1 Thessalonians 2

1 Thessalonians 2:1

The apostle leads the Thessalonians to reflect upon the manner in which he and his brethren in the Christian ministry behaved among them when they visited them at first, and laid the foundation of a church in their city. 1 Thes. II. 1—12.

THES. II. 1. FOR yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain.

1 THESSALONIANS II. 1.

I HAVE been mentioning the encouragement our ministry among you first met with, and the blessed effects that attended it. But I need not insist more largely upon them, for ye yourselves know, my brethren, and I am persuaded you can never forget, the entrance that we had unto you; with what demonstration of Divine agency in and by us it was attended, and what a powerful effect it had upon your minds, so that it was not in vain. It was not a transient and trifling amusement, but solemn in itself, and attended with important consequences and effects, which will be everlasting. But 2

But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

the recollection is so delightful to my mind, that you must permit me, known as it is, to lead back my own thoughts to the review, and to remind you, how, even when we had just before suffered the greatest indignities, and had been so injuriously treated, as ye know at Philippi, where we were stripped and scourged by the common beadle, and thrust into prison, with our feet set fast in the stocks, (Acts xvi. 22—24,) we no sooner arrived among you, but we were bold in our humble dependence on the powerful support of our God; to speak unto you in the neighbouring city, the gospel of God, and this, though we were forced to do it with so much contention, because of the opposition excited against us by the perverse and unbelieving

ii. 1 Thes. ii. 1

VOL. 5.

Not as pleasing men, ut Go.

Jews. (Acts xvii. 1—9.) And we were supported in these courageous efforts from a secret consciousness of that integrity with which our ministry was conducted: for our exhortation to persuade you to embrace the gospel [was] not calculated to corrupt your morals, as being founded on any principles of deceit or of uncleanness; we had no mercenary or sensual purposes to serve, as your idolatrous priests often have, nor was there in our management any thing of guile and craftiness which could fear the detection of the strictest scrutiny. But all was fair and open, simple and artless, and as we have been approved by God, so far as to be intrusted with the invaluable treasure of his gospel, so we did then address you, and so we continue to speak, not as pleasing men, and accommodating our doctrine to their tastes and prejudices, but as endeavouring always to secure the approbation of that God who trieth our hearts with as great care and exactness as gold is proved in the furnace, that it may be separated from dross, or the mixture of any baser metals. Neither did we at any time deal in flattering words, to insinuate ourselves into your affections, and soothe you in your sins, as ye well know; nor had we recourse to a pretence of piety, to promote the schemes of covetousness, often artfully conducted under the covert of religious zeal. God [is] our witness, that we were far above every thing of this kind, and made all such views our first sacrifice to the glory of his name and the propagation of his gospel. Nor did we seek glory and applause of men, neither of you, nor of any others among whom we laboured and conversed; nor did we press you with regard to any maintenance, though we might have been in some degree burdensome, as the apostles of Christ, who had authorized us to take a necessary subsistence from our hearers, as we certainly brought you what was far more valuable than any thing which we

• Might have been burdensome, &c.] acting now on the same maxims at Corinth. The apostle evidently refers to the right (from whence he wrote this epistle) by he had of being maintained at their charge. which he had governed himself at Thessalonica. See Acts xviii. 3. Compare ver. 9; 2 Cor. xi. 9; 1 Tim. v. 18; 1 Cor. ix. throughout. But he was

als to them how affectionately he had behaved.

ould in return have received from you. But we were still mild, gentle, and condescending in the midst of you, even as a nurse or mother, cherishes her own children while hanging on her breast, and feels an inexpressible pleasure in imparting that nourishment to them with which God in his gracious providence has been pleased to furnish her. So we, being most tenderly affectionate towards you, took pleasure to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, which was lodged with us, for the food and life of our fellow creatures, but even our own souls too, because ye were dear unto us; so dear, that our heart was in every word while we addressed you, and we could with pleasure even have laid down our lives among you, if that might have promoted the success of our ministry, and have conduced to the increase and edification of the church.

You had many instances of this, which I need not largely rehearse; for ye remember, brethren, both our labour in the ministerial work, and our toil in our secular profession likewise; for night and day working at it, taking often from the rest of the night, the hours which during the day we had spent in our ministry among you, that we might be able to maintain ourselves, and might not be burdensome and expensive to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. And there was a consistency in the whole of our conduct which abundantly shewed the purity of those motives from which we acted in this instance. So that ye [are] witnesses, and God [also,] who sees our most secret actions, and all the recesses of our heart, how holily, and righteously, and how unblameably we behaved ourselves, not only to the heathens around, but in our most intimate converses with you who believe; still preserving the same integrity, caution, and care to avoid every occasion of offence which we maintained among those who were strangers or enemies to our religion, and so might have been most ready to seek for pretences of objecting against it. As ye also know how, and with what repeated importunity, we were exhorting and comforting every one of you in particular, as God gave us

Reflections on the courage and integrity of St. Paul.

access to you; just as a father encourages and of you (as a father ii. instructs his children, labouring by every kind doth his children;) 1Thes. and endearing art of address, to form them to ii. 11 a wise and worthy behaviour: Thus were we animating you, and testifying in the most sol- 12 emn manner, That ye should walk worthy of 12 That ye would God, and of the relation in which you have the walk worthy of God, honour to stand to him, who hath called you by who hath called his gospel into his kingdom, even to the views you unto his kingand hopes of that glory which he hath prom- dom and glory. ised to all the faithful subjects of it.

