1 Thessalonians 2:6

nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others This clause continues 1 Thessalonians 2:5, and is so construed in the R. V.: nor (were we found) seeking glory of men, neither from you, nor from others. "Ofmen" points to the general source of such "glory," indicating its character; "fromyou," &c., to the particular quarter whence, conceivably, it might have been sought.

The motive of ambition "that last infirmity of noble minds" rises above the selfishnessjust disclaimed; but it is just as warmly repudiated, for it is equally inconsistent with the single-mindedness of men devoted to the glory of God. Our Lord finds in superiority to human praise the mark of a sincere faith: "How can ye believe," He asks, "which receive honour one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek not?" (John 5:44).

when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ Lit., as apostles of Christ, without the definite article. St Paul is speaking for himself and Silas and Timothy; and the latter were not of theApostles, but they were, in common with himself, "apostlesof Christ."

"Apostle" signifies by derivation emissary, or envoy, one "sent out" by authority with some message or commission. The term was probably in current use amongst the Jews, when Jesus adopted it for His chosen Twelve. Bit it obtained in the early Church a wider application, concurrently with its stricter reference to the Twelve (including Paul, afterwards recognized as being of the same order, 1 Corinthians 9:1; Galatians 1:1; Galatians 1:17; Galatians 2:7, &c.). Of this we have examples in Barnabas and Paul, Acts 14:4; Acts 14:14; Andronicus and Junias, "amongst the apostles," Romans 16:7; Titus and others, "apostles of the churches," 2 Corinthians 8:23; Judean emissaries, "false apostles," 2 Corinthians 11:13; Epaphroditus, sent from the Philippian Church to Paul in prison at Rome, Philippians 2:25; also in Revelation 2:2; Hebrews 3:1 (Christ Himself is "the Apostle," being sent forth from God), John 13:16. In John 17:18; John 20:21 we find the fundamental idea of the word and the basis of its larger application: "As Thou didst send Me forth into the world, even so I have sent forth them." In this more general use, apostledid not differ much from our word missionary. The title belonged to men who were sent out in Christ's name by particular Churches either with a specific and limited mission, or with a general commission to preach the gospel as well as to those directly appointed by Jesus Himself and charged with His full authority. But after N.T. times the designation came to be reserved, with slight exceptions, to the Twelve and Paul. See Bishop Lightfoot's detached note on the Name and Office of an Apostlein his Commentary on Galatians, pp. 92 ff.; and Huxtable's very valuable Dissertationin the Pulpit Commentary on Galatians, pp. xxiii. 1. St Paul certainly possessed the lower apostleship (see Acts 13:1-3), and there was no need for him in this letter to claim the higher, nor to distinguish himself from his missionary companions. His friend Luke puts the Apostle, in the early stage of his ministry, on a level with Barnabas (Acts 14:4; Acts 14:14). The time came when he was compelled to assume the highest Apostolic powers and to assert his equality with Peter and the Twelve (Galatians 1:1; Galatians 2; 1 Corinthians 9:1-2; 1 Corinthians 15:7-11; 2 Corinthians 12:11-13; 2 Corinthians 13:3-10); but it was not yet.

"Burdensome" is lit. in (or in our idiom, of) weight an ambiguous phrase, whose sense is interpreted by 1 Thessalonians 2:9: "that we might not burden any of you." These "apostles of Christ" according to Paul's maxim, "They which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:14) might have claimed their maintenance from the Thessalonian Church. Had they been "seeking glory of men," they would certainly have done so; it was both the easier and the more dignified course. "Weight" suggests the secondary sense of honour, glory: R. V. margin, claimed honour (comp. 2 Corinthians 4:17, "weight of glory": weightand gloryare one word in Hebrew). Not because they were apostles(as though this were a privilege peculiar to the name), but "as Christ'sapostles" sent on His errand, preaching His word: "so hath the Lord ordained" (1 Corinthians 9:14; Luke 10:7). We find that the Apostle, while in Thessalonica at this time, did receive help twice over from his Philippian friends, and gratefully remembered it (Philippians 4:15-16). So afterwards, at Corinth, he allowed contributions to be sent him "from Macedonia" (2 Corinthians 11:9).