1 Thessalonians 1:5

1:1-5 As all good comes from God, so no good can be hoped for by sinners, but from God in Christ. And the best good may be expected from God, as our Father, for the sake of Christ. We should pray, not only for ourselves, but for others also; remembering them without ceasing. Wherever there is a true faith, it will work; it will affect both the heart and life. Faith works by love; it shows itself in love to God, and love to our neighbour. And wherever there is a well-grounded hope of eternal life, this will appear by the exercise of patience; and it is a sign of sincerity, when in all we do, we seek to approve ourselves to God. By this we may know our election, if we not only speak of the things of God with out lips, but feel their power in our hearts, mortifying our lusts, weaning us from the world, and raising us up to heavenly things. Unless the Spirit of God comes with the word of God, it will be to us a dead letter. Thus they entertained it by the power of the Holy Ghost. They were fully convinced of the truth of it, so as not to be shaken in mind by objections and doubts; and they were willing to leave all for Christ, and to venture their souls and everlasting condition upon the truth of the gospel revelation.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 . For our gospel — The gospel which we preach, and which has been solemnly committed to our charge; came not unto you in word only — You not only heard, understood, and assented to it as a revelation from God, and received thereby information concerning those spiritual and divine things of which you were before ignorant; but it came also in power — Awakening your minds to a deep sense of the infinite importance, as well as certainty, of the discoveries it makes you, especially concerning the future and eternal state awaiting you, and your present fallen, sinful, and depraved condition; convincing your consciences of the number and greatness of your sins and follies, and your want of a Saviour from that state of ignorance and guilt, depravity, weakness, and misery, in which you saw yourselves to be involved; thus humbling you before a holy and just God, and bringing you to the footstool of his mercy in true repentance and godly sorrow, productive of fruits worthy of repentance.

And in the Holy Ghost — Bearing an outward testimony by various miraculous operations to the truth and importance of the gospel which we preach; and by his enlightening, quickening, and renewing influences on your souls, causing it to produce the fore-mentioned effects; and above all, inspiring you with living faith in Christ, and in the promises of God through him, and thereby revealing him to and in you the hope of glory; Galatians 1:16 ; Colossians 1:27 ; and at the same time creating you anew in Christ Jesus, and strengthening you with might in the inner man, ( Ephesians 3:16 ,) that you might be able, as well as willing, to withstand all the subtlety, power, and malice of your spiritual enemies, and to do and suffer the whole will of God. And in much assurance — Greek, εν πληροφορια πολλη , literally, in full assurance and much of it; not only begetting in you a full persuasion of the certain truth and infinite importance of the doctrines, precepts, promises, threatenings, and every part of the gospel declared to you, but of your personal interest in the privileges and blessings of it, and therefore of your present justification and acceptance with God, of your adoption into his family, regeneration by his grace, and title to his glory; and causing you to rejoice in expectation thereof, and that with a lively and joyful expectation, even with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 . Ὅτι , because ) This because extends its power beyond this verse.— εἰς ὑμᾶς ) so far as you are concerned [in your case].— ἐν , in ) These words refer both to the teachers, as appears by comparing the end of this verse, and to the Thessalonians, by comparing the following verse.— ἐν δυνάμει , in power ) for example, in reference to (having the effect of producing) faith.— ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ ) in the Holy Ghost , and His saving operation, for example, having the effect of producing love; also in His miraculous operation.— ἐν πληροφορίᾳ , borne along in full course ( pleno latu ) [ in full assurance ]) for example, in reference to (producing) hope, 1 Thessalonians 1:3 .— οἴδατε , ye know ) Εἰδότες , knowing , in 1 Thessalonians 1:4 , corresponds to οἴδατε here. Both [Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy, on one hand, and the Thessalonians on the other] knew.— οἷοι , what sort of persons ) imparting to you the word with joy.— διʼ ὑμᾶς , for your sakes ) that we might gain you.

{3} For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in {b} much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. (3) Another reason why they ought in no way start back but continue to the end, because they cannot doubt this doctrine which has been so many ways confirmed to them, even from heaven, as they themselves well knew. (b) Paul shows by two things that there followed very great fruit from his preaching, that is, by these gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that certain assurance which was thoroughly settled in their minds, as appeared by their willingly bearing the cross.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 . ὅτι = “inasmuch as”.— τὸ εὐαγγ . ἡμῶν , the gospel of which the apostles, and by which their hearers, were convinced. As the καθὼς clause indicates, πληροφ . must here denote personal conviction and unfaltering confidence on the part of the preachers. The omission of the ἐν before πληρ . throws that word and πνεύματι together into a single conception, complementary to δυνάμει , which here has no specific reference to miracles, but to the apostles’ courage ( 1 Thessalonians 2:2 ), honesty and sincerity ( 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 ), devotion ( 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8 ), earnestness (9), and consistency (10). The effect of the Spirit on the preachers is followed up (in 1 Thessalonians 1:6 ) by its effect on the hearers; and this dual aspect recurs in 1 Thessalonians 1:9 (we and you). ἐν (om. Blass) ὑμῖν = “among you”.

