1 Thessalonians 3:9

For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) For what thanks can we render.—An apology for the enthusiastic expressions used in the three foregoing verses. “I may call it a gospel, a balm for all anxieties, a new life, for what mode of thanksgiving could be deemed extravagant in such a case of joy?”

Before our God.—As in 1Thessalonians 1:3, the occasion on which the joy and thankfulness bursts out is “in prayer;” perhaps, in connection with thanksgiving, especially at the great Eucharistic Thanksgiving (1Corinthians 14:16), when he “stood before the Lord in a special manner (Acts 13:2; comp. Leviticus 1:3; Leviticus 1:11; Leviticus 3:1, et al).

Benson Commentary

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13. What thanks can we render to God — That is, what sufficient thanks; for you — On account of your perseverance; for all the joy —

That I have thereby such unfeigned cause of rejoicing; so that the apostle’s joy respecting the Thessalonians, arose first from their conversion, and next, from their steady adherence to the faith and profession of the gospel amidst great temptation and persecution; before, or, in the presence of, our God — As εμπροσθεν του Θεου ημων properly signifies. Joy in the presence of God is not a carnal or worldly but a spiritual joy, such as God approves. Night and day praying exceedingly — That is, with great earnestness and importunity: that God would permit us to see your face — Once more in the flesh; and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith — Thus it appears St. Paul did not suppose that they who are once upon the rock no longer need to be taught by man! Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ — Here we have a plain instance of prayer being addressed to Christ as well as to the Father, and even in the same words, and at the same time. A similar instance occurs 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. And doubtless these petitions are addressed to him because he is God, for unless he be present everywhere, how can he hear the prayers which are everywhere put up to him by his disciples? Direct — Clear, or make straight; our way unto you — Namely, by removing those obstructions which at present remain. This prayer is founded on the supposition that the common events on which the apostle’s prosperous journey to the Thessalonians depended, were under the direction of God. The apostle, it appears, was heard in his prayer; for, as we are told (Acts 20:2) that he gave the brethren in Macedonia much exhortation, we have reason to believe he did not pass by the Thessalonians, whom he was so desirous to visit. And the Lord make you to increase and abound — Πλεονασαι και περισσευσα, to abound and overflow; in love — The Lord Jesus seems to be here addressed, because all spiritual blessings which are originally from the Father come to us immediately through and from Christ, to whom belongs the office of bestowing every blessing, whether of nature, of providence, or of grace, upon his followers. The apostle’s example in praying thus fervently and importunately for his converts, well deserves to be imitated by all ministers of the gospel. And toward all men, as we toward you — Chandler’s remark on this passage is worthy of particular attention: “The apostle loved the Thessalonians as a father loves his children, and as a mother the infant at her breast, 1 Thessalonians 2:7. This his great love to them made him solicitous for their perseverance and salvation, so as to be willing to be persecuted, and to live in continual straits, (1 Thessalonians 3:7,) and to lose his life, (1 Thessalonians 2:8,) if it could have contributed to their perseverance in the faith, and to their eternal happiness. Generous apostle! how like the Master he served! Well therefore might he propose his own love to them as a pattern of their love to one another and to all. What an excellent religion is the Christian, which enjoins such a universal benevolence, even toward enemies and persecutors, and which roots out of the mind every tendency to anger, envy, malice, and revenge.” To the end — That by means of your love, which is the root of all piety and virtue; he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness — May make you steadfast in the experience of all Christian graces, and in the practice of all godliness and righteousness; and this before God, even our Father — Whose eyes are always upon you. These are high expressions when applied to fallen creatures, but what cannot the grace of God in Christ effect? Ye shall be perfect, says the Lord Jesus to his disciples, as, or because, your Father in heaven is perfect. And St. Paul informs us, that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, are appointed for the work of the ministry, in order to the perfecting of the saints, till they all come unto the full measure of Christ’s stature, Ephesians 4:11-13; and accordingly that they made it the great end of their preaching to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, Colossians 1:28. At the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints — That you may be found such at the day of final judgment.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:6-10 Thankfulness to God is very imperfect in the present state; but one great end of the ministry of the word is to help faith forward. That which was the instrument to obtain faith, is also the means of increasing and confirming it, namely, the ordinances of God; and as faith cometh by hearing, so it is confirmed by hearing also.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For what thanks can we render to God again - That is, what expression of thanksgiving can we render to God that shall be an equivalent for the joy which your holy walk has furnished, or which will suitably express our gratitude for it.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. For what thanks—what sufficient thanks?

render … again—in return for His goodness (Ps 116:12).

for you—"concerning you."

for all the joy—on account of all the joy. It was "comfort," 1Th 3:7, now it is more, namely, joy.

for your sakes—on your account.

before our God—It is a joy which will bear God's searching eye: a joy as in the presence of God, not self-seeking, but disinterested, sincere, and spiritual (compare 1Th 2:20; Joh 15:11).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This is another effect of the message Timothy brought, it caused in the apostle great thanksgivings to God. First he rejoiced in their faith, and then gives thanks to God for that joy. The matter of his rejoicing was their faith, but the author and upholder of this faith was God; and in giving thanks to God for his joy, he gives thanks also to God for their faith from whence it sprang. The joy that ministers have in their people’s faith should break forth into thanksgivings. And the apostle’s thanks to God was beyond what he could return or express, as appears by the form of his speech:

For what thanks can we render? &c.; as Psalm 116:12: What shall I render unto the Lord? said David. And his rejoicing before God implies both the nature of it, it was divine and spiritual, and his respect to God therein, as David danced before the Lord with all his might, 2 Samuel 6:14; i.e. with a respect to God’s goodness then declared Or the apostle might mean his joy was inward, before God, rather than before men.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For what thanks can we render to God again or you,.... They had given thanks to God for them before, for their faith, love, and patience; see 1 Thessalonians 1:2 and now having received a further account of them, they looked upon themselves bound to give fresh thanks to God for them, for the increase of their faith and love, and for their perseverance, as they did; see 2 Thessalonians 1:3 since these are gifts of God's grace; but they knew not where to begin, what to render, and when to end: the phrase is much like that in Psalm 116:12 "what shall I render unto the Lord", &c.

for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God: the joy they had was all joy, perfect and complete in its kind; see James 1:2 and it was not for themselves, on their own account, because of any worldly interest or advantage they had therein, but for the sake of these Thessalonians, whose spiritual welfare they rejoiced at: nor was their joy of a carnal nature, but spiritual; it was a joy in the Holy Ghost, and which was hearty and sincere: it was "before God our" God, their covenant God and Father; it was in his sight and presence, who sees and knows all things, all actions, and the principles of them. Though this last clause, "before our God", is in the Syriac version, placed at the beginning of the next verse, according to which, it refers, not to thanks or joy before God, but to prayer before him.

Geneva Study Bible

For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

1 Thessalonians 3:9. Reason of ζῶμεν, 1 Thessalonians 3:8; γάρ, consequently, is not “mera particula transeundi” (Koppe, Pelt). In a truly monstrous construction, Hofmann, with a renunciation of all exegetical tact, pulls to pieces the simple and clear structure of the words, taking τίνα γὰρ εὐχαριστίαν δυνάμεθα τῷ Θεῷ ἀνταποδοῦναι περὶ ὑμῶν (1 Thessalonians 3:9) as a parenthetic clause, the object of which is to give beforehand the reason of δεόμενοι (1 Thessalonians 3:10), referring ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ χαρᾷ, ᾗ χαίρομεν διʼ ὑμᾶς to δεόμενοι “as a statement of what he joined to his request;” considering δεόμενοι, which is “a participle of the imperfect,” as an apodosis, which, passing over the parenthesis, is annexed to παρεκλήθημεν (1 Thessalonians 3:7), and to which διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν πίστεως ὅτι νῦν ζῶμεν (1 Thessalonians 3:7-8) forms the protasis!

τίνα γὰρ εὐχαριστίαν κ.τ.λ.] for what thanks can we give in return to God on behalf of you for all the joy we feel for your sakes before our God? i.e., What expression of thanks can be sufficiently great to be an equivalent for the fulness and superabundance of our joy? Theophylact: Τοσαύτη, φησίν, ἡ διʼ ὑμᾶς χαρά, ὅτι οὐδὲ εὐχαριστῆσαι τῷ Θεῷ κατʼ ἀξίαν δυνάμεθα ὑπὲρ ὑμων. God has brought about and arranged this joy by His higher guidance; therefore to Him belongs the thanks; therefore is this thanks a return for the proof of His grace (ἀνταποδοῦναι).

πᾶσα ἡ χαρά] cannot denote joy of every kind; accordingly, cannot indicate the multiplicity of objects which the joy for the Thessalonians has (which Schott thinks possible). It means, as the article added requires, the whole joy—joy in its sum total. See Winer, p. 101 [E. T. 137]. A joy in its totality is certainly the greatest conceivable joy; so that it may be said that πᾶσα ἡ χαρά denotes laetitia maxima (Flatt, Pelt, Schott).

ᾗ χαίρομεν] by attraction instead of ἣν χαίρομεν; comp. Matthew 2:10.

ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν] belongs not to the following (Ewald, Hofmann), but to the preceding; but not to χαρᾷ (Koppe, Pelt, Bloomfield), but to χαίρομεν. The addition serves to bring forward the purity of this joy, to which nothing earthly cleaves. Erroneously Oecumenius and Bloomfield: “Paul would think on God as the Author of the joy.”

On ἡμῶν, comp. on 1 Thessalonians 2:2.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. For what thanks can we render to God again for you] “Again” belongs to the verb “render;” and “thanks” is strictly “thanksgiving.” So we may translate, more freely: what due return of thanksgiving can we make to God? The Apostle puts this question in proof of the strong declaration he has made in 1 Thessalonians 3:8. He says: “The news that Timothy brings from you is new life to me, so much so that I can find no words sufficient to express my gratitude to God for the abounding joy which now fills my heart in thinking of you.”

The same verb, to render due return (one word in Greek), is employed in a very different connection in 2 Thessalonians 1:6.

for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes] More exactly, because of you, or on your account. Observe the emphasis of delight with which the Apostle dwells on “you;” he repeats the pronoun eight times in the last four verses.

before our God] comp. 1 Thessalonians 3:13, and ch. 1 Thessalonians 1:3. God was the witness of this exceeding joy, which strove in vain to find expression in fit words of praise.

The condition of alarm and depression which St Paul had previously experienced made this rebound of joy the more vivid. Only those who have suffered much know joy in its full capacity, “as dying, and behold we live! as sorrowing, but ever rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - For; assigning the reason of the declaration, "now we live." What thanks can we render to God again for you. As their steadfastness in the faith was owing to God's grace, thanks was to be rendered to God on their behalf. For all the joy; joy in all its fullness (comp. James 1:2, "Count it all joy"). Wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God. Giving prominence to the purity of their joy. 1 Thessalonians 3:9