SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:1
¶ Pablo, y Silvano, y Timoteo, a la Iglesia de los tesalonicenses congregada en Dios, el Padre, y en el Seor Jess el Cristo: Gracia y paz tengis de Dios nuestro Padre y del Seor Jess, el Cristo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 1:1
Verse 1. Paul, and: Silvanus, and Timotheus] Though St. Paul himself dictated this letter, yet he joins the names of Silas and Timothy, because they had been with him at Thessalonica, and were well known there. See Acts xvii. 4, 14. And Silvanus] This was certainly the same as Silas, who was St. Paul's companion in all his journeys through Asia Minor and Greece; see Acts xv. 22; xvi. 19; xvii. 4, 10. Him and Timothy, the apostle took with him into Macedonia, and they continued at Berea when the apostle went from thence to Athens; from this place St. Paul sent for them to come to him speedily, and, though it is not said that they came while he was at Athens, yet it is most probable that they did; after which, having sent them to Thessalonica, he proceeded to Corinth, where they afterwards rejoined him, and from whence he wrote this epistle. See the preface.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus , etc.] These are the persons concerned in this epistle, and who send their greetings and salutations to this church; Paul was the inspired writer of it, and who is called by his bare name, without any additional epithet to it, as elsewhere in his other epistles; where he is either styled the servant, or apostle, or prisoner of Christ, but here only Paul: the reason for it is variously conjectured; either because he was well known by this church, having been lately with them; or lest these young converts should be offended and stumble at any pompous title, which they might imagine carried an appearance of arrogance and pride; or because there were as yet no false apostles among them, who had insinuated anything to the disadvantage of Paul, as in other places, which obliged him to assert his character and magnify his office; or rather because this was the first epistle he wrote, and he being conscious to himself of his own meanness, and that he was the least of the apostles, and unworthy to be called one, chose not to use the title. Silvanus is the same with Silas, who was with the apostle at Thessalonica and at Corinth, when he wrote this epistle; he was originally a member of the church at Jerusalem, and was one of the chief of the brethren there, and a prophet; (see Acts 17:4 18:5) ( Acts 15:22,23), Timothy was also with the apostle at the same place, and was sent back by him from Athens to know their state, and returned to Corinth to him with Silas; he stands last, as being the younger, and perhaps was the apostle's amanuensis, and therefore in modesty writes his name last: the reason of their being mentioned was because, having been with the apostle at this place, they were well known by the church, who would be glad to hear of their welfare; as also to show their continued harmony and consent in the doctrines of the Gospel; they stand in the same order in ( 2 Corinthians 1:19), unto the church of the Thessalonians : which consisted of several of the inhabitants of Thessalonica, both Jews and Gentiles; (see Gill on Acts 17:4), who were called under the ministry of the word by the grace of God, out of darkness into marvellous light, and were separated from the rest of the world, and incorporated into a Gospel church state. This was a particular congregated church of Christ. Some have thought it was not as yet organized, or had proper officers in it; since no mention is made of pastors and deacons, but the contrary is evident from ( 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13), where they are exhorted to know, own, and acknowledge them that laboured among them, and were over them in the Lord, and esteem them highly for their works' sake. This church is said to be in God the Father ; were interested in his love and free favour, as appears by their election of God, ( 1 Thessalonians 1:4), and they were in the faith of God the Father, as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the profession of it, and so were distinguished from an assembly of Heathens that were in the faith of idols, and not of the one true and living God, and especially as the Father of Christ; they were in fellowship with God the Father, and they were drawn by the efficacy of his grace to himself and to his Son, and were gathered together and embodied in a church state under his direction and influence; he was the author of them as a church, and they were plants of Christ's heavenly Father's planting, not to be plucked up; and they were, as the Arabic version renders it, addicted to God the Father; they were devoted to his service; they had his word among them, which they had received not as the word of men, but as the word of God; and his ordinances were duly and faithfully administered among them, and attended on by them: and in the Lord Jesus Christ ; they were chosen in him before the foundation of the world; they were chosen in him as their head and representative; they were in him as members of his body, and as branches in the vine; they were openly in him by the effectual calling and conversion, were in the faith of him, and in the observance of his commands, and in communion with him; and so were distinguished from a Jewish synagogue or congregation: all this being true, at least of the far greater part of them, is said of them all, in a judgment of charity, they being under a profession of the Christian religion: grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ . This is the apostle's usual salutation and wish in all his epistles to the churches; (see Gill on Romans 1:7), the words from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are left out in the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions; and the Arabic version omits the last clause, and the Lord Jesus Christ; and the Ethiopic version only reads, peace be unto you and his grace.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - As all good comes from God, so no good can be hoped for by sinners, but from God in Christ. And the best good may be expected from God, as ou Father, for the sake of Christ. We should pray, not only for ourselves but for others also; remembering them without ceasing. Wherever ther is a true faith, it will work; it will affect both the heart and life Faith works by love; it shows itself in love to God, and love to ou neighbour. And wherever there is a well-grounded hope of eternal life this will appear by the exercise of patience; and it is a sign of sincerity, when in all we do, we seek to approve ourselves to God. By this we may know our election, if we not only speak of the things of God with out lips, but feel their power in our hearts, mortifying ou lusts, weaning us from the world, and raising us up to heavenly things Unless the Spirit of God comes with the word of God, it will be to us dead letter. Thus they entertained it by the power of the Holy Ghost They were fully convinced of the truth of it, so as not to be shaken i mind by objections and doubts; and they were willing to leave all for Christ, and to venture their souls and everlasting condition upon the truth of the gospel revelation.
