1Thess 2:13 (not words of men but the word of God)

Gleanings in First Thessalonians
Chapter 2

1Thess 2:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

I believe the “cause” that Paul is going to be thankful for is what he follows on with: when they received the word of God through Paul and company, it was taken as that very thing – THE WORD OF GOD (!) as God speaking, as the very true words of God (as they were) AND NOT as the words of men, man’s wisdom, man’s philosophy, man’s inventions, throw away words hat we hear all through our days, that add nothing to ourselves but feed into our vanity.

No the Thessalonians believed “the words” Paul/company were giving them were inspired and God breathed. And they acted on it: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom 10:17); and it started the building blocks of faith.

Why do some get saved and others do not? Especially when they have heard the same thing, the same words? Because the ones that get saved believe the words as “the word of God” and not the words of men; and those that don’t get saved take them all as the “the words of men”.
“without ceasing” – the phrase is used six times in the Bible, here in 2:13 as well as:
Act 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Rom 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
1Thess 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
2Tim 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

All the times it shows up in Paul’s letters they seem to deal with thankfulness, remembrance and prayers for the saints (the surrounding verses mention these words); the one in Acts is specifically about praying for someone.

“which effectually worketh”
To EFFECT is to bring to pass, to achieve, etc.
EFFECTIVE is having the power to cause or produce
EFFECTUAL is producing an effect, or the effect desired or intended; or having adequate power or force to produce the effect
EFFECTUALLY is efficaciously; in a manner to produce the intended effect; thoroughly
The word of God, when believed as the word of God, believed as truth, will produce the intended effect. And again, this is not a majority rule/opinion or popularity basis, I sound like a broken record – in season and out of season the word of God does not change – cultures change, personalities change, spokesmen change, etc. let them change, but the saint is to be consistent.

Grace and Peace James