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    1 & 2 Thessalonians MacArthur New Testament Commentary
    1 & 2 Thessalonians MacArthur New Testament Commentary
    1 & 2 Thessalonians MacArthur New Testament Commentary
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    1 & 2 Thessalonians MacArthur New Testament Commentary

    By John MacArthur

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    Nowhere else than in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians does the apostle Paul deal so extensively with the second coming of Jesus Christ. Understanding this amazing event is key to developing and sustaining the Christian's hope, discipline, and evangelism. Respected preacher and Bible teacher, John MacArthur, presents yet another comprehensive and compelling commentary in his New Testament Series. Readers will find this resource indispensable for their study of these excellent epistles.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMoody Publishers
    Release dateOct 1, 2002
    ISBN9781575677903
    1 & 2 Thessalonians MacArthur New Testament Commentary
    Author

    John MacArthur

    John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, where he has served since 1969. He is known around the world for his verse-by-verse expository preaching and his pulpit ministry via his daily radio program, Grace to You. He has also written or edited nearly four hundred books and study guides. MacArthur is chancellor emeritus of the Master’s Seminary and Master’s University. He and his wife, Patricia, live in Southern California and have four grown children.

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      1 & 2 Thessalonians MacArthur New Testament Commentary - John MacArthur

      God.

      Introduction to

      1 Thessalonians

      In this day of intense interest in prophecy and the end times, there is a tendency to view the Thessalonian epistles merely as treatises on eschatology. But to do so is to overlook the fullness of the riches they contain. They do include important teaching on the end times (e.g., 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19; 3:11–13; 4:13–5:11; 5:23; 2 Thess. 1:7–10; 2:1–12), but only in the context of Paul’s passionate pastoral concern for his beloved Thessalonian flock that they not lose the joy and hope of a sound eschatology (e.g., 1 Thess. 1:2–5; 2:7–8, 11–12, 17–20; 3:1–12; 4:1–12; 2 Thess. 1:3–4, 11–12; 2:13–14, 16–17; 3:5, 16, 18). Therefore, they could more accurately be categorized as church epistles.

      Though he had ministered for only a brief time in Thessalonica, the apostle Paul was thrilled with what was happening in the church there. His letters reflect joy over the spiritual progress the Thessalonians had made in the short time they had been believers:

      We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers. (1 Thess. 1:2)

      For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews. (1 Thess. 2:13–14)

      For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. (1 Thess. 2:19–20)

      For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account? (1 Thess. 3:9)

      Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more. (1 Thess. 4:9–10)

      Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (1 Thess. 5:11)

      We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. (2 Thess. 1:3–4)

      But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. (2 Thess. 2:13)

      The Thessalonian epistles catalog the marks of a healthy, growing church. They give the responsibilities of the leaders to the congregation (1 Thess. 5:12, 14–15); the congregation to the leaders (1 Thess. 5:13, 25–28; 2 Thess. 3:1–2); of believers to grow spiritually (1 Thess. 5:16 –22), stand firm in the midst of persecution (1 Thess. 2:14–16), and live orderly lives (2 Thess. 3:6–13); and the church’s responsibility to discipline sinning members (2 Thess. 3:6, 14–15). They also emphasize the church’s responsibility to reach the lost world with the saving truth of the gospel (1 Thess. 1:8–10).

      THE CITY OF THESSALONICA

      Thessalonica, modern Thessaloniki (formerly Salonika), was the largest and most important city in the Roman province of Macedonia (the northern part of modern Greece). Located at the head of the Thermaic Gulf (the Gulf of Salonica), a branch of the Aegean Sea, Thessalonica was a thriving seaport. Spreading up the slopes of the hills overlooking the harbor, it had a cosmopolitan population of about a quarter of a million people, including native Greeks, Romans, sailors, travelers, tradesmen, and businessmen. Unlike Philippi, which did not have a large enough Jewish population to support a synagogue (cf. Acts 16:13), the Jewish presence in Thessalonica was significant and influential (cf. Acts 17:1, 5–9).

