shamefully entreated. The Thessalonians were well aware of Paul's beating and imprisonment at Philippi shortly before he and Silas had come to Thessalonica (Acts 16:22-24). Paul had not been intimidated, but proceeded on to preach the gospel in the synagogue at Thessalonica, where he and Silas soon again encountered opposition (Acts 17:1-9).

labouring night and day. In order to avoid any appearance of self-serving in their evangelistic ministry, Paul and Silas did not preach in order to secure money for their support. They earned their sustenance by their own labor, possibly by making and selling tents (note Acts 18:3).

effectually worketh. “Effectually worketh” (Greek energeo) could well be transliterated as “energized.” The Word of God indeed is “powerful” (same word—Hebrews 4:12).

fill up their sins. God is longsuffering toward sinners, but there eventually is a limit. To the antediluvians, He warned: “My Spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:3), and finally sent the great Flood to cleanse the earth. He delayed giving the promised land to Abraham and his seed for four hundred years, because “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Genesis 15:13-16), but the command was eventually given to Moses and Joshua to take the land and destroy them all (Deuteronomy 20:17). Today, “the Lord … is longsuffering to usward, … But the day of the Lord will come” (2 Peter 3:9-10). In the case of the Jews of whom Paul was writing, they not only had slain their prophets and crucified Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:15), but now were trying to keep the gospel of Christ from being brought, not just to themselves, but even to the Gentiles, so their iniquity, like that of the Amorites long before, was almost full. Not many years hence, their temple and city would be destroyed, and their people scattered all over the world for nineteen hundred years. One wonders how long God will yet be patient with once Christian, now pagan, America.

Satan hindered us. The power of Satan is strikingly indicated here, in his ability on at least two occasions to prevent Paul from returning to minister to his recent converts at Thessalonica. Perhaps, however, God worked it all together for good, in that Paul was thereby constrained instead to write this epistle to them, followed by another of equally eternal significance.

crown of rejoicing. The “crown of rejoicing” is probably one of the rewards in view at the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:14). Others include the “incorruptible crown” (1 Corinthians 9:25), the “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8), the “crown of life” (James 1:12) and the “crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4).

presence of our Lord. Since the Thessalonian believers had come to Christ as a result of Paul's ministry there, their presence in the Christian host when Christ returns would of itself be a great reward to Paul—his crown of rejoicing. The same, no doubt, will apply for all who will have the joy of seeing those whom they have had a part in leading to Christ there in His presence when He comes again.

his coming. It is interesting that each of the five chapters of 1 Thessalonians refers to the return of Christ at the end of the chapter (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:14-17; 5:23).