The Letters · New Testament
1 Thessalonians 1
1 Thessalonians 1: thanksgiving for a church that turned from idols
General context
The letter opens with three senders, Paul, Silvanus and Timotheus, addressed to the church of the Thessalonians, with grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The writers say they give thanks to God always for the readers and mention them in prayer, remembering their work of faith, labour of love and patience of hope. They say they know the readers' election of God. The reason follows: the gospel came not in word only but also in power, in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance, and the readers know what manner of men the writers were among them. The readers became followers of the writers and of the Lord, receiving the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost, and so became ensamples to believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The word of the Lord sounded out from them and their faith is spread abroad, so that the writers need not speak any thing. Others report how the readers turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom God raised from the dead.
Cited passages: 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 1:5, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:10
1 Thessalonians 1 (KJV)
1Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
5For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
6And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
7So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
8For 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.
9For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
Three men are named as senders, and the chapter speaks in the plural throughout; the singular self-naming comes later in the letter. The recipients are named collectively as the church of the Thessalonians, and no individual member is named anywhere in the letter. The chapter establishes that the writers had been present among the readers, that the readers previously served idols, that they received the word in affliction, and that reports about them have travelled in Macedonia and Achaia. The reporters are left indefinite; the letter says only that they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had. Nothing in the chapter gives a date, a ruler, a length of stay or a place of writing, and this source prints no heading or title above the first verse; the salutation is the opening line.
Cited passages: 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:5, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:10
Literary context
The whole chapter after the salutation is one thanksgiving, begun at We give thanks to God always for you all and carried forward by participles, Remembering and Knowing, rather than by new sentences. Three pairs govern the memory: work of faith, labour of love, patience of hope. The argument then moves outward in stages, from what the writers did among the readers, to what the readers became, to what other people now report about them. The last clause turns the thanksgiving toward the future, to wait for his Son from heaven, and every following chapter of the letter ends at that same point. Affliction and joy are set together in one line rather than balanced against each other.
Cited passages: 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:10
Key moments
- Three senders named (1 Thessalonians 1:1). Paul, Silvanus and Timotheus greet the church of the Thessalonians.
- Faith, love and hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3). The writers remember the readers' work of faith, labour of love and patience of hope.
- Not in word only (1 Thessalonians 1:5). The writers say the gospel came in power, in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance.
- Received in affliction (1 Thessalonians 1:6). The readers received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost.
- The report travels (1 Thessalonians 1:8). The word sounds out from the readers so that the writers need not speak.
- Turned from idols (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Others report that the readers turned from idols to serve the living and true God.
For reflection
The writers say the readers' faith is reported by others before the writers can speak of it. What would it mean for a community's conduct to carry its own account?
