Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

2 Thessalonians 1:3

περὶ ὑμῶν : Your thankless situation (4 f.) only throws into more brilliant relief your personal character and bearing under adverse circumstances. ὅτι is best represented by our colloquial “because,” which includes both the causal and the objective senses of the word; what forms matter for thanksgiving is naturally the reason for thanksgiving. ἀγάπη κ. τ. λ., a period of strain tires mutual gentleness (see on Revelation 2:4) as well as patience towards God (2 Thessalonians 1:4), since irritation and lack of unselfish consideration for others (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 f.) may be as readily produced by a time of tension and severe anxiety as an impatient temper of faith. Paul is glad and grateful that suffering was drawing his friends together and binding them more closely to their Lord, instead of stunting the growth of their faith and drying up the flow of their mutual charity. Praise comes as usual before blame. Paul is proud of his friends, because suffering has not spoiled their characters, as suffering, especially when due to oppression and injustice, is too apt to do. ὀφείλομεν (so Cic. ad. Fam., xiv. 2, gratiasque egi, ut debui; Barn. 2 Thessalonians 1:3, vii. 1), the phrase is unexampled in Paul, but not unnatural (cf. Romans 15:1, etc.); “the form of duty is one which all thoughts naturally take in his mind” (Jowett).

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

2 Thessalonians 1:3

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