Greek Textus Receptus
παυλος 3972 και 2532 σιλουανος 4610 και 2532 τιμοθεος 5095 τη 3588 εκκλησια 1577 θεσσαλονικεων 2331 εν 1722 θεω 2316 πατρι 3962 και 2532 κυριω 2962 ιησου 2424 χριστω 5547 χαρις 5485 υμιν 5213 και 2532 ειρηνη 1515 απο 575 θεου 2316 πατρος 3962 ημων 2257 και 2532 κυριου 2962 ιησου 2424 χριστου 5547
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. The address of the first Epistle is shorter than that of any of the Pauline letters. In the other Epistles Paul either indicates the contents of the letter, or adds details concerning the writer or his correspondents, or amplifies the apostolic greeting. The names of Silvanus and Timothy are added to that of Paul as the senders of the letter. They were with him at Corinth when it was written (Acts xviii. 5; 2 Cor. i. 19). They had assisted him in the foundation of the Thessalonian Church (Acts xvi. 1-3; xvii. 4, 10, 14). Paul's official title; "Apostle" is omitted in the addresses of both Epistles, although in 1 Thess. ii. 6 he uses ajpostoloi apostles, including Silvanus and Timothy under that title. The title appears in all the other Epistles except Philippians and Philemon. The reason for its omission in every case appears to have been the intimate and affectionate character of his relations with the parties addressed, which rendered an appeal to his apostolic authority unnecessary. Paul does not confine the name of apostle to the twelve. 7 Silvanus. The Silas of the Acts, where alone the form Silav occurs. By Paul always Silouanov, of which Silav is a contraction, as Loukav from Loukanov. Similar contractions occur in Class., as Alexav for Alexandrov for Alexandrov, and that for Artemidwrov. Silas first appears in Acts xv. 22, as one of the bearers of the letter to the Gentile Christians at Antioch. He accompanied Paul on his second missionary tour, and was left behind with Timothy when Paul departed from Macedonia after his first visit. He was probably a Jewish Christian (see Acts xvi. 20), and was, like Paul, a Roman citizen (Acts xvi. 37, 38). Hence his Roman name. He cannot with any certainty be identified with the Silvanus of 1 Pet. v. 12.
Timothy. Appears in all the Pauline Epistles except Galatians and Ephesians. He was associated with Paul longer than any one of whom we have notice. First mentioned Acts 16;1, ii. comp. 2 Tim. iii. 10, 11. He accompanied Paul on his second missionary tour (Acts xvi. 3), and was one of the founders of the churches in Thessalonica and Philippi. He is often styled by Paul "the brother" (2 Cor. i. 1; Col. i. 1; 1 Thessalonians iii. 2; Philemon 1); with Paul himself "a bondservant of Jesus Christ" (Philip. i. 1); comp. 1 Tim. ii. 18; 2 Tim. i. 2. Paul's confidence in him appears in Philip. ii. 19-22, and is implied in his sending him from Athens to the Thessalonian church to establish and comfort its members (1 Thess. iii. 2). Paul sent him again to Macedonia in company with Erastus (Acts xix. 22), and also to Corinth (1 Corinthians iv. 17). To the Corinthians he writes of Timothy as "his beloved and faithful child in the Lord" who shall remind them of his ways in Christ (1 Cor. iv. 17), and as one who worketh the work of the Lord as he himself (1 Cor. xvi. 10). He joined Paul at Rome, and his name is associated with Paul's in the addresses of the letters to the Colossians and Philemon. In every case where he is mentioned by name with Silvanus, the name of Silvanus precedes.
