Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Thessalonians 4:2

"For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus." — 1 Thessalonians 4:2 (ASV)

For you know.—He calls on the Thessalonians’ memory to support his statement, “you received;” at the same time awakening their interest to catch the special point next to come, by laying stress on “what commandments.”

By the Lord Jesus.—Not as if the Lord were the one who delivered the commandments from St. Paul to the Thessalonians, but rather the one by whose inspiration St. Paul was enabled to give such commandments.