      Perhaps Thessalonica’s greatest asset was its location astride the Egnatian Way, the major east-west highway of the Roman Empire, which ran from what is now Albania to Byzantium (Constantinople; Istanbul). Thessalonica’s main street was part of that great highway linking Rome with the eastern regions of the empire. Noting the importance of Thessalonica’s strategic location on the Egnatian Way to the spread of the gospel, William Barclay writes,

      It is impossible to overstress the importance of the arrival of Christianity in Thessalonica. If Christianity was settled there, it was bound to spread East along the Egnatian Road until all Asia [Minor] was conquered and West until it stormed even the city of Rome. The coming of Christianity to Thessalonica was crucial in the making of it into a world religion. (The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. Rev. ed. [Louisville, Ky.: Westminster, 1975], 181)

      Thessalonica was founded about 315 B.C. by Cassander, one of Alexander the Great’s generals, who became king of Macedonia after the latter’s death. He named the new settlement, built on the site of an older town named Therme (presumably because of nearby hot springs), after his wife, the half-sister of Alexander the Great. When the Romans conquered Macedonia (168 B.C.) and divided it into four republics, they made Thessalonica the capital of one of them. And when all of Macedonia became a Roman province (148 B.C.), Thessalonica became its capital. The city was wise (or fortunate) enough to back Antony and Octavian in their successful campaign against Brutus and Cassius. As a reward, it was made a free city in 42 B.C. As such, although it was the seat of the Roman governor, the city was not occupied by Roman troops. It remained largely a Greek city, unlike Philippi, which was heavily influenced by Roman laws and customs. As a free city, Thessalonica also enjoyed freedom from certain taxes. But most important, the city was granted a large measure of self-government; its people chose their own magistrates, known as politarchs (city authorities; Acts 17:6). Though skeptics once questioned Luke’s use of that term, numerous inscriptions have verified its accuracy.

      Thessalonica is one of the few cities visited by Paul that has existed continuously from his day to modern times. According to tradition, Paul’s traveling companion Gaius was the first bishop of Thessalonica. He is one of several Thessalonians mentioned in Scripture (Acts 19:29; the Gaius mentioned in Acts 20:4 is apparently a different individual). Other Thessalonians who ministered with Paul include Aristarchus (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2), Secundus (Acts 20:4), and possibly Demas (2 Tim. 4:10).

      Thessalonica was the second most important city in the Byzantine Empire, after Constantinople. A famous incident in the city’s history took place in A.D. 390 when Emperor Theodosius ordered the massacre of several thousand of its inhabitants following a riot. For that barbarous act the church father Ambrose denied him communion until he publicly repented. The city survived repeated attacks over the centuries from the Avars, Slavs, Arabs, Bulgarians, Saracens, Normans, and Ottoman Turks. The Nazis captured it in 1941, then deported and executed most of its 60,000 Jews. Today Thessalonica (Thessaloniki) remains one of Greece’s most important cities, with a population of nearly 400,000.

      THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH AT THESSALONICA

      Paul first came to Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. After traveling west across Asia Minor to the region known as Mysia, the apostle and his entourage reached an impasse. They had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach in the province of Asia (to the south of Mysia), and their attempt to turn north into Bithynia was similarly blocked. With no other way to proceed, they went to Troas, a city on the Aegean Sea. There Paul saw a vision of a Macedonian imploring him to come to that province and preach the gospel (Acts 16:6–10). Crossing the Aegean Sea, they came to Philippi, where Paul’s fearless preaching of the gospel sparked a riot. As a result, he and Silas were seized, beaten, and placed in stocks in the city’s jail. God miraculously released them by means of an earthquake, as a result of which the jailer came to faith in Christ. Horrified at the realization that they had beaten Roman citizens without benefit of a trial (an act that could have had serious repercussions both for them and their city), the magistrates begged Paul and Silas to leave Philippi.

