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1 Thessalonians 1:1. Paul and Silouan and Timothy to the church of Thessalonica in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, the church of Thessaloniki in God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” I think that Strength is named Silvanus. For Silas was with Paul in Philippi, and in Thessalonica, and in Berria, and leaving him with the blessed Timothy, the Apostle went to Athens. He expected them to come to him during his stay in Athens; they were with the Apostle when he preached in Corinth. 1 Thessalonians 1:2. We always thank God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers. “We always thank God for all of you, the remembrance of you is creative in our prayers.” We learn to first give thanks for the blessings previously given to us, and then ask for the blessings that are missing. For one can find that the divine Apostle acts this way everywhere. He lets you know why he praises the God of all. 1 Sol.1:3. Constantly remembering your work of faith and labor of love and patience of trust in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father. “Unceasingly remembering your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.” The work of faith is firmness in danger. For faith must not only be shown in times of peace and quiet, but it must also be maintained in times of excitement and storm. Likewise, love contains not only the most pleasant pleasure, but also all-surpassing labor. For one must endure the sins of a brother, even if he hates, or is angry, or is arrogant, or suffers from ingratitude. That is why the Apostle combined work with love and matched patience with hope. The Lord Christ has given us the hope of the resurrection of the dead, immortal life, and the Kingdom of Heaven. But he who has received this hope must wait patiently and courageously endure the sorrows that come his way. Over all this, says the Apostle, the God of all oversees. For this is expressed by the words: “before our God and Father.” 1 Sol.1:4. Knowing your election, brothers beloved by God. 1 Thessalonians 1:5. Because our gospel to you was not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and with much evidence, as you yourselves know, what we were like for you among you. “Knowing, beloved brethren, your election is from God”: “for our gospel did not come to you in word, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in the knowledge of many people, even as it was known, what happened in you for your sake.” You yourself are witnesses to the power of the gospel. For we not only offered you an instructive word, but also proved the truth of the words with miracles. We also communicated to you the grace of which we ourselves are partakers; for this is what the words mean: and “in the Holy Spirit.” And the greatness of the dangers to which we did not yield convinced you that what we offered was Divine. For the words: “what was done in you for your sake” indicate the dangers to which they were exposed for them, offering them a saving sermon. 1 Thessalonians 1:6. And you became imitators of us and the Lord, receiving the word through much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit. “And you became like us and the Lord, receiving the word in great sorrow with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” It is great praise for the Thessalonians to compete with the apostles; but much greater, or rather, the highest of all praises, is to imitate the sufferings of the Master Himself, not to be embarrassed, not to lose heart in danger, but to be filled with spiritual pleasure. 1 Thessalonians 1:7. So you became a model for all believers in Macedonia and Achaia. “For you to be an image to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” He intensified his praise by saying that they became examples of piety for great nations and aroused wonder at their wisdom. 1 Thessalonians 1:8. For from you the word of the Lord spread not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place the glory of your faith in God spread, so that we do not need to talk about anything. 1 Thessalonians 1:9. For they themselves tell about us, what kind of entrance we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God “For the word of the Lord rushed from you not only into Macedonia and Achaia, but also into every place your faith went forth to God.” And what am I saying, the Apostle continues, about Macedonia and Achaia? The fervor of your faith is praised everywhere. This: the word of the Lord rushed from you, he said not in the sense that the sermon began from here, but that their zeal for the Divine, having become known everywhere, moved many to zeal for piety. “Don’t ask us to say what.” “These are the ones who proclaim about us, what kind of entrance we have to you.” Rumor preceded us, and from others we hear what we ourselves wanted to say. For the good fruits of our teaching among you have become known to you. “And as soon as you turn to God from idols, work for God living and in truth.” The divine Apostle clearly taught us how to understand what was said: “that they may know Thee the only true God” (John 17:3). For, not with the Son, but with non-existent gods, comparing the Existing God, the Apostle called Him “living and true.” And he called it alive, because those gods are not “alive”, but “true”, because they are falsely called gods. 1 Thessalonians 1:10. And wait from heaven for His Son, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who will deliver us from the wrath to come. “And wait for His Son from heaven, Who raised Him from the dead, Jesus, who will deliver us from the wrath to come.” Having freed us from idolatry and brought us under His dominion, He commanded us, says the Apostle, to wait for the Second Coming of the Only Begotten, who will make us not subject to threatening punishment. At the same time, one must know that it was not the Divine nature of the Only Begotten that was resurrected from the dead (it is impassive) and Jesus is not another Son other than the Only Begotten Son, but the Same One; He suffered as a man and rose again as a man. You might be interested in: