Traditions, had also from this passage held, and would hold, the traditions which Paul has furnished in this chapter. Tradition is a very great benefit. God bestows traditions by means of the messengers of the Gospel. Paul taught many years before he began to write. Tradition is given either by speaking [comp. ver. 5] or by writing. — li Jcr/oroX^c, by letter) He had written on this subject, 1 Thess. iv. and v.
16. *O Kvpiog, the Lord) Refer to this the words, through grace. — o ©sos, God) To this refer the words, who loved ; 2 Cor. xiii. 13. — a/uv/av, eternal) Nothing then can destroy believers.
17. IlapaxaXtaai, comfort, console [' adhortetur,' liter, give con soling, comforting exhortation]) This is deduced from who hath given (us) cra^cUXTjovv, consolation [ver. 16]. — cr^/j-a/, establish) This is deduced from who hath given (us) good hope through grace. — Xoyw,1 in ivord) by cra^axX^tf/, consolation. — tf/y, work) by
iv, establishment, 1 Cor. xv. 58.
1. Tpeffl, may run, have free course) quickly ; comp. Ps. cxlvii. 15 ; without impediment [liter, without a drag on the wheels of its course'], 2 Tim. ii. 9. — do^d^rai, may be glorified) Acts xiii. 48.
2. ' AroVwv) arovog, inept [liter, out of place"], unreasonable. — ou n&vruv, does not belong to all) Tapeinosis,2 i.e. of fear. The Thessalonians, who had believed with great readiness, might easily suppose that all would be equally ready. Paul declares, from his own experience of the very reverse, that it was quite otherwise. — ^ -r/Vr/c, faith) viz. in God through Christ. It is this alone that takes away rb arovov xa/ tfwqpov, what is inept [unrea sonable] and wicked.
1 The margin of both Ed. and the Germ. Vers. prefer the reading x.xl Ao'yp in the inverse order. — E. B.
ABD(A)/ Vulg. read epyy »»l 'hoyu. Gg and Rec. Text read
"oyw. — ED.
2 Less said, than is to be understood. Append. — ED.