SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:4
Estando ciertos, hermanos amados, de que sois escogidos de Dios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 1:4
Verse 4. Knowing your election of God.] Being assured, from the doctrine which I have delivered to you, and which God has confirmed by various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, that he has chosen and called the Gentiles to the same privileges to which he chose and called the Jews; and that, as they have rejected the offers of the Gospel, God has now elected the Gentiles in their stead. This is the election which the Thessalonians knew; and of which the apostle treats at large in his Epistle to the Romans, and also in his Epistles to the Galatians and Ephesians. No irrespective, unconditional, eternal, and personal election to everlasting glory, is meant by the apostle. As God had chosen the Jews, whom, because of their obstinate unbelief, he had now rejected; so he had now chosen or elected the Gentiles. And in neither case was there any thing absolute; all was most specifically conditional, as far as their final salvation was concerned; without any merit on their side, they were chosen and called to those blessings which, if rightly used, would lead them to eternal glory. That these blessings could be abused - become finally useless and forfeited, they had an ample proof in the case of the Jews, who, after having been the elect of God for more than 2000 years, were now become reprobates.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God .] Which intends not an election to an office, for this epistle is written not to the officers of the church only, but to the whole church; nor to the Gospel, the outward means of grace, since this was common to them with others, and might be known without the evidence after given; nor does it design the effectual calling, sometimes so called for this is expressed in the following verse as a fruit, effect, and evidence of the election here spoken of, which is no other than the eternal choice of, them to everlasting life and happiness: this is of God, an act of God the Father, made in Christ Jesus before the world began, and which springs from his sovereign will, and is the effect of his pure love and free favour; and therefore these persons who are the objects of it are said to be “beloved of God”; for so the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read the words, and which agree with ( Thessalonians 2:13) for this choice does not arise from the merits of men, or any conditions in them, or from the foresight of their faith, holiness, and good works, but from the free grace and good pleasure of God; and is the source and spring of all grace, and the blessings of it, and even of good works; and is a sure, immutable, and irreversible act of God, being founded on his own will, and not on the works of men; the knowledge they had of this was not what the Thessalonians themselves had, though they might have, and doubtless had the knowledge of this grace, and which may be concluded with certainty from the effectual calling; and is a privilege which many particular believers may, and do arrive unto the knowledge of, without any extraordinary revelation made unto them: but here it intends the knowledge which the apostle and his companions had of the election of the members of this church; not by inspiration of the Spirit of God, but by the manner of the Gospel's coming unto them, and the effects it had upon them, as expressed in the following verses; and from their faith, hope, and love, mentioned in the preceding verse; and which was the ground and foundation of their thanksgiving for them; see on Gill “2 Thessalonians 2:13” .
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
ειδοτες 1492 5761 αδελφοι 80 ηγαπημενοι 25 5772 υπο 5259 θεου 2316 την 3588 εκλογην 1589 υμων 5216
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Election of God. Incorrect. Const. of or by (upo) God with beloved. Eklogh election, in N.T., mostly by Paul. Elsewhere only Acts ix. 15, and 2 Pet. i. 10. This, and the kindred words, ejklegein to choose, and ejklektov chosen or elect, are used of God's selection of men or agencies for special missions or attainments; but neither here nor elsewhere in the N.T. is there any warrant for the revolting doctrine that God has predestined a definite number of mankind to eternal life, and the rest to eternal destruction. 11 The sense in this passage appears to be defined by the succeeding context. The Thessalonians had been chosen to be members of the Christian church, and their conduct had justified the choice. See vv. 5-10.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:4 {Knowing} (eidotes). Second perfect active participle of oida (eidon), a so-called causal participle=since we know, the third participle with the principal verb eucaristoumen, the Greek being fond of the circumstantial participle and lengthening sentences thereby (Robertson, _Grammar_, P. 1128). {Beloved by God} (egapemenoi hupo [tou] qeou). Perfect passive participle of agapaw, the verb so common in the N.T. for the highest kind of love. Paul is not content with the use of adelfoi here (often in this epistle as #2:1,14,17; 3:7; 4:1,10), but adds this affectionate phrase nowhere else in the N.T. in this form (cf. #Jude 1:3) though in Sirach 45:1 and on the Rosetta Stone. But in #2Th 2:13 he quotes "beloved by the Lord" from #De 33:12. The use of adelfoi for members of the same brotherhood can be derived from the Jewish custom (#Ac 2:29,37) and the habit of Jesus (#Mt 12:48) and is amply illustrated in the papyri for burial clubs and other orders and guilds (Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_). {Your election} (ten eklogen humwn). That is the election of you by God. It is an old word from eklegomai used by Jesus of his choice of the twelve disciples (#Joh 15:16) and by Paul of God's eternal selection (#Eph 1:4). The word ekloge is not in the LXX and only seven times in the N.T. and always of God's choice of men (#Ac 9:15; 1Th 1:4; Ro 9:11; 11:5,7,58; 2Pe 1:10). The divine ekloge was manifested in the Christian qualities of verse #3 (Moffatt).