To the church of the Thessalonians. This form of address appears in 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, 2nd Thessalonians. The other letters are addressed to "the saints, " "the brethren, " "the saints and faithful brethren." The use of the genitive of the national name is peculiar. Comp. 1 Cor. i. 22; 2 Cor. i. 1; Gal. i. 2; Philip. i. 1; Col. i. 2.
The church (ekklhsia). From ejk out, and kalein to call or summon. Originally with a secular meaning, an assembly of citizens regularly summoned. So Acts xix. 39. LXX uses it for the congregation of Israel, either as convened for a definite purpose (1 Kings viii. 65; Deuteronomy iv. 10; xviii. 16), or as a community (2 Chron. i. 3, 5; xxiii. 3; Nehemiah viii. 17). The verbs ejkklhsiazein and ejxekklhsiazein to summon formally, which do not occur in N.T., are found in LXX with sunagwghn gathering, laon people, and presbuterouv elders. Sunagwgh is constantly used in LXX of the children of Israel as a body (Exod. vii. 6, 19, 47; Lev. iv. 13, etc.), and is the more common word in N.T. for a Jewish as distinguished from a Christian assembly; sometimes with the addition of the Jews (Acts viii. 5; xiv. 1; xvii. 1). It is once used of a Christian assembly (Jas. ii. 2). Episunagwgh gathering together, occurs 2 Thessalonians ii. 1; Heb. x. 25. The Ebionites retained sunagwgh in preference to ejkklhsia. The LXX translators found two Hebrew words for "assembly" or "congregation, ": 'edah and qahal, and rendered the former by sunagwgh in the great majority of instances. Ekklhsia does not appear as the rendering of edah. They were not as consistent in rendering qahal, since they used both sunagwgh and ejkklhsia, though the latter was the more frequent: see Lev. iv. 13; Deut. v. 22, etc. The A.V. renders both words by "congregation" and "assembly" indiscriminately. Ekklhsia is only once used in N.T. of a Jewish congregation, Acts vii. 38; yet there are cases where there is an apparent attempt to guard its distinctively Christian sense against being confounded with the unconverted Jewish communities. Hence the addition; ejn Cristw in Christ, Gal. i. 22; ejn qew patri kai, kuriw Ihsou Cristw in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thess. i. 1; comp. 2 Thess. i. 1. In both Hebrew and N.T. usage, ejkklhsia implies a community based on a special religious idea, and established in a special way. In N.T. it is also used in a narrower sense, of a single church, or of a church confined to a single place. So Rom. xvi. 5, etc.
In God the Father, etc. Const. with the church, and comp. 2 Thessalonians i. 1. The phrase "the church in God" is peculiar to the Thessalonian Epistles. Elsewhere "of God" (1 Cor. x. 32; xi. 16, 22; xv. 9, etc.); "of the saints" (1 Cor. xiv. 33). Lightfoot suggests that the word ejkklhsia can scarcely have been stamped with so definite a Christian meaning in the minds of these recent and early converts as to render the addition "in God the Father, " etc., superfluous.
