2 Thessalonians 1:3

1:1-4 Where there is the truth of grace, there will be an increase of it. The path of the just is as the shining light, which shines more and more unto the perfect day. And where there is the increase of grace, God must have all the glory. Where faith grows, love will abound, for faith works by love. It shows faith and patience, such as may be proposed as a pattern for others, when trials from God, and persecutions from men, quicken the exercise of those graces; for the patience and faith of which the apostle gloried, bore them up, and enabled them to endure all their tribulations.

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).

{1} We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith {a} groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; (1) The first part of the epistle, in which he rejoices that through the grace of God, they have bravely sustained all the assaults of their enemies. And in this he strengthens and encourages them, moreover showing with what gifts they must mainly fight, that is, with faith and charity, which must daily increase. (a) That whereas it grew up before, it does also receive some increase every day more and more.

2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 . We are bound to thank God — It is highly observable that the apostle here wraps up his praise of men in praise to God, giving him the glory of the increase of grace which was manifest in the Thessalonian believers. That your faith groweth exceedingly — Notwithstanding all that is done by your enemies to prevent its increase, and even to destroy it. Probably he had heard from them since he sent them the former letter. And the charity — Or love rather, of every one of you aboundeth — Like water that overflows its banks, and yet increases still more. Their faith, it appears, derived new confirmation from their sufferings, and their sense of them engaged them tenderly to pity, and do their utmost for the relief of, those who shared in those sufferings, and at the same time endeared to them that one body, that church of Christ, which the carnal world so cruelly hated, and so maliciously endeavoured to destroy. So that we ourselves glory in you — Or boast of you; in the churches of God — “This passage shows us what is a principal occasion of joy to faithful ministers; it is the faith and love, patience and constancy, of the people to whom they minister. The apostle’s address here is admirable. He excited the emulation of other churches by boasting of the Thessalonians to them. And he quickened the Thessalonians by telling them how much he had praised them in the hearing of the churches.” — Macknight.

In all your persecutions and tribulations — Arising probably both from the Jews and their own countrymen. Concerning the particulars of these persecutions we have no information. Which is — Or shall be; a manifest token — Ενδειγμα , proof, or demonstration, of the righteous judgment of God — Of the equity of the divine judgment, which shall be fully manifested in due time by God’s amply rewarding you, and punishing your enemies; that ye may be counted worthy — That it may appear by the integrity, faith, and patience, the meekness and superiority to this transitory world, which you manifest under these severe trials, that you are fit to be admitted into that glorious kingdom of God for which you suffer.

Verse 3. - We . Not to be restricted to Paul, the plural being used for the singular, as is elsewhere the case ( 1 Thessalonians 2:8 ; 1 Thessalonians 3:1 ); but inclusive of Silas and Timothy, inasmuch as they are mentioned directly before (see note to 1 Thessalonians 1:2 ). Are bound; feel ourselves morally constrained. To thank God always for you, brethren (comp. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 ). The apostle first praises his converts for what good was in them, before he censures them for their faults, and in this manner he secures their attention. As it is meet; as it is right and proper in the circumstances of the case. The words are not to be considered as a parenthetic clause, far less as a tautological expression (Jowett); but they state that the reason of the apostle's thanksgiving arose from the spiritual condition of the Thessalonians; "with the acknowledgment of personal obligation, Paul joins a recognition of the circumstances of the case" (Hofinann). Because that your faith groweth exceedingly - superabounds - and the charity of every one of you all. The subject of the apostle's thanksgiving was the increase of the faith and love of the Thessalonians: faith here being faith in Christ, and love being love to man. Faith and love contain in themselves the whole of the Christian life; faith is its commencement, its source; love is not only its outcome, its spiritual action, but its completion; the climax of the Christian life is to be made perfect in love.

Here, however, love is restricted by the context to love to believers, or brotherly love. Toward each other; that is, toward your fellow Christians in Thessalonica. Love is not a mere general affection, but is to be specially manifested - "toward each believer." Aboundeth ; increaseth in intensity. 2 Thessalonians 1:3

3. We are bound—Greek, "We owe it as a debt" (2Th 2:13). They had prayed for the Thessalonians (1Th 3:12) that they might "increase and abound in love"; their prayer having been heard, it is a small but a bounden return for them to make, to thank God for it. Thus, Paul and his fellow missionaries practice what they preach (1Th 5:18). In 1Th 1:3, their thanksgiving was for the Thessalonians' faith, love, and patience"; here, for their exceeding growth in faith, and for their charity abounding. "We are bound" expresses the duty of thanksgiving from its subjective side as an inward conviction. "As it is meet," from the objective: side as something answering to the state of circumstances [Alford]. Observe the exact correspondence of the prayer (1Th 3:12, "The Lord make you to abound in love") and the answer, "The love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth" (compare 1Th 4:10). meet—right.

We are bound to thank God always for you; - See the notes on 1 Thessalonians 1:2 . "As it is meet." Since it is fit or proper. "Because that your faith groweth exceedingly." It would seem probable from this that Paul had heard from them since his First Epistle was written. He had doubtless received intelligence of the error which prevailed among them respecting his views of the coming of the Lord Jesus, and of the progress which the truth was making, at the same time. "And the charity of every one of you all toward each other." Your mutual love.

(3) We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren. —The thanksgiving is regarded as a positive debt incurred, which it would be a dishonesty not to pay. Because.—This assigns the reason for saying that it was “meet,” and does not merely follow after “thank God:” in which case, the words “as it is meet” would have been rather weak, as containing no more than is involved in “we are bound.” The best paraphrase would be: “We feel the obligation to give thanks for you; and, in point of fact, it is but meet that we should, because,” &c. Groweth exceedingly.—An enthusiastic word in the original: “is out-growing all bounds.” It is a metaphor from vegetable or animal growth. This was one of the very points about which St. Paul was anxious the last time that he had written: then there were deficiencies in their faith (1Thessalonians 3:10). Charity.—Here, too, St. Paul remembers what he had said to them in the last Epistle, in which he had devoted a whole section to the love of the brethren “toward each other.” “Of every one of you all” is a very noticeable expression, as showing the individual solicitude of the Apostles for their converts. Just as the apostolic instructions were given to each Christian privately (1Thessalonians 2:11), so news has been brought how each several Christian is progressing.