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
