1 Thessalonians 2:20
in 1 Thessalonians 2You are indeed our glory and our joy.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For ye are our glory and our joy.
KJV
For ye are our glory and joy.
⋯
This verse in 1 Thessalonians 2
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBut also in the present, for you are, among all the faithful, our glory: "I would rather die than have any one deprive me of my ground for boasting" (1 Cor. 9:15); and joy, for which reason Paul rejoices over their good fortune in the …
This site's exposition
our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing
on 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
The chapter's defense of Paul's absence closes on the letter's recurring horizon, the coming of the Lord, the second of the parousia thread's five beats after 1:10. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing sets the Thessalonians themselves as the answer, are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming, the church itself named as Paul's reward at that day rather than any achievement of his own. Crown of rejoicing draws on the victor's wreath, and verse 20 states the conclusion already true in the present, ye are our glory and joy, so the future crown and the present relationship are made one thing.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye before our Lord Jesus at His coming? For ye are our glory and our joy." Are the Macedonians, tell me, thy hope, O blessed Paul? Not these alone, he says. Therefore he has added, "Are not ye also?" For "what," he says, "is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying"? Observe then the words, which are those of women, inflamed with tenderness, talking to their little children. "And crown of glorying," he says. For the name of "crown" was not sufficient to express the splendor, but also "of glorying." Of what fiery warmth is this! Never could either mother, or father, yea if they even met together, and commingled their love, have shown their own affection to be equivalent to that of Paul. "My joy and crown," he says, that is, I rejoice in you more than in a crown. For consider how great a thing it is, that an entire Church should be present, planted and rooted by Paul. Who would not rejoice in such a multitude of children, and in the goodness of those children? So that this also is not flattery. For he has not said "ye," but "ye also" together with the others.
The Medieval Church1 voice
How glorious to bring such a church to Christ, and one so well-skilled at that!
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For ye are our glory and joy. Or "our joy", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read; this is a repetition, and a confirmation of what is before said; and signifies that these saints were then the glory of the apostles, being the seals of their ministry; and whom they gloried of and rejoiced in, and hoped and believed they would be such, as would be their joy and crown in time to come, and for ever.
The subject-matter of the apostle's preaching was not vain and idle speculations about useless niceties and foolish questions, but sound and solid truth, such as was most likely to profit his hearers. A good example this is, to be imitated by all the ministers of the gospel.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
For ye are our glory and joy - Ye are the seal of our apostleship; your conversion and steadiness are a full proof that God hath sent us. Converts to Christ are our ornaments; persevering believers, our joy in the day of judgment. 1. In the preceding chapter we have the character and marks of a genuine pastor laid down in such a manner as not to be misunderstood. Every man who preaches the Gospel should carefully read this chapter and examine himself by it.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Emphatical repetition with increased force. Who but ye and our other converts are our hope, &c., hereafter, at Christ's coming? For it is ye who ARE now our glory and joy.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For ye are our glory and joy - The meaning is, that the source of happiness to a minister of the gospel in the day of judgment will be the conversion and salvation of souls. The object of the apostle in dwelling on this in a manner so tender and affectionate is, to show them that his leaving them, and his long absence from them, were not caused by any want of affection for them. Remarks On 1 Thessalonians 2 (1) Ministers of the gospel should be entirely sincere, and without guile. They should attempt to carry no measure - not even the conversion of sinners - by trick or management; 1Th 2:3-5. (2) They should not make it a point to please people; 1Th 2:4, they do please men; or if their ministry is acceptable to people, they should not regard it, indeed, as proof that they are unfaithful, for they “should have a good report of them that are without;” nor should they make it a point to displease people, or consider it a proof that because people are offended, therefore they are faithful; but it should not be their leading aim or purpose to gratify people. They should preach the truth; and if they do this, God will take care of their reputation, and give them just as much as they ought to have. The same principle should operate with all Christians. They should do right, and leave their reputation with God. (3) Ministers of the gospel should be gentle, tender, and affectionate. They should be kind in feeling, and courteous in manner - like a father or a mother; 1Th 2:7, 1Th 2:11. Nothing is ever gained by a sour, harsh, crabby, dissatisfied manner. Sinners are never scolded either into duty or into heaven. “Flies are not caught with vinegar.” No man is a better or more faithful preacher because he is rough in manner, coarse or harsh in his expressions, or sour in his contact with mankind. Not thus was the Master or Paul. […]
The words behind it
9 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὑμεῖς | humeis | You yourselves | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| γάρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἐστε | este | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δόξα | doxa | glory | G1391 → | 165 times |
| ἡμῶν | hemon | of us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χαρά.¶ | chara | joy. | G5479 → | 58 times |
ὑμεῖςYou yourselves
humeisG4771 →2973 times
γάρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἐστεare
esteG1510 →2333 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
δόξαglory
doxaG1391 →165 times
ἡμῶνof us
hemonG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
χαρά.¶joy.
charaG5479 →58 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 17:6Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
it leads to
- Psalms 127:3–5
Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.
- Proverbs 16:31
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.
- Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.
- Psalms 127:3–5
Through
2 Corinthians 1:14as you have already understood us in part, so that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20
After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?
- Philippians 2:16
as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
- 1 Corinthians 1:8
He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:13
so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20
Through
1 Corinthians 11:7A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
- 1 Corinthians 11:3
About 1 Thessalonians
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 3; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians.