Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Thessalonians 1:3

Minuscule 17 and vg (in good copies), with Aug, omit παντων, while א* omits third ημων: in either case probably through homœteleuton, the duplicate final -ων misleading the copyist’s eye.

3. Εὐχαριστεῖν ὀφείλομεν τῷ θεῷ πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί, καθὼς ἄξιόν ἐστιν. We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brothers, as it is befitting. For εὐχαριστεῖν, see note on parallel in Ep. I. Ὀφείλομεν is repeated in this connexion in 2 Thessalonians 2:13—nowhere else in St Paul. As 1 Thessalonians 3:6-9; 1 Thessalonians 2:18 f., show, the writers felt themselves under a peculiar debt of gratitude on their readers’ account—hence this turn of expression. For ὀφείλω in matters of affection, see Romans 13:8; Romans 15:1; Romans 15:27; John 13:14; and of debt to God, Matthew 6:12; Matthew 23:16; Matthew 23:18. Καθὼς ἄξιόν ἐστιν, “ut par est” (Erasmus, Beza), adds the human side of this claim; “it is also merited by your conduct” (Lightfoot): cf., for the use of the adjective, Luke 23:41, ἄξια ὦν ἐπράξαμεν, “the due reward of our deeds”; and Philippians 1:7, καθώς ἐστιν δίκαιον κ.τ.λ., for the Pauline sentiment. Ἄξιος recurs twice in the sequel, referring to the Thessalonians, in καταξιόω and ἀξιόω, 2 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:11. There is nothing pleonastic, and nothing constrained or formal, here; St Paul was under abiding and warmly felt bonds of gratitude for the timely comfort administered by this Church, which had given “life” to his ministry at Corinth; see note on 1 Thessalonians 3:8. Bengel’s question is apposite: “Tuine Christianismi specimina digna sunt, quorum nomine gratias Deo agant, qui te norunt?”

ὅτι ὑπεραυξάνει ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν. The ground and subject-matter of thanksgiving: in that your faith grows mightily (or more and more)—vehementer augescit (Calvin, Beza). Earlier, St Paul had been anxious “about the faith” of his Thessalonian converts (1 Thessalonians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:5); he had written the former Letter partly to remedy their ὑστερήματα τῆς πίστεως (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Since that time it has grown in a degree beyond his hopes; this is his first ground of thankfulness. Timothy’s report had been reassuring on this vital point (2 Thessalonians 3:6); subsequent tidings had arrived to the same effect (see Introd. p. xxxvii.). The compound ὑπερ-αυξάνω is hap. leg.; St Paul is fond of the prefix ὑπερ- (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:13).

καὶ πλεονάζει ἡ�, and the love of each single one of you all to one another multiplies. This the First Epistle marked as the shining excellence of the Thessalonian Church (1 Thessalonians 4:9 f.); for its increase the Apostles had prayed (2 Thessalonians 3:12): this prayer is fulfilled, and thanksgiving is therefore due. Πλεονάζω, an active verb in 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (see note), is neuter here. Ἐνὸς ἑκάστου (also in 1 Thessalonians 2:11), uniuscujusque (Vulg.), pointedly individualizes the statement, which πάντων ὑμῶν extends to the entire community. To the Thessalonian faith and love hope was added, completing the matter of thanksgiving, in 1 Thessalonians 1:3; hope is implied here by ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑπομονῆς ὑμῶν below.

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2 Thessalonians 1:3

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