1 Thessalonians 1:5

1:5 in that ¹  our gospel did not come to you merely in words, ²  but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you). ³ 

1 Thessalonians 2:2

2:2 But although we suffered earlier and were mistreated in Philippi, ⁴  as you know, we had the courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God ⁵  in spite of much opposition.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:17

Forced Absence from Thessalonica

2:17 But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, ⁶  for a short time (in presence, not in affection) ⁷  we became all the more fervent in our great desire ⁸  to see you in person. ⁹ 

1 Thessalonians 4:15

4:15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, ¹⁰  that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:17

4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, ¹¹  will be suddenly caught up ¹²  together ¹³  with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

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¹ tn Or “because.”

² tn Or “speech,” or “an act of speaking.”

³ tn Grk “just as you know what sort of people we were among you for your sakes.” Verse 5 reflects on the experience of Paul and his fellow preachers; v. 6 begins to describe the Thessalonians’ response.

⁴ map For location see JP1-C1; JP2-C1; JP3-C1; JP4-C1.

⁵ tn The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ (to euangelion tou qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. This same phrase occurs in vv. 8 and 9 as well.

⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:4.

⁷ tn Grk “in face, not in heart.”

⁸ tn Grk “with great desire.”

⁹ tn Grk “to see your face.”

¹⁰ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

¹¹ tc The words οἱ περιλειπόμενοι (Joi perileipomenoi, “[the ones] who are left”) are lacking in F G {0226^vid} ar b as well as a few fathers, but the rest of the textual tradition has the words. Most likely, the Western mss omitted the words because of perceived redundancy with οἱ ζῶντες (Joi zwnte", “[the ones] who are alive”).

¹² tn Or “snatched up.” The Greek verb ἁρπάζω implies that the action is quick or forceful, so the translation supplied the adverb “suddenly” to make this implicit notion clear.

¹³ tn Or “simultaneously,” but this meaning does not fit as well in the parallel in 5:10.