      In what must have been an excruciatingly painful journey, the battered preachers made the one-hundred-mile journey along the Egnatian Way toward Thessalonica. They apparently spent the night at Amphipolis and again at Apollonia, not preaching in those cities because there were no Jewish synagogues. As he customarily did, Paul began his ministry in Thessalonica by preaching the gospel in the synagogue there. He spent three Sabbaths arguing from the Old Testament Scriptures that the Messiah had to die and rise from the dead. Such revolutionary teaching contradicted the prevailing Jewish view of the Messiah as a political and military deliverer who would rescue Israel from her oppressors. Paul further proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah. As a result of the apostle’s powerful preaching, some Jews, a larger number of Gentile proselytes, and even some of the upper-class Greek women believed the gospel.

      Paul most likely stayed longer in Thessalonica than the three Sabbaths Luke mentioned (Acts 17:2). In 1 Thessalonians 2:9 and 2 Thessalonians 3:8, Paul reminded his readers that he had worked to support himself while in their city so as not to be a burden. He would not have needed to do that if he were only there for two or three weeks, nor would he have become a burden to them in such a short time. While some of the Gentile converts were Jewish proselytes who attended the synagogue, many others were converted directly from their pagan idol worship (1 Thess. 1:9). That implies that Paul had a ministry in Thessalonica outside of the synagogue, as he did in Corinth (Acts 18:4–7). The depth of the pastoral care Paul gave the Thessalonian converts (cf. 1 Thess. 2:11–12) and the deep affection that developed between them (cf. 1 Thess. 2:8; 3:6–10) also suggest a longer stay. The size and vitality of the church when Paul left implies that it had not just separated from the synagogue. Finally, and most significant, the Philippians twice sent Paul a gift during his stay in Thessalonica (Phil. 4:16). They would not likely have sent a second gift if he had only stayed a couple of weeks.

      As they jealously watched Paul’s success at winning Gentile proselytes to Christ, the Jews’ smoldering resentment burst into flame. Gathering a gang of thugs from the marketplace, they assaulted Jason’s house, looking for the Christian preachers. When they could not find them, the frustrated Jews seized Jason and some of the other Christians and hauled them before the politarchs. The false charge of treason (they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus; Acts 17:7) was an exceedingly dangerous one, calculated to [stir] up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things (Acts 17:8). The people and the politarchs knew all too well that

      the very suggestion of treason against the Emperors often proved fatal to the accused; and it compelled the politarchs to take steps, for, if they failed to do so, they became exposed to a charge of treason, as having taken too little care for the honour of the Emperor. Many a man was ruined by such a charge under the earlier Emperors. (Sir William M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen. [Reprint; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975], 229–30)

      The threat to Thessalonica’s status as a free city was significant; if they failed to maintain order, the Romans would intervene.

      Showing a commendable concern for justice, however, the politarchs merely took a pledge, or bond, from Jason and the others and released them. Sir William Ramsay notes that the step taken by the politarchs was the mildest that was prudent in the circumstances: they bound the accused over in security that peace should be kept (St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, 230). Since Jason and the other believers would forfeit that bond if the Jews stirred up any more trouble, Paul and Silas had to leave Thessalonica.

      THE OCCASION OF 1 THESSALONIANS

      After being forced to leave Thessalonica, the missionary team traveled to Berea, about fifty miles away. There they had a successful ministry until Jews from Thessalonica arrived, stirred up trouble, and Paul was again forced to leave. This time, however, Silas and Timothy were able to stay behind. From Berea, Paul went to Athens, where they later rejoined him (cf. Acts 17:15).

      Though forcibly separated from the Thessalonians, Paul was deeply concerned about them. The apostle expressed the anguish he felt in 1 Thessalonians 2:17–18: But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us. So great was his concern that he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica—even though that left him to face the formidable task of evangelizing Athens by himself (he also sent Silas from Athens to Macedonia, possibly to Philippi; cf. Acts 18:5):

      Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith…. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. (1 Thess. 3:1–2, 5)

      To Paul’s immense relief and joy, Timothy brought an encouraging report about the situation in Thessalonica when he met Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:5), where the apostle went after he left Athens (Acts 18:1):

      But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account? (1 Thess. 3:6–9)

      But though Timothy’s report was on the whole encouraging, there were some issues at Thessalonica that concerned Paul. Because the persecution that drove the missionaries out of Thessalonica had not abated, the church needed encouragement to stand firm (1:2–10; 2:13–16). Further, enemies of the truth were spreading lies and slander about Paul and his companions. They claimed the Christian preachers were only in it to make money and build their reputations. Further, they insinuated that after stirring up trouble the missionaries fled the scene, leaving their duped converts to face the consequences alone. They may even have argued that the missionaries’ failure to appear before the politarchs was a tacit admission of guilt. Paul’s failure to return to Thessalonica may have been advanced as proof that he really did not care about the Thessalonian believers. To counter their insidious lies and slander, Paul vigorously defended his, Silas’s, and Timothy’s integrity (2:1–12). He was also concerned that the new converts not slip back into the pagan immorality so prevalent in their culture (4:1–8). The apostle also was concerned about the Thessalonians’ reputation with those outside the church; therefore, he encouraged them to continue to love each other fervently and to work diligently (4:9–12). The letter also corrects a wrong understanding about the end times (4:13–5:11), and instructs the Thessalonian congregation in the basics of Christian living (5:12–22).

      THE AUTHOR OF 1 THESSALONIANS

      The letter twice claims to have been written by Paul (1:1; 2:18), harmonizes with the Acts account of his travels (2:1–2; 3:1–2; Acts 16–18), and contains many intimate details about him. The letter shows clear evidence of having been written early in church history, during Paul’s lifetime. There is no reference to church organization or a specialized ministry; only the general reference in 5:12 to those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction. Nor would a forger, writing long after Paul’s death, have allowed for the possibility that Christ could return during the apostle’s lifetime (4:15, 17). The vocabulary is consistent with Paul’s other inspired letters (cf. William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981], 20–21).

      The testimony of the early church also strongly supports the Pauline authorship of 1 Thessalonians. The Muratorian Canon (c. A.D. 170) and the church fathers Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria all affirmed Paul’s authorship. Even the heretic Marcion, who denied that Paul wrote several of his other letters, acknowledged the genuineness of 1 Thessalonians. The church historian Eusebius, writing early in the fourth century, also included 1 Thessalonians among Paul’s epistles.

      THE DATE AND PLACE OF THE WRITING OF 1 THESSALONIANS

      Paul wrote this epistle from Corinth where he went, as noted above, after he left Athens. Timothy, having been sent back to check on the situation at Thessalonica, met Paul in Corinth and delivered his report (Acts 18:5; 1 Thess. 3:6). Paul’s inclusion of Silas in the greeting of the letter indicates it was written on his second missionary journey, since Silas did not accompany him on his third journey (Silas is not mentioned in Acts after 18:5).

      Paul’s stay in Corinth can be correlated with Gallio’s term as proconsul (Acts 18:12). An inscription found at Delphi, not far from Corinth, refers to Gallio as proconsul at Corinth in early A.D. 52. Since proconsuls took office during the summer, Gallio would have commenced his term in the summer of A.D. 51. Paul’s trial before Gallio (Acts 18:12–17) probably took place shortly after he assumed office. Since Paul had apparently been in Corinth for some time before Gallio arrived, and wrote 1 Thessalonians shortly after his arrival in Corinth, the epistle was probably written late in A.D. 50 or early in A.D. 51.

