1 Thessalonians 1 · Verse 3

1 Thessalonians 1:3

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1 Thessalonians 1:3, King James Version

1 Thessalonians 1:3 in other translations

BSBand continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
WEBremembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.
ASVremembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;
YLTunceasingly remembering of you the work of the faith, and the labour of the love, and the endurance of the hope, of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of our God and Father,
DARBYremembering unceasingly your work of faith, and labour of love, and enduring constancy of hope, of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;
BBEHaving ever in mind your work of faith and acts of love and the strength of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;
WebsterRemembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

What does 1 Thessalonians 1:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. work of faith--the working reality of your faith; its alacrity in receiving the truth, and in evincing itself by its fruits. Not an otiose assent; but a realizing, working faith; not "in word only," but in one continuous chain of "work" (singular, not plural, works), 1Th 1:5-10; Jas 2:22. So "the work of faith" in 2Th 1:11 implies its perfect development (compare Jas 1:4). The other governing substantives similarly mark respectively the characteristic manifestation of the grace which follows each in the genitive. Faith, love, and hope, are the three great Christian graces (1Th 5:8; 1Co 13:13). labour of love--The Greek implies toil, or troublesome labor, which we are stimulated by love to bear (1Th 2:9; Re 2:2). For instances of self-denying labors of love, see Ac 20:35; Ro 16:12. Not here ministerial labors. Those who shun trouble for others, love little (compare He 6:10). patience--Translate, "endurance of hope"; the persevering endurance of trials which flows from "hope." Ro 15:4 shows that "patience" also nourishes "hope." hope in our Lord Jesus--literally, "hope of our Lord Jesus," namely, of His coming (1Th 1:10): a hope that looked forward beyond all present things for the manifestation of Christ. in the sight of God and our Father--Your "faith, hope, and love" were not merely such as would pass for genuine before men, but "in the sight of God," the Searcher of hearts [Gomarus]. Things are really what they are before God. Bengel takes this clause with "remembering." Whenever we pray, we remember before God your faith, hope, and love. But its separation from "remembering" in the order, and its connection with "your ... faith," &c., make me to prefer the former view. and, &c.--The Greek implies, "in the sight of Him who is [at once] God and our Father."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 3. Remembering without ceasing. Remembering your faith and love whenever we pray. This is not to be understood literally, but it is language such as we use respecting anything that interests us much. It is constantly in our mind. Such an interest the apostle had in the churches which he had established.

Your work of faith.That is, your work showing or evincing faith. The reference is probably to acts of duty, holiness, and benevolence, which proved that they exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Works of faith are those to which faith prompts, and which show that there is faith in the heart. This does not mean, therefore, a work of their own producing faith, but a work which showed that they had faith.

And labour of love. Labour produced by love, or showing that you are actuated by love. Such would be all their kindness toward the poor, the oppressed, and the afflicted; and all their acts which showed that they loved the souls of men.

And patience of hope. Patience in your trials, showing that you have such a hope of future blessedness as to sustain you in your afflictions. It was the hope of heaven through the Lord Jesus that gave them patience. Rom 8:24. "The phrases here are Hebraisms, meaning active faith, and laborious love, and patient hope, and might have been so translated." Doddridge.

In our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, your hope is founded only on him. The only hope that we have of heaven is through the Redeemer.

In the sight of God and our Father. Before God, even our Father. It is a hope which we have through the merits of the Redeemer, and which we are permitted to cherish before God; that is, in his very presence. When we think of God; when we reflect that we must soon stand before him, we are permitted to cherish this hope. It is a hope which will be found to be genuine even in the presence of a holy and heart-searching God. This does not mean that it had been merely professed before God, but that it was a hope which they might dare to entertain in the presence of God, and which would bear the scrutiny of his eye.

