1 Thessalonians 1:2

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 Thessalonians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul ²  and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians ³  in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you! ⁴ 

1 Thessalonians 2:2

2:2 But although we suffered earlier and were mistreated in Philippi, ⁵  as you know, we had the courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God ⁶  in spite of much opposition.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:15

2:15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets ⁷  and persecuted us severely. ⁸  They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people,

1 Thessalonians 3:9

3:9 For how can we thank God enough for you, ⁹  for all the joy we feel ¹⁰  because of you before our God?

1 Thessalonians 1:9

1:9 For people everywhere ¹¹  report how you welcomed us ¹²  and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

1 Thessalonians 4:1

A Life Pleasing to God

4:1 Finally then, brothers and sisters, ¹³  we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how ¹⁴  you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) ¹⁵  that you do so more and more.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

2:13 And so ¹⁶  we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, ¹⁷  you accepted it not as a human message, ¹⁸  but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe.

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

[1:1]  ² tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ³ map For the location of Thessalonica see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[1:1]  ⁴ tc The majority of witnesses, including several early and important ones (א A [D] I 33 Ï bo), have ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυριοῦ Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (apo qeou patro" Jhmwn kai kuriou Ihsou Cristou, “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”) at the end of v. 1. The more abrupt reading (“Grace and peace to you”) without this addition is supported by B F G Ψ 0278 629 1739 1881 pc lat sa. Apart from a desire to omit the redundancy of the mention of God and Christ in this verse, there is no good reason why scribes would have omitted the characteristically Pauline greeting. (Further, if this were the case, why did these same scribes overlook such an opportunity in 2 Thess 1:1-2?) On the other hand, since 1 Thessalonians is one of Paul’s earliest letters, what would become characteristic of his greetings seems to have been still in embryonic form (e.g., he does not yet call his audience “saints” [which will first be used in his address to the Corinthians], nor does he use ἐν (en) plus the dative to refer to the location of the church). Thus, the internal evidence is overwhelming in support of the shorter reading, for scribes would have been strongly motivated to rework this salutation in light of Paul’s style elsewhere. And the external evidence, though not overwhelming, is supportive of this shorter reading, found as it is in some of the best witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes.

[2:2]  ³ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[2:2]  ⁴ tn The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ (to euangelion tou qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. This same phrase occurs in vv. 8 and 9 as well.

[2:15]  ⁴ tc ἰδίους (idious, “their own prophets”) is found in D¹ Ψ Ï sy Mcion^T. This is obviously a secondary reading. Marcion’s influence may stand behind part of the tradition, but the Byzantine text probably added the adjective in light of its mention in v. 14 and as a clarification or interpretation of which prophets were in view.

[2:15]  ⁵ tn Or “and drove us out” (cf. Acts 17:5-10).

[3:9]  ⁵ tn Grk “what thanks can we render to God about you.”

[3:9]  ⁶ tn Grk “all the joy with which we rejoice.”

[1:9]  ⁶ tn Grk “they themselves,” referring to people in the places just mentioned.

[1:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “what sort of entrance we had to you” (an idiom for how someone is received).

[4:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[4:1]  ⁸ sn As you received instruction from us about how (Grk “as you received from us how”). The Greek word translated received is used for accepting instructions passed on as fixed traditions from teacher to follower. Paul speaks in these terms about doctrinal traditions as well as ethical instruction that he passes on to his converts and expects them to keep (cf. 1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:1-3; Gal 1:9; Phil 4:9; 2 Thess 2:15; 3:6).

[4:1]  ⁹ tc This parenthetical clause is absent in several later witnesses (D² Ψ Ï), but it may have been expunged for sounding redundant. The longer text, in this instance, is solidly supported by א A B D* F G 0183^vid 0278 33 81 104 326 365 629 al co and should be unquestionably preferred.

[2:13]  ⁸ tn Grk “for this reason,” which seems to look back to Paul’s behavior just described. But it may look forward to v. 13b and mean: “and here is another reason that we constantly thank God: that…”

[2:13]  ⁹ tn Grk “God’s word of hearing from us.”

[2:13]  ¹⁰ tn Paul’s focus is their attitude toward the message he preached: They received it not as a human message but a message from God.