Ye became followers of us Obedient to our directions, and imitators of our example; and of the Lord also Both in the holiness of your lives, and in the courage and patience with which you endured those sufferings which lay in the way of your duty; having received the word When first preached to you; in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost That is, though attended with persecution, yet with joy, such as only the Holy Ghost could inspire you with. So that ye were ensamples Patterns to be imitated; to all that believe in Macedonia Chiefly in Philippi and Berea; and in the more distant province of Achaia Namely, to the Corinthian converts, who, hearing of their pious and virtuous conduct, were excited to emulation. The apostle mentions Macedonia and Achaia, because he had just been travelling through these parts before he came to Corinth, from whence, as has been observed in the preface, he wrote this epistle. For from you sounded forth the word of the Lord Was echoed, as it were, from you; not only in your own borders of Macedonia and Achaia With which you could easily have correspondence; but also in every place That is, far beyond these countries; your faith to God-ward The report of your embracing the gospel, and of consequence believing in the living and true God; is spread abroad Is become notorious; so that we need not to speak any thing Concerning it. The apostle does not mean that the Thessalonian brethren sent persons to preach the gospel in the countries here mentioned, but that their relinquishing idolatry had occasioned the preaching of the gospel at Thessalonica to be much talked of in these provinces, and in many other places. Grotius observes, that many of the Thessalonians being merchants, who travelled into foreign countries for the sake of commerce, the news of their fellow-citizens having renounced the worship of the heathen gods must have been spread abroad widely by their means, as the apostle here affirms. And as this was a very extraordinary event, it would naturally occasion much discourse among them to whom it was reported. For they themselves The faithful, wherever we come; show of us what manner of entering in, &c. Are able to give an account of the success of our ministry among you, and what entertainment it found with you; and how ye turned to God from idols
In the worship of which ye had been brought up; to serve the living and true God The epithet living is given to God to distinguish him from the heathen idols, which were destitute of life. And he is called the true God, in opposition to the fictitious deities worshipped by the heathens, who, though some of them may have formerly lived, or are now living, are not true gods; such as demons and the souls of men departed. And to wait for his Son from heaven To raise the dead and judge the world; whom he raised from the dead In proof of his future coming for these purposes. “Christ himself, on two different occasions, promised that he would return from heaven, Matthew 16:27; John 14:3. The angels, likewise, who attended at his ascension, foretold the same things, Acts 1:11. And as the great design of his return is to punish his enemies, and reward his faithful servants, his second coming was always a principal topic on which the apostles insisted in their discourses; consequently it was a principal article of the faith and hope of the first Christians, a frequent subject of their conversation, and a powerful source of consolation to them in all their afflictions and troubles. May it ever be the object of our faith and hope, and the source of our consolation, especially at death!” Macknight. Even Jesus, who delivered Greek, ρυομενον, rather, delivereth; us from the wrath to come He hath redeemed us once, he delivers us continually; and will deliver all that believe in him from the wrath, the eternal vengeance, which will then come upon the ungodly.