Bible Commentaries
1 Thessalonians 1

Verse 2

1 Thessalonians 1:2. From this verse to the end of the third chapter we have the chief business of this Epistle; which was to comfort, strengthen, and establish the Christians at Thessalonica, and to persuade them to persevere under all the discouragements which he, their Apostle, or they themselves, might meet with. In his entrance upon this design, he gives vent to what lay most upon his heart, thanking God for their genuine conversion from idolatry to Christianity, amid so many discouraging circumstances, and begging of God that they might persevere; in which he takes all occasions of speaking well of the Thessalonians, as indeed he does in the general through all this Epistle.

Verse 3

1 Thessalonians 1:3. Your work of faith, &c.— Some translate it, Your faithful work, and loving labour, and patient hope. Others join the last clause with the first words of the verse, Without ceasing remembering in the sight, &c. but I prefer the sense which arises from the order of the words in the original; in the sight of God even our Father, who beholds them with pleasure.

Verses 4-5

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5. Knowing, brethren beloved, &c.— This Epistle being, as we have observed, directed principally to converted Gentiles, who were once idolaters, the design of these verses is very evident, if we reflect upon the great controversy of that time, concerning the admission of the Gentiles into the Christian church, without submitting to any part of the law of Moses: in which view the verses may be thus paraphrased: "as I have had a full and undoubted revelation immediately from the Lord Jesus Christ, of God's purpose to receive you, idolatrous Gentiles, into his visible church, and all true believers among you, as his people, under the Christian dispensation; I own you as dearly beloved brethren, and have with pleasure seen this purpose of God take effect; in that our gospel, when it first appeared among you, was not an empty sound, but was attended with the plainness and energy of truth; and had also the attestation of miracles, as well as plenty of spiritual gifts."

Verse 7

1 Thessalonians 1:7. So that ye were ensamples— Τυπους, types; that is, plans, models, of patterns; and, by a metaphor, it is used for an example, or moral pattern. Philippi and Berea were in Macedonia; Athens and Corinth were in Achaia. The Apostle mentions these parts, as he had just been travelling through them, before he came to Corinth.

Verse 8

1 Thessalonians 1:8. For from you sounded out the word— It was accounted a great honour for any church, or city, to have the gospel go out from thence. Grotius observes, that many of the Thessalonians were merchants, who travelled through all Greece; and therefore so strange and blessed a piece of news might easily spread through Macedonia and Achaia, as one was so nigh them, and the other had such commerce with them.

Verse 9

1 Thessalonians 1:9. For they themselves shew of us— "For even our enemies, as well as the Christians, can tell, and do speak of it, not without wonder and astonishment, what uncommon gifts we ourselves had, and communicated unto you, and what a hearty reception we met with on our first arrival."

Verse 10

1 Thessalonians 1:10. Which delivered us— Who delivered us. Doddridge.

Inferences.—What an infinite mercy it is, when the gospel comes to any of our souls, not in words only, but with the impressive power of the Holy Ghost! This is an evident proof of the favour of God, and of our interest in Christ, which can only be known by its fruits; such as the witness of the Spirit of God, faith, love, and patience under sufferings for Christ's sake; a thorough conversion in heart and life from every idol to the living and true God; a holy imitation of Christ, and of his servants, as far as they follow him; and a hopeful expectation of his glorious coming to deliver us from all our troubles. And how desirable is it to have tokens of God's love, and of the power of his grace, in an eminent degree! Such receive his word with full assurance of its divine truth, excellence, and importance, and, with joy in the Holy Ghost, not withstanding all the tribulations which may befal them for its sake; they are a credit to the gospel, and noble examples to other believers; and are spoken of with admiration and joy to all that hear of them, and love the truth as it is in Jesus. With what pleasure do his ministering servants own one another, and reflect on every remarkable success of their labours, and on a testimony in the consciences of their hearers, that the power of the Spirit is with them! They affectionately salute the dear converts; they abound in thankfulness for them, and continually recommend them in their prayers to the grace and blessing of God the Father, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, in every remembrance of them.

And, O how animating to every true believer is the thought of the eternal Son of God, as the risen Jesus, who, having saved them from their sins, will deliver them, if faithful unto death, from the wrath to come.

REFLECTIONS.—1st, The Apostle begins with his usual address, joining two of his brethren with himself. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ, called to the worship of the true God, in and through Christ Jesus, and united to him by faith, as living members of his body: grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ; may all the blessings of the gospel covenant be your portion, partaking of the boundless grace of God, and enjoying that sweetest peace of conscience which results from a sense of his pardoning and sanctifying love!

2nd, With thanksgiving and prayer the Apostle, on their behalf, approached a throne of grace. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers:

1. Remembering, without ceasing, (1.) your work of faith, which is proved to be unfeigned, by the blessed effects it has produced on your hearts and lives: And, (2.) Your labour of love, love to Jesus and one another engaging you to every good word and work, and making you willing to submit to any hardships for his glory and the advantage of your brethren: And also, (3.) your patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, even that lively hope which faith in him inspires, and which strengthens you with patient courage to endure under every cross, in the sight of God and our Father, to whom we can appeal for our constant and thankful remembrance of you, and trust that you approve yourselves to him in all fidelity: knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God, that you have been called from Gentilism to be partakers of all the blessings and privileges of the gospel, to be the children of God, and heirs of the eternal inheritance, which he will certainly bestow upon you, if faithful unto death.

2. He thanks God for the success of his preaching among them. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, to your ears, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, who bore his attestation to the truth by miracles, accompanied it with divine evidence to the conscience, and caused it to enter into your penitent and believing hearts, in much assurance of your interest in the promised blessings; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake, with what patience and perseverance, in the midst of much persecution, we delivered our message, zealous for your souls; and how God was pleased graciously to own our labours. Note; Nothing fills a faithful minister's heart with deeper gratitude than the beholding the success of his labours.

3rdly, The Apostle describes the happy effects which the gospel had produced among them.
1. Ye became followers of us in faith, patience, and sufferings, and of the Lord Jesus, the perfect pattern which we desire to imitate; having received the word in much affliction: far from being stumbled at the persecution which was raised against us, or being discouraged, ye were filled with joy of the Holy Ghost; and, as your tribulations abounded, your consolation by Jesus Christ abounded also.

2. You were eminently distinguished by your conduct on that occasion, so that ye were ensamples of courage, constancy, and zeal, to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia; for from you sounded out the word of the Lord, the fame of your faith and the remarkable success of the gospel among you went forth; not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place, your faith to Godward is spread abroad, and much spoken of, so that we need not to speak any thing in your commendation: for they themselves, among whom this good report of you is spread, shew of us, what manner of entering in we had unto you; and need not our information, having been already made acquainted with all the circumstances; and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, who alone hath life in himself, and is the author thereof to all his creatures, and besides whom there is no God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, in faith and hope, whom he raised from the dead for our justification, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come; and but for him we must all have perished eternally. Note; (1.) Good examples are mightily influential. (2.) Wherever the true grace of God comes, it will turn the heart from all its sinful pursuits, and from idols, to cleave to him in faith and love alone. (3.) We owe it to the Son of God that we are rescued from everlasting burnings. Had he not interposed on our behalf, our estate had been as desperate as that of the devils themselves. (4.) They who are partakers of the gospel salvation constantly keep in mind the second coming of the Lord, waiting with desire his appearing, and making it their labour and prayer to be ready to meet him in the clouds.