2 Thessalonians 1:3

We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth;

Thanksgiving was most remarkably an overwhelming characteristic of the great apostle's love and appreciation of the churches which God had enabled him to establish; and, regardless of whatever sins or mistakes had marred the conduct of his beloved converts, he always had room for outpouring his gratitude to God upon their behalf. This is even more noteworthy in view of the seriousness of some of their sins and mistakes as well as in the sight of the epic struggles and sufferings of the apostle himself.

We are bound to give thanks ... The background of this clause would seem to lie in some communication that the Thessalonians had sent to Paul subsequently from receiving the elaborate praise in the first epistle. Barclay thought their communication was to the effect that "they were timorously afraid their faith was not going to stand the test";[7] and Morris was of the opinion that "they had modestly disclaimed to be worthy of such praise."[8] In this clause, Paul was saying, "In all fairness, I could not fail to praise you." Of course, it may not be denied that some at Thessalonica were not living right; but, as Hendriksen said, "In the jubilant passage we are now discussing, the disorderly persons are kept in the background for the moment."[9]

Your faith groweth exceedingly ... Ward pointed out that Paul loved to coin words with super-superlative meanings; "groweth exceedingly" is another instance of it. "We are super-conquerors (Romans 8:37); God super-exalted his Son (Philippians 2:9)";[10] and, of course, there is the case of the super-apostles in Corinthians!

[7] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975), p. 209.

[8] Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1,2Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1956), p. 113.

[9] William Hendriksen, A New Testament Commentary, 2Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1955), p. 154.