers, and no doubt the sentiments of all are expressed, though the letter is St. Paul’s own composition. In 1Thessalonians 2:18 he corrects himself for using “we” where it was only true of hims...
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**13. my bonds in Christ--**rather as Greek, "So that my bonds have become manifest in Christ," that is, known, as endured in Christ's cause.
**palace--**literally, "Prætorium," that is, the barrack of the Prætorian guards attached to the palace of Nero, on the Palatine hill at Rome; not the general Prætorian camp outside of the city; for this was not connected with "Cæsar's household," which Ph...
Read full commentary →Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
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<strong>Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ</strong>—this verse introduces Paul's 'faith-hope-love' triad (also 1 Cor 13:13; Col 1:4-5), here with distinctive emphases. Each virtue produces action: <em>ergon tēs pisteōs</em> (ἔργον τῆς πίστεως, 'work produced by faith'), <em>kopos tēs agapēs</em> (κόπος τῆς ἀγάπης, 'toil...
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(3) **Faith . . . love . . .** **hope.**—in this first of his writings, St. Paul has already fixed upon the three great *abiding* principles (1Corinthians 13:13) of the Christian life, and the forms in which they mainly exhibit themselves. The genitive in such phrases as “work of faith,” etc., is almost equivalent to a very emphatic adjective—“faithful activity,” *i.e., *a work characterised by fa...
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14. Translate as Greek, "And that (Php 1:13) most of the brethren in the Lord," &c. "In the Lord," distinguishes them from "brethren after the flesh," Jewish fellow countrymen. Ellicott translates, "Trusting in the Lord."
**by my bonds--**encouraged by my patience in bearing my bonds.
**much more bold--**Translate as Greek, "are more abundantly bold."
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. beloved: or, beloved of God, your election
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<strong>Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God</strong>—<em>eklogen</em> (ἐκλογήν, 'election/choice') introduces one of Paul's most profound theological themes: God's sovereign choice precedes human response. The perfect participle <em>ēgapēmenoi</em> (ἠγαπημένοι, 'having been loved') indicates God's prior love, not contingent on human action. Paul 'knows' their election not through mysti...
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(4) “The reason why the sight delights us is because it proves that God loves you, and has set His heart upon you.”
**Beloved.**—The proper translation is, *knowing* *brethren who have been so beloved of God, your* *election, *as in the margin: the Greek idiom cannot allow of the Authorised rendering. The tense of the word “beloved” represents not only God’s attitude to them in the present, but th...
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15. "Some indeed are preaching Christ even for envy, that is, to carry out the envy which they felt towards Paul, on account of the success of the Gospel in the capital of the world, owing to his steadfastness in his imprisonment; they wished through envy to transfer the credit of its progress from him to themselves. Probably Judaizing teachers (Ro 14:1-23; 1Co 3:10-15; 9:1, &c.; 2Co 11:1-4).
...
Read full commentary →For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
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<strong>For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance</strong>—Paul distinguishes mere rhetoric from pneumatic reality. The phrase <em>ouk en logō monon alla kai en dynamei</em> (οὐκ ἐν λόγῳ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν δυνάμει, 'not in word only but also in power') echoes 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, contrasting human persuasion with divine demonstrat...
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(5) “If God had not set His heart upon you, we never could have been as successful among you as we were.”
**Our gospel came not unto you.**—Or rather, *the glad tidings which we brought did not prove among you, in its action upon you.*
**In word only.**—Comp. 1Corinthians 2:4; 1Corinthians 4:20. “It did not consist *merely* of so much eloquent instruction, but also we found we were speaking with a...
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16-17. The oldest manuscripts transpose these verses, and read, "These (last) indeed out of love (to Christ and me), knowing (the opposite of 'thinking' below) that I am set (that is, appointed by God, 1Th 3:3) for the defense of the Gospel (Php 1:7, not on my own account). But the others out of contention (or rather, 'a factious spirit'; 'cabal'; a spirit of intrigue, using unscrupulous means to ...
Read full commentary →And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
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<strong>And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost</strong>—<em>mimētai</em> (μιμηταί, 'imitators') indicates intentional copying, not mere admiration. The Thessalonians imitated Paul's pattern: <strong>receiving the word in much affliction</strong> (<em>dexamenoi ton logon en thlipsei pollē</em>, δεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον ἐν θ...
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(6) **And ye became followers.**—Not so much a separate reason for believing them elected of God, because of their receptiveness, but an evidence of the power given by God to the preachers for the winning of them. “So much so, that, in spite of persecution, you became Christians with enthusiasm.”
