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1 Thessalonians 1:1
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Greeting

1 Paul, aSilvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the bThessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace1 from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Their Good Example

2 aWe give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,  
3 remembering without ceasing ayour work of faith, blabor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,  
4 knowing, beloved brethren, ayour election by God.  
5 For aour gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, band in the Holy Spirit cand in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.  
6 And ayou became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, bwith joy of the Holy Spirit,  
7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
8 For from you the word of the Lord ahas sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also bin every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.  
9 For they themselves declare concerning us awhat manner of entry we had to you, band how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,  
10 and ato wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us bfrom the wrath to come. 
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
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What Does 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Mean?



1 Thessalonians 1:1

Adherents of the Trinity doctrine assert that the Holy Spirit is a personality alongside the Father and the Son. Yet, when the apostles—especially Paul—referred to the God Family in their epistles, why is mention of the Holy Spirit almost totally absent (James 1:1; II Peter 1:2; I John 1:3; Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:3; II Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:2; I Timothy 1:1-2; II Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:3)?

Where is the Holy Spirit? Is James not a servant of the Holy Spirit (James 1:1)? Is he a servant only of God and of Jesus Christ? What about "knowledge of the Holy Spirit" in II Peter 1:2? Is there no "fellowship with the Holy Spirit" in I John 1:3? Why do the apostles ignore it?

They include a greeting from the Father and the Son in each of these letters, but there is no greeting from the Holy Spirit. This was inspired by God! Is it possible that this is evidence that there is no other personality? Little by little, it keeps adding up. We need to see this with our own eyes—the Holy Spirit is ignored every time the God Family is mentioned. Father and Son—yes. Holy Spirit—no.

With a few variations in words, every apostle ignores the Holy Spirit. Would it not be gross insubordination for them to recognize two in the highest offices in the universe and totally ignore the third? They did this because they did not know the Holy Spirit as a personality within the God Family because Jesus taught them no such thing. The Holy Spirit is the power God uses to direct and carry out His purposes within His creation.

John W. Ritenbaugh
The Holy Spirit


 
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