SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:2
¶ Damos siempre gracias a Dios por todos vosotros, haciendo memoria de vosotros en nuestras oraciones;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 1:2
Verse 2. We give thanks] See Phil. i. 3, 4, and Colossians i. 3; where the same forms of speech are used.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. We give thanks to God always for you all , etc.] For all the members of this church, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, greater or lesser believers, officers or private Christians; for their being a church, for the gifts bestowed on them, for the graces hereafter mentioned that were wrought in them and exercised by them; the glory of all which is given to God, and thanks for the same, which shows them to be gifts of his, and not in the least owing to any merits of men: the apostle ascribes nothing to their free will, previous dispositions and qualifications, diligence and industry; nor does he attribute anything to himself and to his companions, who were only ministers by whom these believed; but he refers all to God, to his grace and goodness: and he returned thanks to him for it, and that always; whenever he thought of it, made mention of it, or was at the throne of grace, as follows, making mention of you in our prayers ; to God, daily, both in private and in public, at which times thanksgivings to God were made on their account; for thanksgiving is a part of prayer, and requests are always to be made known unto God with thanksgiving. The Ethiopic version renders this clause in the singular number, and I am mindful of you always in my prayer; and leaves out the word all in the former clause.
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
ευχαριστουμεν 2168 5719 τω 3588 θεω 2316 παντοτε 3842 περι 4012 παντων 3956 υμων 5216 μνειαν 3417 υμων 5216 ποιουμενοι 4160 5734 επι 1909 των 3588 προσευχων 4335 ημων 2257
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. We give thanks (eucaristoumen). According to Paul's habit, a thanksgiving follows the salutation, commonly with the verb ejucaristein as here; but in 2nd Corinthians and Ephesians, eujloghtov oJ qeov blessed be God. The thanksgiving is omitted only in Galatians. The verb eujcaristein occurs only in later Greek, and there but rarely. In LXX only in Apocr. See Judith viii. 25; 2 Macc. i. 11; x. 7; 3 Macc. vii. 16. In the N.T. Epistles, P o . Originally to do a good turn; hence, to return a favor. The meaning to give thanks is late. The kindred noun eujcaristia giving of thanks, is found often in Paul. As a designation of the Lord's Supper (Eucharist) it is not found in the N.T. Perhaps the earliest instance of its use in that sense is in Ignatius. See Philad. iv.; Smyrn. iv., 8; Ephesians 8, Comp. Just. Mart. Apol. 1, 64, 65.
In we give thanks, it is not easy to decide whether Paul uses we as plural, or in the sense of I. Rom. iii. 9 seems to be a clear case of the latter usage. In 1 Thess. iii. 1, 2, hujdokhsamen we thought it good, and ejpemyamen we sent, can, apparently, refer only to Paul; and similarly, in 1 Thess. iii. 6, prov hJmav unto us, can hardly include Silvanus who came with Timothy (comp.iii. 5). But it is significant that, in the Epistles which are written in Paul's name alone (Romans, Galatians, Ephesians), only I is used, unless we except Gal. i. 8, which is doubtful. Paul and Timothy appear jointly as correspondents in Philippians, but the first person predominates throughout the letter. The same is true of 1st Corinthians, where Paul and Sosthenes are associated in the address, but the singular pronoun is used almost throughout. (See iv. 10-13; ix. 4, 5, 25, 26). In Colossians Paul and Timothy appear in the address. The plural prevails to i. 23, and alternates with the singular throughout the remainder. The alternations in 2nd Corinthians are very bewildering.
On the whole, I think that occasional instances of the epistolary plural must be granted. It is not, however, Paul's habitual usage. We is often employed as in ordinary correspondence or argument, where the writer or speaker associates himself with his readers or hearers. Abundant illustrations of this may be seen in Romans 6 and 8; but in other cases, when Paul speaks in the plural, he usually associates his fellow-ministers, mentally, with himself. 8 Making mention (mneian poioumenoi). For the phrase see Rom. i. 9; Eph. i. 16; Philemon 4. Always in connection with prayer. In the sense of remember it appears in LXX, Job xiv. 13. In Psalm cxi. 4, to make a memorial. See further, on without ceasing, ver. 3.
In my prayers (epi). When engaged in offering my prayers. Epi here blends the local with the temporal sense.
Prayers (proseucwn). The more general term, and limited to prayer to God; while dehsiv petitionary prayer, supplication, may be addressed to man. Paul alone associates the two words. See Philip. iv. 6; Ephesians vi. 18. In classical Greek the word does not occur in the sense of prayer. It is found in later Greek, meaning a place for prayer, in which sense it appears in Acts xvi. 13, 16. It signified either a synagogue, or an open praying-place outside of a city. 9
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:2 {We give thanks} (eucaristoumen). Late denominative verb eucaristew from eucaristos (grateful) and that from eu, well and carizomai, to show oneself kind. See caris in verse #1. "The plural implies that all three missionaries prayed together" (Moffatt). {Always} (pantote). Late word, rare in LXX. So with eucaristew in #2Th 1:3; 2:13; 1Co 1:4; Eph 5:20; Php 1:3. Moffatt takes it to mean "whenever Paul was at his prayers." Of course, he did not make audible prayer always, but he was always in the spirit of prayer, "a constant attitude" (Milligan), "in tune with the Infinite." {For you all} (peri pantwn humwn). Paul "encircled (peri, around) them all," including every one of them and the church as a whole. Distance lends enchantment to the memory of slight drawbacks. Paul is fond of this phrase "you all," particularly in Phil. (#Php 1:3,7). {Making mention} (mneian poioumenoi). Paul uses this very idiom in #Rom 1:9; Eph 1:16; Phm 1:4. Milligan cites a papyrus example of mneian poioumenoi in prayer (B. Y. U. 652, 5). Did Paul have a prayer list of the Thessalonian disciples which he read over with Silas and Timothy? {In} here is epi="in the time of our prayers."Each time that they are engaged in prayers the writers mention the names of the converts" (Frame).
