Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Thessalonians 1

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus. On the reasons why Paul associated other names with his in his epistles, See Barnes "1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1".

Silvanus, or Silas, and Timothy were properly united with him on this occasion, because they had been with him when the church was founded there, Acts 17, and because Timothy had been sent by the apostle to visit them after he had himself been driven away, 1 Thessalonians 3:1–2. Silas is first mentioned in the New Testament as one who was sent by the church at Jerusalem with Paul to Antioch, See Barnes "Acts 15:22"; and he afterwards became his travelling companion.

Which is in God the Fathers and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Who are united to the true God and to the Redeemer; or who sustain an intimate relation to the Father and the Lord Jesus. This is strong language, denoting that they were a true church. (Compare to 1 John 5:20).

Grace be unto you, etc. See Barnes "Romans 1:7".

We give thanks to God always for you all. (See Barnes "Romans 1:9".)

Making mention of you in our prayers. (See Barnes "Ephesians 1:16".)

It may be observed here:

1. That the apostle was in the habit of constant prayer.
2. That he was accustomed to extemporary prayer, and not to written prayer. It is not credible that "forms" of prayer had been framed for the churches at Thessalonica and Ephesus, and the other churches for which Paul says he prayed, nor would it have been possible to have adapted such forms to the varying circumstances attending the organization of new churches.

Remembering without ceasing. This means remembering your faith and love whenever we pray. This is not to be understood literally, but it is language like we use concerning anything that greatly interests us. It is constantly in our mind. The apostle had such an interest in the churches he had established.

Your work of faith. That is, your work showing or demonstrating 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. This refers to labour produced by love, or showing that you are motivated 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 men.

And patience of hope. This means 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 Barnes on Romans 8:24).

"The phrases here are Hebraisms, 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. This means before God, who is also our Father. It is a hope 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, and when we reflect that we must soon stand before him, we are permitted to cherish this hope. It is a hope that 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 they might dare to entertain in the presence of God, and which would bear the scrutiny of his eye.

Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. The margin here reads, "beloved of God, your election." The difference depends merely on the punctuation, and the reading that the margin would require has been adopted by Hahn, Tittman, Bloomfield, and Griesbach. The meaning is not significantly changed, and the common version may be regarded as giving the true meaning. There is no great difference between "being beloved of God" and "being chosen of God." The meaning then is, "knowing that you are chosen by God to salvation." (Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 1:11).

The word "knowing," here refers to Paul himself, and to Silas and Timothy, who united with him in writing the epistle and in giving thanks for the favors shown to the church at Thessalonica. The meaning is that they had such strong confidence that they had been chosen by God as a church to salvation, that they could say they knew it.

The way in which they knew it seems not to have been by direct revelation or by inspiration, but by the evidence they had provided. This evidence constituted such proof of piety as to leave no doubt of the fact. Calvin. What this evidence was, the apostle states in the following verses.

It was shown by the manner in which they embraced the gospel and by the spirit they had shown under its influence. The meaning here seems to be, not that all the members of the church at Thessalonica were certainly chosen by God to salvation—for, as in other churches, there might have been false professors there. Instead, the church, as such, had given evidence that it was a true church, founded on Christian principles, and that, as a church, it had provided evidence of its "election by God."

Nor can it mean, as Clarke and Bloomfield suppose, that God "had chosen and called the Gentiles to the same privileges to which he chose and called the Jews; and that as they (the Jews) had rejected the gospel, God had now elected the Gentiles in their place;" for a considerable portion of the church was composed of Jews (Acts 17:4, 6), and it therefore cannot mean that the Gentiles had been selected in place of the Jews.

Besides, the election of the Gentiles, or any portion of the human family, to the privileges of salvation—while neglecting or excluding any other part—would present all the difficulties that occur in the doctrine of personal and individual election. Nothing is gained on this subject in removing the difficulties by supposing that God chooses masses of men instead of individuals.

