He thanks God for them, 4 and gathers that they are elect, because his preaching at their first conversion was with divine power, and they on the other side received it with all joy, notwithstanding the great persecution that was raised against them. 1 PAUL and Silvanus and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all you: making a memory of you in our prayers without intermission, 3 mindful of the work of your faith and labor and of the charity, and of the enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before God and our Father: 4 Knowing brethren beloved of God, your election: 5 That our Gospel has not been to you in word only, but in power and the Holy Ghost and in much fullness as you know what manner of men we have been among you for your sakes. 6 And you became followers of us, and of our Lord: receiving the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7 so that you were made a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For from you was bruited the word of our Lord: not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place, your faith which is to God ward, is preceded, so that it is not necessary for us to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves report of us what manner of entering we had to you: and how you are turned to God from Idols, to serve the living and true God, 10 and to expect his Son from heaven (whom he raised up from the dead) Jesus, who has delivered us from the wrath to come. ____________________________________ FOOTNOTES ON CHAPTER 1 6. Followers of us. St. Paul is bold to commend them for imitation of him, nay and to join himself in that point with Christ, to be their pattern to walk after. Where, with out curiosity, he names himself first, and our Lord afterwards, because he was a more near and ready object than Christ, who was not, nor could be followed but through the preaching and conversation of the apostle, who was in their sight or hearing. And this imitation of some holy man or other, has made so many religious men of divers orders and rules, all tending to the better imitation of Christ our Lord. See the like words of the apostle, 1 Cor. 10:1. and Philip, 3:17. 9. From idols. In this and the like places the heretics maliciously and most falsely translate, construe, and apply all things meant of the Heathen idols, to the memorials and images of Christ and his saints, namely, the English Bibles, of the years 1562 and 1577. See the annot. 1 Jo. v. 21. |