(d) "work of faith" Jn 6:29, 2Thes 1:11 (e) "labour of love" Heb 6:10 (f) "patience" Rom 12:12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Your work of faith - This verse contains a very high character of the believers at Thessalonica. They had Faith, not speculative and indolent, but true, sound, and operative; their faith worked. They had Love, not that gazed at and became enamoured of the perfections of God, but such a love as labored with faith to fulfill the whole will of God. Faith worked; but love, because it can do more, did more, and therefore labored - worked energetically, to promote the glory of God and the salvation of men. They had Hope; not an idle, cold, heartless expectation of future good, from which they felt no excitement, and for which they could give no reason, but such a hope as produced a satisfying expectation of a future life and state of blessedness, the reality of which faith had descried, and love anticipated; a hope, not hasty and impatient to get out of the trials of life and possess the heavenly inheritance, but one that was as willing to endure hardships as to enjoy glory itself, when God might be most honored by this patient endurance. Faith worked, Love labored, and Hope endured patiently. It is not a mark of much grace to be longing to get to heaven because of the troubles and difficulties of the present life; they who love Christ are ever willing to suffer with him; and he may be as much glorified by patient suffering, as by the most active faith or laborious love. There are times in which, through affliction or other hinderances, we cannot do the will of God, but we can suffer it; and in such cases he seeks a heart that bears submissively, suffers patiently, and endures, as seeing him who is invisible, without repining or murmuring. This is as full a proof of Christian perfection as the most intense and ardent love. Meekness, gentleness, and long-suffering, are in our present state of more use to ourselves and others, and of more consequence in the sight of God, than all the ecstasies of the spirits of just men made perfect, and than all the raptures of an archangel. That Church or Christian society, the members of which manifest the work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope, is most nearly allied to heaven, and is on the suburbs of glory.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

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 our Father, for the sake of Christ. We should pray, not only for ourselves, but for others also; remembering them without ceasing. Wherever there 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…

Read the full comment on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 →

1 Thessalonians 1:3 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

μνημονεύοντεςmnēmoneuontesrememberingG3421
ὑμῶνhumōnyourG4771
τοῦtou<the>G3588
ἔργουergouworkG2041
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
πίστεωςpisteōsof faithG4102
καὶkaiandG2532
τοῦtou<the>G3588
κόπουkopoulaborG2873
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
ἀγάπηςagapēsof loveG26
καὶkaiandG2532
τῆςtēstheG3588
ὑπομονῆςhupomonēsenduranceG5281
τῆςtēsof theG3588
ἐλπίδοςelpidoshopeG1680
τοῦtouof theG3588
κυρίουkuriouLordG2962
ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165
ἸησοῦIēsouJesusG2424
ΧριστοῦChristouChristG5547
ἔμπροσθενemprosthenbeforeG1715
τοῦtoutheG3588
θεοῦtheouGodG2316
καὶkaiandG2532
πατρὸςpatrosFatherG3962
ἡμῶν·hēmōnof us;G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Thessalonians 1:3

  • 1 Corinthians 13:13

    And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

  • Revelation 2:19

    I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

  • Galatians 5:6

    For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:11

    Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

  • Romans 8:24-25

    For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

  • 1 John 5:3

    For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

  • Romans 15:13

    Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

  • Galatians 6:9

    And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

  • 1 John 3:3

    And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

  • Hebrews 10:36

    For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

  • 2 Corinthians 8:7-9

    Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:6

    But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Remembering.
3:6; 2Ti 1:3-5
your.
2:13,14; Joh 6:27-29; Ro 16:26; 1Co 15:58; Ga 5:6; 2Th 1:3,11
Heb 4:11; 11:7,8,17,24-34; Jas 2:17-26; Re 2:19
and labour.
Ge 29:20; So 8:7; Joh 14:15,21-23; 15:10; 21:15-17; Ro 16:6
1Co 13:4-7; 2Co 5:14,15; 8:7-9; Ga 5:13; Phm 1:5-7; Heb 6:10,11
1Jo 3:18; 5:3; Re 2:2-4
and patience.
Ro 2:7; 5:3-5; 8:24,25; 12:12; 15:13; 1Co 13:13; Ga 6:9; Heb 6:15
Heb 10:36; Jas 1:3,4; 5:7,8; 1Jo 3:3; Re 3:10
in the.
Ec 2:26; Ac 3:19; 10:31; 2Co 2:17; 1Ti 2:3; Heb 13:21; 1Pe 3:4
1Jo 3:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:2

    We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:3

    Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:4

    Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

Read all of 1 Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sin cesar acordándonos delante del Dios y Padre nuestro de la obra de vuestra fe, y del trabajo de amor, y de la tolerancia de la esperanza del Señor nuestro Jesucristo:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		nous souvenant sans cesse de votre œuvre de foi, de votre travail d’amour, et de votre patience d’espérance de notre seigneur Jésus Christ, devant notre Dieu et Père,
German
Elberfelder 1871		unablässig eingedenk eures Werkes des Glaubens und der Bemühung der Liebe und des Ausharrens der Hoffnung auf unseren Herrn Jesus Christus, vor unserem Gott und Vater,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		memores operis fidei vestræ, et laboris, et caritatis, et sustinentiæ spei Domini nostri Jesu Christi, ante Deum et Patrem nostrum: