01.13. I THESSALONIANS
I THESSALONIANS
1Th 1:5 : “Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power.” So R.V. Greek, “but IN POWER also.”
1Th 1:8 : “But also in every place.” The word “also” is omitted by L., T., Tr., Alf., Wordsworth, W. & H., and R.V. If it is retained, it must be “IN EVERY PLACE also.”
1Th 2:8 : “But also our own souls.” So R.V. Greek, “but OUR OWN LIVES also.”
1Th 2:13 : “For this cause also thank we God.” Here the R.V., correctly, “WE also.” But the second occurrence in the same verse, the A.V. is correct and R.V. is wrong!
1Th 2:14 : Here it occurs twice. Both versions have the first correctly, but both omit the second, which should be “even as THEY also from the Jews.”
1Th 3:4 : “Even as it came to pass.” So R.V. Greek, “Even as IT CAME TO PASS also.”
1Th 3:12 : “Even as we do toward you.” R.V. correctly, “Even as WE also do,” etc.
1Th 4:5 : “Even as the Gentiles.” So R.V. Greek, “Even as THE GENTILES also.”
1Th 4:6 : “As we also have forewarned you.” R.V., “as also we forewarned you.” But it is “as we FOREWARNED also and testified to you.”
1Th 4:8 : “God, who hath also given us his holy Spirit.” The R.V. omits καί and reads διδόντα, giveth, instead of δόντα, gave, with L., T., Tr., W. & H.
1Th 4:13 : “Even as others.” So R.V. Greek, “Even as OTHERS also.”
1Th 4:14 : “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” R.V., “Even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” (Marg., Greek: through, or will God through Jesus.) As the English stands, the emphatic word is “them,” but according to the Greek, it is “God.” But neither of these yields any intelligible meaning. The verse is evidently intended to be perfectly balanced. Three facts stated in the first half are the condition of three others in the second half. But there are only two facts actually stated in the second half. The question is, What is the third? We submit that there is an ellipsis in the second half, and the omitted word must be supplied by repeating it from the first half. In the first half we have –
a | Faith. b | The death of Jesus. c | His resurrection. So what we require in the second half to correspond with this, is –
a | Faith. b | The death of the Saints. c | Their resurrection. And so we must repeat the word “believe” from the first half of the verse; thus –
a | Since we believe b | that Jesus died c | and rose again. a | In like manner [WE BELIEVE] also b | that them which are asleep c | will God, by Jesus, bring with him [from the dead]
Here, in the explanatory parenthesis “by Jesus,” it is revealed to us that the Lord Jesus will be the agent (see John 5:21; John 11:25, John 11:43). It was God who brought Jesus again from the dead (Heb 13:20). In like manner will He, by Jesus, bring His people from the dead. In this instance, the word “also” is complicated by being associated with an ellipsis, as it belongs to and emphasizes a word which has to be supplied from the previous context. Hence, the verse will read: “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so WE BELIEVE also that God will, through Jesus, bring with Him them that are fallen asleep.” The one subject of the passage is resurrection, which is the great and blessed hope of the Lord’s people; and the passage immediately goes on to explain how this will be accomplished. Resurrection and Advent are the only hope of mourning saints. See the same hope presented in a similar manner in Rom 6:5; Rom 8:11; 2Co 4:14.
1Th 5:11 : “Edify one another, even as also ye do.” So R.V. Greek, “even as ye are DOING also.”
1Th 5:24 : “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” R.V., “who will also do it.” Greek, “who will PERFORM it also.”