FOR YOU RECALL, BRETHREN, OUR
LABOR AND HARDSHIP: mnemoneuete (2PPAI) gar, adelphoi, ton kopon hemon
kai ton mochthon: (1:3;
Acts 18:3;
20:34,35;
1 Corinthians 4:12;
9:6,15;
2 Corinthians 6:5;
2 Thessalonians 3:7-9;
1 Timothy 4:10)
For (1063)(gar)
is a conjunction basically introducing an explanation and here
indicates that Paul intends to further develop the point that the
Thessalonians had become very dear to the missionaries.
McGee feels Paul is
continuing his picture of...
a mother’s work. We are familiar
with the expression: “Man’s work is from sun to sun, but a woman’s
work [or a mother’s work] is never done.” A mother is not a paid
nurse. Paul is saying that he wasn’t a paid nurse who worked by the
hour. He wasn’t a hired baby-sitter. He did not belong to a union.
Have you ever heard of a mothers’ union which insisted a mother would
work only for eight hours of the day? Have you known any mothers who
punch the clock and then turn away from their crying babies because
they refuse to work anymore? Maybe some mothers will work out some
kind of union agreement like that, but I don’t think real mothers
would want it. Mothers work a little differently—night and day.
(McGee,
J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson
or
Logos)
Recall (3421)
(mnemoneuo) means to exercise memory, call something to mind,
recollect. Even as the missionaries remembered the Thessalonians’
"work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope" (1Thessalonians
1:3), so they expected
that the Thessalonians would remember how they too had labored while
they were with them.
Brethren (80)
(adelphos from collative a = denoting unity + delphús
= womb) is literally one born from same womb and so a male having the
same father and mother as reference person. Figuratively, adelphos
as in this verse refers to a close associate of a group of persons
having well-defined membership, specifically here referring to fellow
believers in Christ who are united by the bond of affection.
Labor and hardship -
Lightfoot points out the distinction between the two when he writes
Kopos (from kopto) is properly
a 'blow' or 'bruise,' and hence signifies 'wear and tear,' the fatigue
arising from continued labour, and hence the labor which brings on
lassitude. In mochthos on the other hand the leading notion is
that of struggling to overcome difficulties.
Labor (2873)
(kopos
from kopto = chop, cut down, strike) (Click
study on related verb
kopiao) primarily, refers to beating or
smiting as a sign of sorrow and then sorrow itself.
fatigue) As labor it involves toil
and weariness and sorrow. Kopos conveys the idea of arduous,
wearying toil involving sweat and fatigue and emphasizes the weariness
which follows on the straining of all of one's powers to the utmost. In
secular Greek kopos means “beating,” “weariness as though one had been
beaten,” and the “exertion” or “trouble” which causes this state. In
prose it is the proper word for physical tiredness induced by work,
exertion or heat.
It was not easy to make
tents and minister the Word at the same time. No wonder Paul labored
“night and day”!
As the missionaries remembered the Thessalonians' work of faith and
labor of love (see note
1Thess 1:3), so they expected that the Thessalonians would
remember how they too had labored while they were with them. Paul used
the first word, kopos, in 1.3 in describing how the
Thessalonians' love made them work so hard.
1Thessalonians 1:3
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor (kopos) of love
and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of
our God and Father
Hardship (3449)
(mochthos from mógos = labor, toil) means toil,
painfulness, travail, afflicting and wearisome labor. Hardship,
struggle, strenuous toil. It refers to hard and difficult labor
involving suffering and implying an unusual exertion of energy and
effort.
The word refers to the trouble and
pain of arduous work and the leading notion is that of struggling to
overcome difficulties.
Mochtos is the everyday word for that labor
which, in one shape or another, is the lot of all the sinful children of
Adam. It is more than kópos and it therefore follows kópos in all the
three passages wherein it occurs. Kopos emphasizes fatigue and
mochthos hardship.
Mochthos is used 37 times
in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Exod. 18:8; Lev.
25:43, 46, 53; Num. 20:14; 23:21; Deut. 26:7; Neh. 9:32; Job 2:9; Eccl.
