1 Thessalonians 1:5 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

For our gospel The gospel which we preach, and which has been solemnly committed to our charge; came not unto you in word only You not only heard, understood, and assented to it as a revelation from God, and received thereby information concerning those spiritual and divine things of which you were before ignorant; but it came also in power Awakening your minds to a deep sense of the infinite importance, as well as certainty, of the discoveries it makes you, especially concerning the future and eternal state awaiting you, and your present fallen, sinful, and depraved condition; convincing your consciences of the number and greatness of your sins and follies, and your want of a Saviour from that state of ignorance and guilt, depravity, weakness, and misery, in which you saw yourselves to be involved; thus humbling you before a holy and just God, and bringing you to the footstool of his mercy in true repentance and godly sorrow, productive of fruits worthy of repentance. And in the Holy Ghost Bearing an outward testimony by various miraculous operations to the truth and importance of the gospel which we preach; and by his enlightening, quickening, and renewing influences on your souls, causing it to produce the fore-mentioned effects; and above all, inspiring you with living faith in Christ, and in the promises of God through him, and thereby revealing him to and in you the hope of glory; Galatians 1:16; Colossians 1:27; and at the same time creating you anew in Christ Jesus, and strengthening you with might in the inner man, (Ephesians 3:16,) that you might be able, as well as willing, to withstand all the subtlety, power, and malice of your spiritual enemies, and to do and suffer the whole will of God. And in much assurance Greek, εν πληροφορια πολλη, literally, in full assurance and much of it; not only begetting in you a full persuasion of the certain truth and infinite importance of the doctrines, precepts, promises, threatenings, and every part of the gospel declared to you, but of your personal interest in the privileges and blessings of it, and therefore of your present justification and acceptance with God, of your adoption into his family, regeneration by his grace, and title to his glory; and causing you to rejoice in expectation thereof, and that with a lively and joyful expectation, even with joy unspeakable and full of glory. So that both the full assurance of faith, and the full assurance of hope, accompanied with perfect love casting out fear, (all which graces are expressly mentioned by the apostles in their epistles, see Hebrews 6:11; Heb 10:22; 1 John 4:17:) are implied in the much assurance here spoken of. And these effects, if not the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, always more or less attend the faithful preaching of the true and genuine gospel of Christ; neither are some extraordinary operations of the Holy Ghost always wholly withheld, where the gospel is preached with power, and preachers and hearers are alive to God. As ye know what mariner of men we were among you How we conducted ourselves, and with what zeal and diligence we exerted ourselves in order to your salvation; for your sakes Seeking your advantage, not our own.