1 Thessalonians 1:4 (ASV)

Passage

knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election,

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention [of you] in our prayers;

1 Thessalonians 1:3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father;

1 Thessalonians 1:4 knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election,

1 Thessalonians 1:5 how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and [in] much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knowing", "brethren", "beloved", and "election". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knowing" and "brethren", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "remembering without ceasing your work of faith..." into verse 5's "how that our gospel came not unto...", so "knowing" and "brethren" belong inside that flow. In 1 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "knowing" and "brethren" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.