1 Thessalonians 4:10

“for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more”

“For indeed ye do it”: Credit where credit is due. God is not unfair or unreasonable. People, even new converts can apply His teachings (1 John 5:3). “All the brethren that are in all Macedonia”: This would include the brethren in Philippi and Berea. “All their fellow believers have been objects of their affectionate regard or recipients of their loving help” (Erdman p. 56). “Since Thessalonica was an important commercial centre and port, it is very likely that Christians from other towns in Macedonia would visit it. They would be glad of hospitality from the local Christians (Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 4:9), since in the ancient world it was difficult for travelers to get decent accommodations except from friends” (Marshall p. 115). “But we exhort you---abound more and more”: “We urge you to still further efforts” (TCNT). “Christians must never be weary in well doing. To sit back satisfied with what one has done is to sound the knell of effective Christian service” (Morris p. 131). Christianity is the abounding life (1 Corinthians 15:58). It is the life of how much. can do for God, or what else can. do? We need to "abound" because things will always happen or come up which will "test" our love for one another (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:13).

Concerning Work

Stott notes, “Paul moves on in this section from chastity to charity, from control of sex to the importance of work. It seems clear that there was. group in the Thessalonian church who needed. very different kind of instruction and exhortation” (p. 87). “This is the first indication that we have had in this Epistle that there were some who were to so excited by all the wonderful things in the Christian faith that they were not bothering to earn their living” (Morris p. 132). Most feel that this neglect of working was due to speculations about the Second Coming. Stott notes, “But why had some Thessalonian Christians abandoned their jobs? Several suggestions have been made. Some think there was. scarcity of work in the city. But Paul implies that the idle are unwilling, not unable, to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Others believe that they had adopted either the Greek disdain for manual crafts or the super-spiritual idea that Christians ought to be preaching, not laboring. It seems probable that some had misunderstood Paul's teaching about the Parousia (Second Coming) and had stopped working in the mistaken belief that it was imminent” (p. 88).

Hendriksen observes, “Although there is nothing here that proves. connection between conditions in the church and excitement about Christ's expected return, such. connection is, nevertheless, probable. See on 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Note also that here in 1 Thessalonians 4:1 the three admonitions are immediately followed by instruction with reference to the second coming” (p. 105).