1 Thessalonians 1:5 (LSB)

Passage

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full assurance; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

Nearby Context

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

1 Thessalonians 1:4 knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election,

1 Thessalonians 1:5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full assurance; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

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

1 Thessalonians 1:7 so that you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "gospel", "come", "word", "only", "power", "holy", and "full". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "gospel", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "knowing brothers beloved by God your election..." into verse 6's "You also became imitators of us and...", so "Spirit" and "gospel" 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 "Spirit" and "gospel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.