We are used to reading the three terms faith, hope and love combined in the one verse in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” But it may be surprising to find that St Paul grouped the 3 words in one verse in another two places, both in 1 Thessalonians.
The first reference is about the believers in Thessalonica. They had a special place in St Paul’s heart. He wrote to them these words, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2,3. He went on to tell them that they had become an example to other believers, “So that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.” 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 8.
The second reference is mentioned in his exhortation to the believers in Thessalonica, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8. This is similar to Paul’s reference to the armour of God in Ephesians 6:13-17 except there he mentioned “the breastplate of righteousness” rather than “the breastplate of faith and love” in Thessalonians.
In a sense they amount to the same thing. Believers need to be ready always, to have victory over temptation and evil. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness [in Ephesians] is the same as donning faith and love as a breastplate in Thessalonians, for true righteousness depends on genuine faith and true agape love. Righteousness, faith and love all stem from the grace of God in Christ. In fact Paul used a simple term when he reminded believers in Galatia that they had “put on Christ,” “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Gal 3:27, and all belonged to the one body of believers in the world, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28. He also exhorted the believers in Rome “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” It means always allowing the Holy Spirit of God to produce the life of Christ in and through us so that it appears as though Christ is living His life in and through our human bodies.
In both Thessalonians and Ephesians the helmet represented the hope of salvation. “Hope” is the blessed assurance of security for the present and the future for believers. In 1 Thessalonians it refers especially to the hope of the certain second coming of Jesus and all the consequent blessings which follow.
We will look at all that entails in future articles on 1 Thessalonians.
Blog No.502 posted on Monday 16 October 2023.
About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.
holbeck 
502. Faith, Hope and Love in 1 Thessalonians 1. [The Example Given By The Believers In Thessalonica ]
We are used to reading the three terms faith, hope and love combined in the one verse in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” But it may be surprising to find that St Paul grouped the 3 words in one verse in another two places, both in 1 Thessalonians.
The first reference is about the believers in Thessalonica. They had a special place in St Paul’s heart. He wrote to them these words, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2,3. He went on to tell them that they had become an example to other believers, “So that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.” 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 8.
The second reference is mentioned in his exhortation to the believers in Thessalonica, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8. This is similar to Paul’s reference to the armour of God in Ephesians 6:13-17 except there he mentioned “the breastplate of righteousness” rather than “the breastplate of faith and love” in Thessalonians.
In a sense they amount to the same thing. Believers need to be ready always, to have victory over temptation and evil. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness [in Ephesians] is the same as donning faith and love as a breastplate in Thessalonians, for true righteousness depends on genuine faith and true agape love. Righteousness, faith and love all stem from the grace of God in Christ. In fact Paul used a simple term when he reminded believers in Galatia that they had “put on Christ,” “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Gal 3:27, and all belonged to the one body of believers in the world, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28. He also exhorted the believers in Rome “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” It means always allowing the Holy Spirit of God to produce the life of Christ in and through us so that it appears as though Christ is living His life in and through our human bodies.
In both Thessalonians and Ephesians the helmet represented the hope of salvation. “Hope” is the blessed assurance of security for the present and the future for believers. In 1 Thessalonians it refers especially to the hope of the certain second coming of Jesus and all the consequent blessings which follow.
We will look at all that entails in future articles on 1 Thessalonians.
Blog No.502 posted on Monday 16 October 2023.
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.