      OUTLINE

      Paul’s Salutation (1:1)

      Paul’s Pastoral Care (1:2–3:13)

      Describing his thankfulness (1:2–10)

      Defending his integrity (2:1–16)

      Defining his concerns (2:17–3:13)

      Paul’s Practical Instruction (4:1–5:22)

      Moral purity (4:1–8)

      Disciplined living (4:9–12)

      The Rapture (4:13–18)

      The Day of the Lord (5:1–11)

      Church relationships (5:12–15)

      Basic Christian living (5:16–22)

      Paul’s Benediction and Closing Admonition (5:23–28)

      Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. (1:1–10)

      The Thessalonians, like all believers, were the elect of God. That reality caused the apostle Paul to begin his first letter to them by simply pouring out his thanks for the divine gift of their saving faith. The only way believers can discern that someone is elect is after God has regenerated and sanctified that soul. Paul did not know the eternal, elective decree of God, but he could see whose lives gave evidence of genuine salvation (cf. 2:13).

      Paul suffered constantly and extremely for the cause of Christ, and he carried on his shoulders an overwhelming burden of responsibility and care for all the churches. He described his burden to the Corinthian church this way:

      Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. (2 Cor. 11:24–28)

      In view of such severe suffering amid heavy responsibilities, it must have been refreshing and exhilarating for Paul to minister to the Thessalonian elect, whom in this letter he deemed worthy of nothing but commendation and encouragement. In the situation he experienced at Thessalonica, the believers displayed many characteristics that reliably identify the elect. He began his first letter to them with a recognition of those virtues. He arranged them under two categories: the Thessalonians’ present condition (a faith that works, a love that labors, a steadfastness of hope) and their past conversion (a reception of the gospel in power and the Holy Spirit, a genuine imitation of the Lord, a joyful endurance in tribulation, a behavior that exemplifies all believers, a proclamation of the Word everywhere, a total transformation from idolatry, and an expectant looking for the return of Christ). Between those two lists Paul paused in verse 4 to affirm his understanding that the church in Thessalonica was elect. Before that, as usual, he opened the letter with identifying words of greeting for his beloved friends.

      PAUL’S GREETING

      Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; (1:1–2)

      Though Paul was the most influential apostle of the early church, in his greeting to the Thessalonians, he did not identify himself as an apostle. Apparently in the Macedonian churches, his apostleship was never in question, because in neither of his letters to the church at Thessalonica, nor in his letter to Philippi, did he begin by identifying himself as an apostle. Those churches had not questioned his apostolic status, although he would later defend his integrity and sincerity (1 Thess. 2:1–6). Here he simply and humbly identified himself as Paul. And in the same attitude of humility he linked his co-laborers Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy to himself as if they were all equals.

      Silas, probably a Hellenistic Jew, was a prominent member of the Jerusalem church who first accompanied Paul on the apostle’s second missionary journey (Acts 15:40) and later was a scribe for Peter (cf. 1 Peter 5:12). Timothy was a native of Lystra (Acts 16:1–3), a city in Asia Minor. He was Paul’s son in the faith (1 Cor. 4:17; Phil. 2:22; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; 2:1) and protégé. He toured with Paul on the second and third missionary journeys and remained near the apostle during Paul’s first incarceration in Rome (cf. Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; Philem. 1). Later Timothy served the church at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3) and was himself imprisoned (Heb. 13:23). At the end of Paul’s life, when Timothy was in Ephesus, he wrote the two inspired letters to him.

      All three men knew the Thessalonian believers well. They founded the church in Thessalonica (Acts 17:4), and Timothy later checked on its well-being and brought back a positive report to Paul (1 Thess. 3:6). Be cause the Thessalonians were precious to all three of them, Paul included his coworkers’ names in the greeting.

      Paul’s use of the Greek word translated church (ekklēsia) emphasizes the reality of the Thessalonians’ election. Ekklēsia is related to the phrase ek kaleō, to call out, and means the called out ones, or it can mean the elect ones, especially when connected with the phrase His choice of you (v. 4), which is specific. Paul was certain that the Thessalonians were among God’s elect because he had seen the evidence of their transformation.

