The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 3

a mixture of Romans. The Jews also were attracted to it in great numbers for the sake of commerce, and here was the synagogue of the district (Acts xvii. 1). It hR.S always been a city of great importance. It long continued to be a bulwark against the assaults of the northern barbarians, a11d after- war<is of the Saracens. When the Greek empire became enfeebled, Thessa- lonica W88 attached to the Venetian Republic, and remained so until the year 1430, when it was captured by the Turks, in whose possession it continues to this day. It iis considered as the second city of European Turkey. having a population of about seventy thousand, of whom at least thirty thou,-.and are Jews. Thessalonica has many remains of antiquity, one of which deserves special mention, a triumphal arch, erected to com- memorate the victory of Philippi, and which must have been etand.ing when Paul visitt-d that city. We have an account of the origin of the Church of Thessalonica in the Actis of the Apostles. In hie second great missionary journey, Paul and his fellow-labourers, Silu and Timothy, had arrived at Alexandria Troas, when he was directed by a vision to croBB over the lEgean Sea and repair to Europe. In obedience to this Divine direction, we are informed that loosing from Troas, they ea.me with a straight course to the island of Samothrada, and the next day to Neapolis, and from that they journeyed inland to Philippi (Acts xvi. 11, 12). Here they remained fur some time, pre.aching the gospel with great success, nntil they were driven from it by a severe persecution. From Philippi Paul and his companions proceeded, hy way of Amphipolia and Apollonia, to Thesaalonica. Here was the chief synagogue of the district, and into it Paul, according to his custom, entered and preached the gospel. He proved to the Jews from their Scriptures that the Messiah was to suffer and rise from the dead ; and he showed them that Jesus did thus suffer and rise again, and was consequently the Me,-.siah (Acts xvii. 8). It would also appear that at Thessalonica he dwelt much on the kingdom and second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ; he laid great stress on the resurrection of Chrii;t, and on hie exaltation to the throne of eternal majesty. Hence the accusation brought against him that he proclaimed another King, one Jesus (Aots xvii. 7); and, in his Epistle, he observes, "Ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, that you would walk wmthy of God, who bath called you unto his kingdom and glory" (eh. ii 11, 12). For three sabbaths Paul continued his efforts in the Jewish synagogue with coDBiderable success; some of the Jews believed, but his converts were especially numerous among the devout Greeks (Acts xvii. 1--4). At length the unbelieving Jews, moved with envy, raised a tumult against Paul and his companions; they stirred up the rabble, and 8B88.Ulted the house of Jason, with whom the Christian preachers lodged; and when they failed to capture them, they dragged Jason and certain of the oonvert& before the magistrates of the city, accuBing them of disturbing the public peace e,nd of harbouring traitors to the emperor. ln conse'!uenoo  THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. ., of thiH, to avoill further diRtnrhance, Paul and Silas left the city by night, 11.nd repaired lo the neighbouri11g town or Rerooa (Acts xvii. 10). In the Acls of the Apostles a rcAirlcnce in 'l'hess:tlonir;a of only three weeks is mo11tioncd (Acts xvii. 2). 'l'hcre are, however, statements in the Epistle which won J,1 lead ne to infer that hie residence was for a somewhat longer period. A flourishing Church was formed in Thessalonica; the gospel spread from it as a centre throughout Macedonia; its fame was everywhere diffused; and for this success a longer space of time than three weeks would appear requisite. Besides, at Thessalonica Paul supported himself by manual labour. "Ye remember," he writes, "our labour and travail: fur labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God" ( eh. ii. 9). And it was his custom to do so only when his residence in any city was pro- longed. And we are informed in the Epistle to the Philippiane that his convertR in Philippi "sent to Thessalonica once and again to his neceseities;" and that this was on the occasion of this visit to Thessalonica is evident, for the apostle tells us that it was "in the beginning of the gospel" (Phil. iv. 15, 16). Now, the distance between these two cities was a hundred miles ; and therefore more than three weeks appear to be necessary for the t1ansmission of this twofold supply for hie wants. Still, however, his residence could not have been long, and his departure from the aity was compulsory. Probably Paul preached for three successive eabbaths in the synagogue, but, finding the Jews obstinate and the synagogue closed against him, he turned, as hie manner was, to the Gentiles; and it we.a bis success among the Gentiles that stirred up the wrath of the Jews, and excited that disturbance which was the occasion of his leaving Thessalonica. The result of Paul's ministry during the three sabbaths he preached in the synagogue is thus given by the author of the Acts: "And some of them believed, and· consorted with Paul and Silas ; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few" (Acts xvii. 4). From this it appears that his success was small among the Jews, but great among the devout Greeks, that is, those Greeks who had previously detaclie.I themselves from idolatry and were seeking after God, and were thus in a manner prepared for the reception of Christianity. Afterwards it is probable that Paul preached to the Gentiles, and made numerous converts among them. Although the Jews were numerous in Thessalonica, yet it is evident from the two Epistles that the Church there was chiefly composed of Gentile converts. They are described as those who turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (oh. i. 9)-a description applicable to converted Gentiles, but not to converted Jews and Jewish proselytes; and in neither Epistle is there a direot quotation from the Old Testament, the only probable allusion being to the prophecies of Daniel in the descrip- tion of the wan of sin contained in the Second Epistle (2 Thess. ii. 4).  v1 INTRODUCTION TO