SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:5
a causa de la esperanza que os est guardada en los cielos; la cual habis oído ya por la palabra de la verdad del Evangelio;
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven , etc.] These words may be considered either in connection with the foregoing, and express the reason or motive which encouraged these saints to believe in Christ, and to go on believing in him, and hold fast the profession of their faith in him, and to love the saints, and show it upon all occasions, and in every case; because of the rich treasure of glory and happiness in reserve for them in heaven, which they were hoping and waiting for; this encouraged their faith in Christ, and enlarged their love and beneficence to the saints: or else with the thanksgiving of the apostle, and so contains fresh matter of it, that as thanks were given for faith and love, so for hope; by which is meant, not the grace of hope, for that is not in heaven, though it enters within the vail, and is conversant with heavenly things, but is in the heart; and though it supposes it, and which these persons had; they were not without it; they had a good hope through grace of eternal glory, for faith, hope, and love, always go together: nor Christ the foundation of hope; there are many things in him, which are a ground of hope of happiness, as his sufferings, and death, and redemption thereby; his resurrection from the dead, his intercessions and preparations; the promise of life in him, and the thing itself being in his gift; his righteousness and grace, which, give a title to it, and meetness for it; and he is also in heaven, but then he cannot be said to be laid up there: but the thing hoped for, everlasting happiness, is intended; (see Titus 2:13) ( Galatians 5:5 2 Timothy 4:8); which is so called, because it is the object of hope; is not yet possessed; is future; is not seen; is difficult, and yet possible to be enjoyed: this is said to be laid up; which denotes the preciousness and valuableness of it, it is a treasure, an inheritance, a kingdom, and riches of glory; and the secrecy and hiddenness of it, it consists of things invisible to the bodily eye, and which are out of the reach of carnal sense and reason, of which faith only has some small glimpse; and also the safety of it, it is hid in Christ, it is reserved in heaven, and cannot be come at, and spoiled by men or devils; and likewise the free grace and goodness of God in laying up and providing things of such a nature for his children and friends: the place where it is, in heaven, where moth and rust corrupt not, and thieves cannot break through and steal; and so is safe, and must be of an heavenly nature, as it is for heavenly persons: for you; the saints and faithful brethren in Christ, for those who were chosen in Christ, for whom it was prepared from the foundation of the world; for this is not laid up for any, for everyone, but for the chosen of God, and precious; whom God has distinguished by his grace, Christ has redeemed by his blood, and the Spirit regenerates and sanctifies, and who have faith, hope, and love, given unto them; and this was not only laid up for them, but they knew of it, they were made acquainted with it: whereof ye heard before ; before the writing of this epistle, under the ministry of their faithful teacher Epaphras: in the word of the truth of the Gospel ; or in the true word of the Gospel; which comes from the God of truth, is indited by the Spirit of truth, is concerning Christ the truth, and which contains nothing but truth, and lies in the Scriptures of truth: or in the word of truth, even the Gospel; which explains what word of truth is meant. The law is the word of truth; and many of the words of men, of the philosophers, were words of truth; but it was not in either of them they had heard of eternal life laid up in heaven; of which there were hopes to be entertained by sinful creatures, enjoying it through Christ: this is what only the Gospel brings an account of; life and immortality are only brought to light by the Gospel; which not only speaks of it, but lays that before men, which give them ground and encouragement to hope for it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - All true Christians are brethren one to another. Faithfulness run through every character and relation of the Christian life. Faith hope, and love, are the three principal graces in the Christian life and proper matter for prayer and thanksgiving. The more we fix ou hopes on the reward in the other world, the more free shall we be in doing good with our earthly treasure. It was treasured up for them, n enemy could deprive them of it. The gospel is the word of truth, and we may safely venture our souls upon it. And all who hear the word of the gospel, ought to bring forth the fruit of the gospel, obey it, and have their principles and lives formed according to it. Worldly love arises either from views of interest or from likeness in manners; carnal love from the appetite for pleasure. To these, something corrupt, selfish and base always cleaves. But Christian love arises from the Holy Spirit, and is full of holiness. (Col 1:9-14)
