He thanks God for their increase in faith and charity, and constancy in persecution, (assuring them that they merit thereby the Kingdom of God, as their persecutors do damnation:) 11. And also prays for their accomplishment. 1 PAUL and Silvanus and Timothy: to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought to give thanks always to God for you brethren, so as meet is, because your faith increases exceedingly and the charity of every one of you abounds towards each other: 4 So that we ourselves also glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience, and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, which you sustain, 5 for an example of the just judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for the which also you suffer. 6 If yet it be just with God to repay tribulation, to them that vex you: 7 and to you that are vexed, rest with us in the revelation of our Lord Jesus from heaven with the Angels of his power, 8 *in flame of fire, giving revenge to them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Who shall suffer eternal pains in destruction, from the face of our Lord and from the glory of his power: 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be made marvelous in all them that have believed because our testimony concerning you was credited in that day. 11 Wherein also we pray always for you, that our God make you worthy of his vocation, and accomplish all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith in power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ. ___________________________ 1:8 1 Thess 4:16 FOOTNOTES FOR CHAPTER 1 5. You may be. Note that by constant and patient suffering of afflictions for Christ men are worthy (so the Greek signified), as the adversaries themselves translate verse 11) of the crown or kingdom of heaven: and so do merit and deserve the same. See footnote on Lk 20:35 And the apostle here says that it is God's justice no less to repay glory to the afflicted, than to render punishment to them that afflict, because of their contrary deserts or merits. 10. Glorified in his Saints. Christ shall be glorified in his saints, that is, by the great and unspeakable honor and exaltation of them that shall be honored, as now he is: the honor which the Church does to them, not diminishing Christ's glory (as the adversaries foolishly pretend) but exceedingly augmenting the same. |