1 Thessalonians 1:4

Text (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

4 knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election,

Translation and Paraphrase

4.

(Furthermore, our thankfulness comes in) knowing, my brethren beloved by God, that God has chosen you (as His very own because you have received His Son Jesus).

Notes (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

1.

Paul was thankful for the election of the Thessalonians. What does election mean? It means a choosing or a choice. It means that God had chosen them as His people.

2.

How did God make this choice? Upon what basis did He make it? Did He make it by whim, or partiality, or sovereign grace? To ask that question is almost to answer it. Of course not, God does not desire that any person should perish, 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9, Therefore God certainly does not arbitrarily select some to be saved and some to be damned.

3.

God has chosen us in Christ. Ephesians 1:4. God has now chosen Christians as His people, because they have chosen Christ, God's Son. The grounds of the choice lie in Christ and His merits, and not in our own merits or God's partiality. All Christians are elect. 1 Peter 2:9: Ye are a chosen nation. The American Standard Version renders this: Ye are an elect race.

4.

Paul asserts that he KNEW that the Thessalonians were chosen of God. How could Paul have known that they were elect, if election were the result of some arbitrary choice in the mind of God? He could not have done so, for no man can read God's mind. But since election does not rest upon an arbitrary choice by God, Paul could know that they were elect, and he tells in 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6 how he knew it.

He knew their election because of these two reasons: (1) The way the gospel came to them; (2) The way they received the gospel. (Review the outline of chapter 1 for more details.)

5.

The Thessalonians became Christians and were chosen (or elected) by God in the same way that you and I are saved and become Christians. These are the steps that they followed, and which we must also follow:

(1)

They believed on the Lord Jesus. Acts 16:31.

(2)

They repented. Acts 17:30. To repent means to change the mind, and decide to serve Christ, instead of doing as we ourselves prefer.

(3)

They made a confession. We must confess with our mouths that we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-37.

(4)

They were baptized. Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16. We are baptized in water. Acts 10:47. We are buried with Christ in baptism. Romans 6:4. This is pictured in the act, as we are completely covered, buried, immersed, in the water.

By doing these things we take Jesus as our Lord and savior. We become God's elect (chosen), even as the Thessalonians became the elect of God.

6.

God's election (or choosing) is never independent of man's response. In olden times the nation of Israel was chosen. But it was later cast off for unbelief. Matthew 8:11-12; Romans 11:20. Of course, those who believed were not cast off.

Even so, we who have been chosen by God are urged to give diligence to make our calling and election sure. 2 Peter 1:10. Without faith, we shall be cut off like unbelieving Israel. Romans 11:21.

7.

Paul addressed the Thessalonians as brethren. We should use this word when speaking to, or about, our fellow Christians.

8.

In the Greek New Testament, the phrase, of God, follows brethren beloved, and not election. So the correct translation of this verse would be, Knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election. This is the rendering given in the American Standard version and in our translation. The title, brethren beloved of the Lord, is also found in 2 Thessalonians 2:13.