1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, to the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

4 Knowing, brothers beloved, your election of God.

5 For our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

6 And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.

7 So that you were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

9 For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Salutation and Thanksgiving

1. Salutation. For Silvanus (Silas) see Act 15:22; Act 16:20, Act 16:37, Act 16:38. Timothy was one of St. Paul’s most constant companions ( Act 16:1; Rom 16:21; 1Co 4:14-17; 2Co 1:19; Php 1:1; Php 2:19-24; 2Ti 1:5; 2Ti 3:14). The church.. which is in God, etc.] a phrase peculiar to this Epistle. The Church is in living union with God and Christ ( Col 2:19).

2-10. Fervent thanksgiving for their conversion and growth in grace.

4. Better, ’Knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election, how that,’ etc. ’Election,’ i.e. to Christian and Church privileges ( 2Ti 2:10).

5. Assurance] RV mg. ’fulness.’ They preached with deep conviction of the truth and power of the message entrusted to them.

6. Affliction] referring to the persecution and suffering recorded in Act 17:10-13.

Joy of] i.e. joy inspired by the Holy Ghost.

7. In Macedonia] of which Thessalonica was the capital. And Achaia] of which Corinth, where the Apostle was, was capital.

Achaia, the Roman province (= Greece).

8. To speak anything] i.e. to recount their faith.

9. They themselves] i.e. the dwellers in all the places the Apostle and his companions had visited or heard from. The living and true God] better, ’a living and true God.’ The Thessalonian converts had, as a rule, been heathens, though some were proselytes (i.e. Jews by religion), Act 17:4.

10. To wait] to look for the Second Coming. Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come] better, ’delivereth us from the wrath which is approaching.’