Grace to you and peace (cariv umin kai eirhnh). In Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, the salutation is, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Colossians omits the last five words of this: 2 Thessalonians omits our before Father. On the union of the Greek and Jewish forms of salutation, see on 1 Cor. i. 3.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:1 {Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy} (paulos kai silouanos kai timoqeos). Nominative absolute as customary in letters. Paul associates with himself Silvanus (Silas of Acts, spelled silbanos in D and the papyri), a Jew and Roman citizen, and Timothy, son of Jewish mother and Greek father, one of Paul's converts at Lystra on the first tour. They had both been with Paul at Thessalonica, though Timothy is not mentioned by Luke in Acts in Macedonia till Beroea (#Ac 17:14f.). Timothy had joined Paul in Athens (#1Th 3:1f.), had been sent back to Thessalonica, and with Silas had rejoined Paul in Corinth (#1Th 3:5; Ac 18:5, 2Co 1:19). Silas is the elder and is mentioned first, but neither is in any sense the author of the epistle any more than Sosthenes is co-author of I Corinthians or Timothy of II Corinthians, though Paul may sometimes have them in mind when he uses "we" in the epistle. Paul does not here call himself "apostle" as in the later Epistles, perhaps because his position has not been so vigorously attacked as it was later. Ellicott sees in the absence of the word here a mark of the affectionate relations existing between Paul and the Thessalonians. {Unto the church of the Thessalonians} (tei ekklesiai qessalonikewn). The dative case in address. Note absence of the article with qessalonikewn because a proper name and so definite without it. this is the common use of ekklesia for a local body (church). The word originally meant "assembly" as in #Ac 19:39, but it came to mean an organization for worship whether assembled or unassembled (cf. #Ac 8:3). The only superscription in the oldest Greek manuscripts (Aleph B A) is pros qessalonikeis a ({To the Thessalonians First}). But probably Paul wrote no superscription and certainly he would not write A to it before he had written II Thessalonians (B). His signature at the close was the proof of genuineness (#2Th 3:17) against all spurious claimants (#2Th 2:2). Unfortunately the brittle papyrus on which he wrote easily perished outside of the sand heaps and tombs of Egypt or the lava covered ruins of Herculaneum. What a treasure that autograph would be! {In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ} (en qewi patri kai kuriwi Jsou Christ"i). this church is grounded in (en, with the locative case) and exists in the sphere and power of {God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ}. No article in the Greek, for both qewi patri and kuriwi Jsou Christ"i are treated as proper names. In the very beginning of this first epistle of Paul we meet his Christology. He at once uses the full title, "Lord Jesus Christ," with all the theological content of each word. The name "Jesus" (Savior, #Mt 1:21) he knew, as the "Jesus of history," the personal name of the Man of Galilee, whom he had once persecuted (#Ac 9:5), but whom he at once, after his conversion, proclaimed to be "the Messiah," (ho cristos, #Ac 9:22). this position Paul never changed. In the great sermon at Antioch in Pisidia which Luke has preserved (#Ac 13:23) Paul proved that God fulfilled his promise to Israel by raising up "Jesus as Savior" (swtera iesoun). Now Paul follows the Christian custom by adding cristos (verbal from criw, to anoint) as a proper name to Jesus (Jesus Christ) as later he will often say "Christ Jesus" (#Col 1:1). And he dares also to apply kurios (Lord) to "Jesus Christ," the word appropriated by Claudius (_Dominus_, kurios) and other emperors in the emperor-worship, and also common in the Septuagint for God as in #Ps 32:1f. (quoted by Paul in #Ro 4:8). Paul uses kurios of God (#1Co 3:5) or of Jesus Christ as here. In fact, he more frequently applies it to Christ when not quoting the Old Testament as in #Ro 4:8. And here he places "the Lord Jesus Christ" in the same category and on the same plane with "God the father." There will be growth in Paul's Christology and he will never attain all the knowledge of Christ for which he longs (#Php 3:10-12), but it is patent that here in his first epistle there is no "reduced Christ" for Paul. He took Jesus as "Lord" when he surrendered to Jesus on the Damascus Road: "And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me" (#Ac 22:10). It is impossible to understand Paul without seeing clearly this first and final stand for the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul did not get this view of Jesus from current views of Mithra or of Isis or any other alien faith. The Risen Christ became at once for Paul the Lord of his life. {Grace to you and peace} (caris humin kai eirene). These words, common in Paul's Epistles, bear "the stamp of Paul's experience" (Milligan). They are not commonplace salutations, but the old words "deepened and spiritualised" (Frame). The infinitive (cairein) so common in the papyri letters and seen in the New Testament also (#Ac 15:23; 23:26; Jas 1:1) here gives place to caris, one of the great words of the New Testament (cf. #Joh 1:16f.) and particularly of the Pauline Epistles. Perhaps no one word carries more meaning for Paul's messages than this word caris (from cairw, rejoice) from which carizomai comes. {Peace} (eirene) is more than the Hebrew _shal"m_ so common in salutations. One recalls the "peace" that Christ leaves to us (#Joh 14:27) and the peace of God that passes all understanding (#Php 4:7). this introduction is brief, but rich and gracious and pitches the letter at once on a high plane.
