For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Not unrighteous - not unfaithful to His promise. Not that we have any inherent right to claim reward; because:
(1) a servant has no merit, as he only does what is his duty;
(2) our best performances bear no proportion to what we leave undone; (2) our best performances bear no proportion to what we leave undone;
(3) all strength comes from God; but God has promised of His own grace to reward His people (already accepted through faith in Christ) for good works: it is His promise, not their merits, which would make it unrighteous were He not to reward their works. God will be no man's debtor.
Your work - your whole Christian life (John 6:29).
Labour of love. 'Aleph (') A B C Delta f, Vulgate, omit "labour of" х tou (G3588) kopou (G2873)], which crept in from 1 Thessalonians 1:3. As "love" occurs here, so "hope," Hebrews 6:11; "faith," Hebrews 6:12; as in 1 Corinthians 13:13: the Pauline triad. By their love he sharpens their hope and faith.
Ye have showed - (cf. Hebrews 10:32-34.)
Towers his name - your acts of love to the saints were done to those who bear His name, and so for His name's sake. The distressed condition of the Palestinian Christians appears from the collection for them (Romans 15:26). Though receiving bounty from other churches, therefore not able to minister much by pecuniary help, yet those somewhat better off could minister to the greatest sufferers in their church in various ways (cf. Acts 2:45; Acts 4:34-35; 2 Timothy 1:18). Paul, as elsewhere, gives them the utmost credit for their graces, while delicately hinting the need of perseverance, a lack of which probably began to show itself.