      The apostle elaborated on the nature of the church with the somewhat unusual but wonderful expression in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, which demonstrates the Thessalonians’ vital and inextricable union with God and Christ (cf. 2:14; 2 Thess. 1:1). They participated in the very life of God and the life of Christ. There is an indivisible spiritual union between Christ and His own. In his New Testament letters, Paul taught that believers do not simply believe facts about Jesus Christ, but that they are in Him. He told the Galatians, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). For you have died, he reminded the Colossians, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). That is the inexplicable and incomprehensible mystery of what it is to be a Christian—that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9, 11; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1:14) live within the believer and the believer lives in them in a sharing of divine and eternal life.

      Significantly, in this profound statement in verse 1, Paul used the preposition in just once. Modifying the phrase God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ with a single preposition emphasizes the equality of essence between Father and Son. It is also worth noting here that Paul used the Savior’s full title, the Lord Jesus Christ. That combines in one phrase all the major aspects of His redemptive work. Lord describes Him as creator and sovereign ruler, the One who made us, bought us, rules over us, and to whom we owe full allegiance. Jesus (Jehovah saves) refers to His humanity; it was the name given Him at His birth (Matt. 1:21, 25). Christ (the anointed one) is the Greek term for the Messiah, the one promised by God to fulfill His plan of redemption.

      Paul continued the salutation with his common greeting Grace to you and peace (cf., for example, 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2). Grace is God’s undeserved favor to the sinner in the form of complete forgiveness of sin and the granting of eternal life, and peace is the result of that amazing gift of love. Paul desired that the Thessalonians would continually experience the fullness of God’s grace. They would then possess not only an unending peace with God, but an experience of peace in their hearts that always surpassed their human understanding (Phil. 4:7). Grace and peace are Christians’ daily portion—every day they receive divine grace to cover their sins and divine peace to assuage their guilt.

      Because of his sincere wish that the Thessalonians constantly know God’s grace and peace, it was understandable for the apostle Paul and his companions to give thanks to God always for all of them, making mention of them in their prayers (v. 2). Paul, Silas, and Timothy thanked God continually for all of them because all the Thessalonian believers were the elect of God.

      The Thessalonians, because they were elect, were living for the honor of Christ. The apostle underscored his thankfulness for that reality by listing the first three qualities that proved God’s sovereign choice of them, which were manifest in their sanctification.

      THEIR PRESENT CONDITION

      constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, (1:3)

      Here begins Paul’s litany of praise to God for the evidence of salvation the Thessalonians presently displayed. He thanked God for their faith that worked, labor that loved, and hope that endured. This trio of Christian virtues was a favorite of Paul’s (cf. 1 Cor. 13:13; Col. 1:4–5; 1 Thess. 5:8).

      A FAITH THAT WORKED

      constantly bearing in mind your work of faith (1:3a)

      Paul was constantly bearing in mind, or remembering, in thankful prayer these foundational spiritual qualities, the first of which was the Thessalonians’ work of faith. A true saving belief in Jesus Christ will always result in the mighty work of God that produces change in one’s nature or disposition. A work of faith is action representative of the transforming power of regeneration (2 Cor. 5:17). Simply stated, the elect engage in holy, righteous deeds to the honor of God. Work is the Greek word ergon, which refers to the deed, achievement, or function itself. Paul was confident of the Thessalonians’ election because their faith—the authentic saving and sanctifying gift from God—was producing righteous deeds in their lives.

      Paul’s words here, however, do not in any way contradict his clear teaching elsewhere that salvation is by faith alone, apart from any human works. For example, in Romans 3:20–21 he declares, By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested. Paul goes on to assert that sinners are justified as a gift by His [God’s] grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith (vv. 24–25; cf. 4:4; 5:1; Eph. 2:8–9).

      However, the New Testament also stresses the active side of faith—salvation will necessarily produce holy conduct. Such teaching is not opposed to justification by faith alone through grace alone and, when properly understood, actually complements that doctrine. Paul is unequivocal early in the book of Romans that works flow from saving faith: [God] will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life (2:6–7). This does not mean people can earn salvation because of their good works, but rather that those works verify the reality of their faith.

