1 Thessalonians 1:4 (DRB)

Passage

Knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election:

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 1:2 Grace be to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for you all: making a remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing,

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Being mindful of the work of your faith and labour and charity: and of the enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our Father.

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

1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel hath not been unto you in word only, but in power also: and in the Holy Ghost and in much fulness, as you know what manner of men we have been among you for your sakes.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord: receiving the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

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 "Being mindful of the work of your..." into verse 5's "For our gospel hath not been 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.