1:3; 2:10f, 18ff, 24; 3:13; 4:4, 6, 8f; 5:15, 18f; 6:7; 8:15; 9:9;
10:15; Isa. 55:2; 61:8; Jer. 3:24; 51:35; Lam. 3:65; Ezek. 23:29; 34:4).
Note the 21 uses in Ecclesiastes with this representative use...
Ecclesiastes 1:3 What
advantage does man have in all his work (mochthos) which he does
under the sun?
There are 3 uses of mochthos
in the NT...
2 Corinthians 11:27 I have
been in labor (kopos) and hardship (mochthos), through many
sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and
exposure.
1 Thessalonians 2:9 For you
recall, brethren, our labor (kopos) and hardship (mochthos), how
working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we
proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
2 Thessalonians 3:8 nor did we
eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor (kopos) and
hardship (mochthos) we kept working night and day so that we might
not be a burden to any of you;
Hiebert comments that...
Paul's expression aptly stresses the
reality and exhausting character of the work of the missionaries. It
certainly was no pleasant, self-chosen activity adopted as an easy means
of gaining a livelihood. In their own memories of the toil of the
missionaries, the readers had proof of the self-sacrificing spirit of
the preachers. (Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
HOW WORKING NIGHT AND DAY SO
AS NOT TO BE A BURDEN TO ANY OF YOU: nuktos kai hemeras ergazomenoi
(AAN) pros to me epibaresai (1PAAI) tina humon: (1Thes
3:10;
Psalms 32:4;
88:1;
Jeremiah 9:1;
Luke 2:37;
18:7;
Acts 20:31;
1 Timothy 5:5;
2 Timothy 1:3)
(6;
Nehemiah 5:15,18;
1 Corinthians 9:7,18;
2 Corinthians 11:9;
12:13,14)
In a similar vein Paul
wrote to the Church at Corinth reminding them...
and we toil, working with our own
hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure
(1Cor 4:12)
If others share the right over you,
do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure
all things, that we may cause no hindrance (egkope = impediment from
egkopto which In classic Greek was used as a military metaphor meaning
to cut in on, throw obstacles in the way of, or cut up the road so that
normal movement is impossible) to the gospel of Christ. (1Cor 9:12)
Paul spoke of his manual labor
in Acts...
(Paul came to Corinth to join Aquila
and Priscilla) and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them
and they were working; for by trade they were tent-makers. (Acts 18:3)
(At Paul's last face to face address
to the elders at Ephesus) You yourselves know that these hands
ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. (Acts 20:34)
Bruce observes that...
A later teacher, Rabban Gamaliel III,
gave voice to a traditional principle when he said that study of the
Torah was excellent if it were combined with a secular occupation (Pirqe Abot… 2.2), and this principle, in accordance with which Paul had been
brought up, was carried over by him into his apostolic ministry. In
Thessalonica, then, as later in Corinth (1 Cor 4:12) and Ephesus (Acts
19:12; 20:34), Paul maintained himself by manual labor. (Bruce,
F F: 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word,
Incorporated. 1982 or
Logos)
Working (2038)
(ergazomai) means to engage in an activity involving
considerable expenditure of effort.
Night (3571)
(nux) is literally the period between sunset and sunrise. Here
night and day is a figure of speech. .
Night and day reflects
Jewish reckoning of time where the day begins at dusk (cf. Gen. 1:5, 8,
13, 19, 23, 21).
Moffatt quotes Ramsay
writing that...
Paul means by the phrase, night
and day, that he started work before dawn; the usage is regular and
frequent. He no doubt began so early in order to be able to devote some
part of the day to preaching.
Be a burden (1912)
(epibareo from epí = upon or an intensifier + baréo
= to burden) means to weigh down, to place a weight upon someone, to put a burden on or
to be burdensome to.
To press too heavily on or be too severe with. To burden heavily,
referring to material resources.
Paul did not want to be a
financial burden to the Thessalonian saints. Paul emulates civic-minded
persons who did not wish the public to be burdened.
Paul made it his policy to work so as to shut the mouths of those who
would have liked to say that he, like others, was in the preaching
business for what he could get out of it (cf. 2 Cor 11:12).
Epibareo is used 3 times in
Scripture...
2 Corinthians 2:5 But if any
has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree--
in order not to say too much-- to all of you. (Comment:
Here epibareo seems to have the meaning "in order not to heap up too
great a burden of words" or in order not to say too much).
1 Thessalonians 2:9 For you
recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so
as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the
gospel of God.
2 Thessalonians 3:8 nor did we
eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we
kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to
any of you
Paul did manual labor (likely making
tents) in order to give the gospel without charge. He wanted to avoid any
appearance of self-serving in their evangelistic ministry (or pretext
of greed
1Thessalonians 2:5), Paul and
Silas did not preach in order to secure money for their support. They
earned their sustenance by their own labor most likely by making and
selling tents (Acts 18:3). They performed manual
labor in order to give the gospel without charge. In a Jewish setting, there would have been nothing unusual about
this, since every rabbi had a trade. However, in Thessalonica it would have been
remarkable, since non-Jewish traveling lecturers were often less
scrupulous, and the Greeks generally despised manual labor.
WE PROCLAIMED TO YOU THE
GOSPEL OF GOD:
ekeruxamen eis humas to euaggelion tou theou:
(2;
Acts 20:24;
Romans 1:1;
15:16,19;
1 Timothy 1:11)
Proclaimed the gospel of God -
This is the third time in this chapter we encounter the term gospel
of God. (1Thes
2:2,
2:8,
2:9)
(It is notable that there are only 8 total uses of this phrase in
the NT -
click for all 8 in NASB) The designation stresses the divine origin and authority of their
message and points to the greatness of the good news they had imparted
to the Thessalonians. It was because the messengers were deeply
convinced that their message was indeed God's gospel that they were
willing to proclaim it freely while working for their own living.
This
is the very thing Jesus did at the inception of His ministry...
Now after John had been taken into
custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching (kerusso) the Gospel of God.
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled (cf Gal 4:4 "fullness of
time" in God's prophetic timetable, the time was ripe for the appearance
of the King), and the kingdom of God is at
hand (Or "is near" because the King has arrived!).
Repent
(present
imperative = not
just a one time repentance but as one's lifestyle!) and
believe
(present
imperative =
again, not just a one time belief but believing as a lifestyle! Problems and
doubts assail us moment by moment, stressing the need for us to
continually walk by faith, in the Sprit, not by sight!) in the gospel."
(Mark 1:14-15)
Hogg and Vine remark that at each occurrence of the expression
the missionaries appear in a different capacity...
in 1Thes
2:2
Paul refers to the work of the missionaries as evangelists among the as
yet unconverted Thessalonians; in 1Thes
2:8
he refers to their work as pastors, and in 1Thes
2:9
as teachers, among their converts.
Proclaimed (2784)
(kerusso or kerysso from kerux/keryx = a
herald - one who acts as the medium of the authority of one who
proclamation he makes; kerugma = the thing preached or the
message) means to proclaim (publicly) or to herald or act as a public crier -
the town official who would make a proclamation in a public gathering.
Kerusso was used of the official whose duty it was to proclaim
loudly and extensively the coming of an earthly king, even as our
gospel is to clearly announce the coming of the King of kings and
Lord of lords (see note
Revelation 19:16)!
The Imperial Herald would enter a
town in behalf of the Emperor, and make a public proclamation of the
message which his Sovereign ordered him to give, doing so with such
formality, gravity, and authority as to emphasize that the message must be heeded!
(Think about this in regard to the Gospel of God instead of the decree
of a man! cf note
1Thessalonians 2:13). He gave the people
exactly what the Emperor bade him give, nothing more, nothing less. He
did not dare add to the message or take away from it.
Should this not be the example and
pattern every preacher and teacher of the holy gospel of God
seeks and strives to emulate, yea, even doing so with fear and trembling!
("not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts" see note
1Thessalonians 2:4)
The original meaning
of the root word kerux was a "herald at the royal court." Homer
used kerusso and kerux in this connection. They not only
announced the coming of the prince, but they also carried his commands
to the uttermost corners of his realm. As the government of Greece
became more republican, these heralds came to serve the state rather
than the court. Certain qualities were required of heralds. They
must have powerful voices, so voice auditions were often held. Also they
had to be capable of calming down an unruly mob, in order to faithfully
communicate the command. An honest disposition was also required, as a
protection against the exaggeration of a royal decree. Furthermore,
they could make no additions or subtractions from the received message.
Later these heralds were also used to declare the message of a Greek
deity or a religious oracle.
Kerusso does not carry within
it the content or nature of the message which is proclaimed. The context
usually indicates what is being preached or qualifying phrase must be
used for that purpose. In the New Testament, the word is used either
with a qualifying phrase such as “the gospel” (Mark 16:15), or the
contents of the proclamation are given as in Revelation 5:2, or it is
used alone without the contents of the message being given as in Romans
10:15.
R. C. H. Lenski
comments
The point to be noted is that to
preach is not to argue, reason, dispute, or convince by intellectual
proof, against all of which a keen intellect may bring counterargument.
We simply state in public or testify to all men the truth which God bids
us state. No argument can assail the truth presented in this
announcement or testimony. Men either believe the truth, as all sane men
should, or refuse to believe it, as only fools venture to do” (The
Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1964],
p. 168).
Kerusso is
a term borrowed from the secular sphere where it was used for the
proclamation of an official message from a ruler or other person of
power. Because of that association, the term implies some dignity for
the person doing the proclaiming.
Kerusso means to make a formal
or an official announcement and thus to announce by means of a herald or
one who functions as a herald
And I saw a strong angel
proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and
to break its seals?" (see note
Revelation 5:2).
It means to make known extensively or
tell everywhere
And he (man healed of a demon) went
away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus
had done for him; and everyone marveled. (Mark 5:20).
In a religious sense it denotes
proclamation of a sacred message and can mean to preach or publish
John the Baptist appeared in the
wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sins. (Mark 1:4) (Comment: Here kerusso pictures John
as a herald with an official proclamation from a coming King, the
Messiah of Israel. He acted as one, making a public proclamation of the
news of the advent of the Messiah with such formality, gravity, and
authority as must be listened to and obeyed.)
And Jesus was going about in all
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of
sickness among the people. (Mt 4:23). (Comment: Generally a
herald speaks for the king, making his decrees known. In this case, the
proclamation was about the kingdom of God and the herald was the King!
Matthew uses kerusso for John, for Jesus, and for the disciples.
He emphasizes the binding and official legalistic character of the
proclamation).
Kerusso
like its synonym euaggelizo, is especially used of preaching the
gospel with the distinction lying in the literal significance where
kerusso signifies to proclaim as a herald (kerux) and euaggelízo
means to announce a good message or declare good tidings.
Whereas didasko relates to
explaining a message, kerusso relates simply to announcing it,
proclaiming openly something which has been done.
To preach, proclaim, publish, always with the suggestion of formality,
gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed. The idea
is to preach or proclaim with the goal to persuade, urge or warn
to comply.
How then shall they call upon Him in
whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they
have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher
(kerusso)? (see notes
Ro 10:14)
(It also means to preach the gospel in
Romans 10:15; 1Cor 1:23; 15:11,
12; Galatians 2:2;
Philippians 1:15;
1Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Ti 3:16)
Kerusso is used of the public proclamation of the gospel and
matters pertaining to it as proclaimed by John the Baptist, Jesus, the
apostles and other Christian teachers. An unexpected group of preachers
were some of those whom the miracles of Jesus touched. A cleansed leper
told his tale of healing far and wide (Mark 1:44-45). When a
demon-possessed man was released, he proclaimed the glories of Christ
throughout the whole city (Mark 5:19-20). In the New Testament, from John the
Baptist to the establishment of an Apostolic church, preaching was the
main means of communicating the Christian message. This gives validity
to the preaching ministry today.
Vance Havner once said
It is not the business of the
preacher to fill the house. It is his business to fill the pulpit.
Similarly Dwight L. Moody
(1837-99) claimed
The best way to revive a church is to
build a fire in the pulpit
John Ruskin (1819-1900) remarked
Preaching is 30 minutes in which to
raise the dead.
Hunter
writing on kerusso says that...
In the New Testament the verb does
not mean ‘to give an informative or hortatory or edifying discourse
expressed in beautifully arranged words with a melodious voice; it means
to proclaim an event
Preaching is not a lecture on the nature of God's kingdom. It is
proclamation, the declaration of an event. This proclamation should be
characterized by that dignity which comes from the consciousness of the
fact that the kerux or preacher is an official herald of the King of
kings. It should be accompanied by that note of authority which will
command the respect, careful attention, and proper reaction of the
listeners. There is no place for clowning in the pulpit of Jesus Christ.
C. H. Dodd writes that the word
kerusso
signifies not the action of the
preacher, but that which he preaches, his message, as we sometimes say
Kerusso is used 26 times in
the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Gen. 41:43; Exod. 32:5; 36:6; 2 Ki. 10:20; 2 Chr. 20:3; 24:9; 36:22;
Est. 6:9, 11; Prov. 1:21; 8:1; Isa. 61:1 (...He has sent Me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives..."); Dan. 3:4 (Then
the herald loudly proclaimed "To you the command is given, O peoples,
nations and men of every language"); Da 5:29; Hos. 5:8; Joel 1:14
(Proclaim a solemn assembly); 2:1, 15; 3:9; Jonah 1:2 {Note: Here
Kerusso is used of bringing bad news!}; Jonah 3:2, 4f, 7; Mic. 3:5;
Zeph. 3:14; Zech. 9:9)
Kerusso is used 61 times in the NT (Matt.
3:1; 4:17, 23; 9:35; 10:7, 27; 11:1; 24:14; 26:13;
Mk. 1:4, 7, 14, 38f, 45; 3:14; 5:20; 6:12; 7:36;
13:10; 14:9; 16:15, 20; ;
Luke. 3:3; 4:18f, 44; 8:1, 39; 9:2; 12:3; 24:47;
Acts 8:5; 9:20; 10:37, 42; 15:21; 19:13; 20:25;
28:31;
Rom. 2:21; 10:8, 14f;
1Co. 1:23; 9:27; 15:11f;
;
2 Co. 1:19; 4:5; 11:4;
Gal. 2:2; 5:11;
Phil. 1:15;
Colossians 1:23;
1 Thessalonians 2:9;
1 Timothy 3:16;
2 Timothy 4:2;
1 Pete3:19;
Revelation 5:2) and
is translated: made proclamation, 1; preach, 16; preached, 10; preacher,
1; preaches, 2; preaching, 11; proclaim, 8; proclaimed, 6; proclaiming,
6.
Paul uses
the noun kerux (herald) in 1 Ti 2:7 ("And for this I was
appointed a preacher") and
2 Timothy 1:11 (note)
("for which [for the Gospel] I was appointed a preacher and an
apostle and a teacher"). In
Romans 16:25 (note)
("Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ...") he uses
the related derivative kerugma of the content of his preaching.
The distinction between euaggelizo
and kerusso is that euaggelizo stresses the content while
kerusso emphasizes the manner of the proclamation.
Kerusso also conveys a sense of urgency with which the
proclamation is made.
TDNT has an excellent discussion of kerusso...
1.
The Dignity and Social Position of the Herald. The herald has
a high place in Greek antiquity; he belongs to the court, carries a
sceptre, and is renowned for cleverness and wisdom. Yet he also performs
menial tasks and runs very ordinary errands. Later there are heralds of
mysteries, games, festivals, and markets. As state officials heralds
come to be poorly regarded but still render important services, belong
to the higher classes, and are often given high honors and rewards.
2. The Qualities Demanded of a Herald. A strong and resonant voice is
the basic requirement, since the herald has to issue summons, keep the
peace, and make announcements. The games include contests to test the
strength and diction of heralds. To restrict garrulity and exaggeration,
it is important that heralds deliver news or pass on messages strictly
as these are given to them. In negotiations they seldom act on their own
initiative but simply deliver short messages, put a few questions, and
report back for further instructions. In the assembly or in court they
act only as the voice of the chairman or president.
3. The Religious Significance of the Herald.
a. His Inviolability on Diplomatic Missions. Since politics and religion
are inseparable for the Greeks, heralds on foreign missions are regarded
as under the protection not only of their country but also of the gods.
To violate them is to bring down divine wrath. Even if their message is
unwelcome, they must be hospitably received. They have a special
sanctity which enables them to speak without fear or favor. For this
reason they often accompany envoys. Even in war they may go to the enemy
camp to open up negotiations for peace. Similarly, they may go to an
enemy capital to declare war.
b. His Participation in Cultic Life. Heralds offer prayers at the
opening of assemblies or the mustering of the army. They invoke divine
blessing on their cities and cursing on traitors and public offenders.
They also have a part in preparations for sacrifices and lead in prayer
at the actual sacrifices. They have a part, too, in the religious act of
making treaties. Their intimation of festivals and games may also have a
cultic aspect, and some heralds are specifically employed by cultic
societies (cf. their role in the Eleusinian mysteries, in which they
issue the call to worship, lead in prayer, help in the sacrifices, and
make important announcements).
4. The Herald of the Gods. While all heralds stand under the protection
of the gods, the gods have their own special heralds. Hermes is the
herald-god who plays the herald role in the divine assemblies. Birds are
also at times heralds of the gods. So, too, are Stoic philosophers, who,
according to Epictetus, go through the world in simple style with the
task of presenting divine teaching with its truth and claim, bringing a
higher peace than even the emperor can grant, but also issuing a call
for decision, chiding error, and summoning to emulation. Formally one
sees a close parallel here to the work of early Christian missionaries.
A primary distinction is that the Stoic sees himself as a katáskopos, an
inspector of people who declares his message on the basis of his
observations. The Stoic starting point, then, is human need or
wickedness, whereas the Christian starting point is God?s gracious
presence in Christ. This points to the fundamental difference, namely,
between the god whose heralds the Stoics are and the Father of Christ
whose message the apostles declare. The message itself differs in
consequence, for while the Stoics have high ideals, they can finally
hope only to quicken a slumbering seed of morality, whereas the gospel
ushers in the new age of the kingdom which involves radical conversion
and renewal. Philosophical heralds proclaim human development and
divinization, apostolic messengers the incarnation, the forgiveness of
sins, and the gift of eternal life. (Kittel,
G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament. Eerdmans)
Gospel (2098)(euaggelion
from eú = good + aggéllo = proclaim, tell) originally referred to a reward for
good news and later became the good news itself. The word euaggelion
was in just as common use in the first century as our words good news
today. “Have you any good news for me today?” would have been a common
question. In this secular use euaggelion described good news
of any kind and prior to the writing of the New Testament, had no
definite religious connotation in the ancient world until it was taken
over by the "Cult of Caesar" which was the state religion and in which
the emperor was worshipped as a god (see more discussion of this use
below). The writers of the New Testament adapted the term as God's
message of salvation for lost sinners.
For Paul's Scriptural definition of
the Gospel and discussion see notes on
1Corinthians 15:1
1Corinthians 15:2
1Corinthians 15:3
1Corinthians 15:4
1Corinthians 15:5
1Corinthians 15:6
1Corinthians 15:7
1Corinthians 15:8
The Gospel of God (cf Mk 1:14,
Romans 15:16 (note), 2Cor 11:7,
see notes
1Thessalonians 2:21Th 2:2,
2:8,
2:9,
1 Peter 4:17) - The gospel is
also known as...
• of God...concerning His
Son -
Ro 1:1;
1:2;
1:3 (notes)
• of His Son -
Ro 1:9 (note)
• of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Mk 1:1
• of our Lord Jesus - 2 Thes 1:8
• of Christ -
Ro 15:19 (note), 1Cor 9:12, 2Cor 2:12, 9:13, 10:14, Gal 1:7,
Phil 1:27 (note),
1Thess 3:2 (note)
• of the glory of Christ - 2Cor 4:4
• of the grace of God - Acts 20:24
• of the glory of the blessed God - 1 Ti 1:11
• of your salvation -
Eph 1:13 (note)
• of peace -
Eph 6:15 (note)
• of the Kingdom - Mt 4:23; 9:35; 24:14
• of the Kingdom of God - Luke 16:16
• an eternal gospel -
Revelation 14:6 (note) (Some such as C I Scofield
interpret this as a different gospel than the above "gospels" but I
think such a distinction is incorrect and is poorly substantiated).
