III. (1) FINALLY. — The practical portion is introduced in the same manner as in the First Epistle (1 Thessalonians 4:1), “for the rest,” “as to what I have yet to say.” PRAY FOR US. — St. Chrysostom remarks: “Himself had prayed for them; now he asks them to pray for him.” How much of a Christian t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT WE MAY BE DELIVERED. — Compare Romans 15:31. This clause is an amplification of the word “may run along:” the impediments to the gospel progress were (except that all were overruled for good) such persecutions as these. St. Paul gives thanks for such deliverances in 2 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Ti... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE LORD IS FAITHFUL. — It must not be thought from this that the word “faith” in the previous verse meant “fidelity.” St. Paul, after his favourite manner, is playing upon two meanings of the word: “But whether men have faith or not, the Lord is faithful.” There is the same play of words in Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD TOUCHING YOU. — Rather, _We rely upon you in the Lord:_ the clause forms the counterpart to the last verse. St. Chrysostom’s whole comment is worth transcription: — “God, saith he, is faithful, and having promised to save, save He assuredly will, but _as_ He promised.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD. — See Note on 2 Thessalonians 3:3. The Person of the Blessed Trinity to whom this guidance immediately belongs is the Holy Ghost. So far, the Greek expositors are right who are agreed to consider this a proof of the Holy Ghost’s divinity. Their right conclusion is, however, drawn from wron... [ Continue Reading ]
WE COMMAND YOU. — The practical conclusion of the letter. These words take up the expression in 2 Thessalonians 3:4, “Ye will do the things which (at any time) we command you; now the thing which we command you is this.” IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD. — To do anything in a person’s name seems to mean, in... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR justifies the assertion that they _had_ received a better teaching. (Comp. 1 Thessalonians 2:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:2.) TO FOLLOW US. — The word, of course, means “to imitate”; and the rather compressed expression seems to stand for something fuller, such as, “Yourselves know... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER. — They might have thought it possible to live on others without incurring so serious a charge as “disorderliness.” EAT ANY MAN’S BREAD. — Still more literally, _eat bread from any man_ — _i.e.,_ “from any man’s table.” St. Paul always becomes picturesque and vivid in a passage of this kind... [ Continue Reading ]
POWER. — Rather, _authority,_ which is power _plus_ legitimacy, How jealously St. Paul guards the rights of the Apostolate! not for himself, but for the brethren of the Lord and Cephas (1 Corinthians 9:5), perhaps for Silas and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2:6, Note), and for futurity. The unbounded cla... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR EVEN. — The sequence of thought is a little difficult, but it seems best to regard this “for” as connecting its sentence, not with 2 Thessalonians 3:9, but rather with 2 Thessalonians 3:6. It does not give the reason why St. Paul and his companions worked: “because we strictly enjoined you to wo... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE HEAR. — Explaining how St. Paul came to speak upon the topic at all. Hitherto he has only been giving directions, without saying why. News had been brought back, no doubt, by the bearers of the First Epistle. WALK AMONG YOU DISORDERLY. — A verbal repetition of 2 Thessalonians 3:6. It is not... [ Continue Reading ]
WE COMMAND. — The fourth time the severe word is used in this very chapter. Perhaps “we order” might convey the meaning still more sharply. But immediately, lest severity provoke rebellion, he adds, “and we beseech,” alleging also the grounds on which he rests his appeal: “_in_ our Lord” — _i.e.,_ “... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE, BRETHREN. — The last verse was addressed to all those whose consciences would prick them on hearing it read at the Eucharist. Now the writer turns to the orderly brethren, as quite a distinct class. The rhetorical effect of this quick apostrophe would be the same as in the well-known story o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF ANY MAN, — An appeal to the rightminded, not only to persevere themselves, but to join with the overseers of their Church in enforcing discipline, as in 1 Thessalonians 5:12. BY THIS EPISTLE. — Rightly rendered. The marginal version, “by _an_ Epistle,” is impossible, for in the Greek the defi... [ Continue Reading ]
YET. — The original is simply _And,_ which is much more beautiful, implying that this very withdrawal from brotherly intercourse was an act of brotherly kindness. AN ENEMY. — In the private, not the public, sense. “Do not think of him as one with whom you must be _at feud,_ to be thwarted and humbl... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW. — Rather, _And,_ or _But._ The prayer is joined to the exhortations, as in 2 Thessalonians 2:16 and elsewhere, and of course bears upon the subject of them. THE LORD OF PEACE. — We had “the God of peace” at the close of the last Epistle (1 Thessalonians 5:23, where see the Note). The “peace” pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SALUTATION. — At this point St. Paul takes the pen out of his secretary’s hand, and adds the closing words himself. The actual salutation does not begin until the benediction of the 18th verse, to which this 17th is intended to attract attention. WHICH. — Namely, the autograph addition of a sal... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GRACE. — This is his “salutation.” The Greek secular salutation, at greeting and parting alike, was _chaire_ (literally, _rejoice_); so St. Paul, alike at beginning and ending, uses a word of kindred origin, _charis_ (“grace”). Observe the word “all” again, as in 2 Thessalonians 3:16. St. Chryso... [ Continue Reading ]