@1Th 1:1-10. ADDRESS: SALUTATION: HIS PRAYERFUL THANKSGIVING FOR THEIR FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE. THEIR FIRST RECEPTION OF THE GOSPEL, AND THEIR GOOD INFLUENCE ON ALL AROUND.
1. Paul--He does not add "an apostle," because in their case, as in
that of the Philippians
(see on Php 1:1), his apostolic
authority needs not any substantiation. He writes familiarly as to
faithful friends, not but that his apostleship was recognized among them
(@1Th 2:6). On the other hand, in writing to the Galatians, among
whom some had called in question his apostleship, he strongly asserts it
in the superscription. An undesigned propriety in the Epistles, evincing
genuineness.
Silvanus--a "chief man among the brethren" (@Ac 15:22), and a
"prophet" (@Ac 15:32), and one of the deputies who carried the
decree of the Jerusalem council to Antioch. His age and position cause
him to be placed before "Timothy," then a youth (@Ac 16:1 1Ti 4:12).
Silvanus (the Gentile expanded form of "Silas") is called in @1Pe 5:12,
"a faithful brother" (compare @2Co 1:19). They both aided in
planting the Thessalonian Church, and are therefore included in the
address. This, the first of Paul's Epistles, as being written before
various evils crept into the churches, is without the censures found in
other Epistles. So realizing was their Christian faith, that they were
able hourly to look for the Lord Jesus.
unto the church--not merely as in the Epistles to Romans, Ephesians,
Colossians, Philippians, "to the saints," or "the faithful at
Thessalonica." Though as yet they do not seem to have had the final Church organization under permanent "bishops" and deacons, which
appears in the later Epistles
(See on Php 1:1; see First and
Second Timothy). Yet he designates them by the honorable term "Church,"
implying their status as not merely isolated believers, but a corporate
body with spiritual rulers (@1Th 5:12 2Co 1:1 Ga 1:2).
in--implying vital union.
God the Father--This marks that they were no longer heathen.
the Lord Jesus Christ--This marks that they were not Jews, but
Christians.
Grace be unto you, and peace--that ye may have in God that
favor and peace which men withhold
[ANSELM]. This is the salutation
in all the Epistles of Paul, except the three pastoral ones, which have
"grace, mercy, and peace." Some of the oldest manuscripts support,
others omit the clause following, "from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ." It may have crept in from @1Co 1:3 2Co 1:2.
2. (@Ro 1:9 2Ti 1:3.) The structure of the sentences in this and
the following verses, each successive sentence repeating with greater
fulness the preceding, characteristically marks Paul's abounding love
and thankfulness in respect to his converts, as if he were seeking by
words heaped on words to convey some idea of his exuberant feelings
towards them.
We--I, Silvanus, and Timotheus. @Ro 1:9 supports
ALFORD in
translating, "making mention of you in our prayers without ceasing"
(@1Th 1:3). Thus, "without ceasing," in the second clause, answers
in parallelism to "always," in the first.
3. work of faith--the working reality of your faith; its alacrity
in receiving the truth, and in evincing itself by its fruits. Not
an otiose assent; but a realizing, working faith; not "in word only,"
but in one continuous chain of "work" (singular, not plural,
works), @1Th 1:5-10 Jas 2:22. So "the work of faith" in
@2Th 1:11 implies its perfect development (compare @Jas 1:4).
The other governing substantives similarly mark respectively the
characteristic manifestation of the grace which follows each in the
genitive. Faith, love, and hope, are the three great Christian
graces (@1Th 5:8 1Co 13:13).
labour of love--The Greek implies toil, or
troublesome labor, which we are stimulated by love to bear
(@1Th 2:9 Re 2:2). For instances of self-denying labors of love, see @Ac 20:35 Ro 16:12. Not here mi
nis
terial labors. Those who
shun trouble for others, love little (compare @Heb 6:10).
patience--Translate, "endurance of hope"; the
persevering endurance of trials which flows from "hope." @Ro 15:4
shows that "patience" also nourishes "hope."
hope in our Lord Jesus--literally, "hope of our Lord Jesus,"
namely, of His coming (@1Th 1:10): a hope that looked forward beyond
all present things for the manifestation of Christ.
in the sight of God and our Father--Your "faith, hope, and love" were
not merely such as would pass for genuine before men, but "in the
sight of God," the Searcher of hearts
[GOMARUS]. Things are really what
they are before God. BENGEL takes this clause with "remembering."
Whenever we pray, we remember before God your faith, hope, and
love. But its separation from "remembering" in the order, and its
connection with "your . . . faith," &c. make me to prefer the former
view.
and, &c.--The Greek implies, "in the sight of Him who is
[at once] God and our Father."
4. Knowing--Forasmuch as we know.
your election of God--The Greek is rather, "beloved by
God"; so @Ro 1:7 2Th 2:13. "Your election" means that
God has elected you as individual believers to eternal life
(@Ro 11:5,7 Col 3:12 2Th 2:13).
5. our gospel--namely, the Gospel which we preached.
came--Greek, "was made," namely, by God, its Author and Sender.
