Fathers

1 Thessalonians 1

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Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

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What the Fathers say

1 Thessalonians 1:3

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"Remembering without ceasing," he says, "your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father." What is remembering without ceasing? Either remembering before God and the Father, or remembering your labor of love that is before God and the Father, or simply, "Remembering you without ceasing." Then again, that you may not think that this "remembering you without ceasing" is said simply, he has added, "before our God and Father." And because no one amongst men was praising their …

Homily on 1 Thessalonians 1 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Not only, he says, do I remember you in prayers, but also at every other time. This is proof of his fervent love. That is, your steadfastness. For the essence of faith is to stand firm, and not merely to boast of faith in words. What labor is it to love? Simply to love is no labor; but to love truly is a great labor. For if someone endures all things for the sake of a beloved person, how is this not labor? And the Thessalonians indeed suffered much out of love for Paul, as can be seen from the book of Acts (Acts 17:5). …

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, "remembering... your work of faith," Paul mentions the blessings for which he offers thanks, that is, faith, hope, and charity: "So faith, hope, love abide, these three" (1 Cor. 13:13). First, he mentions faith because it is an essential condition for obtaining the things to be hoped for, a means of revelation not based on appearances: "For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" (Heb. 11:6). …

Commentary on 1 Thessalonians ↗