1 Thessalonians 1:4
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul addresses them as loved brothers and tells them he knows God has chosen them.
What Does 1 Thessalonians 1:4 Mean?
With great tenderness Paul calls them 'brethren beloved' and speaks of their 'election of God.' He is confident that God has chosen and drawn these believers to Himself. He knows this not by reading hidden decrees but by what he has seen, the evidence of changed lives that he will describe in the next verse.
To be chosen by God is meant to give assurance, not anxiety. These were ordinary people in a pagan city, yet God set His love upon them and called them. Paul wants them to rest in the certainty that they belong to God by His own initiative. The word 'beloved' tells them how that choosing feels from God's side: not cold selection but warm affection. Before they ever sought Him, He had already reached toward them in love through the gospel.
In the Original Language
ekloge (ἐκλογή), 'election' -- a choosing or selection, here God's gracious act of setting His love upon them.