1 Thessalonians 1:1–10

1:1 Paul’s letters typically begin with a statement of author and audience, followed by an opening greeting and thanksgiving. This opening is largely identical to 2 Thessalonians 1:1–2, though 2 Thessalonians extends the greeting of “grace to you and peace” to include “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”¹

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy are listed as coauthors of the epistle, and most of the first-person references in the letter are indeed plural. However, the epistle shifts into first-person singular at three key moments (“I” in 2:18; 3:5; 5:27), indicating Paul’s special role in penning the letter (esp. 2:18; cf. Introduction: Author).

It is worth remembering how the church in Thessalonica was founded. Acts 17:1–10 records that Paul and his team traveled to Thessalonica and presented the gospel in the synagogue. Some synagogue members believed in Christ, but eventually the jealousy of the Jewish community was roused, leading to a confrontation before the city authorities. Paul and Silas were compelled to leave town (Acts 17:10). Given the inadequate time they had to instruct the church in the faith, Paul was concerned about how the church was faring. So it was out of love and missionary concern that Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy were writing to these recent converts in Thessalonica, in order to build them up in the faith.

This epistle employs the Latinized name Silvanus rather than Silas, the Greek equivalent found in Acts. This may be a missional way of connecting with the Thessalonians’ Roman identity, since their city had been re-founded as a Roman colony. Paul’s name already sounded native in both Latin and Greek.

As in other letters, Paul identifies these believers as participants in the assembly or “church” (Gk. ekklēsia), which had been established “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. comment on 1 Thess. 3:11). This reminds readers of their collective special relationship to God, since God is their “Father” due to the work of Jesus and the Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:4–7). Paul also recalls the titles of Jesus, who is the fulfillment of OT messianic expectations (“Christ”) and is rightly worshiped as “Lord,” since Jesus indeed rules over all creation as God the Son.

At the outset of his letters, Paul commonly invokes God’s “grace” and “peace” on the recipients. Perhaps Paul’s greeting of “peace” was derived from the Jewish use of shalom (Hb. for “peace”) in salutations. The Greek word for “grace” (charis) sounds similar to the normal Greek greeting (charein—“hello” or “rejoice”), but with an important theological shift to recognizing God as the giver of all good things to his people.

1:2 Paul typically follows his epistolary greetings with a thanksgiving and prayer on behalf of the recipients. Often these consist of a single long Greek sentence. Since Greek in Paul’s day was written without punctuation, there is a question of whether the Greek sentence that begins in this verse actually concludes at the end of verse 5 or perhaps (as suggested below) at the end of verse 10.

Paul gratefully recounts how God brought the Thessalonians to this point in their Christian experience. Such a prayer also serves as an indirect way for Paul to commend the congregation for their faithfulness. Structurally in Greek, the main verb is “we give thanks,” which is modified by three participial phrases in verses 2–4 (“mentioning,” “remembering,” and “knowing”). “Mentioning” in 1:2 is more literally “making remembrance” in the Greek. Combined with “remembering” in 1:3, this places a heavy emphasis on how Paul’s memory of the church in Thessalonica pours forth into expressions of thanksgiving on their behalf.

Also notable are the expressions of frequency and the extent of Paul’s prayers: “always,” “all of you,” and “constantly.” This indicates that, as often as Paul prays for the Thessalonians (i.e., frequently!), he gives thanks for them. Paul remembers these believers with fond affection and intense thanksgiving. Such words would have been deeply encouraging to this young church in Thessalonica.

1:3 Paul’s thanksgiving prayer here recalls, “before our God and Father,” three responses to the gospel among the Thessalonian church: “work,” “labor,” and “steadfastness.” This overlapping vocabulary emphasizes how the Thessalonians diligently lived out their Christian calling. Their Christian experience overflowed in dutiful response to the God who had graciously saved them, as was evidenced in their perseverance.

Note also how the work/labor/steadfastness triad is connected to a triad of faith/love/hope common elsewhere in Paul (1 Thess. 5:8; also 1 Cor. 13:13; Gal. 5:5–6; Col. 1:4–5). The connection between “steadfastness” and “hope” is certainly intentional, since Paul elsewhere demonstrates how Christian hope and confidence in the Lord’s return leads to perseverance amid the trials of this life (e.g., Rom. 5:2–5; 8:24–25). Similarly, their faith and love also issues forth into good works and labor in the Lord.