**Followers.**—Not “disciples,” but *imitators.* The three points in which the Lord and His Apostles w...
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16-17. The oldest manuscripts transpose these verses, and read, "These (last) indeed out of love (to Christ and me), knowing (the opposite of 'thinking' below) that I am set (that is, appointed by God, 1Th 3:3) for the defense of the Gospel (Php 1:7, not on my own account). But the others out of contention (or rather, 'a factious spirit'; 'cabal'; a spirit of intrigue, using unscrupulous means to ...
Read full commentary →So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
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<strong>So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia</strong>—within months of conversion, the Thessalonians became <em>typous</em> (τύπους, 'types/patterns/models') for others. This rapid progression from imitators (v. 6) to examples demonstrates authentic Christianity's reproductive nature. Macedonia (northern Greece, including Philippi and Berea) and Achaia (southern Gr...
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(7) “Your zeal was so great and sincere that you, in your turn, became a model: for even in far-away countries the tale of your conversion is told with wonder.”
**Ensamples.**—Probably the singular should be read: the whole church became a model church.
**To all that believe**—*i.e.*, *now;* not to those that *then* believed; Philippi was the only such church.
**Macedonia and Achaia.**—These two p...
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18. What follows from this? Does this trouble me as they thought it would? "Notwithstanding" their unkind thought to me, and self-seeking intention, the cause I have at heart is furthered "every way" of preaching, "whether in pretense (with a by motive, Php 1:16) or in truth (out of true 'love' to Christ, Php 1:17), Christ is proclaimed; and therein I do rejoice, yea, and I will rejoice." From thi...
Read full commentary →For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
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<strong>For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad</strong>—<em>exēchētai</em> (ἐξήχηται, 'has sounded out') uses trumpet imagery: the word reverberated like a blast echoing through mountains. The Thessalonians became not just examples but evangelists, their testimony spreading beyond Greece to 'ev...
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(8) **For.**—“For, in fact,” (supporting and exceeding the statement of 1Thessalonians 1:7 about Greece) “you form the centre from which the doctrine of Christ has rung (not *rang*) out like a trumpet through those countries; and even beyond, your faith is well known.” The clauses are not quite logically balanced.
**Your faith** does not mean “your creed,” but “the report of your extraordinary fai...
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**19. turn to my salvation--**"turn out to me for, (or unto) salvation." This proclamation of Christ every way will turn out to my spiritual good. Christ, whose interests are my interests, being glorified thereby; and so the coming of His kingdom being furthered, which, when it does come, will bring completed "SALVATION" (He 9:28) to me and all whose "earnest expectation" (Php 1:20) is that Christ...
Read full commentary →For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
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<strong>For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols</strong>—<em>epistrephō</em> (ἐπιστρέφω, 'to turn/convert') describes 180-degree reversal, not religious refinement. The Thessalonians didn't add Jesus to their pantheon; they abandoned <em>eidōla</em> (εἴδωλα, 'idols') for the living God. This conversion was public, costly, and c...
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(9) **They themselves**—*i.e., *the inhabitants of those countries. “Wherever we go we find our own story told us.”
**Shew.**—Rather, *announce.* Both sides of the story are told: (1) of *us*—what kind of entry we made among you, explained in 1Thessalonians 2:1-12 to mean with “the word of truth, of meekness, and righteousness” (Psalm 45:5); (2) of *you*—how truly converted you were, as he proceed...
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**20. According to my earnest expectation--**The Greek expresses, "expectation with uplifted head (Lu 21:28) and outstretched neck." Ro 8:19 is the only other place in the New Testament that the word occurs. Tittmann says, in both places it implies not mere expectation, but the anxious desire of an anticipated prosperous issue in afflictive circumstances. The subject of his earnest expectation whi...
Read full commentary →And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
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<strong>And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come</strong>—<em>anamenein</em> (ἀναμένειν, 'to wait expectantly') describes eager anticipation, not passive delay. The Thessalonians' conversion reoriented time itself: no longer living for present pleasure or fearing death, they eagerly awaited <strong>his Son from heaven<...
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(10) **And to wait.**—The idea of the Advent is that which both here and throughout the Epistle occupies the foreground in the minds of St. Paul and his friends. These two infinitives, “to serve” and “to wait,” express not so much the *intention* of the Thessalonians in turning, as the condition into which they came by turning.
**Whom he raised.**—Not only proves His Sonship (Romans 1:4), but also...
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**21. For--**in either event (Php 1:20) I must be the gainer, "For to me," &c.
**to live is Christ--**whatever life, time, and strength, I have, is Christ's; Christ is the sole object for which I live (Ga 2:20).
**to die is gain--**not the act of dying, but as the Greek ("to have died") expresses, the state after death. Besides the glorification of Christ by my death, which is my primary o...
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