John Calvin Commentary 1 Thessalonians 1:3

"remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;" — 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (ASV)

Unceasingly remembering you. While the adverb unceasingly might be connected with what comes before, it suits better to connect it in this way. What follows could also be translated in this way: Remembering your work of faith and labor of love, etc. Nor is it an objection to this that an article is interposed between the pronoun ὑμῶν and the noun ἔργου, for Paul frequently uses this manner of expression. I state this so that no one might charge the old translator with ignorance for translating it in this way. However, since it matters little for the main point whichever you choose, I have kept Erasmus's translation.

He assigns a reason, however, why he cherishes such strong affection for them and prays diligently on their behalf—because he perceived in them those gifts of God that should stir him up to cherish love and respect for them. And, unquestionably, the more anyone excels in piety and other excellences, the more we ought to hold him in regard and esteem. For what is more worthy of love than God? Hence, nothing should tend more to excite our love for individuals than when the Lord manifests Himself in them by the gifts of His Spirit. This is the highest commendation of all among the pious—this is the most sacred bond of connection by which they are more especially bound to each other. Accordingly, I have said that it is of little importance whether you translate it mindful of your faith, or mindful of you on account of your faith.

Work of faith I understand as meaning the effect of it. This effect, however, may be explained in two ways—passively or actively: either as meaning that faith was in itself a signal token of the power and efficacy of the Holy Spirit, inasmuch as He has worked powerfully in exciting it, or as meaning that it afterwards outwardly produced its fruits. I reckon the effect to be in the root of faith rather than in its fruits—“A rare energy of faith has strewn itself powerfully in you.”

He adds labor of love, by which he means that in the cultivation of love they had grudged no trouble or labor. And, assuredly, experience shows how laborious love is. That age, however, especially afforded believers a manifold sphere of labor, if they desired to discharge the duties of love. The Church was marvelously oppressed by a great multitude of afflictions: many were stripped of their wealth, many were fugitives from their country, many were left destitute of counsel, many were vulnerable and weak. The condition of almost all was difficult. So many cases of distress did not allow love to be inactive.

To hope he assigns patience, as it is always conjoined with it, for what we hope for, we in patience wait for (Romans 8:24), and the statement should be explained to mean that Paul remembers their patience in hoping for the coming of Christ. From this we may gather a brief definition of true Christianity—that it is a faith that is lively and full of vigor, so that it spares no labor when assistance is to be given to one's neighbors; but, on the contrary, all the pious diligently engage in acts of love and devote their efforts to them, so that, intent on the hope of Christ's manifestation, they despise everything else, and, armed with patience, they rise superior to the weariness of the long wait, as well as to all the temptations of the world.

The clause, before our God and Father, may be viewed as referring to Paul’s remembrance, or to the three things spoken immediately before. I explain it in this way. As he had spoken of his prayers, he declares that as often as he raises his thoughts to the kingdom of God, he, at the same time, recalls to his remembrance the faith, hope, and patience of the Thessalonians; but since all mere presence must vanish when persons come into the presence of God, this is added so that the affirmation may have more weight. Furthermore, by this declaration of his goodwill toward them, he designed to make them more teachable and prepared to listen.