1 Thessalonians 1
New
American Standard Bible (NASB)
Thanksgiving
for These Believers
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of
you in our prayers;3 constantly bearing in mind
your work of faith and labor of love and [a]steadfastness
of hope [b]in
our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing,
brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for
our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in
the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of
men we [c]proved
to be among you for your sake. 6 You also became imitators
of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation
with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became
an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the
word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia,
but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we
have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves
report about us what kind of a [d]reception
we had [e]with
you, and how you turned to God from [f]idols
to serve [g]a
living and true God, 10 and to wait for His
Son from [h]heaven,
whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues
us from the wrath to come.
Footnotes:
a.
1 Thessalonians
1:3 Or perseverance
b. 1 Thessalonians
1:3 Lit of
c.
1 Thessalonians
1:5 Or became
d. 1 Thessalonians
1:9 Lit entrance
e.
1 Thessalonians
1:9 Lit to
f.
1 Thessalonians
1:9 Or the idols
g.
1 Thessalonians
1:9 Or the
h. 1 Thessalonians
1:10 Lit the heavens
The Bible Panorama
1 Thessalonians 1
V 1: GRACE Paul, along
with Silvanus and Timothy, greets the Thessalonian church. Again, he wishes
them God’s grace and peace.
V 2–3: GRATITUDE Paul always
gives thanks to God for them and prays for them. It is the outworking of the
gospel through their faith, and through their love and patience, which causes
him to thank God. Not only do they have faith, but they have a certain hope for
the future in Christ.
V 4–6: GOSPEL The fact that
they are elect is shown by the way the gospel came in power to them through the
Holy Spirit. Contributing, under God’s grace, to the conversion of the
Thessalonians was the clear testimony of Paul and his companions. Now they
follow their example, having received God’s word in difficult circumstances
though with joy given by the Holy Spirit.
V 7–10: GODLINESS The evidence
of their conversion is that they have heralded the gospel by godly lives and by
sharing the message. Their idols have gone. They have turned from them to God.
This is widely known, as is their confidence in Christ’s second coming, the
resurrection, and deliverance from eternal wrath. Here are people whose
repentance is shown through their rejection of idolatry, evangelistic zeal and
their understanding of good doctrine.
The Bible Panorama. Copyright © 2005
Day One Publications.
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