1 Thessalonians 1:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It was not enough to say: You were afflicted and did not cease believing amid calamities. Rather, he says: You believed with great joy. The Apostles acted in the same way. It is said of them that they went “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 5:41).

This is precisely what is marvelous. If it is no small thing to bear afflictions in any way at all, then to bear them with joy belongs to those who are above human nature. It belongs to those who have a body as though impassible.

By what did they become “imitators of the Lord”? By the fact that He Himself endured great sufferings and did not give Himself over to grief, but rejoiced. He came voluntarily for this. For this He emptied Himself for us, that He might endure spitting, blows, and crucifixion. And while enduring all this, He so rejoiced that He said to His Father: “Glorify Me” (Jn 17:5).

“With joy,” he says, “of the Holy Spirit.” Lest someone should say, “How do you speak of affliction and joy together? How can both be present at once?” he added: “with joy of the Holy Spirit.” Affliction was in them as bodily men, but joy was in them as spiritual men.

How is this so? The circumstances are grievous, but what they produce is not grievous, since the Spirit does not permit it. Therefore one cannot rejoice amid suffering when one suffers for sins. Yet one can be glad amid scourging when one suffers for Christ.

Such is the joy of the Spirit. In place of apparent sorrows, the Spirit of God produces joy. He says: They grieved and persecuted you, but the Spirit did not abandon you even then. As the three children were refreshed in the fire, so you were refreshed in afflictions.

There the refreshment was not the work of the nature of fire, but of the cooling Spirit. So here joy is not produced by the nature of affliction, but by suffering for Christ and by the Spirit. He refreshes and, through the furnace of temptations, brings one to coolness and rest. He does not simply say “with joy,” but “with great joy,” for this is what the words “of the Holy Spirit” signify.

Explaining how one can rejoice in affliction, he said: “with joy of the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit did not allow you to suffer in the ordinary way. Suffering was in them as bodily men, but joy was given by the Spirit. For as the children were refreshed in the fire by the cooling Spirit, so the Spirit also gladdened you in dangers, showing you the future reward.

See this: someone becomes an imitator of the Lord when he bears dangers with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

The circumstances of the Thessalonians’ conversion may be called extraordinary, with clear signs of their divine election. “Our Gospel among you,” despite its short duration, “was not in word only,” the Apostle writes to them, “but also in power, ... and in much assurance.” And “you ... became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, so that we have no need to say anything. ... They themselves report ... how, in so remarkable a way, you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess 1:5-9).

“See what praise this is,” says St. John Chrysostom. “The disciples suddenly became equal to the teachers. ... It was not enough to say: You were afflicted and amid calamities did not cease believing. Rather: You believed with great joy. The Apostles also acted thus, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 5:41). By what did they become like the Lord? By the fact that He Himself, while enduring great sufferings, did not give Himself over to grief, but rejoiced. ... Lest someone should say, ‘How is affliction spoken of together with joy? How can both be present?’ the Apostle added: with joy of the Holy Spirit. Affliction was in them as bodily men, but joy was in them as spiritual men. The circumstances are grievous, but what they produce is not so, for the Spirit does not permit it. As the refreshing of the three children was not the work of the nature of fire, but of the cooling Spirit, so here joy is not produced by the nature of affliction, but by the Spirit. He refreshes and, through the furnace of temptations, brings one to coolness and rest.”

Explaining how the Thessalonians became examples of receiving the Christian faith and abiding in it, Bishop Theophan says: “The perfection of their faith was evident to all. Perfection that is recognized calls forth imitation.” To this our more recent interpreter adds: “In the moral world it is always so, that true followers of lofty examples later become examples for imitation themselves. This happened first of all with the Apostle of the Gentiles himself. Imitating Christ, he himself became an ideal for his followers. ‘Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ,’ he writes to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:1). The same happened with the Thessalonian Christians.”

The force of the Apostle's proof is not in the reception of the Gospel, but in the manner of that reception. My word to you, the Apostle seems to say, was accompanied by manifestations of God's power.

So also your reception of my word did not occur according to the ordinary order. It took place amid persecution from outside, and moreover with joy. God's good pleasure toward you is visible, as is His election of you.

The Apostle strengthens conviction in their election through this extraordinary fact by comparing the Thessalonians with himself and with the Lord. He places this comparison first, so that by it he may illuminate his discourse.

Election is seen also in this: the Lord was pleased to show you like us, and even like Himself. As we preach the truth beneath the cross, so you received and keep it while beneath the cross.

In this way you entered upon God's path, the path on which the Lord walked and His Apostles walk. Here are a few words of Saint Chrysostom on this matter.

"See what praise this is. The disciples suddenly became equal to the teachers. They not only heeded the teaching, but also reached the same height as Paul.

"Yet what is this compared with what follows? Indeed, see where he raises them when he says, 'You became imitators of the Lord.' In what way? 'Having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.'

"He does not simply say, 'with affliction,' but 'with much affliction.' It was not enough to say, 'You were afflicted and did not cease believing amid calamities.' Rather, he says, 'You believed with great joy.'

"The Apostles acted in the same way. It is said of them that they rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 5:41).

"In what, then, did they become imitators of the Lord? In this: He Himself, while enduring great sufferings, did not give Himself over to grief, but rejoiced.

"For this purpose He came voluntarily, and for this purpose He humbled Himself for our sake, so that He might suffer spitting, blows, and crucifixion. Therefore, while enduring all this, He rejoiced."

How is it possible to receive the word with joy amid afflictions? When, at the preaching of the Gospel, the heart senses the truth and desires salvation with hope of receiving it, it cannot but feel joy, as one who has found a treasure.

This is so in the ordinary order. But when outward oppression prevents even conviction from taking shape, much less the entrance of hope for salvation and joy because of it, then the appearance of living and firm faith with joy is extraordinary.

In such circumstances, this is a clear sign that a special action from above was present. The Spirit of God gave them a taste of the good of salvation.

By filling the heart with joy, He did not allow it to be constrained by afflictions. He ordered things so that it was open to receive the truth and closed against the feeling of grief.

Thus the reception of the word in affliction was mediated by joy, which is from the Holy Spirit. Here is a tangible indication of good pleasure from above, and at the same time of the divinity of the faith and the saving character of belief.

Saint Chrysostom says: "If it is no small thing to endure afflictions in any way, then to endure them with joy belongs to those who are above human nature, who had a body as though passionless.

"He says, 'with joy of the Holy Spirit.' Lest anyone say, 'How do you speak of affliction and joy together? How are both compatible?' he added, 'with joy of the Holy Spirit.'

"Affliction was in them as bodily beings, but joy was in them as spiritual beings. How so? The circumstances are sorrowful, but what they produce is not so, for the Spirit does not permit this.

"The Apostle says: they grieved and persecuted you, but the Spirit did not leave you even then. As the three youths were bedewed in the fire, so also were you in afflictions.

"As there the refreshment was not an action of the nature of fire, but of the Spirit Who cooled them, so here joy is not produced by the nature of affliction. It is produced by the Spirit Who bedews and, through the furnace of temptations, brings to coolness and rest."