1 Thessalonians 1:3

3. The reading του εργου … τον κοπον … την υπομονην, of D*, exhibits the carelessness of Western transcribers; G has the accusative throughout. et laboris et caritatis (as if τ. κοπου και τ. αγαπης) in vg.

3. ἀδιαλείπτως μνημονεύοντες: indesinenter memores (Calvin)—or still better, indesinenter memoria recolentes (Estius: for μνημονεύω = μνήμων εἰμί), being unremittingly mindful of your work, &c. The rhythm and balance of the participial clauses seem to speak, however, for the attachment of the adverb to 1 Thessalonians 1:2—making mention of you in our prayers unceasingly; St Paul uses ἀδιαλ. characteristically of prayer: see 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 1:9 f.; 2 Timothy 1:3. Μνημονεύω is capable of the same double use as μνείαν ποιοῦμαι above; but it is construed with περί in the sense of mentioning (cf. Hebrews 11:22); the bare genitive suits the sense remembering: cf. Galatians 2:10; Colossians 4:18; and note the different shade of meaning conveyed by the accusative in 1 Thessalonians 2:9. On the grammatical construction, see Winer-Moulton, Grammar, pp. 256 f.

ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θεοῦ κ.τ.λ. at the end of this clause balances τῷ θεῷ and ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν of the preceding clauses: “in the presence (or sight) of our God and Father” St Paul and his companions ever bear in mind the Christian worth of the Thessalonians. Ἔμπροσθεν in this connexion is peculiar to this Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 3:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10; Acts 10:4; 1 John 3:19. Grammatically, the ἔμπροσθεν clause might adhere to the nearer verbal nouns ἔργου, κόπου, ὑπομονῆς, or to the last alone (so Lightf.: cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:13; and, for the idea, 2 Corinthians 4:18; Hebrews 11:27), much as ἐν θεῷ πατρί is attached to ἐκκλησίᾳ in 1 Thessalonians 1:1; but ἡμῶν points back to the subject of μνημονεύοντες, and through the first part of the Letter there runs a tone of solemn protestation on the writers’ part (see Introd. pp. xxxiv. f.) with which this emphatic adjunct to the participle is in keeping: see 1 Thessalonians 2:4 ff., 1 Thessalonians 2:19 f., 1 Thessalonians 3:9; and cf. Romans 9:1 f.; 2 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 11:31.

ὑμῶν τοῦ ἔργου τῆς πίστεως καὶ τοῦ κόπου τῆς� κ.τ.λ. On occasion of mentioning persons (1 Thessalonians 1:2), one recalls their character and deeds. The three objects of remembrance—ἔργου, κόπου, ὑπομονῆς (for the trio, cf. Revelation 2:2)—are parallel and collectively introduced by the possessive ὑμῶν, each being expressed by a verbal noun with subjective genitive, on which genitive in each case—πίστεως, ἀγάπης, ἐλπίδος—the emphasis rests: “remembering how your faith works, and your love toils, and your hope endures”; see Blass’ Gram. of N.T. Greek, p. 96. The third of the latter three is defined by the objective genitive, τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ: Hope fastens on “our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:3)—thus named under the sense of the majesty of His παρουσία (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; also 1 Corinthians 1:7-9, &c.)—while in this context Faith looks, through Christ, “toward God” (1 Thessalonians 1:8 f.), and Love has “the brethren” for object (1 Thessalonians 4:9 f.; 2 Thessalonians 1:3). The familiar Pauline triad first presents itself here—fides, amor, spes: summa Christianismi (Bengel); they reappear in 1 Thessalonians 1:8 : cf. the thanksgiving of 2 Thessalonians 1:3 f.; also 1 Corinthians 13:13 (where love predominates, as against Corinthian selfishness and strife; here hope, under the pressure of Thessalonian affliction); Galatians 5:5 f.; Colossians 1:4 f.; in 1 Peter 1:3 ff. hope again takes the lead. Faith and Love are constantly associated (see 1 Thessalonians 3:6, &c.), Faith and Hope frequently (Romans 5:1 ff; Romans 15:13, &c.), Love and Hope in 1 John 4:17 f. These formed the three “theological virtues” of Scholastic Ethics, to which were appended the four “philosophical virtues,” Wisdom, Courage, Temperance, Justice.

τοῦ ἔργου τῆς πίστεως, faith’s work (activity; cf. James 1:4)—a wide expression (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 below; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; Galatians 5:6) corresponding to “the fruit of the Spirit” or “of the light” (Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:9), which embraces the whole practical outcome of Thessalonian faith indicated immediately afterwards in 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10. The commendation is characteristic of this Church (see Introd. p. xxxiii.). This connexion of “faith,” on its first appearance in St Paul’s writings (cf. πίστις ἐνεργουμένη, Galatians 5:6) with “work,” shows that he was as far from approving a theoretical or sentimental faith as St James (see James 2:14 ff.). In the second group of his Epistles “faith” indeed is opposed to (Pharisaic) “works of law” (see Romans 4:1-5; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:10-14), for these “works” were put by the legalists in the place of faith and were built upon as affording in their own right a ground of salvation; the “work” of this passage and of James 2 is the offspring of faith, and affords not the ground but the aim and evidence of salvation. The distinction comes out very clearly in Ephesians 2:8-10 : οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων … αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα … ἐπὶ ἔργοις�. Since πίστις is the root-virture of Christianity, Christians as such are styled οἱ πιστεύοντες (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:10, &c.).

τοῦ κόπου τῆς� κ.τ.λ. The faith of this Church shone in its toil of love (see 1 Thessalonians 4:9 ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:3) and endurance of hope (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4 f.; 2 Thessalonians 1:4 ff; 2 Thessalonians 2:14). Κόπος signifies wearing toil, labour carried to the limit of strength, and differs from ἔργον as effort and exertion from activity: St Paul refers both to his manual labour (1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8) and to his missionary toil (1 Thessalonians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 6:5) as κόπος; cf. κοπιάω, John 4:6; Revelation 2:3. In 1 Corinthians 3:8 κόπος gives the measure for Divine reward: here it is the expression of human love; thus parents task themselves for their children (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9; also Ephesians 4:28, κοπιάτω). On ἀγάπη, the specific N.T. word for (spiritual) Love—to be distinguished from φιλία and ἔρως—see Trench’s N.T. Synonyms, § 12, or Cremer’s Bibl.-Theological Lexicon.

Ὑπομονή is a more positive, manful virtue than patience (see Trench, Syn. § 53); it corresponds to the classical καρτερία or καρτέρησις (Plato, Aristotle), and embraces perseverantia as well as patientia (Old Latin) or sustinentia (Vulg.); hence it suits with ἔργον and κόπος: see Romans 2:7, καθʼ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου�; cf. also 2 Thessalonians 1:4-7, and (including ὑπομένω) 2 Thessalonians 3:5; Romans 5:4; Romans 8:25; Colossians 1:11; Hebrews 12:1 ff.; Matthew 10:22. Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ inspired the brave patience in which Thessalonian virtue, tried from the first by severe persecution (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 3:2-6), culminated.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 discloses the deeper ground of the Apostles’ thanksgiving, lying in their conviction, formed at the beginning of their ministry to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1:5) and confirmed by subsequent experience (1 Thessalonians 1:6 ff., 1 Thessalonians 2:13), that the readers are objects of God’s electing love. εἰδότες—siquidem novimus (Estius)—implies settled knowledge; contrast this with γνῶναι of 1 Thessalonians 3:5 (see note).

ἀδελφοὶ ἠγαπημένοι ὑπὸ [τοῦ] θεοῦ. The parallel construction of 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (see note) proves ὑπὸ θεοῦ to belong to the participle, for which otherwise ἀγαπητοί would have served (see 1 Thessalonians 2:8; Philippians 4:1, and passim; cf. Romans 1:7); the ordo verborum forbids attachment to τὴν ἐκλογήν (A.V.). This phrase occurs in Sir 45:1, used of Moses (with καὶ� added); cf. Romans 9:25 (Hosea 2:23, LXX). The perf. participle marks the readers as objects of an abiding, determinate love (cf. 1 John 3:1, ἀγάπην δέδωκεν), which has taken expression in their election.

εἰδότες … τὴν ἐκλογὴν ὑμῶν. St Paul’s doxologies commonly look behind the human worth of the subjects to some gracious action or purpose on God’s part towards them; cf. e.g. 1 Corinthians 1:4 ff.; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 1:4 f. Ἐκλογή (picking out, selection), from ἐκλέγομαι (= αἱρέομαι, 2 Thessalonians 2:13), denotes the act of God in choosing a man or community to receive some special grace, or to render some special service (e.g., in Acts 9:15), or for both intents at once; more particularly, as here and in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, to salvation in Christ (see Romans 9:11; Romans 11:5; Romans 11:28). In Romans 11:7, by metonymy, it signifies a body of chosen persons (= ἐκλεκτοί: for which usage cf. Romans 8:33; Titus 1:1). Romans 11 shows how St Paul’s doctrine of “election,” “the elect of God,” grew out of the O.T. conception of Israel as “the people of Jehovah” chosen and separated from the nations: see e.g. Psalms 33:12; Psalms 135:4; Deuteronomy 14:2; Isaiah 43:1-7; and cf. further with these passages Romans 8:28-39; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Ephesians 1:4 ff., also 1 Peter 2:9 f. This election, in the case of Israel or of the N.T. Churches, implied selection out of the mass who, for whatever reason, are put aside—“the rest” (1 Thessalonians 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6, below); and appropriation by God. Under the “call” of the Gospel the national gives place to a spiritual election, or ἐκλογὴ χάριτος (Romans 11:5), of individual believers who, collectively, constitute henceforth “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16); this is formed οὐ μόνον ἐξ Ἰουδαίων (λεῖμμα, Romans 11:5) ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἐθνῶν (Romans 11:24; Ephesians 3:6), the latter being grafted into the “garden-olive” (Romans 11:24) of God’s primitive choice. In Romans 8:28-30 the Divine ἐκλογή is represented as an orderly πρόθεσις—love planning for its chosen—with its successive steps of πρόγνωσις, προόρισις, &c.; in Ephesians 1:4 it is carried back to a date πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου (see note on 2 Thessalonians 2:13 below). Our Lord’s parable of the Marriage-Supper (Matthew 22:1-14) distinguishes the ἐκλεκτοί from the κλητοί, ‘the invited’; otherwise in the N.T. the two terms are equal in extent: see note on 1 Thessalonians 2:12; and cf. κλῆσις and ἐκλέγομαι as they are associated in 1 Corinthians 1:26 ff. God’s choice of men does not preclude effort on their part (see 1 Thessalonians 1:3), nor even the contingency of failure; though the Apostle “knows the election” of his readers, he “sends in order to know” their “faith … lest” his “toil should prove vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5; cf. 2 Timothy 2:10; John 6:70). The missionaries are practically certain that their converts are of God’s elect, not absolutely sure of the final salvation of every individual thus addressed.

Of God’s special favour to this people the writers were persuaded (a) by the signal power attending their ministry at their first preaching to them (1 Thessalonians 1:5), and (b) by the zeal and thoroughness with which they had accepted the gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:6 ff.).