One other Pauline triad is worth observing in 1 Thessalonians 1:3–5. Across these verses, Paul references all three persons of the Trinity: “our God and Father,” “our Lord Jesus Christ,” and “the Holy Spirit.” The Trinitarian participation in the Thessalonians’ response to the gospel gives Paul confidence in their salvation.

1:4 Paul’s thankfulness also flows from his assurance of the Thessalonians’ election. The English (“for we know”) translates a Greek participle (eidotes, “knowing”) that provides the cause for the authors’ thanksgiving in 1:2. The authors have confidence in the salvation of the Thessalonians, considering it clear that God has elected them to be included among God’s people (cf. also 2 Thess. 2:13–14). Paul does not provide a detailed doctrine of election in this verse, though he talks more about election and its cognate terms in passages such as Romans 8:33; 9:11; 11:5–7; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:10; and Titus 1:1. For Paul, election entails God’s calling and predestining of the elect to salvation and to adoption into God’s family (Rom. 8:28–39; Eph. 1:3–14).

Perhaps it is out of this certainty of their adoption that Paul refers to these Thessalonians as “brothers” in Christ who have been “loved by God.” Paul often refers to Christians as brothers and sisters—more than a hundred times in his letters, and over twenty times in 1 and 2 Thessalonians alone. Familial language affords an endearing way to speak of fellow believers. Paul also frequently mentions God’s love for believers (e.g., Rom. 1:7; 5:8; Eph. 2:4), connecting such love with God’s initiating the salvation of his beloved people (2 Thess. 2:13, 16).

1:5 Paul further discusses God’s saving election of the Thessalonians, emphasizing in this verse how the gospel came to them (with power, the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction).

One key question in verse 5 concerns the identity of those who have “full conviction” in Paul’s presentation of the gospel; does the phrase describe Paul, or the Thessalonians? Before answering that question, observe that the Greek word (plērophoria) translated “conviction” here refers to a state of complete confidence and assurance. Also hidden in the Greek is another word (pollē, meaning “much,” not translated in English) that further emphasizes such absolute confidence.

Now to answer the preceding question: The period after “full conviction” could be misleading, since the Greek here includes the word kathōs (“just as”), which (although not translated in the ESV) indicates a continuation of the previous thought. Thus the NASB translates, “just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” Because of this “just as” clause, it is best to understand the whole of verse 5 as representing the presentation side (i.e., Paul’s side) of the gospel’s coming to Thessalonica (cf. 2:1–12).

Paul knows that the gospel message came to the Thessalonians just as it should have, granting Paul confidence that the message had hit its mark. When Paul and his team presented the good news to the Thessalonians, their communication came with demonstrations of the gospel’s power, with the Holy Spirit invigorating their presentation, and with absolute confidence that the gospel is true. Moreover, verses 6–10 will demonstrate that the Thessalonians also responded amazingly well, further assuring Paul of their salvation.

1:6 While English translations usually end verse 5 with a period, verse 6 in the Greek continues the thought of verses 1–5. Note how verse 6 begins with “And,” linking it with the preceding material. Verse 6 thus further describes components of Paul’s knowledge of the Thessalonians’ election and salvation.

While verse 5 focuses on how the Pauline team presented the good news to the Thessalonians, verses 6–10 recall the response of the Thessalonian church. They turned to God from idols, imitated Christ (and Paul), became an example to other churches, and continued to await Christ’s return. The magnitude of that response grants Paul even greater certainty of their election and salvation.

Commentators often refer to the imitation theme in Paul’s letters (e.g., 1 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 5:1; Phil. 3:17), which is most succinctly stated in 1 Corinthians 11:1 (“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”). Paul models his behavior on Christ, and thus believers who imitate Paul are also following his model of Christ-like behavior. This theme surfaces repeatedly in Paul’s communication with the Thessalonians (cf. 1 Thess. 2:14; 2 Thess. 3:7, 9). In this context, Paul remarks that the Thessalonians have already become imitators of Paul’s team and thus imitators of the Lord Jesus himself.

Just as Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy had endured much persecution (cf. Acts 16:19–24, 37–40; 17:5–10, 13–14), so have the Thessalonians already endured much “affliction” for the sake of the gospel. After the good news came to them, suffering and persecution arrived hard on its heels (cf. comment on 1 Thess. 2:14). Not only did the Thessalonians endure such persecution, they did so “with the joy” that comes from the Holy Spirit (1:6). Earthly explanations do not suffice for understanding their joy amid opposition. Clearly the Spirit was present among them.

