1 Thess. 1

Greeting

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, (who were with Paul at the planting of this church) To the church (the called out people/assembly/Gospel believers) of the Thessalonians in God (referring to being called out in relationship with God, under His ownership, by His instrumental cause, for a particular function and under His protection) the Father (no longer the Gospel believer’s Judge and enemy) and the Lord Jesus Christ (our Master and Savior):

Grace (unmerited favor—as God loved us when we were yet sinners) to you and peace (peace between us and God) from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (all through their grace toward us—no merit, deserving or earning of our own).

Their Good Example

² We give thanks to God (who is the instrumental cause of His gracious plan and work) always (continually, without ceasing) for you all (concerning your good fortune as recipients of God’s grace), making mention of you in our prayers (thanking, praising God for adopting you into His family and praying for your full cooperation and participation as the sons and daughters of God), ³ remembering without ceasing your [1] work of faith (i.e., your work which is the result of the faith given you [Eph. 2:8-10] which shows you truly have living faith not dead faith which consists of), [2] (your) labor of love (whereby you desire to help others, compassionately practicing the one-another’s, loving your neighbor as yourself), and [3] (your) patience (steadfastness) of hope (the result of God’s and Christ’s Person, promises, return, etc. – This is your means for enduring troubles with courage, without self-pity, etc.) in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, (your hope being in Christ when you stand before God the Father after the death of your body) ⁴ knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God (by God’s love for you which comes from eternity and extends throughout eternity). ⁵ For (the reason for the evidences of your election and thus faith is that) our gospel did not come to you in word only (meaning simply words/ideas [or] that you only heard the words and not the truth within them [or] not the words of false gods), but also in power (with spiritual dynamite to demolish the old man, lies of the heart and false gods) , and in (God) the Holy Spirit (the permanent, unlimited source and perfect director of this power) and in much assurance (complete conviction), as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake (being without wax—our ministry being all about God’s truth and not man’s lies, being all about you and not about us).

⁶ And you became followers (imitators) of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction (as the world took out its frustration and anger on you for becoming Gospel believers—the Holy Spirit’s power turned it into joy as you suffered like Jesus and for Him), with joy (“Joy is the standard/banner that flies on the battlements of the heart when the King is in residence.” –R. Leonard Small) of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe (as you imitated Jesus, you became godly examples). ⁸ For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth (like the crack of thunder and then its reverberating echo continuing on), not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place (there and beyond). Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything (There’s nothing left that we could tell or model for them that you haven’t already said and done). ⁹ For they (the Thessalonians) themselves declare concerning us (Paul, Silas and Timothy) what manner of entry we had to you (i.e., how we came to Thessalonica with the gospel which we shared with you and the life we modeled), and how you turned to God from idols to serve (“serve” being a form of the word “doulos,” slave, becoming a slave to) the living (God verses dead gods) and true God (verses false gods—You told others your stories of how you willingly, voluntarily gave up your gods to serve Christ), ¹⁰ and to wait (“wait” in the same sense that a host eagerly awaits a guest and is prepared to greet them [cp., v. 3]) for His Son (God the Son) from heaven, whom He (God the Father) raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers (rescues gospel believers “from” not “through” God’s wrath) us from the wrath to come (in the rapture just prior to the seven years of great tribulation as God removed Lot before He vented His wrath upon Sodom).