Page 12 - Pauline Epistles Student Textbook

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Or it could be a “marker of close association within a limit.” “ Gene L. Green, in quoting F. F. Bruce,
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suggests that it means participation “in Christ’s risen life or their membership in his body.” Based
on biblical theology, the church was founded by Jesus who is fully God (Matt. 16:18) whose
existence and growth into Christlikeness depends on Jesus (Eph. 4:15-16). By the time Paul wrote to
them, that church was fully functioning. Paul was reminding the church that their faith was a result
of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives. For that work, Paul not only thanked God but also
prayed constantly for the believers in Thessalonica.

It should not be overlooked that in the first verse the deity of the Son is taught. Combining “God the
Father” and “the Lord Jesus Christ” with one preposition demonstrates Jesus’ equality with the
Father and thus his deity. Also, the word, “LORD” or kyrio in Greek, is frequently used in reference
to deity. Christo was the title of Israel’s divine Messiah who would be “God with us” (Isaiah 9:6).
“Grace to you and peace”, which is the Greek order of these words, is a normal Hebrew and Greek
greeting. But Paul added a slight variation to deepen the meaning. Charis or “grace” is a more
endearing greeting than what normally was used (chaiein or “greetings”). This greeting highlighted
the unmerited grace of God to the believer in Christ. Paul follows reminding the readers that not
only had they received a special gift of grace, but that grace resulted in “peace”. This peace came
because the separation from sin was abolished by Christ, and now believers were in communion
with God in a peaceful way. The conflict between man and God was resolved because of the grace
of God!

1 Ground (1 Thess. 1:3)
st

3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

The kind of action for giving thanks is progressive. That is, the verb to “give thanks” is a Present
st
Active Indicative 1 Person Plural. This information is crucial to the correct interpretation of biblical
passages. The present tense of a verb suggests that Paul is continually remembering the church
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before God. The Active voice means Paul is the one doing the remembering. ”

So, Paul and his companions were giving thanks to God on behalf of the Thessalonian believers
continuously. When were they doing that? Whenever the apostles were praying and the way they
were doing that was mentioning them in their prayers (1 Thess. 1:2).

Work Produced by Faith (1 Thess. 1:3a) remembering before our God and Father your work of
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faith (ESV)

They continued to express their thanksgiving to God for them because of their work produced by
faith. Notice that Paul did not give much detail concerning what this work was. Based on 1
Thessalonians 1:9, the work produced by faith could be that consistent application and
communication of the gospel which Paul proclaimed to them. As a result, they were progressively
giving birth to visible change which might have included standing firm through afflictions while
trusting in God through Paul’s message that Christians are destined to suffer for Christ’s sake (1
Thess. 3:3a).

21 Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 327.
22 Gene L. Green, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters to the Thessalonians, 85.

23 Ibid.

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