the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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1 Thessalonians 1:3
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Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Remembering: 1 Thessalonians 3:6, 2 Timothy 1:3-5
your: 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 2:14, John 6:27-29, Romans 16:26, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Galatians 5:6, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, Hebrews 4:11, Hebrews 11:7, Hebrews 11:8, Hebrews 11:17, Hebrews 11:24-34, James 2:17-26, Revelation 2:19
and labour: Genesis 29:20, Song of Solomon 8:7, John 14:15, John 14:21-23, John 15:10, John 21:15-17, Romans 16:6, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 2 Corinthians 5:14, 2 Corinthians 5:15, 2 Corinthians 8:7-9, Galatians 5:13, Philemon 1:5-7, Hebrews 6:10, Hebrews 6:11, 1 John 3:18, 1 John 5:3, Revelation 2:2-4
and patience: Romans 2:7, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:24, Romans 8:25, Romans 12:12, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 6:15, Hebrews 10:36, James 1:3, James 1:4, James 5:7, James 5:8, 1 John 3:3, Revelation 3:10
in the: Ecclesiastes 2:26, Acts 3:19, Acts 10:31, 2 Corinthians 2:17, 1 Timothy 2:3, Hebrews 13:21, 1 Peter 3:4, 1 John 3:21
Reciprocal: Mark 2:5 - saw Luke 11:2 - Our Luke 21:19 - General Acts 9:39 - and showing Acts 11:23 - seen Romans 1:7 - God Romans 6:17 - But Romans 14:18 - and Romans 16:12 - labour Romans 16:19 - I am 1 Corinthians 15:19 - hope 1 Corinthians 16:16 - laboureth 2 Corinthians 1:7 - our Galatians 5:22 - love Ephesians 1:15 - faith Ephesians 4:16 - edifying Philippians 1:3 - upon Philippians 1:6 - begun Philippians 2:12 - work Colossians 1:4 - faith Colossians 1:9 - do Colossians 3:12 - holy 1 Thessalonians 1:4 - Knowing 1 Thessalonians 2:9 - our 1 Thessalonians 3:9 - what 2 Thessalonians 1:4 - your patience 2 Thessalonians 2:16 - good 2 Thessalonians 3:5 - and into Philemon 1:7 - great joy Hebrews 6:9 - beloved Hebrews 6:12 - faith Hebrews 10:24 - love James 2:14 - though James 2:18 - and I will 1 Peter 1:3 - unto 1 Peter 1:5 - unto 2 Peter 1:6 - patience 2 Peter 1:10 - election 2 John 1:1 - the elect lady 3 John 1:2 - even Revelation 2:3 - hast laboured
Cross-References
See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea.
Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; and he covereth the bottom of the sea.
Look, he spreads his light around him; And he covers the bottom of the sea.
Watch how God scatters his lightning around him, lighting up the deepest parts of the sea.
See how he scattered his lightning about him; he has covered the depths of the sea.
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.
"Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds], And He covers the depths of the sea.
Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea.
and leite with his liyt fro aboue, he schal hile, yhe,
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Remembering without ceasing,.... The phrase "without ceasing", is, by the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, joined to the last clause of the preceding verse; and the remembrance the apostle speaks of is either a distinct thing from the mention made of them in prayer, and suggests that they bore them on their minds at other times also; or it is the same with it; or rather a reason of their mentioning of them then, because they remembered them, and the following things of theirs:
as your work of faith; by which is meant not the principle of faith, for as such that is God's work, the product of his grace, and the effect of his almighty power; but the operative virtue and exercise of it under the influence of the grace of God: the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions render it, "the work of your faith"; and so some copies, and the Syriac version, "the works of your faith". The Targumist in Habakkuk 1:12 represents God as holy
בעובדי הימנותא, "in works of faith": faith is a working grace, it has a deal of work to do, it has its hands always full, and is employed about many things; it is the grace by which a soul goes to God, as its covenant God, lays hold on him as such, pleads his promises with him, asks favours of him, and is very importunate, and will have no denial; and by which it goes to Christ as at first conversion, afterwards for fresh supplies of grace, out of that fulness of grace that is in him; it receives him and all from him, and through him pardon, righteousness, adoption of children, and an eternal inheritance; and it is that grace which carries back all the glory to God and Christ, and to free grace; it glorifies God, exalts Christ, humbles the creature, and magnifies the grace of God, it has much work to do this way; and it works by love, by acts of love to God, to Christ, and to the saints; and it puts the soul upon a cheerful obedience to every ordinance and command, and hence obedience is styled the obedience of faith; and indeed all good works that are properly so are done in faith, and faith without works is dead; it is greatly engaged against the world and the devil; it is that grace by which Satan is opposed and overcome, and by which the believer gets the victory over the world; so that he is not discouraged by its frowns, and cast down by the trials and afflictions he meets with in it, nor drawn aside by its snares and allurements; something of this kind the apostle had observed and remembered in these believers: he adds,
and labour of love; love is a laborious grace when in lively exercise; love to God and Christ will constrain a believer to engage in, and go through, great hardships, difficulties, toil, and labour, for their sakes; and love to the saints will exert itself, by serving them in things temporal and spiritual, ministering cheerfully and largely to their outward wants, for which reason the same epithet is given to love in Hebrews 6:10 as here; regarding and assisting them in their spiritual concerns; praying for them and with them; building them up in their most holy faith; communicating their experiences, and speaking comfortable words unto them; reproving them for sin in love, and with tenderness; restoring them when fallen in a spirit of meekness; and stirring them up to love and good works: love has much toil and labour, not only in performing the several duties of religion, both towards God and man; but in bearing all things, the burdens of fellow Christians; the infirmities of weak believers, forbearing them in love, forgiving their offences, and covering their sins:
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, or "of our Lord Jesus Christ". These persons had a good hope through grace given unto them, and which was founded in Christ Jesus, in his person, blood, and righteousness, and so was as an anchor sure and steadfast; and it had him for its object, it was an hope of interest in him, of being for ever with him, of his, second coming and glorious appearance, and of eternal life and happiness through him; and this was attended with patience, with a patient bearing of reproaches, afflictions, and persecutions, for the sake of Christ, and a patient waiting for his coming, his kingdom and glory; and this as well as the others were remembered by the apostle, and his fellow ministers, with great pleasure: and that
in the sight of God and our Father; or before God and our Father; which may be read in connection either with the above graces, which were exercised, not only before men, but before God, and in his sight, who sees not as man seeth, and who cannot be deceived and imposed upon; and so shows that these graces were true and genuine, faith was unfeigned, love was without dissimulation, and hope without hypocrisy: or with the word remembering, as it is in the Syriac version, which reads, "remembering before God and our Father"; that is, as often as we appear before God, and lift up our hands and our hearts unto him in prayer, we bear you upon our minds before God; and particularly remember your operative faith, laborious love, and patient hope of Christ.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Remembering without ceasing - Remembering your faith and love whenever we pray. This is not to be understood literally, but it is language such as we use respecting anything that interests us much. It is constantly in our mind. Such an interest the apostle had in the churches which he had established.
Your work of faith - That is, your showing or evincing faith. The reference is probably to acts of duty, holiness, and benevolence, which proved that they exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Works of faith are those to which faith prompts, and which show that there is faith in the heart. This does not mean, therefore, a work of their own producing faith, but a work which showed that they had faith.
And labour of love - Labour produced by love, or showing that you are actuated by love. Such would be all their kindness toward the poor, the oppressed, and the afflicted; and all their acts which showed that they loved the souls of people.
And patience of hope - Patience in your trials, showing that you have such a hope of future blessedness as to sustain you in your afflictions. It was the hope of heaven through the Lord Jesus that gave them patience; see the notes on Romans 8:24. “The phrases here are Hebraisims, meaning active faith, and laborious love, and patient hope, and might have been so translated.” Doddridge.
In our Lord Jesus Christ - That is, your hope is founded only on him. The only hope that we have of heaven is through the Redeemer.
In the sight of God and our Father - Before God, even our Father. It is a hope which we have through the merits of the Redeemer, and which we are permitted to cherish before God; that is, in his very presence. When we think of God; when we reflect that we must soon stand before him, we are permitted to cherish this hope. It is a hope which will be found to be genuine even in the presence of a holy and heart-searching God. This does not mean that it had been merely professed before God, but that it was a hope which they might dare to entertain even in the presence of God, and which would bear the scrutiny of his eye.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 Thessalonians 1:3. Your work of faith — This verse contains a very high character of the believers at Thessalonica. They had FAITH, not speculative and indolent, but true, sound, and operative; their faith worked. They had LOVE, not that gazed at and became enamoured of the perfections of God, but such a love as laboured with faith to fulfil the whole will of God. Faith worked; but love, because it can do more, did more, and therefore laboured-worked energetically, to promote the glory of God and the salvation of men. They had HOPE; not an idle, cold, heartless expectation of future good, from which they felt no excitement, and for which they could give no reason, but such a hope as produced a satisfying expectation of a future life and state of blessedness, the reality of which faith had descried, and love anticipated; a hope, not hasty and impatient to get out of the trials of life and possess the heavenly inheritance, but one that was as willing to endure hardships as to enjoy glory itself, when God might be most honoured by this patient endurance. FAITH worked, LOVE laboured, and HOPE endured patiently.
It is not a mark of much grace to be longing to get to heaven because of the troubles and difficulties of the present life; they who love Christ are ever willing to suffer with him; and he may be as much glorified by patient suffering, as by the most active faith or laborious love. There are times in which, through affliction or other hinderances, we cannot do the will of God, but we can suffer it; and in such cases he seeks a heart that bears submissively, suffers patiently, and endures, as seeing him who is invisible, without repining or murmuring. This is as full a proof of Christian perfection as the most intense and ardent love. Meekness, gentleness, and long-suffering, are in our present state of more use to ourselves and others, and of more consequence in the sight of God, than all the ecstasies of the spirits of just men made perfect, and than all the raptures of an archangel. That Church or Christian society, the members of which manifest the work of faith, labour of love, and patience of hope, is most nearly allied to heaven, and is on the suburbs of glory.