God's having made our preaching among you to be attended with such
"power," is the proof that you are "elect of God" (@1Th 1:4).
in power--in the efficacy of the Holy Spirit clothing us with power
(see end of verse; @Ac 1:8 4:33 6:5,8) in preaching the Gospel, and
making it in you the power of God unto salvation (@Ro 1:16). As
"power" produces faith; so "the Holy Ghost," love; and "much
assurance" (@Col 2:2, full persuasion), hope (@Heb 6:11),
resting on faith (@Heb 10:22). So faith, love, and hope (@1Th 1:3).
as ye know--answering to the "knowing," that is, as
WE know (@1Th 1:4) your character as
the elect of God, so YE know
ours as preachers.
for your sake--The purpose herein indicated is not so much that of
the apostles, as that of God. "You know what
God enabled us to be . . . how mighty in preaching the word . . . for
your sakes . . . thereby proving that He had chosen (@1Th 1:4)
you for His own" [ALFORD].
I think, from @1Th 2:10-12, that, in
"what manner of men we were among you," besides the
power in preaching, there is included also Paul's and his fellow
missionaries' whole conduct which confirmed their preaching; and in
this sense, the "for your sake" will mean "in order to win you." This,
though not the sole, yet would be a strong, motive to holy
circumspection, namely, so as to win those without (@Col 4:5; compare
@1Co 9:19-23).
6. And ye--answering to "For our Gospel," @1Th 1:5.
followers--Greek, "imitators." The Thessalonians in their turn
became "ensamples" (@1Th 1:7) for others to imitate.
of the Lord--who was the apostle of the Father, and taught the word,
which He brought from heaven, under adversities
[BENGEL]. This was the
point in which they imitated Him and His apostles, joyful witness
for the word in much affliction: the second proof of their
election of God (@1Th 1:4); @1Th 1:5 is the first
(see on 1Th 1:5).
received the word in much affliction--(@1Th 2:14 3:2-5 Ac 17:5-10).
joy of--that is, wrought by "the Holy Ghost." "The oil of gladness"
wherewith the Son of God was "anointed above His fellows" (@Ps 45:7),
is the same oil with which He, by the Spirit, anoints His fellows too
(@Isa 61:1,3 Ro 14:17 1Jo 2:20,27).
7. ensamples--So some of the oldest manuscripts read. Others, "ensample" (singular), the whole Church being regarded as one. The Macedonian Church of Philippi was the only one in Europe converted before the Thessalonians. Therefore he means their past conduct is an ensample to all believers now; of whom he specifies those "in Macedonia" because he had been there since the conversion of the Thessalonians, and had left Silvanus and Timotheus there; and those in "Achaia," because he was now at Corinth in Achaia.
8. from you sounded . . . the word of the Lord--not that they actually
became missionaries: but they, by the report which spread abroad of
their "faith" (compare @Ro 1:8), and by Christian merchants of
Thessalonica who travelled in various directions, bearing "the word of
the Lord" with them, were virtually missionaries, recommending the
Gospel to all within reach of their influence by word and by example
(@1Th 1:7). In "sounded," the image is that of a trumpet filling
with its clear-sounding echo all the surrounding places.
to God-ward--no longer directed to idols.
so that we need not to speak any thing--to them in praise of your
faith; "for (@1Th 1:9) they themselves"
(the people in Macedonia, Achaia, and in every place) know it already.
9. Strictly there should follow, "For they themselves show of you,"
&c.; but, instead, he substitutes that which was the instrumental cause
of the Thessalonians' conversion and faith, "for they themselves show of
us what manner of entering in we had unto you"; compare @1Th 1:5,
which corresponds to this former clause, as @1Th 1:6 corresponds to
the latter clause. "And how ye turned from idols to serve the
living . . . God," &c. Instead of our having "to speak any thing"
to them (in Macedonia and Achaia) in your praise (@1Th 1:8), "they
themselves (have the start of us in speaking of you, and)
announce concerning (so the Greek of 'show of' means) us, what
manner of (how effectual an) entrance we had unto you" (@1Th 1:5 2:1).
the living and true God--as opposed to the dead and false gods from which they had "turned." In the English Version reading,
@Ac 17:4, "of the devout Greeks a great multitude," no mention
is made, as here, of the conversion of idolatrous Gentiles at
Thessalonica; but the reading of some of the oldest manuscripts and
Vulgate singularly coincides with the statement here: "Of the devout
AND of Greeks (namely, idolaters) a great multitude"; so in
@Ac 17:17, "the devout persons," that is, Gentile proselytes to
Judaism, form a separate class. PALEY and
LACHMANN, by distinct lines of
argument, support the "AND."
10. This verse distinguishes them from the Jews, as @1Th 1:9
from the idolatrous Gentiles. To wait for the Lord's coming is a
sure characteristic of a true believer, and was prominent amidst the
graces of the Thessalonians (@1Co 1:7,8). His coming is seldom
called his return (@Joh 14:3); because the two advents are
regarded as different phases of the same coming; and the second coming
shall have features altogether new connected with it, so that it will
not be a mere repetition of the first, or a mere coming back again.
his Son . . . raised from the dead--the grand proof of His divine
Sonship (@Ro 1:4).
delivered--rather as Greek, "who delivereth us." Christ has
once for all redeemed us; He is our Deliverer
ALWAYS.
wrath to come--(@1Th 5:9 Col 3:6).