Notes for “The Good Imitators of the Lord” Sermon
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
April 24, 2022

“… both letters name Paul, Silas, and Timothy as the authors of the letters. Yet the letters are traditionally ascribed to Paul alone. Is this fair? Many scholars answer no. They note the way the first-person plural [“We”] dominates both letters, even in the thanksgiving section, which does not happen in most of the other Pauline letters, including three of them that name someone else in the salutation (1 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon). The inclusion of more than one person in the salutation of a letter was most unusual in antiquity; readers would probably have read the plural ‘we’ as a genuine indication of authorship. However, there is reason to pause before drawing this conclusion. … Paul is the primary author [cf. 2 Thess. 3:17].” (Carson and Moo, pp. 534-44)

Three characteristics of these Christians stood out to Paul: First, they had turned to Christ in faith. Second, they had served Him out of love. And third, they had borne up under tribulation patiently because of the hope that lay before them. (Constable, 13)

“Here we have first faith, the source of all Christian virtues, secondly love, the sustaining principle of Christian life, lastly hope, the beacon-star guiding us to the life to come.” (Lightfoot, 10).

These three Christian virtues—faith, love, and hope— occupied a large place in early analyses of Christian responsibility. The expectation was that in every life faith would work (Gal 5:6; James 2:18), love would labor (Rev 2:2, 4), and hope would endure (Rom 5:2-4; 8:24, 25). This threefold balance probably arose even before Paul’s doctrinal stance had matured and perhaps came from the teachings of Christ himself." (Thomas, 242)

“The triad of faith, hope and love is the quintessence of the God-given life in Christ.” (Bornkamm, 219)

He [Paul] praises, as he is wont, their faith and other virtues, not so much, however, for the purpose of praising them, as to exhort them to perseverance. For it is no small excitement to eagerness of pursuit, when we reflect that God has adorned us with signal endowments, that he may finish what he has begun, and that we have, under his guidance and direction, advanced in the right course, in order that we may reach the goal. For as a vain confidence in those virtues, which mankind foolishly arrogate to themselves, puffs them up with pride, and makes them careless and indolent for the time to come, so a recognition of the gifts of God humbles pious minds, and stirs them up to anxious concern. Hence, instead of congratulations, he makes use of thanksgivings, that he may put them in mind, that everything in them that he declares to be worthy of praise, is a kindness from God. (Calvin)

“Most of the New Testament writers took for granted that tribulation is the normal experience of Christians (cf. John 16:33; Acts 14:22).” (Constable, 16).

1 Thess. 1:4 Greek
Source: https://scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/NTpdf/1th1.pdf
- ESV: “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” [“that he has” is not in the Greek].
- KJV: “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.” [is much closer to the Greek].
- EklogEn may be translated “election” or “choice;” see https://greeklexicon.org/lexicon/strongs/1589/ and https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/ekloge.
- Translations vary:
- God’s choice of the audience [humOn (pl)] or the audience choosing.
Why did the Thessalonian Church know that God chose them or they chose?

“This is high praise, for in the first place Paul calls no other church a pattern, and in the second he thinks of them as examples, not only to the heathen, but to Christians throughout Greece.” (Morris, 38)

Roman Map
Displayed here by directly pulling content from the source’s website. Source: Visual Unit, https://visualunit.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/roman_empire.png.

“The figure is of an echo that continues indefinitely (perfect tense, eksechetai, ‘rang out’) and implies the persistence of the testimony over an ever-increasing expanse …” (Thomas, 247)

Take your hand and hold it so the palm of your hand is facing toward you. Now turn your hand around. When you turned your hand around, the back side of your hand now faces you, and the palm of your hand automatically turned away from you. Just so, you cannot turn to Christ Jesus without turning from something, my friend. That turning from something is repentance. (McGee 5:377)

Today it seems that the church is telling everyone outside the church to repent. The Bible teaches that it is the people in the church who need to repent [cf. Rev. 2—3]. We need to get down on our faces before God and repent. That is not the message for us to give to the unsaved man down the street. He needs to know that he has a Savior. McGee, (5:378)

“In the last two verses [vv. 9 and 10] we have two words which cover the whole Christian life— ‘serve’ and ‘wait.’” (Ironside, 18)

“This appeal well illustrates the doctrinal teaching of this Epistle. It is thus, ‘Live a holy life, that you may be prepared to meet your Lord.’” (Lightfoot, 16)

“To the extent that the Thessalonians accepted the resurrection as an act of God, it would give them confidence in the prospect of Christ’s coming in power.” (Wanamaker, 87)

Works Cited

Barclay, William. William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible [NT]: 1 Thessalonians 1, https://bibleportal.com/commentary/chapter/william-barclay/1+thessalonians/1.

Bornkamm, Gunther. Paul. Translated by D. M. G. Stalker. New York: Harper, 1971. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf.

Calvin, John. John Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible. “1 Thessalonians 1,” https://bibleportal.com/commentary/chapter/john-calvin/1+thessalonians/1.

Carson, Donald A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf">https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf.

Constable, Thomas. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf.

Ironside, Harry A. Addresses on the First and Second Epistles to Thessalonians. New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1959. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf.

Lightfoot, J. B. Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul. Reprint ed. Winona Lake, Ind.: Alpha Publications, n.d. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf.

McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. 5 vols. Pasadena, Calif.: Thru The Bible Radio; and Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1983. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf

Morris, Leon. The Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians. Tyndale New Testament Commentary series. London: Tyndale Press, 1966. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf

Thomas, Robert L. “1 Thessalonians.” In Ephesians-Philemon. Vol. 11 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf.

Wanamaker, Charles A. The Epistles to the Thessalonians. New International Greek Testament Commentary series. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and Exeter, England: Paternoster Press, 1990. As quoted in Thomas Constable. "Notes on 1 Thessalonians.” 2022 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/1thessalonians.pdf.