How can the one be more proper than the other? What difficulty in the doctrine of election is removed by this supposition? Why is it not as right to choose an individual as a nation? Why not as proper to reject an individual as a whole people?

If this means that the church at Thessalonica had shown that it was a true church of Christ, chosen by God, then we may learn the following:

1. That a true church owes what it has to the "election of God." It is because God has chosen it, called it out from the world, and endowed it in such a way as to be a true church.

2. A church may give evidence that it is chosen by God and is a true church. There are things it may do that will show it is undoubtedly such a church as God has chosen and approves. There are just principles on which a church should be organized, and there is a spirit that may be shown by a church that will distinguish it from any other association of men.

3. It is not improper to speak with strong confidence of such a church as undoubtedly chosen by God. Some churches, by their zeal, self-denial, and deadness to the world, show beyond question their "election of God." The world may see that they are founded on other principles and manifest a different spirit from other organizations of men.

4. Every church should show such a spirit that there may be no doubt of its "election of God." It should be so dead to the world, so pure in doctrine and practice, and so engaged in spreading the knowledge of salvation, that the world will see it is governed by higher principles than any worldly association, and that nothing could produce this but the influence of the Holy Spirit of God.

For our gospel came not unto you. This was when it was first preached (Acts 17:1–3). Paul speaks of it as "our gospel" because it was the gospel preached by him, Silas, and Timothy. Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:14 and 2 Timothy 2:8. He did not mean to say that the gospel had been originated by him, but only that he had delivered the good news of salvation to them. He is here stating the evidence that had been given that they were a church "chosen by God." He refers, first, to the manner in which the gospel was received by them (1 Thessalonians 1:5–7); and, secondly, to the spirit which they themselves manifested in sending it abroad (1 Thessalonians 1:8–10).

In word only. It was not merely spoken, or merely heard. It produced a powerful effect on the heart and life. It was not a mere empty sound that produced no other effect than to entertain or amuse. Compare Ezekiel 33:32.

But also in power. That is, in such power as to convert the soul. The apostle evidently does not refer to any miracles that were performed there, but to the effect of the gospel on those who heard it. It is possible that miracles were performed there, as they were in other places; but there is no mention of such a fact, and it is not necessary to suppose this to understand the full meaning of this language.

There was great power manifested in the gospel in its leading them to break off from their sins, to abandon their idols, and to give their hearts to God. This is more fully explained in the comments on 1 Corinthians 2:4.

And in the Holy Ghost. Compare the comments on 1 Corinthians 2:4.

It is there called the demonstration of the Spirit.

And in much assurance. That is, with firm conviction, or full persuasion of its truth. It was not embraced as a doubtful thing, and it did not produce the effect on the mind which is caused by anything that is uncertain in its character. Many seem to embrace the gospel as if they only half believed it, or as if it were a matter of very doubtful truth and importance; but this was not the case with the Thessalonians.

There was the firmest conviction of its truth, and they embraced it "heart and soul" (Colossians 2:2; Hebrews 6:11). From all that is said in this verse, it is evident that the power of God was remarkably manifested in the conversion of the Thessalonians, and that they embraced the gospel with an uncommonly strong conviction of its truth and value.

This fact will account for the subsequent zeal which the apostle so much commends in them—for it is usually true that the character of piety in a church, as it is in an individual, is determined by the views with which the gospel is first embraced, and the purposes which are formed at the beginning of the Christian life.

As ye know what manner of men, etc. Paul often appeals to those among whom he had labored as competent witnesses regarding his own conduct and character. See 1 Thessalonians 2:9–10; Acts 20:33–35.

He means here that he and his fellow laborers had set them an example, or had shown what Christianity was by their way of living, and that the Thessalonians had become convinced that the religion they taught was real. The holy life of a preacher goes far to confirm the truth of the religion he preaches and is among the most effective means of inducing them to embrace the gospel.