For (ὅτι) Incorrect. Rend. how that. It is explanatory of your election. For similar usage see 1 Corinthians 1:26. Our gospel The gospel as preached by Paul and his colleagues. Comp. Romans 2:16; Romans 16:25; Galatians 1:11; Galatians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:4. My gospel is sometimes used in connection with an emphasis upon some particular feature of the gospel, as in Romans 2:16, where Paul is speaking of the judgment of the world by Christ; or in Romans 16:25, where he is referring to the extension of the messianic kingdom to the Gentiles. In word (ἐν λόγῳ) The gospel did not appeal to them as mere eloquent and learned discourse. In power (ἐν δύναμει) Power of spiritual persuasion and conviction: not power as displayed in miracles, at least not principally, although miraculous demonstrations may be included. Paul rarely alluded to his power of working miracles. Assurance (πληροφορίᾳ) Assured persuasion of the preacher that the message was divine. The word not in pre-Christian Greek writers, nor in lxx. Only in one other passage in Paul, Colossians 2:2. See Hebrews 6:11; Hebrews 10:22. We were (ἐγενήθημεν) More correctly, we shewed or proved ourselves.

Verse 5. - For ; or rather, how that (R.V.); or, because ; assigning the reasons for Paul's confidence in their election; and these reasons were two: first, the powerful entrance which the gospel had among them; and secondly, the joyful reception which was given to it by the Thessalonians. Our gospel ; that is, the gospel which was preached by us. Came not unto you in word only. The gospel came in word, for this was a necessary pre-requisite, but "not in word only," that is, it was not a bare publication or communication in human words. But in power . Some restrict the epithets which here follow to the teachers, as denoting the mode in which they preached the gospel; but it is better to refer them both to the teachers and the taught. By "power" is not meant miracles, but, in contrast to "word," the power with which Paul and his companions preached, and the impression which the gospel made on the hearers. And in the Holy Ghost. Here also the reference is, not to miraculous gifts, but to the influences of the Spirit accompanying the preaching of the gospel; such was the efficacy of Paul's preaching that it proved itself to be accompanied by the operation of the Holy Ghost in the conversion of his hearers. There is here an ascent: the gospel came in power, and, what is more, it came in the Holy Ghost. And in much assurance.

By "assurance" here is meant the confidence with which Paul and his fellow-workers preached the gospel to the Thessalonians, and the fullness of conviction with which the Thessalonians received it. As ye know. An appeal to their knowledge that what he now states is true. What manner of men we were among you. Alluding to the blamelessness of their behavior when in Thessalonica. For your sake ; namely, that we sought not our own profit or advantage, but your spiritual good. 1 Thessalonians 1:5

(5) “If God had not set His heart upon you, we never could have been as successful among you as we were.” Our gospel came not unto you.—Or rather, the glad tidings which we brought did not prove among you, in its action upon you. In word only.—Comp. 1Corinthians 2:4; 1Corinthians 4:20. “It did not consist merely of so much eloquent instruction, but also we found we were speaking with a conscious power—indeed with all the force of the Holy Ghost—and with an overmastering conviction that we were right and should prevail.” That by the “power,” “assurance,” etc., are meant the preachers’ own, and not the people’s, is proved by the next clause, “as ye know.” In the Holy Ghost.—The Greek here omits the definite article. In such cases attention is not so much called to the Blessed Person Himself, as to the exalted, inspired enthusiasm with which He fills us. The union of the divine and human spirit is so close (see 1Corinthians 6:17) that it is often hard in the New Testament to distinguish which is meant. As ye know sums up with an appeal to their memory: “In fact, you recollect what God made us like among you.” For your sake gives not their own purpose, but God’s, carrying on the thought of the “election.”

5. our gospel—namely, the Gospel which we preached. came—Greek, "was made," namely, by God, its Author and Sender. God's having made our preaching among you to be attended with such "power," is the proof that you are "elect of God" (1Th 1:4). in power—in the efficacy of the Holy Spirit clothing us with power (see end of verse; Ac 1:8; 4:33; 6:5, 8) in preaching the Gospel, and making it in you the power of God unto salvation (Ro 1:16). As "power" produces faith; so "the Holy Ghost," love; and "much assurance" (Col 2:2, full persuasion), hope (Heb 6:11), resting on faith (Heb 10:22). So faith, love, and hope (1Th 1:3). as ye know—answering to the "knowing," that is, as WE know (1Th 1:4) your character as the elect of God, so YE know ours as preachers. for your sake—The purpose herein indicated is not so much that of the apostles, as that of God. "You know what God enabled us to be … how mighty in preaching the word … for your sakes … thereby proving that He had chosen (1Th 1:4) you for His own" [Alford]. I think, from 1Th 2:10-12, that, in "what manner of men we were among you," besides the power in preaching, there is included also Paul's and his fellow missionaries' whole conduct which confirmed their preaching; and in this sense, the "for your sake" will mean "in order to win you." This, though not the sole, yet would be a strong, motive to holy circumspection, namely, so as to win those without (Col 4:5; compare 1Co 9:19-23).