1 Thessalonians 1:4

Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. KNOWING - as we know. The three participles (1 Thessalonians 1:2) give the time, manner, and reason for 'giving thanks' (1 Thessalonians 1:2). YOUR ELECTION OF GOD - rather [ eegapeemenoi (G25) hupo (G5259) Theou (G2316)], 'beloved by God:' so Romans 1:7. "Your election" - i:e., God elected you, as individual believers, to eternal life ...

4_Knowing, brethren beloved_. The participle _knowing _may apply to Paul as well as to the Thessalonians. Erasmus refers it to the Thessalonians. I prefer to follow Chrysostom, who understands it of Paul and his colleagues, for it is (as it appears to me) a more ample confirmation of the foregoing statement. For it tended in no small degree to recommend them — that God himself had testified by many tokens, that they were acceptable and dear to him. _Election of God_. I am not altogether dissatisfied with the interpretation given by Chrysostom — that God had made the Thessalonians illustrious, and had established their excellence. Paul, however, had it in view to express something farther; for he touches upon their calling, and as there had appeared in it no common marks of God’s power, he infers from this that they had been specially called with evidences of a sure _election_. For the re...

1-5 As all good comes from God, so no good can be hoped for by sinners, but from God in Christ. And the best good may be expected from God, as our Father, for the sake of Christ. We should pray, not only for ourselves, but for others also; remembering them without ceasing. Wherever there is a true faith, it will work; it will affect both the heart and life. Faith works by love; it shows itself in love to God, and love to our neighbour. And wherever there is a well-grounded hope of eternal life, this will appear by the exercise of patience; and it is a sign of sincerity, when in all we do, we seek to approve ourselves to God. By this we may know our election, if we not only speak of the things of God with out lips, but feel their power in our hearts, mortifying our lusts, weaning us from the world, and raising us up to heavenly things. Unless the Spirit of God comes with the word of God,...

Verse 1 Thessalonians 1:4. _KNOWING - YOUR ELECTION OF GOD._] Being assured, from the doctrine which I have delivered to you, and which God has confirmed by various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, that he has _chosen_ and _called_ the Gentiles to the same privileges to which he _chose_ and _called_ the Jews; and that, as they have rejected the offers of the Gospel, God has now _elected_ the Gentiles in their stead. This is the _election_ which the Thessalonians _knew_; and of which the apostle treats at large in his Epistle to the _Romans_, and also in his Epistles to the _Galatians_ and _Ephesians_. No irrespective, unconditional, eternal, and personal election to everlasting glory, is meant by the apostle. _As_ God had chosen the Jews, whom, because of their obstinate unbelief, he had now rejected; so...

KNOWING, BRETHREN BELOVED, YOUR ELECTION OF GOD - The margin here reads, “beloved of God, your election.” The difference depends merely on the pointing, and that which would require the marginal reading has been adopted by Hahn, Tittman, Bloomfield, and Griesbach. The sense is not materially varied, and the common version may be regarded as giving the true meaning. There is no great difference between “being beloved of God,” and “being chosen of God.” The sense then is, “knowing that you are chosen by God unto salvation;” compare notes on Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 1:11. The word “knowing” here refers to Paul himself, and to Silas and Timothy, who united with him in writing the Epistle, and in rendering thanks for the favors shown to the church at Thessalonica. The meaning i

EXPOSITION CONTENTS.—Paul, after the address and salutation, testifies that he renders constant thanks to God for the Thessalonians, calling to remembrance their faith, love, and hope, being assured of their election. He expresses his joy in their cordial reception of the gospel and the Christian character which they exhibited, being examples to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia. He mentions the favorable report which he had of their conversion to God from idols, and of their waiting for the advent of Christ. 1 THESSALONIANS 1:1 PAUL. He does not call himself "an apostle," not because the Thessalonians were newly converted (Chrysostom), or from tenderness to Silvanus who was not an apostle (Estius), or because his apostolic authority was not yet recognized (Jowett), or because he had merely commenc

KNOWING, BRETHREN BELOVED, YOUR ELECTION OF GOD. Which intends not an election to an office, for this epistle is written not to the officers of the church only, but to the whole church; nor to the Gospel, the outward means of grace, since this was common to them with others, and might be known without the evidence after given; nor does it design the effectual calling, sometimes so called for this is expressed in the following verse as a fruit, effect, and evidence of the election here spoken of, which is no other than the eternal choice of, them to everlasting life and happiness: this is of God, an act of God the Father, made in Christ Jesus before the world began, and which springs from his sovereign will, and is the effect of his pure love and free favour; and therefore these persons who are the objects of it are said to be "beloved of God"; for so the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, an...

1 Thessalonians 1:1. _Paul, 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._ Paul is very full of Christ. His heart is full of love to God our Father, and, therefore, it is that twice over in as many lines he mentions both names. He uses no vain repetitions, as the heathen do; but his inmost soul is taken up with communion with the Father and with the Son; and so in one single verse he twice gives us their names. 1 Thessalonians 1:2. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in ou

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS THE CHURCH OF THE THESSALONIANS AND ITS BLESSED CONDITION CHAPTER 1 _ 1. Greetings and thanksgiving 1 Thessalonians 1:1)_ 2. The gospel and its blessed fruits 1 Thessalonians 1:5) 3. The blessed condition of the Church 1 Thessalonians 1:8) 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus and Timotheus were known to the Thessalonians, for they had been with them, and were the instruments of God used in bringing the gospel to them. He does not speak of himself as an apostle. In nine of his Epistles, Paul uses his title as

THANKSGIVING FOR THE PAST. As in all his epistles except Gal., Paul commences with a paragraph of congratulation, singling out for special praise the work of faith, the labour of love, and the patience of hope exhibited by the Thessalonians, and describing them as a model Church. 1 THESSALONIANS 1:1. SILVANUS: the Silas of Acts. He and Timothy were the constant companions of Paul during the second missionary journey. 1 Thessalonians 1:3. work of faith, etc.: note the combination of the three great Pauline words faith, hope, and love (_cf._ 1 Corinthians 13:13). This sentence is a kind of hall-mark setting the stamp of genuineness upon the epistle. Note a