1 Thessalonians 1:7

1:7 As a result you became an example ¹  to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

1 Thessalonians 2:17

Forced Absence from Thessalonica

2:17 But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, ²  for a short time (in presence, not in affection) ³  we became all the more fervent in our great desire ⁴  to see you in person. ⁵ 

1 Thessalonians 4:6

4:6 In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, ⁶  because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, ⁷  as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.

1 Thessalonians 5:2

5:2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord ⁸  will come in the same way as a thief in the night. ⁹ 

1 Thessalonians 5:5

5:5 For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:27

5:27 I call on you solemnly in the Lord ¹⁰  to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. ¹¹ 

[1:7]  ¹ tc Most mss (א A C D² F G Ψ 0278 Ï) have the plural τύπους (tupou", “examples”) here, while a few important witnesses have the singular τύπον (tupon, “example”; B D*^,c 6 33 81 104 1739 1881 pc lat). With ὑμᾶς (Jumas, “you”) immediately preceding, the plural form looks motivated: Scribes would be expected to change the singular to the plural here. Although the external evidence for the singular reading is not overwhelming, the internal evidence for it is compelling.

[2:17]  ² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

[2:17]  ³ tn Grk “in face, not in heart.”

[2:17]  ⁴ tn Grk “with great desire.”

[2:17]  ⁵ tn Grk “to see your face.”

[4:6]  ³ tn Grk “not to transgress against or defraud his brother in the matter,” continuing the sentence of vv. 3-5.

[4:6]  ⁴ tn Grk “concerning all these things.”

[5:2]  ⁴ sn The day of the Lord is the period of time in the future when the Lord will intervene in the events of this earth to consummate his redemption and his judgment (Isa 2:11-12; 13:6-13; Ezek 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:32; 3:18; Amos 5:18-20; Obad 15-17; Zeph 1:7-18; 2:2-3; Zech 14:1, 13, 20-21; Mal 4:1, 5; 1 Cor 1:8; 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; 2 Thess 2:2; 2 Pet 3:10). It includes both blessings and curses, though the latter is emphasized here.

[5:2]  ⁵ sn Jesus used a thief coming at night as an illustration of the unexpected and hostile nature of the coming of God’s judgment in the future. This is repeated in various ways in v. 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.

[5:27]  ⁵ tn Grk “I adjure you by the Lord,” “I put you under oath before the Lord.”

[5:27]  ⁶ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א² A Ψ [33] 1739 1881 Ï ar vg sy bo), read “holy” before “brothers [and sisters]” (ἁγίοις ἀδελφοῖς, Jagioi" adelfoi"). It is possible that ἁγίοις dropped out by way of homoioteleuton (in uncial script the words would be written agioisadelfois), but it is equally possible that the adjective was added because of the influence of ἁγίῳ (Jagiw) in v. 26. Another internal consideration is that the expression ἅγιοι ἀδελφοί ({agioi adelfoi, “holy brothers”) is not found elsewhere in the corpus Paulinum, though Col 1:2 comes close. But this fact could be argued either way: It may suggest that such an expression is not Pauline; on the other hand, the unusualness of the expression could have resulted in an alteration by some scribes. At the same time, since 1 Thessalonians is one of the earliest of Paul’s letters, and written well before he addresses Christians as saints (ἅγιοι) in 1 Corinthians for the first time, one might argue that Paul’s own forms of expression were going through something of a metamorphosis. Scribes insensitive to this fact could well impute later Pauline collocations onto his earlier letters. The internal evidence seems to support, albeit slightly, the omission of ἁγίοις here. Externally, most of the better witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texts (א* B D F G 0278 it sa) combine in having the shorter reading. Although the rating of “A” in UBS⁴ for the omission seems too generous, this reading is still to be preferred.