5. ὅτι] ‘ how that,’ the demonstrative ὅτι introducing a description not of the ground of the Thessalonians’ election, but of the signs by which it was known to the Apostles— these being found (1) in the power and assurance with which they themselves had been enabled to preach at Thessalonica (v. 5), and (2) in the eagerness and joyfulness with which the Thesanlonians had believed (v. 6). For this use of ὅτι with εἰδέναι cf. 2:1, Romans 13:11, 1 Corinthians 16:15, 2 Corinthians 12:3 f. τὸεὐαγγέλιονἡμῶν] i.e. ‘ the gospel which we preach,’ with reference to the contents of the Apostles’ message rather than to the act of declaring it, for though the Apostles might be the bearers of the message (2:4, 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:14), in its origin it was God’ s (2:2, 2:8, 2:9), and in its substance Christ’ s (3:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:8). In this connexion the use of ἐγενήθη (for form, WM. p. 102), one of the characteristic words of the Epp. (8 times against 13 in the remaining Pauline Epp. of which two are quotations from the LXX.), is significant as pointing to a result reached through the working of an outside force, though no stress can be laid in this connexion on the pass. form which in the N.T., as in late Gk. generally, is used interchangeably with the midd.: cf. e.g. Ephesians 3:7 with Colossians 1:23; Colossians 1:25, and for the evidence of the inscriptions see Magn. 105 (2./b.c.) where γενηθῆναι appears seven times for γενέσθαι (Thieme, p. 13). Similarly, in accordance with the tendency in late Gk. to substitute prepositional phrases for the simple cases, εἰςὑμᾶς can hardly be taken as equivalent to more than ὑμῖν: cf. 2:9, 1 Peter 1:25. For the history of the word εὐαγγέλιον see Add. Note E. οὐκ ... ἐνλόγῳμόνονκτλ.] The influence in which the Gospel came to the Thessalonians, is now stated first negatively (οὐκἐνλόγ. μόν.) and then positively in a series of closely related substantival clauses, the first (ἐνδυνάμει) laying stress on the effective power with which the Gospel was brought home to the Thessalonians, the second and third (ἐνπνεύμ. ἁγ. κ. πληροφ. πολλῇ: note the common preposition) on the Divine fervour which the Spirit had been the means of enkindling (cf. Ephesians 5:18), and of which ‘ much assurance’ was the characteristic mark. For the contrast between λόγος and δύναμις cf. 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Corinthians 4:20, and for the phrase πνεῦμαἅγιον where ἅγιον retains its full force as marking the essential characteristic of the Spirit spoken of cf. 2 Corinthians 6:6, 1 Peter 1:12 (with Hort’ s note), and see also Weber Jüdische Theologie (1897) p. 190 ff. πληροφορίᾳ] Πληροφορία (not found in class. writers or LXX.) is here used in its characteristic N.T. sense of ‘ full assurance’ or ‘ confidence’ (‘ in muche certaintie of persuasion’ Genevan N.T. 1557), cf. Colossians 2:2, Hebrews 6:2; Hebrews 10:22; Clem. R. Cor. 42:3 μετὰπληροφορίαςπνεύματοςἁγίουἐξῆλθον, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι. The corresponding verb is found five times in the Pauline Epp., and elsewhere in the N.T. only in Luke 1:1. An interesting ex. of its use is afforded by P.Amh. 66, 42 f. (2./a.d.) in an account of certain judicial proceedings where the complainer, having failed to make good his accusation, is invited by the strategus to bring forward his witnesses to support it—ἵναδὲκαὶνῦνπληροφορήσωἐλθέτωσανοὓςἄγεις, ‘ but now also to give you full satisfaction, let the persons whom you bring come.’ In mod. Gk. πληροφορία denotes simply ‘ information’ : cf. for an approximating use of the verb in this sense Romans 4:21. καθὼςοἴδατε] καθώς (a late form for Attic καθά, Lob. Phryn. p. 426, Rutherford N. P. p. 495) introducing an epexegesis of what has preceded, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:6. For the appeal to the Thessalonians’ own knowledge see Intr. p. 44. οἷοιἐγενήθημενκτλ.] ‘ what manner of men we proved ourselves to you for your sakes’—οἷοι pointing to the spiritual power of the preachers, and διʼ ὑμᾶς (Vg. propter vos, Beza vestri causâ) bringing out the interest and advantage of those for whom, according to God’ s purpose, that power was exercised (cf. P.Grenf. 1:15, 1:9 f. (2./b.c.) ἐσόμεθαδιὰσὲ [βεβοηθμηέ]ναι). For ἐγενήθημεν see above, and for the general thought cf. 2 Corinthians 4:7-15. The omission of ἐν before ὑμῖν (see crit. note) may have been due to the influence of -θημεν, while its retention (WH. mg.) is further favoured by the antithetical διʼ ὑμᾶς: see Findlay’ s crit. note where 1 Thessalonians 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 2 Corinthians 1:11; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 1:17 are cited for the like Pauline play upon prepositions.