      Paul instructed the Ephesians, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:8–10). And the reason believers perform good deeds is because God is at work in them (Phil. 2:13).

      Paul described the believer’s transformation as going from one kind of slavery to another:

      Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness…. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. (Rom. 6:16–18, 21–22)

      The apostle James also taught that good works must be present in the lives of those who profess faith in Christ; otherwise that profession is not genuine.

      But someone may well say, You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected…. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:18–22, 26)

      Believers will sometimes disobey God’s commands and fail to do His will, but they will always long to obey (Rom. 7:18–20) and will manifest some true spiritual fruit of obedience (cf. John 15:5). Genuine saving faith is by definition powerfully inclined toward obedience to God, which leads inevitably to the work of faith Paul commended the Thessalonians for.

      A LOVE THAT LABORED

      and labor of love (1:36)

      The second identifying mark of the elect is their labor of love.

      True Christians minister motivated by their love for others. Loving even one’s enemies is an expression of the power of salvation (cf. Matt. 5:44; Gal. 6:10). Loving other believers is also evidence of salvation, as 4:9 explicitly states, Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. Peter affirmed this reality: Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart (1 Peter 1:22). The apostle John expressed this truth also when he wrote, The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him (1 John 2:10). He went on to state that such love is definitive evidence of salvation: We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death (3:14; cf. John 13:35; 1 John 2:9, 11; 3:10; 4:20). This love is part of the fruit of the Spirit produced in those led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Labor is the Greek word kopos, which denotes an arduous, wearying kind of toil, done to the point of exhaustion. Unlike ergon (work), which focuses on the deed itself, kopos looks at the effort expended in accomplishing a particular deed. It is an effort that strains all of one’s energies to the maximum level. The noblest, most altruistic and selfless form of love (agape) motivates this kind of spiritual effort. The apostle Paul referred to the spiritual effort believers make as they work to advance divine truth and the kingdom of the Lord because they sincerely love people.

      Furthermore, beyond loving unbelievers and believers, Romans 8:28 identifies the elect—people included in God’s eternal, saving purpose—as those who love God. That is a basic characteristic of anyone who savingly worships the true and living God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is the real reason they love others:

      Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath and holds fast My covenant. (Isa. 56:6)

      But just as it is written, Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Cor. 2:9)

      But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. (1 Cor. 8:3)

      Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. (Eph. 6:24)

      Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12)

      For a detailed discussion of this love for God, see Romans 1–8, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1991), 483–85.

      Authentic Christianity has always been defined by loving Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:14 Paul says, The love of Christ controls us (cf. Gal. 5:6). Those who are indifferent to that concern are on their way to hell, unless they repent: If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed (1 Cor. 16:22). The Thessalonian believers’ labor of love was therefore another mark of their election (cf. 2 Thess. 1:11).

      A HOPE THAT ENDURED

      and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, (1:3c)

      The third evidence of election is steadfastness of hope. All Christians have a hope in the Lord Jesus Christ—a persevering anticipation of seeing His future glory and receiving their eternal inheritance.

      The redeemed look for the glorious future appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ (see the discussion of 1:10 later in this chapter). Paul stated that salvation instructs believers in that hope: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:11–13).

      The apostle could encourage and teach others regarding this great hope (Rom. 5:1–2; Eph. 1:11; Col. 1:27) because he was so confident of it in his own life: In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8).

      Peter opened his first epistle with announcement of the blessing of God that transcends all blessings—a living hope, … an inheritance … in heaven for you, … protected by the power of God, … at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3–7). This hope is the same hope Paul referred to when he wrote, For in hope we have been saved (Rom. 8:24).

      Steadfastness is from the Greek word hupomonē, which conveys the idea of endurance or perseverance; literally, it denotes the condition of staying under pressure. It is closely related to the theological concept the Reformers called the perseverance of the saints (cf. Rom. 2:7; 2 Thess. 1:4; Rev. 14:12)—that is, Christians will hold fast

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