Greek Textus Receptus
δια 1223 την 3588 ελπιδα 1680 την 3588 αποκειμενην 606 5740 υμιν 5213 εν 1722 τοις 3588 ουρανοις 3772 ην 3739 προηκουσατε 4257 5656 εν 1722 τω 3588 λογω 3056 της 3588 αληθειας 225 του 3588 ευαγγελιου 2098
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. For the hope (dia thn elpida). The A.V. connects with we give thanks (ver. 3). But the two are too far apart, and Paul's introductory thanksgiving is habitually grounded on the spiritual condition of his readers, not on something objective. See Rom. i. 8; 1 Cor. i. 4; Eph. i. 15. Better connect with what immediately precedes, love which ye have, and render as Rev., because of the hope, etc. Faith works by love, and the ground of their love is found in the hope set before them. Compare Rom. viii. 24. The motive is subordinate, but legitimate. "The hope laid up in heaven is not the deepest reason or motive for faith and love, but both are made more vivid when it is strong. It is not the light at which their lamps are lit, but it is the odorous oil which feeds their flame" (Maclaren). Hope. See on 1 Pet. i. 3. In the New Testament the word signifies both the sentiment of hope and the thing hoped for. Here the latter. Compare Tit. ii. 13; Gal. v. 5; Heb. vi. 18; also Romans viii. 24, where both meanings appear. Lightfoot observes that the sense oscillates between the subjective feeling and the objective realization. The combination of faith, hope, and love is a favorite one with Paul. See 1 Thessalonians i. 3; 1 Cor. xiii. 13; Rom. v. 1-5; xii. 6-12.
Laid up (apokeimenhn). Lit., laid away, as the pound in the napkin, Luke xix. 20. With the derivative sense of reserved or awaiting, as the crown, 2 Timothy iv. 8. In Heb. ix. 27, it is rendered appointed (unto men to die), where, however, the sense is the same: death awaits men as something laid up. Rev., in margin, laid up for. Compare treasure in heaven, Matthew vi. 20; xix. 21; Luke xii. 34. "Deposited, reserved, put by in store out of the reach of all enemies and sorrows" (Bishop Wilson).
Ye heard before (prohkousate). Only here in the New Testament, not in Septuagint, and not frequent in classical Greek. It is variously explained as denoting either an undefined period in the past, or as contrasting the earlier Christian teaching with the later heresies, or as related to Paul's letter (before I wrote), or as related to the fulfillment of the hope (ye have had the hope pre-announced). It occurs several times in Herodotus in this last sense, as ii. 5, of one who has heard of Egypt without seeing it: v., 86, of the Aeginetans who had learned beforehand what the Athenians intended. Compare viii. 79; vi. 16. Xenophon uses it of a horse, which signifies by pricking up its ears what it hears beforehand. In the sense of mere priority of time without the idea of anticipation, Plato: "Hear me once more, though you have heard me say the same before" ("Laws," vii., 797). I incline to the more general reference, ye heard in the past. The sense of hearing before the fulfillment of the hope would seem rather to require the perfect tense, since the hope still remained unfulfilled.
The word of the truth of the Gospel. The truth is the contents of the word, and the Gospel defines the character of the truth.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:5 {Because of the hope} (dia ten elpida). See #Ro 8:24. It is not clear whether this phrase is to be linked with euca istoumen at the beginning of verse #3 or (more likely) with tn agapen just before. Note also here pistis (faith), agape (love), elpis (hope), though not grouped together so sharply as in #1Co 13:13. Here hope is objective, the goal ahead. {Laid up} (apokeimeinen). Literally, "laid away or by." Old word used in #Lu 19:20 of the pound laid away in a napkin. See also apoqesaurizw, to store away for future use (#1Ti 6:19). The same idea occurs in #Mt 6:20 (treasure in heaven) and #1Pe 1:4 and it is involved in #Phm 3:20. {Ye heard before} (proekousate). First aorist indicative active of this old compound proakouw, though only here in the N.T. Before what? Before Paul wrote? Before the realization? Before the error of the Gnostics crept in? Each view is possible and has advocates. Lightfoot argues for the last and it is probably correct as is indicated by the next clause. {In the word of the truth of the gospel} (en twi logwi tes aleqeias tou euaggeliou). "In the preaching of the truth of the gospel" (#Ga 2:5,14) which is come (parontos, present active participle agreeing with euaggeliou, being present, a classical use of pareimi as in #Ac 12:20). They heard the pure gospel from Epaphras before the Gnostics came.
