3, 4. ‘ We count it a duty, as well as a privilege, Brothers, to give thanks to God at all times for you, as indeed your own conduct fully merits, in view of the marvellous growth of your faith and the abounding love which you are all displaying towards one another. So marked indeed are these, that we on our own part are able to make a boast of you in the churches of God, as we think of the endurance and the faith which you have continued to show even among the persecutions and afflictions which are falling upon you at this time.’ 3. Εὐχαριστεῖνὀφείλομεν] Cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:2, the addition of ὀφείλομεν in the present passage bringing out the Apostles’ sense of thanksgiving as actually a debt owing to God in view of their converts’ rapid growth in spiritual things (see below). As contrasted with δεῖ ‘ an obligation in the nature of things,’ ὀφείλω expresses ‘ a special, personal obligation’ (Westcott on 1 John 2:6). It is found combined with εὐχαιστεῖν as here in 2:13; cf. Clem. R. Cor. 38:4, Barn. Ephesians 5:3 (ὑπερευχαριστεῖν) 7:1. καθὼςἄξιόνἐστι] not a mere tautological repetition of ὀφείλομεν for the sake of emphasis (as Jewett), but bringing out the duty of the εὐχαριστία from the human standpoint—‘ it is also merited by your conduct’ (Lft.): cf. Philippians 1:7, and for a similar use of ἄξιος see 1 Corinthians 16:4. ὅτι] referring back to the principal statement εὐχ. ὀφείλομεν, and in view of the emphatic ὀφείλομεν (see above) best given its full causal significance ‘ because,’ cf. 2:13 and contrast 1 Thessalonians 2:13. ὑπεραυξάνει] ‘ groweth exceedingly’ (Vg. supercrescit, Beza vehementer augescat, Wycl. ouer wexith), as compared with the ὑστερήματατ. πίστεως, 1 Thessalonians 3:10. The verb is another of the verbs compounded with ὑπερ- for which St Paul shows such a marked predilection, cf. ὑπερβαίνω (1 Thessalonians 4:6), ὑπερεντυγχάνω (Romans 8:26), ὑπερνικάω (Romans 8:37), ὑπερεκτείνω (2 Corinthians 10:14), ὑπερπλεονάζω (1 Timothy 1:14), all, like ὑπεραυξάνω, being ἅπ. λεγόμενα in the N.T.: see also the note on 1 Thessalonians 3:10. Like the simple αὐξάνω in the N.T. (except 1 Corinthians 3:6 f., 2 Corinthians 9:10), the verb is here used intransitively. καὶπλεονάζεικτλ.] a fulfilment of the prayer of 1 Thessalonians 3:12. As distinguished from ὑπεραυξάνει, πλεονάζει, which is found in the N.T. outside the Pauline Epp. only in 2 Peter 1:8, points to diffusive rather than organic growth, and hence is fittingly used of ἀγάπη, while this love is further characterized as not only individually manifested (ἑνὸςἑκάστου, cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:11), but as extended to the entire Christian community at Thessalonica (πάντωνὑμῶνεἰςἀλλήλους). Chrys.: καὶὅραἀγάπην· οὐτὸνμὲνἠγάπων, τὸνδὲοὔ, ἀλλʼ ἴσηἦνπαρὰπάντων.