I. 1. ΠΑΥΛΟΣ καὶ "Σιλουανὸς καὶ Τιμόθεος τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ Θεσσαλο- 3 Cf. on 2
> b lot 4 ‘ , > a κα , eon Q b γικέων ἐν “Θεῷ πατρὶ καὶ Κυρίῳ ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστῷ χάρις ὑμιν και
εἰρήνη.
A ~ lot a , 2. ᾿Εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ "πάντοτε περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν, ἦ μνείαν ο ο A A ε - g a5 λ , , ς ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν ἡμῶν 3. ἕ ἀδιαλείπτως, pvnpoved-c See ont
ποιούμενοι
d So Col. i. 3.
CuapTer I.—Ver. τ. Greeting.—As any trouble at Thessalonica had arisen over Paul’s character more than his authority, or rather as his authority had been struck through his character, he does not introduce his own apostolic rank or that of his colleagues (ii. 6) in the forefront of this letter, which is intimate and unofficial throughout. Silvanus is put before Timothy as an older man and colleague, and also as Paul’s special co- adjutor in the local mission. Acts never mentions Timothy in the Macedonian mission till xvii. 14, where he appears beside Silvanus. This does not mean (Bleek) that Timothy took no part in the
work at Thessalonica; his intimate τε]α-
tions with the church forbid this supposi- tion. Probably he is left unnoticed as being +a junior subordinate, till the time comes when he can act as an useful agent of his Ἱεαάετς.- -ἐκκλ. a pagan term ap- propriated by Christianity. An implicit contrast lies in the following words (so in ii. τῇ): there were ἐκκλησίαι at Thes- salonica and elsewhere (cf. Chrysostom and Orig., Cels. III. xxix.-xxx.) which had not their basis and being ἐν . . . Χριστῷ. The latter phrase is a suggestive and characteristic periphrasis for ‘‘ Christian,” and the omission of the ἐν before κυρίῳ, as of τῇ before ἐν, is enough to show that the seven words form a unity instead of a double antithesis to ‘‘pagan” and “ Jewish” respectively.—kvpio Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, a new κύριος (= dominus) for people like the Thessalonians who were hitherto familiar with the title as applied to Claudius (cf. Wilcken’s Griechische
e Eph. v. 20.
Cor. i. 19. On ab- sence of article, see Blass, δὲ 46. 6, 47. 10.
Cor. 1.3
and Eph.
1. 2. { Eph. i, 16. Εν. 17; Rom.i.g Ostraka, 1899, s.v.) the emperor, or to the God of the Jews (cf. Knowling’s Wit- ness of the Epistles, 260 f.). See the ample discussion in Kattenbusch, das Apost. Symbol, ii. 596 f., with his note (pp. 691 f.) on ἐκκλησία. The hope and help of God implied that Christians must hold together, under their κύριος. ‘‘ No Christian could have fought his way through the great dark night of idolatry and immorality as an isolated unit; the community was here the necessary con- dition for all permanent life” (Wernle, Beginnings of Christianity, i. 189).
Vv. 2-10. Thanksgiving for the origin and achievements of the church.—Ver. 2. Whenever Paul was at his prayers, he remembered his friends at Thessalonica ; and whenever he recalled them his first feeling was one of gratitude to God (see iii. 9) for the Christian record which, as individuals and as a church (πάντων). they displayed of active faith (i. 4-10, 11. 13-16), industrious love (iv. 9 f.), and tenacious hope (v. 1-11). Andnot Paulalone. The plural implies that all three missionaries prayed together.—evxapiorotpev. The greeting is followed, as in ordinary letters of the period, by a word of gratitude and good wishes. εὐχ. is common in votive inscriptions, in connection with thanks- giving toa god. But while Paul, in dic- tating his letter, starts with a conven- tional epistolary form, the phrase imme- diately expands loosely into μνημ. - « « θεοῦ (μνείαν π. as frequently in ethnic phraseology).
Ver.3. ἀδιαλ. Neither distance nor fresh interests make any difference to his
24
ΠΡΟΣ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΕΙ͂Σ A πι
hSee on2 οντες ὑμῶν τοῦ ον τῆς πίστεως καὶ τοῦ κόπου τῆς " ἀγάπης καὶ
Cor. ii. 4 and Heb. τῆς ὑπομονῆς τῆς vi. 10- -II, With gen. as Rom.v. 2; μένοι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, cf. Win. § 30. 12,e. ἐγενήθη ™ i Cf. iii. ο, 13 and other side