Dear Friends,

I hope you can attend our Bible study tonight! We will be studying 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5. Notes are attached.

1

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

HILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

I Thessalonians 1:1-5

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering

before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord

Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came

to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know

what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

_______________________

v 1 – Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians…”

Apparently written during the Second Missionary Journey

“Silvanus” – Greek version of Silas—using different language version of a person’s name is a practice

still common today … not so much in the US!

The church at Thessalonica may not seem particularly impressive in the Scriptures, although it is

undoubtedly unfair to the church in Thessalonica to associate it with the city magistrates and the

unbelieving, oppositional Jews. See Acts 17: 1-13. Also …

“Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.”—Philippians 4:16

“For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”—2

Timothy 4:10

However!

1. Aristarchus was from Thessalonica. (Acts 20:4; 27:2)—a faithful co-worker and co-prisoner with

Paul!

2. Because of the church there, we have two wonderful books of Scripture.

3. And Paul is certainly positive regarding the church (which was not always the case …)

So, some great things came out of this church and its relationship with Paul, even if its stronger qualities

do not receive much detail in the NT.

v 2-3 – “We give thanks …”

Paul so often encourages in this way, and we know that he was not “just saying it”

More lit. “making remembrance [mneia] of you in our prayers” (cf. Ephesians 1:16; Philemon

1:4)

v 3 – “constantly remembering …”

The trilogy of enduring Christian qualities: work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope

2

More lit. – “your the work of the faith”

Re “the faith” - Greek often uses definite articles where English does not (as here “the work”),

but still, this could be read as principally referring to their personal faith -or- “the” faith as in

the body of Christian beliefs

“your work of faith” - See Ephesians 2:8-10; James 2:17

Without a doubt, faith is relational and faith is key to strengthening the inner man. But faith is

also the basis for Christian living and activity.

Following And Inwardly Trusting Him

“labor of love”

A phrase that has taken hold in English—and a good one for understanding agape!

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”—1 John 3:18

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”—Proverbs 27:5

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your

strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”—Luke 10:27

More lit. “and the endurance of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ”

The “hope of our Lord Jesus Christ” is the certainty that he is coming again in glory

Biblical “hope” is a certainty—just one that has not yet been realized.

The fruit of this hope is our endurance, our steadfastness in Christ—a necessary Christian

attribute, constantly enjoined by the New Testament—from the Gospels to Revelation

We do not know the specifics of the faith, love, and endurance of the church at Thessalonica—but Paul

and his co-workers obviously did.

v 4 – “For we know…”

Actually, this verse is a continuation of the Greek sentence

more lit. “knowing, brothers [and sisters] beloved by God, your election…”

Knowing – eidó, to see with the mind, to perceive

election – eklogé, derived from the Greek verb …eklegomai, meaning "to choose" or "to select."

(Strong’s)

All Christians are called by God and chosen by God. We will not settle centuries-old questions

about “election” this evening (and we will not be trying to do so)—but I will still venture to

say that even the strongest proponents of “free will” understand that our salvation is a work

done by God which we receive in response to God. It is his work, not any achievement of

self. We respond to him. But God chooses—elects—us.

And our election by God is indicated and sealed by the presence of his Spirit in our lives.

v 5 – Paul says here that we know God has chosen you because of the way you responded to the gospel.

more lit. “Because our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power and in [the] Holy

Spirit and with much complete certainty/full assurance [plérophoria].”

God made his election clear—as he did and he does when people come to Christ and are saved

and it is evident that they did and are!

More lit. “just as you know (perceive) what we became among you for your sake.”

Paul: We can perceive how God validated his work in your lives just as he validated us among

you

Paul often emphasized the mutual love and respect in the relationship between the apostles and

the churches