Commentary on 1 Thessalonians
The Christians in Thessalonica endured many persecutions from the Gentiles while the Greeks were still in power, which is what he uses to comfort them. He also remembers the resurrection of the dead, comforting them regarding the loss of their own family members. The prescribed thanksgiving in the preface is a testimony to the piety of the Thessalonians.
Faith stirs one toward the work of good (1 Thess 1:3), love enables one to endure hardships, and hope enables those struggling to endure with patience. Faith stirs one toward labors, and love enables one to persist in hardships.
Knowing, he says, beloved brothers, that the gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power (1 Thess 1:4-5). Not only, he says, did we preach the word to you, but we also demonstrated powers and miracles to you (1 Thess 1:5). Instead of being passed on and proclaimed (1 Thess 1:8).
It was not permitted to us, he says, to be deprived of our boldness toward Christ by the evils in Philippi, but having come to you, we preached the word without shame (1 Thess 2:2). The gospel through which we exhort the afflicted—that is, the resurrection and the recompense within it—is preached not according to error but according to truth (1 Thess 2:4). Instead of being burdensome and oppressive because of demanding the honors which apostles of Christ ought to receive (1 Thess 2:7). He did not say that no one should complain, so that he might not be accused of glorying, but...
Greek
Fragmenta in epistulam i ad Thessalonicenses (in catenis) 1 Thess: Prolog Πολλοὺς ὑπέμειναν διωγμοὺς οἱ ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ Χριστιανοὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πιστεύσαντες ὑπὸ τῶν ἔτι Ἑλλήνων ὄντων, ἐφ' οἷς αὐτοὺς παραμυθεῖται. μέμνηται δὲ καὶ τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως παραμυθούμενος αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς τῶν οἰκείων ἀποβολαῖς. ἡ δὲ προτεταγμένη τοῦ προοιμίου εὐχαριστία τῷ θεῷ μαρτυρία ἐστὶ τῆς τῶν Θεσσαλονικέων εὐλαβείας. 1 Thess 1,3 Ἡ μὲν πίστις ἐγείρει πρὸς ἔργον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη παραμένειν ποιεῖ τοῖς πόνοις, ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς ὑπομένειν ποιεῖ μετὰ μακροθυμίας τοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους. Καὶ ἡ μὲν πίστις ἐγείρει πρὸς καμάτους, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη ἐπιμένειν ποιεῖ τοῖς πόνοις. 329 1 Thess 1,4®5 Εἰδότες, φησίν, ἀδελφοὶ ἠγαπημένοι, ὅτι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον οὐκ ἐγενήθη εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν λόγῳ μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν δυνάμει. οὐ μόνον, φησίν, ἐκηρύξαμεν ὑμῖν τὸν λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυνάμεις καὶ θαυματουργίας ὑμῖν ἐπεδείξαμεν. 1 Thess 1,8 Ἀντὶ τοῦ διαδίδοται καὶ διαβεβόηται. 1 Thess 2,2 Οὐκ ἀφείλετο ἡμῶν, φησί, τὰ ἐν Φιλίπποις κακὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν παρρησίαν, ἀλλ' ἐλθόντες πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀδεῶς ἐκηρύξαμεν τὸν λόγον. 1 Thess 2,4 Τὸ εὐαγγέλιον δι' οὗ παρακαλοῦμεν τοὺς θλιβομένους, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ἐν αὐτῇ μισθαποδοσία οὐ κατὰ πλάνην ἀλλὰ κατ' ἀλήθειαν κηρύττεται. 1 Thess 2,7 Ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπιβαρεῖς καὶ ἐπαχθεῖς διὰ τὸ ἀπαιτεῖν τιμὰς ἃς δεῖ τιμᾶσθαι ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ. 1 Thess 3,3 Οὐκ εἶπεν τὸ μηδένα ὀκλάζειν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ κατηγορεῖν, ἀλλ'