1:4a

That is why: 1:4 refers back to the contents of 1:3c–d and is the result of it, that is, Paul and his companions could boast about the Thessalonians because their faith and love were increasing.

we: Here we is emphatic in the Greek. The commentators do not agree about why Paul used an emphatic pronoun here, but it was probably to emphasize that this was something unusual, that is, that Paul and his companions did not usually boast, but in this case they did.

boast: Boasting in English is usually considered something negative, but here Paul was speaking of the legitimate pride he had in the Thessalonians, as a father would be proud of his children. The verb boast here does not mean “to be proud” but “to speak proudly about.”

among God’s churches: See the notes on 1:1b above and on 1 Thessalonians 2:14a. This could include the believers in Berea, Athens, Corinth (where Paul preached after leaving Thessalonica), and other places that Paul had visited.

1:4b

about: This word introduces the things about which Paul was boasting.

your perseverance: This means that the Thessalonians remained steadfast and did not give up when they were persecuted.

in the face of all the persecution: People were persecuting the Thessalonians because they were following Christ.

and affliction: The commentators do not agree about the meaning of the Greek noun thlipsis, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as affliction. There are two main possibilities:

(1) It means almost the same as “persecutions.” Then affliction is a more general term for the sort of sufferings that people were causing for the Thessalonians.

(2) It refers to suffering in a general way and includes problems such as hunger and poverty, which are not necessarily caused by people opposed to Christ.

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1).

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.