By J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton
Numbers within [ ] indicates original page numbers
PAUL'S FIRST EPISTLE TO THE P A R T F I R S T 1:1-3:13 PERSONAL
RELATIONS, AFFECTIONATE I. SALUTATION
AND THANKS FOR THE FAITH OF 1:1-10 1 Paul, and Silvanus,
and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. [In this salutation Silas and
Timothy are united with Paul because they had aided Paul in founding the church
at Thessalonica. The account of the founding of this church will be found in Acts
17. Silas is mentioned before Timothy because he is older, both in years and in
service. Compare Acts 15:22, 32, 40 with Acts 16:1-3. Silvanus is the full name, and Silas the abbreviation. The
name is Roman, and Silas was a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37). Silas was now at |
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II. HOW
THE WORD WAS PREACHED 2:1-16. [In this section, Paul amplifies two statements made in the previous section. In verses 1-13, he enlarges upon the facts set forth in verse 5 above, and verses 13-16 are a similar enlargement of the matter contained in verse 6.] 1 For yourselves [as distinguished from those above mentioned who carried or repeated the news of the work at Thessalonica], brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain [that Paul's coming to Thessalonica had not been vain or fruitless was proved by the fact that in this pagan city a church of Christ was now found]: 2 but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict. [The Thessalonians remembered how Paul and Silas had come to them fresh from Philippi, with the evidences of persecution yet apparent on their bodies--a persecution which was indeed shameful because it was wholly undeserved and contrary to law--but they also remembered that they were in no way terrified or deterred either by these present tokens of past suffering, or by the storm of persecution which threatened their speedy repetition, from preaching the gospel boldly.] 3 For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile [The word "exhortation" has a double significance--it includes the idea of rousing the slothful, and also that of comforting the sorrowful. Paul here begins to contrast his teaching with that of false teachers with whom the world abounded, and with whom the Thessalonians had been long familiar. The instruction of these teachers, being founded on myths, fables and delusions, was full of error. The purpose of the instruction was to introduce lascivious mysteries and unhallowed rites [7] such as the Bacchic, Isiac, Mythraic, etc.; the manner of the instruction was full of trickery and guile (Acts 8:9; 13:6-10). Paul had not roused the indifferent by proclaiming false dangers, nor comforted the despairing by wakening vain hopes]: 4 but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our hearts. [Instead of preaching the old falsehoods which had so long pleased the wicked of Thessalonica, Paul had come as a trustee of God commissioned to preach the gospel, and he had preached it realizing his accountability as to the trust imposed upon him.] 5 For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness [As to his outward conduct (that it was without flattery) he calls the Thessalonians to witness, and as to his inward desires (that they were without covetousness) he calls God to witness. Self-seeking and flattery were the besetting sins of false teachers (Rom. 16:18). Paul had spoken plainly of the sins of his hearers, and had demanded immediate and thorough repentance]; 6 nor seeking glory of men, neither from you nor from others, when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. [As the apostle had not preached for money, neither had he preached for fame. Though he might have stood upon his dignity, and magnified his office as an ambassador of God, yet he had not done even this. He had not preached the gospel because he held high office in the kingdom, and so would be exalted by its enlargement; but he had preached to save souls. Not only at Thessalonica had he done this, but everywhere else.] 7 But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse [nourisher; i. e., nursing mother] cherisheth her own children: 8 even so, being affectionately desirous of you [not yours, but you], we were well pleased to impart unto you, not the gospel of God only [as the sincere milk of the Word], but also [as mothers often do for their new-born babes] our own souls [lives--1 John 3:16], because ye were become very [8] dear to us. 9 For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day [the Hebrew order--Gen. 1:5], that we might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. [The apostle was so intent upon blessing the Thessalonians with the gospel of God that he toiled at night to make up the time spent in teaching them by day.] 10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily [toward God] and righteously [toward man] and unblamably [either toward God or man] we behaved ourselves toward you that believe [Paul here claims not perfection, but consistency of life]: 11 as ye know how we dealt with each one of you [individually, and without partiality], as a father [as patiently, tenderly and earnestly as a father] with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging you, and testifying, 12 to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who calleth you into his own kingdom and glory. [As those who are called to an honor owe it to the one calling them to walk worthy of the honor, so the Thessalonians, being called to have part in the present kingdom and future glory of God, needed to walk circumspectly. Having thus rehearsed the ministry at Thessalonica, step by step, from the day he entered the city until he departed from it, Paul now turns to tell the effects of that ministry upon the Thessalonians.] 13 And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing [without ever failing to mention it in our prayers], that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe. [The word is the good seed of the kingdom which the heart receives, and from which it brings forth fruit with patience--Luke 8:11-15.] 14 For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews [their countrymen]; 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, [9] and drove out us, and please not God, and are contrary to all men; 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always [Gen. 15:16; Matt. 23:32]: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. [While narrating the course of events at Thessalonica, Paul notes the similarity between the history of the Thessalonian church and that of the Judæan churches, and reviews the latter history for the encouragement of the Thessalonians. Surely the opposition of their pagan countrymen ought not to cause these Thessalonian Christians to doubt that God favored or approved them, for such opposition was to be expected. Even the Jews, though professedly the people of God, had killed God's prophets and Christ their Lord, and had driven out the apostles and evangelists. Though the Jews were God's people, their conduct in rejecting God's Son showed that they did not please God; and that they were haters of their fellow-men was very apparent, for they even forbade Christ's apostles to attempt to save the Gentiles by preaching the gospel to them. Their opposition to churches either in Judæea or Greece was therefore no evidence that God disapproved these churches: on the contrary, God patiently permitted them to do all this, that their wickedness might be fully ripened and exposed, so that a full and notable punishment might be meted out to them--punishment which began just before the siege of Jerusalem, and continues to this day. Wrath unto the uttermost, or unto the end, signifies a wrath which fully expends itself in executing judgment. It does not mean wrath unto the end of the world--Rom. 11:15, 25, 26.] [10] |
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III. REASONS
FOR SENDING TIMOTHY, AND JOY 2:17-20; 3:1-13. 17 But we, brethren, being
bereaved of you for a short season [about six months], in
presence not in heart [Col. 2:5], endeavored the more exceedingly
to see your face with great desire [Paul had been torn rudely from the
Thessalonians by the hand of persecution, so he speaks of being
"bereaved" of them, thus using a strong word which indicates both the
separation and the sense of desolation which arose from it. Though he had been
but about six months absent from them, his heart was filled with desires to
return to them]: 18 because we would fain have
come unto you, I Paul once and again [emphatic way of saying twice];
and Satan hindered us. [How Satan hindered, we are not told, but we find
that his emissaries had so little disposition to let Paul return that they
drove him from Beroea onward to III. 1 Wherefore when we
[by this plural Paul means himself only] could no longer forbear, we thought
it good to be left behind at Athens alone; 2 and sent
Timothy, our brother and God's minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish
you, and to comfort you concerning your faith [fearful lest the
infant church should succumb to temptation or to persecution, and unable longer
to endure his want of information concerning it, Paul had sent Timothy, from
Athens, that he might visit the Thessalonians, and bring him word as to their
spiritual condition; though in so doing he had deprived himself of all
brotherly fellowship and ministerial assistance in Athens, the seat of idolatry
and vain philosophy]; 3 that no man [of you]
be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that hereunto we are
appointed. ["We" refers to all Christians, and Theophylact sagely remarks, "Let all Christians hear
this." As to the doctrine, see Matt. 13:21; Mark 10:30; John 15:18; 16:33;
Acts 4:22.] 4 For verily, when
we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction; even
as it came to pass, and ye know. [As to the affliction which Paul foretold
and which came upon them, see Acts 17:5-9.] 5 For this
cause [because he feared that persecution might cause them to apostatize] I
also, when I could no longer forbear [resuming the thought of verse 1],
sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means [and Satan has
many] the tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain. [It
is sad to lose spiritual labor, but sadder still to lose the souls which are
the results of it. But we should not leave this passage without observing that
if Paul had had Calvinism in mind, and had wished to assert that the elect
might fall from grace and be lost despite their election, he could hardly have
stated his point more clearly, for these [12] words are
addressed to those whom he has just pronounced elect.] 6
But when Timothy came even now [suggesting that Paul wrote on the day of
Timothy's arrival, or very soon after] unto us from you, and brought us glad
tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always,
longing to see us, even as we, also to see you; 7
for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and
affliction through your faith [Since Paul would be comforted as to the
Thessalonians by the good news of their condition brought by Timothy, the
"distress and affliction" must have referred to other matters which
disturbed the apostle's rest. These were doubtless the failure at Athens, and
the troubles which he had at Corinth before the negative protection afforded
him by Gallio, when that official refused to
interfere, either to aid or hinder him (Acts 18:6-12). Thus the good news from
Thessalonica lightened the apostle's burdens at
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