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1 Thessalonians 1:3-5
New Catholic Bible
1 Thessalonians 1:3-5
New Catholic Bible
3 We constantly remember before our God and Father your work of faith and your labor of love and your perseverance in hope[a] in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 Brethren, beloved by God, we know that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel[b] came to you not merely in words alone but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with profound conviction. And you are fully aware what sort of people we proved to be when we were among you for your sake.
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- 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Faith . . . love . . . hope: together with 1 Thes 5:8, this is the earliest mention of the three so-called theological virtues (see 1 Cor 13:13). The accent here is on eschatological hope in accord with the Letter’s emphasis on the Second Coming of Christ (see 1 Thes 1:10; 2:12, 19; 3:13; 4:13—5:11; 5:23).
- 1 Thessalonians 1:5 Our gospel: this is the Gospel of God the Father (1 Thes 2:8) who originated it and of Christ (1 Thes 3:2) who brought it forth by his atoning death. Paul, Silas, and Timothy had received it through faith and preached it to others. Power: a power residing in the Gospel itself (see Rom 1:16) and also coming from the Holy Spirit (see Rom 15:13, 18f; 1 Cor 2:4f), which delivered the Thessalonians from spiritual bondage.
