1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Thanksgiving for Response to the Gospel

1:2 We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantly ¹  in our prayers, 1:3 because we recall ²  in the presence of our God and Father ³  your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope ⁴  in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:8-9

Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome

1:8 First of all, ⁵  I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 1:9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the gospel ⁶  of his Son, is my witness that ⁷  I continually remember you

[1:2]  ¹ tn Or “mention you in our prayers, because we recall constantly…”

[1:3]  ² tn Grk “making mention…recalling.” The participle ποιούμενοι (poioumenoi) in v. 2 has been translated as temporal, and μνημονεύοντες (mnhmoneuonte") in v. 3 has been translated as causal.

[1:3]  ³ tn Or the phrase may connect at the end of the verse: “hope…in the presence of our God and Father.”

[1:3]  ⁴ tn These phrases denote Christian virtues in action: the work produced by faith, labor motivated by love, and endurance that stems from hope in Christ.

[1:8]  ⁵ tn Grk “First.” Paul never mentions a second point, so J. B. Phillips translated “I must begin by telling you….”

[1:9]  ⁶ tn Grk “whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel.”

[1:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “as.”