IMPROVEMENT.

SURELY it is not possible to conceive from any thing, but the example of the great Shepherd of the sheep, a more amiable idea of the character of a gospel minister than that which is here exhibited. With what a frankness and openness of soul does the apostle appeal to their consciences, as to the integrity and benevobence of his behaviour among them, whilst, unterrified by all 2 the indignities and inhumanities he had met with at Philippi, he immediately renewed the same combat at Thessalonica, and contended boldly with all the enemies of the gospel, not esteeming his liberty or his life, on an occasion of so great importance!

With such courage let the ministers of Christ face all danger and oppositions: with such simplicity of heart, let them deliver their important message; not with deceit, uncleanness, or guile, 3 but as those who remember that they have been put in trust with the gospel by God himself, and therefore must be solicitous not to 4 please men, but God, who trieth the heart. And may they ever be superior to those views of avarice, ambition, or popular ap- 5, 6 plause, which should lead them to sacrifice truth to the affection or favour of men, or even to the fear of being thought to do it. And let them, with all this intrepidity and firmness of soul, put 7 on a gentleness and sweetness of disposition; a gentleness like that with which a nurse cherishes her children. While their people, like new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby, (1 Pet. ii. 2,) let ministers, with a natural tenderness, draw forth that precious nourishment to them, as 8 imparting even their own souls unto them, and willing to wear out, or, if such should be the will of God, to sacrifice their lives in such a service.

Let them particularly endeavour by all prudent care, suitable to the circumstances in which God has fixed them, not to make themselves burdensome to the people in temporal things, nor, under the treatment of a Divine mission, to tyrannize over their

They received the gospel as the word of God;

consciences; but behave with such integrity and such sanctity, that they may be able cheerfully to appeal to God as a witness of it, and may also have a testimony in the breast of each of their flock. And O that the entrance of such ministers among their people, and their labours with them, may not be in vain; but that the blessed consequence of all the charges, entreaties, and consolations, they are addressing to them may be this, that they may walk worthy of God, worthy of that kingdom and glory, to the views and blessings of which he hath condescended to call them! Then will all the fatigues of their office sit light upon them, while they see the blessed purposes of it answered. Then will they finish their course with joy, and bless God with their dying breath, that he hath chosen them to an office, the most laborious, and perhaps, in secular views, the least advantageous of any in which persons of liberal education use to engage.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

The apostle goes on to bless God for the readiness with which the Thessalonians received the gospel, notwithstanding the persecution raised against them by their own countrymen, as well as the perverse opposition of the Jews, and assures them of his continued affection, though he had been hindered from visiting them so soon as he intended. 1 Thess. II. 13, to the end.

THES. II. 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.

For ye, brethren, became follow-

1 THESSALONIANS II. 13.

THUS we laboured, and thus we behaved ourselves among you, and we are thankful that we were enabled in so conscientious a manner to discharge our duty. And for this cause also we give thanks to God incessantly, that when ye received the word of God which ye heard from us, ye received [it] not with indifference and neglect, not with doubt and uncertainty, [as] if it had been merely the precarious word of men, an artful invention, or uncertain scheme of human philosophy, but (as it is in truth) the very word of God himself, the veracity of which is beyond all dispute or suspicion; of which there is this farther proof, that it worketh so efficaciously in you who believe, and produces such an happy change in your character, as may

abundantly attest its Divine original. For you, brethren, as soon as ever you embraced it,

iii. 1Thes. ii. 13

And suffered persecution like the churches in 9

immediately became imitators of the heroic behaviour and conduct of the churches of God, which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus, as being under the influences of the same Spirit with them, though you had not been eye witnesses of their example. For you also, with the like intrepidity of resolution, suffered the same things from those of your own tribe and country, (Acts xvii. 5,) as they [did] of their countrymen the Jews; Who treated them so rigorously and cruelly, as the vilest of apostates. They call themselves indeed the peculiar people of God, but act in a manner most unworthy that character, for they both killed the Lord Jesus Christ, and their own prophets, who foretold his appearance, and whom God in many distant ages of their commonwealth raised up unto them. And on the same principles also they have persecuted us, when we came among them as Divine messengers; and, on the whole, please not God, though they pretend to know him so well, and boast so loudly of their interest in him; but in consequence of the wrong notions they form of him, greatly offend him, and are contrary to all men, full of contempt and malignity against all other nations, and behave towards them in the most perverse and unfriendly manner.ᵃ Of which morose and odious behaviour, this is a remarkable instance, that they are continually forbidding us, the apostles and messengers of God, to speak and preach the gospel to the Gentiles, that they might be saved; and by thus setting themselves against the darling scheme of Divine Providence, and opposing the most important, even the eternal interests of mankind, they seem to act as if they desired to fill up the measure of their sins continually. But Divine wrath is speedily coming upon them, and will be carried to the greatest extremity, not at Jerusalem only,