Thus Paul remains confident in the believers’ salvation and election because, though a young church, they have already become imitators of Paul and Jesus. Even from the earliest days of their receiving the gospel, the Thessalonians have endured persecution with the joy that comes from the Spirit.

1:7 Such a wonderful response to the gospel among the Thessalonians has led further to their serving as an example for others.

“Macedonia and . . . Achaia” includes most of modern Greece, from the north in Philippi to the southern regions of Athens and Corinth. Thessalonica was the provincial capital in Macedonia. Paul likely writes from Corinth in Achaia, and thus he knows that the churches in the entire region from Philippi to Corinth look to the Thessalonian church as a model of receptivity to the gospel.

The Greek word for “example” (typos) is employed also by Paul in other epistles, in which he encourages churches to follow the faithful model of other believers (e.g., Phil. 3:17; 2 Thess. 3:9; 1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7). Thus there is this imitatio chain: Christ is imitated by Paul and his team; they are then imitated by the Thessalonian church; and other churches follow the example of the Thessalonians. And this, just to reiterate the theme of 1 Thessalonians 1:5–10, grants Paul further evidence of the church’s salvation and election.

1:8–10 These verses unpack what was said succinctly in verse 7. The way the Thessalonians have become an example to other churches is at least twofold: they have participated in the spread of the gospel, and their faithfulness to God has become well known.

Concerning the spread of the gospel from the Thessalonian church, the “word of the Lord” has “sounded forth.” The “word of the Lord” is an OT phrase for the speech of God himself—in creation, in covenantal lawgiving, and in prophetic ministry (e.g., Ex. 4:28; Ps. 33:4, 6; Jer. 1:4; etc.). In the NT, this same phrase indicates gospel truths about Jesus, which derive ultimately from Jesus’ own words about himself (e.g., Acts 13:44–49; 15:35–36; 2 Thess. 3:1). In this epistle, “the word of the Lord” is used interchangeably with “the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13) and “gospel” (1:5; 2:4).

The gospel has resounded from the Thessalonians—not only in the regions already mentioned by Paul in verse 7 (Macedonia and Greece) but “everywhere” (1:8). This undoubtedly represents some hyperbole, but Paul is pleased that churches around the Mediterranean have all heard positive things about the Thessalonians. Paul indicates that this encouraging report about the Thessalonians’ reputation has to do both with their past (their “reception” of Paul’s team and the gospel message) and with their present (how they continue to “wait” for Christ’s return).

Not only had the Thessalonians become imitators of Paul, enduring persecution for the sake of the gospel, but they also showed a radical transformation in their religious allegiance. From a Roman perspective, it was shocking that these church members had repudiated their idols. However, these believers had rightly discovered that idols represented worthless false deities (e.g., 1 Cor. 8:4–6; cf. 1 Chron. 16:26–27; Pss. 31:6; 115:4–8; Rev. 9:20). In contrast, the Christian God is “living and true” (1 Thess. 1:9). Paul’s mention of former idol worshipers among the Thessalonian community implies that, in addition to Jewish converts in their midst (Acts 17:4), a number of Gentile believers had joined the church.

In the present age, the Thessalonians, like all believers, await the return of the Lord Jesus. The return of Christ forms an important theme in this epistle (1 Thess. 4:13–5:11; 5:23) and in 2 Thessalonians 1:5–2:12. In 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Paul follows Jesus’ own teaching about his return (e.g., Matthew 24–25). Jesus will come on the clouds of heaven (1 Thess. 1:10; cf. Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27), Jesus’ resurrection assures us of his lordship and his return to judge the living and the dead (1 Thess. 4:13–18; cf. Acts 10:42; Rom. 1:4; 14:9; 1 Cor. 15:20–28; 2 Cor. 4:14; Eph. 1:19–21), and Jesus’ salvation of his faithful followers delivers them from the coming wrath that will be poured out on all of those who do not assent to Christ’s lordship (1 Thess. 5:9–11; cf. John 3:36; Rom. 5:6–11; 2 Thess. 1:5–10).

Thus 1 Thessalonians 1:5–10 presents evidence for Paul’s confidence in the election and salvation of the Thessalonians. In verse 5, Paul notes how the gospel was presented to them with power in the Holy Spirit and with full confidence in its truth. Then, in verses 6–10, Paul spells out how the Thessalonians’ response to the good news shows that, even amid persecution, they joyfully received the gospel, turned from idols, became imitators of Christ, and now await his return.