He thanketh God for their increase in faith and charitie, and constancie in persecution
(assuring them that they merit thereby the Kingdom of God, as their persecutours doe
damnation:) 11 and also praieth for their accomplishment.
1. PAVL and Syluanus and Timothee, to the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father
and our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ.
2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ.
3. We ought to giue thankes alwaies to God for you, Brethren, so as meet is, because
your faith increaseth exceedingly, and the charitie of eueryone of you aboundeth towards each other:
4. so that we our selues also glorie in you in the Churches of God, for your
patience, and faith in al your persecutions and tribulations, which you sustaine
5. for an example of the iust iudgement of God, that
✟
Note that by constant and patient suffering of afflictions for Christ men are
made worthie (so the Greek signifieth, as the Aduersaries themselues translate
v. 11.) of the crowne or Kingdom of Heauen: and so doe merit and deserue the
same. See Anno. Lu. 30,25. And the Apostle here saith that it is God's
iustice no lesse to repay glorie to the afflicted, then to render punishment
to them that afflict, because of their contrarie deserts or merits.
you may be
✟
καταξιωθῆναι ὑμᾶς.
counted worthie of
the Kingdom of God, for the which also you suffer.
6. If yet it be iust with God to repay tribulation, to them that vexe you:
7.
*
1. Thes. 4,6.
and to you that are vexed, rest with vs in the reuelation of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
from Heauen with the Angels of his power,
8. in flame of fire, giuing reuenge to them that know not God, and that obey not the
Ghospel of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ.
9. Who shal suffer eternal paines in destruction, from the face of our Lord and from
the glorie of his power:
10. when he shal come to be
✟
Christ shal be glorified in his Saints, that is, by the great and vnspeakable
honour and exaltation of them he shal be honoured, as now he is: the honour
which the Church doth to them, not diminishing Christ's glorie (as the
Aduersaries foolishly pretend) but exceedingly augmenting the same.
glorified in his Saints, and to be made maruelous in al
them that haue beleeued, because our testimonie concerning you was credited in that day.
11. Wherein also we pray alwayes for you, that our God
✟
ἀξιώσή.
make you worthie of his
vocation, and accomplish al the good pleasure of his goodnesse & the worke of faith in power,
12. that the name of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ may be glorified in you, and you in
him, according to the grace of our God, and of our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ.