2 Thessalonians 1:3

The apostle teaches three things here: if something proves to be upright in us, we must not praise ourselves for it, but thank God, and, ascribing everything to Him, not be puffed up by it; if someone suffers, this is worthy not of weeping and …

Prospect of Persecuted Saints. 5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: 6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v4-6

It is highly observable, that the apostle wraps up his praise of men in praise to God; giving him the glory. Your faith groweth - Probably he had heard from them since his sending the former letter.

We are bound to thank God,....

They were more confirmed in the truth of gospel-revelations, confided in gospel-promises, and had lively expectations of another world. The growth of their faith appeared by the works of faith; and, where faith grows, all other graces grow proportionably.

We are bound to thank God always for you; - See the notes on 1Th 1:2. “As it is meet.” Since it is fit or proper. “Because that your faith groweth exceedingly.” It would seem probable from this that Paul had heard from them since his First Epistle was written. He had doubtless received intelligence of the error which prevailed among them respecting his views of the coming of the Lord Jesus, and of the progress which the truth was making, at the same time. “And the charity of every one of you all toward each other.” Your mutual love.

In 1Th 1:3, their thanksgiving was for the Thessalonians' faith, love, and patience"; here, for their exceeding growth in faith, and for their charity abounding. "We are bound" expresses the duty of thanksgiving from its subjective side as an inward conviction. "As it is meet," from the objective: side as something answering to the state of circumstances [ALFORD].

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

WE ARE BOUND to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet.” Whether we shall praise God or not, is not left to our opinion Although the commandment saith not, “Thou shalt praise the Lord,” yet praise is God’s most righteous due, and every man, as a partaker of God’s bounty, and especially every Christian, is bound to praise God, as it is meet.

WE ARE BOUND to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet.” Whether we shall praise God or not, is not left to our opinion Although the commandment saith not, “Thou shalt praise the Lord,” yet praise is God’s most righteous due, and every man, as a partaker of God’s bounty, and especially every Christian, is bound to praise God, as it is meet. It is true we have no authoritative rubric for daily praise; we have no commandment left on record specially prescribing certain hours of song and thanksgiving; but still the law written upon the heart, teacheth us with divine authority that it is right to praise God; and this unwritten mandate hath as much power and authority about it, as if it had been recorded on the tables of stone, or handed to us from the top of thundering Sinai. The Christian’s duty is to praise God. Think not ye who are always mourning that ye are guiltless in that respect; imagine not that ye can discharge your duty to your God without songs of praise. It is your duty to praise him. You are bound by the bonds of his love as long as you live to bless his name. It is meet and comely that you should do so. It is not only a pleasurable exercise, but it is the absolute duty of the Christian life to praise God. This is taught us in the text,—“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet.” Let not your harps then hang upon the willows, ye mourning children of the Lord. It is your duty to strike them and bring forth their loudest music. It is sinful if you to cease from praising God; you are blessed in order that you may bless him; and if you do not praise God you are not bringing forth the fruit, which he as the divine husbandman, may well expect at your hands. Go forth then, ye sons of God, and chant his praise.

LAST Lord's-Day I tried to say cheering and encouraging words to "Little-Faith." I trust that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, did thereby strengthen some to whom the Savior said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" But none of us would desire to remain among the Little-Faiths—we long to press forward in our march to the better land. If we have just started in the heavenly race, it is well, for there are grounds of comfort about the first steps in the right way, but we are not going to stop at the starting-point!

LAST Lord's-Day I tried to say cheering and encouraging words to "Little-Faith." I trust that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, did thereby strengthen some to whom the Savior said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" But none of us would desire to remain among the Little-Faiths—we long to press forward in our march to the better land. If we have just started in the heavenly race, it is well, for there are grounds of comfort about the first steps in the right way, but we are not going to stop at the starting-point! Our desire is towards the finish line and the crown. My prayer, at the commencement of this discourse, is that we may, each of us, rise out of our little faith into the loftier region of assurance, so that those who love us best may be able to say, "We are bound to thank God always for you, Brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly." The Church of Jesus Christ at Thessalonica did not commence under very propitious circumstances. Remember that oft-quoted text about the Bereans—"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so." That record does not relate to the converts in Thessalonica, but to those Jews who heard Paul preach in the synagogue and refused to test his teaching by a reference to the Old Testament. They were not a noble sort of people and yet, from among them, there were taken by almighty Grace a certain company who were led to believe in the true Messiah! Thus they became more noble than even the Bereans, for we do not hear of a Church in Berea, neither was an Epistle written to the Bereans. Thessalonica received two Epistles, bright with hearty commendations.

[Two other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon on the same verse are #205, Volume 4—A LECTURE FOR LITTLE-FAITH and #1857, Volume 31— THE NECESSITY OF GROWING FAITH.] BEWARE of imagining that you have reached finality in religion. Just as some politicians have said, "We have gone as far in reform as we ever mean to go, so here we shall stop," certain religious professors say, "We have gone as far in religion as there is any need to go. We are converted, we are saved, so here we shall remain."

[Two other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon on the same verse are #205, Volume 4—A LECTURE FOR LITTLE-FAITH and #1857, Volume 31— THE NECESSITY OF GROWING FAITH.] BEWARE of imagining that you have reached finality in religion. Just as some politicians have said, "We have gone as far in reform as we ever mean to go, so here we shall stop," certain religious professors say, "We have gone as far in religion as there is any need to go. We are converted, we are saved, so here we shall remain." Beware, I say, of such a spirit as that, but rather imitate the example of the Apostle Paul who wrote, "Forgetting these things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." We are not content with merely being alive! We wish to be in health as well as in life, and we ought not to be satisfied with being saved—we should desire to have our faith in full strength and to have all our graces at the highest degree of development! The men of this world are not usually content with just bread to eat and raiment to put on, they are like those daughters of the horseleech that cry, "Give, give!" But when spiritual things are concerned, these insatiable cravings are not so manifest.

Your faith groweth exceedingly - The word ὑπεραυξανει signifies to grow luxuriantly, as a good and healthy tree planted in a good soil; and if a fruit tree, bearing an abundance of fruit to compensate the labor of the husbandman. Faith is one of the seeds of the kingdom; this the apostle had sowed and watered, and God gave an abundant increase. Their faith was multiplied, and their love abounded; and this was not the case with some distinguished characters only, it was the case with every one of them.