1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

3. Thessalonica’s reception and faithful retention of St. Paul’s gospel, 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16.

As the last paragraph, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, is an expansion of 1 Thessalonians 1:5, which gives the powerful preaching of the gospel as proof of the divine election (1 Thessalonians 2:4) of the Thessalonians, so this paragraph (1 Thessalonians 2:13-16) is an expansion of 1 Thessalonians 1:6, giving their acceptance of the gospel as the complete proof of their divine election. For such election implies a true offer of the gospel and a true acceptance.