Chapter 1

Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians — Chapter One

¹ Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy. When the Apostle Paul writes to the Thessalonians, he ranks Timothy together with himself. Yet when writing to the Ephesians he does not do so, although Timothy was known to them. It seems to me that to the Ephesians he was about to send him at once, and so it was needless to proclaim as author of the letter the very man who would deliver it; but here it was otherwise, for Timothy had returned from Thessalonica, and so with good reason he ranks him together with himself. He places Silvanus before Timothy, perhaps because Timothy asked this out of humility, imitating his teacher Paul, who numbers his disciples together with himself. And Paul here calls himself neither apostle nor servant, as was his custom, because they were newly catechized and had not yet had sufficient experience of him; it was not yet fitting, then, to make mention of his dignity.

² To the Church of the Thessalonians. Even though the Thessalonians were few, and had not yet been firmly constituted, he nevertheless calls them a Church, encouraging them by the name; for the name of “Church” for the most part signifies a multitude.

³ In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Since there were both Greek and Jewish assemblies, distinguishing this one from those, he says: To the Church that is in God the Father. And it is a great dignity to be in God. For if anyone is a slave of sin, he is not in God. And note the word “in” set down of both the Father and the Son.[1]

⁴ Grace unto you, and peace. He prays for them that they may advance still more in the divine gifts, but may also have peace, not being puffed up against one another.[2]

⁵ We give thanks to God always concerning you all. At once the prologue begins from praise. For by giving thanks to God on their behalf, he shows that they had accomplished such things as glorify God. And at the same time he teaches humility, since it is God who works the whole.

⁶ Making mention of you in our prayers. To give thanks to God comes from their good deeds; but to remember them in his prayers comes from his love for them.

⁷ Unceasingly remembering you. Not only, he says, do I remember you in my prayers, but at every other time as well. And this is a token of his intense love.

⁸ Your work of faith. That is, of your steadfastness. For this is a work of faith: to stand firmly, not merely to boast of faith in words.

⁹ And the labor of love. What labor is there in loving? To love simply, none at all; but to love genuinely, much labor. For when someone endures all things for the sake of the one he loves, how is this not labor? The Thessalonians, then, also suffered much for their love toward Paul, as you will learn from the book of Acts.[3]

¹⁰ And the patience of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. You endured, he says, many and long trials; and you endured them strengthened by hope. For with full assurance they believed in the prizes laid up; and since God permitted them to be tried at the very beginning, that no one might say that the preaching was established by deceit and flattery, and that it might be shown that it was not human persuasion, but the power of God, that was persuading their souls.

¹¹ Before our God and Father. You will understand this in two ways: either, “remembering you before our God and Father”; or, “the work of faith, which is before God.” For do not think that you labor without profit, but all things are before God; so that He will also render the rewards.

¹² Knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. We remember you, he says, because we know that you have been chosen by God; for you were chosen unto the faith beyond the many. And whence is this plain, O Paul? Listen, he says, to what follows.

¹³ That our Gospel came not unto you in word only. From this, he says, it is plain that you are elect: from God’s having glorified the preaching among you. For we did not simply preach in this way, but signs also took place, since God was altogether well pleased that you should believe, as being elect and foreordained to Him.

¹⁴ But also in power. That is, in signs, which came about both for the benefit of the well-disposed and for the chastisement of the ill-disposed.

¹⁵ And in the Holy Spirit. Either that it was in spiritual wisdom, not in the wisdom that is outside; or that the Holy Spirit was given to those who believed.

¹⁶ And in much assurance. That is, also in hardships and afflictions. For just as the signs and the supply of the Spirit came about for the full assurance of those who had believed, so also the afflictions endured for the preaching’s sake are a great confirmation of it.

¹⁷ As you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. You yourselves, he says, are witnesses how we conducted ourselves among you, and that we preached with much zeal; but this too was for your sake. For because you were elect, on this account we were earnest in all things on your behalf; for what would one not suffer for the beloved of God? And here he touches upon his own achievements as well, though in a veiled way; for he wishes first to praise them.

¹⁸ And you became imitators of us and of the Lord. He braces them both by praising them and by reminding them that they too were not left behind him in dangers. And, ah, what an encomium—to become imitators of the teacher at once, and not only of him but also of the Lord! And how did they become imitators of the Lord? Because He too, though He suffered much, rejoiced; for He came to this willingly, so as even to say to the Father, Glorify Me.[4]

¹⁹ Having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit. Not simply with affliction did you receive the word, but with much—that is, with dangers. And this too you will learn from the Acts. Yet this affliction, that is, these dangers, you welcomed with rejoicing. And explaining how it is possible to rejoice in affliction, he names its cause—the joy of the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit did not allow you to grieve; rather, the pain was in the body, but the joy was given by the Spirit. For just as the young men in the flame were bedewed by the whistling Spirit, so also the Spirit made you rejoice amid the dangers, foreshowing to you the recompense to come. And observe that one then becomes an imitator of the Lord, when he endures dangers with the joy of the Holy Spirit.[5][6]

²⁰ So that you became types to all who believe in Macedonia and Achaia. And yet Paul came to these later; but you shone forth, he says, so as to become teachers of those who came before you. And this too is an imitation of Paul; for he also, though he came later, surpassed all. And observe: he did not say, “You became types so as to bring men to believe,” but, “To those who had already believed you became a type” of how one ought to believe—that is, with fervor and with readiness for dangers. And by Achaia he means Greece.

²¹ For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth. That is, the report of your virtue made the preaching heard abroad by all, and showed you to be the instructors of all. And the word “has sounded forth” is as of a trumpet ringing out brightly and reaching afar.

²² Not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone out. Macedonia, he says, and Greece you filled with the word and the teaching by your own example; but as for the wonder of it, in every way—how in so short a time you displayed so great a faith. And as though speaking of some living thing, he said has gone out.[7]

²³ So that we have no need to say anything. So vehement and active is the report of your faith, that men do not even wait for us to say anything about you; but as often as we set out to speak, in order to spur the others on to an equal zeal, they anticipate us, recounting your good deeds.

²⁴ For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entrance we had unto you. That is, that our coming to you was full of countless deaths, yet you were not scandalized at us. But you also, having fallen into dangers for our sake, did not turn away from us, but so held fast to us as though you had enjoyed countless good things. And this was a second entrance. For going off to Beroea he was persecuted; and coming thence, he was so received that they would even lay down their lives for him.

²⁵ And how you turned to God from the idols, to serve a living and true God. That is, that you did so readily, and with much vehemence. And here he introduces, less burdensomely, an exhortation as well, reminding them tactfully from what things they had passed over to what, that they might also live worthily of themselves.

²⁶ And to await His Son from the heavens (whom He raised from the dead), Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. This too belongs to the same method. For under the form of a narrative he teaches them to await the Son of God. For this is the greatest consolation to the afflicted: that He who suffered has been raised, and is in heaven, and that He will come, and will deliver us who are afflicted from the wrath to come—that is, from the punishment—since we have pleased Him through faith and a blameless manner of life; but on those who afflict us He will not have mercy. And since the hard things are at hand, but the good things are in hope, he bears witness to their great faith, seeing that they await and hope firmly for the things to come.