“The founders of the Church of Thessalonica, who have so recently left it, greet the Church in the common Father in whom they are united.” PAUL, AND SILVANUS, AND TIMOTHEUS. — There was no need to add “Apostle” to the name of Paul, in writing to a Church with which his relations were so familiar and... [ Continue Reading ]
“We never set ourselves to prayer without remembering your faithful activity, loving laboriousness, cheerful and persevering endurance, and thanking God for it.” WE. — All three are regarded as the writers, and no doubt the sentiments of all are expressed, though the letter is St. Paul’s own compos... [ Continue Reading ]
FAITH... LOVE... HOPE. — in this first of his writings, St. Paul has already fixed upon the three great _abiding_ principles (1 Corinthians 13:13) of the Christian life, and the forms in which they mainly exhibit themselves. The genitive in such phrases as “work of faith,” etc., is almost equivalent... [ Continue Reading ]
“The reason why the sight delights us is because it proves that God loves you, and has set His heart upon you.” BELOVED. — The proper translation is, _knowing brethren who have been so beloved of God, your election,_ as in the margin: the Greek idiom cannot allow of the Authorised rendering. The te... [ Continue Reading ]
“If God had not set His heart upon you, we never could have been as successful among you as we were.” OUR GOSPEL CAME NOT UNTO YOU. — Or rather, _the glad tidings which we brought did not prove among you, in its action upon you._ IN WORD ONLY. — Comp. 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Corinthians 4:20. “It did... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE BECAME FOLLOWERS. — Not so much a separate reason for believing them elected of God, because of their receptiveness, but an evidence of the power given by God to the preachers for the winning of them. “So much so, that, in spite of persecution, you became Christians with enthusiasm.” FOLLOWE... [ Continue Reading ]
“Your zeal was so great and sincere that you, in your turn, became a model: for even in far-away countries the tale of your conversion is told with wonder.” ENSAMPLES. — Probably the singular should be read: the whole church became a model church. TO ALL THAT BELIEVE — _i.e., now;_ not to those th... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR. — “For, in fact,” (supporting and exceeding the statement of 1 Thessalonians 1:7 about Greece) “you form the centre from which the doctrine of Christ has rung (not _rang_) out like a trumpet through those countries; and even beyond, your faith is well known.” The clauses are not quite logically... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THEMSELVES — _i.e.,_ the inhabitants of those countries. “Wherever we go we find our own story told us.” SHEW. — Rather, _announce._ Both sides of the story are told: (1) of _us_ — what kind of entry we made among you, explained in 1 Thessalonians 2:1 to mean with “the word of truth, of meekne... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO WAIT. — The idea of the Advent is that which both here and throughout the Epistle occupies the foreground in the minds of St. Paul and his friends. These two infinitives, “to serve” and “to wait,” express not so much the _intention_ of the Thessalonians in turning, as the condition into which... [ Continue Reading ]