Chapter I.
(Vers. 1.)
(Version 1.) Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. Indeed, the names of three bishops are mentioned in the letter, but the thoughts and words are those of the Apostle alone. For, because they rejoice together in their progress, the letter is written to the people with the consent of the Apostle, wishing them peace and grace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Vers. 2, 3.)
(Vers. 2, 3.) We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers, constantly remembering your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father. For all good things are from God, therefore they first give thanks to Him for their progress, who has deemed it worthy not only to give his gift to people under sin, but to adopt them as his children, at the same time assisting them in enduring all destruction, so that they may become more worthy. Therefore, they say that they remember these things in their speeches because they were increasing in the work of faith in the other churches, in order to complete the work that had been started by the will of God. They were eager in the pursuit of love, patience, and the hope of the coming of the Lord, which is before God, who deigned to incarnate his Son for the salvation of humanity. For it is pleasing to God if progress is made in Christ.
(Vers. 4, 5.)
(Verse 4, 5.) Knowing, beloved brothers chosen by God, your election; because our Gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much fullness, as you know what kind of people we were among you for your sake. They indicate that they were humble among them, so that they would give them a form of gentleness, not because they lacked the great things that would encourage them to faith, because the strength of the gospel teachings provided the power of signs and wonders, in the Holy Spirit, that is, not in illusion, but in the truth of fullness, so that no need would lack assistance; but abundant grace would appear in both teaching and conduct, and in the healing of the sick; so that the perfect work of the Holy Spirit would appear in the churches of the Thessalonians, so that they would rejoice in the gift of God, who deigned to make them participants in the promise of Abraham.
(Vers. 6, 7.)
(Vers. 6, 7.) And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved - so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16) Being mindful of this thing, they rejoiced in the hope of the promise in their distress. Therefore, there is great exhortation for progress, when he says that both Christ and the apostles made themselves similar to provide an example to the rest of the believers in those places where their fame spread.
(Vers. 8.)
(Verse 8.) For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
(Vers. 9, 10.)
(Verse 9, 10.) So that we do not need to speak about ourselves. They themselves announce about us, about the kind of entrance we had to you: and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath. They say that they have spread the fame of their entrance and their conduct with the preaching of the Gospel, so that it is not necessary to speak of it; for it is superfluous to speak of things that are well-known. For the news of the apostles' arrival had spread to all the surrounding areas. And those who had received them with devotion eagerly shared the message with others. They had become more receptive to everything they had heard from the apostles, and thus abandoned their dead idols. They now eagerly awaited the arrival of Christ from heaven, whom they had heard had died for the sake of human salvation and had risen victorious over death. They believed that he had ascended, with his flesh, into heaven in a cloud, which served to confound the worldly wise. These individuals, who consider worldly matters, believe that the weight of the flesh prevents it from being raised up to heaven. By this affection, the Holy Spirit is made so that the wise of the world may be put to shame.