ᵃ Contrary to all men ] It is well known rest of mankind. (Elmer. Observ. Vol. II. p 274.) And nothing certainly could afford a stronger proof of this malignant temper, than that perverse opposition to so benevolent a scheme as the gospel, for which the apostle passes this severe censure upon them.

stle speaks of them as his joy and his crown.

but every where else, in their various settlements in heathen countries.ᵇ

But we, brethren, though necessarily separated from you for a very little season, and as it were for a few hours,ᶜ in person, but not in heart, being exceedingly desirous to see your face again, endeavoured it to the utmost. There-ore we would have come unto you, even I Paul in particular, once and a second time, but Satan, the great enemy of our usefulness and comfort, hath hitherto hindered us, by the many difficulties he laid in our way. But we will be sure to take the first opportunity of doing it; for what [is] our hope of appearing another day with comfort before the tribunal of Christ, or what our joy, or what the crown of rejoicing, which we expect then to wear? [are] not ye also, among many others, whom Divine grace has given us as the fruits of our ministry; whom we hope for the honour of presenting before our Lord Jesus Christ, at the day of his final appearance? For ye are now one of the most considerable churches which I have been the happy instrument of planting; and I trust ye will then appear as our glory and our joy, as the seals God hath been pleased to set to my labours, and as amiable friends, in whose converse and love I hope to be for ever happy.

ᵇ Not only at Jerusalem, &c] Though the remarkable circumstances which attended the destruction of Jerusalem, so particularly represented by Josephus, who was an eye witness of them, and so exactly corresponding to our Lord’s prediction, (see Vol. II. sect. clxi.) have fixed the attention of Christians, chiefly on that catastrophe; yet it is well known, that vast numbers of the Jewish nation were soon after destroyed in other provinces of the Roman empire, particularly under Trajan and Adrian: under the former, 460,000 men in Egypt and Cyprus, and under the latter, above 580,000, as Xiphilinus informs us from Dio; and the learned Mr. Lowman supposes these events to be referred to in the second apocalyptic seal, Rev. vi. 4. Compare Vol. II. sect. clxi. note ᵃ.

ᵇ For a very little season, or for a few hours] The original is ἀφῆναισον ἀδάς, for an hour’s time; which is so figurative an expression, that I chose rather to express the sense in the paraphrase, than to follow the Greek literally, especially as ἀφᾶ has a signification rather more extensive than hour. It was several years before the apostle returned to them, but his mind was full of the ideas of eternity, which did, as it were, annihilate any period of mortal life. Dr. Whitby infers from this expression, that this epistle was writ quickly after Paul’s leaving Thessalonica, and consequently at Corinth, the first place where he made any long stay. The word ἀπᾶσαιν ἀδάς, in this connection, strongly expresses the apostle’s affection for them (compare John xv. 18, Gr. Vol. II. sec. clxxiv. note 4,) and concern to leave them in an unsettled state. Compare chap. iii. 1.

Reflections on the opposition made to the gospel by the Jews.

IMPROVEMENT.

MAY Divine grace teach our souls ever to distinguish between the authority of the word of men and the word of God; that we may always set them at a due distance from each other, and may feel that peculiar energy of the Divine word with which it operates in all them that believe! May we experience this, whatever be the consequences, yea, though we should be exposed to sufferings, severe as those which Jews or heathens at first inflicted on the professors, or even on the preachers of the gospel! Adored be that power of Divine grace that went along with it, so that when the envious disciples of Moses, after having slain the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as their own prophets, forbid his messengers to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, these faithful ambassadors of health and life feared none of their threatenings or cruelties, but courageously declared the matter as it was, testifying both to Jews and Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ! (Acts xx. 21.)

The Jews in the mean time filled up the measure of their sins, till wrath came upon them to the uttermost. And so will all the opposition that is made to the gospel end to those who are implacable and obstinate in it. They who believe not that Christ is He, shall die in their sins. Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder. (John viii. 24; Mat. xxi. 44.)

Let the ministers of Christ, however Satan may attempt to hinder them, go on faithfully and courageously in their work, and watch over the souls which they have gained. When absent from them in body, let them not be absent in heart; but let them be thinking of their state, and often caring and praying for them: for what is their hope, and joy, and crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord, but the souls which God shall graciously give them as spiritual children, or to whom he shall render them useful, for training them up in those ways of holiness in which, by the blessing of God upon the labours of others, they might be so happy as to find them? May God give many such to all who serve him with their spirit in the gospel of his Son; and, in the views of their increasing piety, may they daily anticipate the glory and the joy with which they hope at last to deliver them to their Divine Master!

ng sent Timothy to confirm and comfort them;