Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · 1 Thessalonians Capítulo 1

1 Thessalonians 1:2. From this verse to the end of the third chapter we have the chief business of this Epistle; which was to comfort, strengthen, and establish the Christians at Thessalonica, and to persuade them to persevere under all the discouragements which he, their Apostle, or they themselves, might meet with. In his entrance upon this design, he gives vent to what lay most upon his heart, thanking God for their genuine conversion from idolatry to Christianity, amid so many discouraging circumstances, and begging of God that they might persevere; in which he takes all occasions of speaking well of the Thessalonians, as indeed he does in the general through all this Epistle.

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1 Thessalonians 1:3. Your work of faith, &c.— Some translate it, Your faithful work, and loving labour, and patient hope. Others join the last clause with the first words of the verse, Without ceasing remembering in the sight, &c. but I prefer the sense which arises from the order of the words in the original; in the sight of God even our Father, who beholds them with pleasure.

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1 Thessalonians 1:7. So that ye were ensamples— Τυπους, types; that is, plans, models, of patterns; and, by a metaphor, it is used for an example, or moral pattern. Philippi and Berea were in Macedonia; Athens and Corinth were in Achaia. The Apostle mentions these parts, as he had just been travelling through them, before he came to Corinth.

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1 Thessalonians 1:8. For from you sounded out the word— It was accounted a great honour for any church, or city, to have the gospel go out from thence. Grotius observes, that many of the Thessalonians were merchants, who travelled through all Greece; and therefore so strange and blessed a piece of news might easily spread through Macedonia and Achaia, as one was so nigh them, and the other had such commerce with them.

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1 Thessalonians 1:9. For they themselves shew of us— "For even our enemies, as well as the Christians, can tell, and do speak of it, not without wonder and astonishment, what uncommon gifts we ourselves had, and communicated unto you, and what a hearty reception we met with on our first arrival."

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