Blessing God for that obedience which your faith, that industry which your love, that endurance and constancy which your hope in Christ hath wrought in you, such as is required of you, and will be acceptable in the sight of God: Knowing, my beloved brethren, the special favour of God in decreeing to bestow the gospel on you, to reveal Christ to you, being Gentiles, above that which you had reason to expect or hope. In consequence to which it was that I was appointed by God in a vision, Acts xvi. 9, to come and preach unto you; and accordingly I did, Acts xvii. 1, and that with miracles and extraordinary gifts, (see note [a] 1 Cor. ii,) and matter of abundant conviction, as you know how we behaved ourselves toward you, that we might work, and gain you to Christ. And ye very cheerfully and readily received us, being content to suffer, as the apostles and Christ had done before you; embracing the gospel, though accompanied with persecution, with most Christian joy. And this in so eminent a manner, that your example had a happy influence, raised an emulation in all the Christians of the other cities of Macedonia, and also of Greece; as Corinth and Athens. For from the plantation and good success of the gospel among you it was, that many others in those places were inclined to receive the faith, and so your conversion being so eminently taken notice of, I need say no more in praise or congratulation of it. ² fulmas, πληροφορία: see Col. ii. 2. ³ hath gone forth, ἐξελῆλωθεν. ³ became, ἐγενήθημεν.