The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 7

Sil'l'IIDllB and Timotbeua a.re e.asocin.ted with at Athens alone" (oh. Iii. 1). In those Paul in bis addNlBII to the TheBBalonie.ns, verses the pronoun " we " is evidently i-e- not to giTII weight and authority to hi■ strioted to Paul. Still, however Silve.nus Epistle, but because they e.aaisted him in and Timotl,eus being mentioned directly the plnnting of the Clrnroh at The,ealonioe., before, it ia most natural to inol nde them and were now with him at Corinth, when here. Give thanks to God always for you all. he WBII writing thia Epistle. Silve.nus is ~11 Paul's Epi~l!os, with the solitnry excep- placed first, because he was the older and tion of the Epi.tle to the Gale.tin.us, com- hnd been longer with the apostle, and, as is mence with an expression of thanksgiving. evident from the Acts, we.e at this time the Making mention of you in our prayers ; more important of the two (Acts xvi. 19; whilst we are engaged in prayer for you, xvii. 4). By being included in the address, Paul's prayer for the Thessalonie.ns took the they a.re repreaented as joint e.nthors of the form of thanksgiving. Epistle with Paul, although they were only Ver. 3.-Rememberlntr without oeasing, sn in name. It is possible that Paul em- Some attach the words, "without ceesing," ployed one of them as bis amanuensis in or " unceasingly," to the prt>vious clause; writing the Epistle. Unto the Churah. The " making mention of you unceasingly in word " Oh urch '' donot.es e. select assembly ; our prayers" (so Alford). Your work of here, Christiana seleoted from the world. It faith, and labour of love, and patience of does not denote in the New Testament, aa hope. These expressions e.re nnt to be with us, a building, but the congregation. weakened, e.s if they were a mere Hebraism In PA ul's later EpistlPs, those addressed a.re for active faith, laborious love, and patient called, not the Church, but saints. Of the hope. We have here the three cardinal Theaae.loniana. In other Epistles the e.ddre• virtues-faith, love, and hope (1 Oor. xiii. is to the city, aa Rome, Philippi. Colosse; 13). Elsewhere .these graces a.re com- here it is to the inhabitants. The Church bined. Thus again in this Epistle: of the Thesse.lonia11s we.s chiefly composed of " Putting on the brenstple.te of faith and conY.. rted Gentiles, with a sme.ll number of love; and for an helmet, the hope of sal- convl'rted Jews (see Introduction). Which vation" ( eh. v. 8); and in the Epistle to the ii; to be omitted, e.s not being in the original Colossie.na: "Since we heard of your faith In God the Father and in the Lord 1e81ll in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye Christ. The che.raeteristic peculiarity of the have t.o all saints, for the hope which ia Church: they are in God and Christ, that laid up for you in heaven" (Col. i. 4, 5). is, in fellowship with them, united to them. By the" work of faith" is not meant faith " In G,,d the Father" characterizes them WI itself RB the work of God (John vi. 29), but not being heathens; "in the Lord Jesus thatfaith which is energetic, which is aotive Chri,;t" che.raeterizes them u not being and living, productive of good works. By Jews. Gra.oe be nnto you, and pee.oe. The the " la.hour, or toil, or love" is not meant usnal apostolic benediction. " Grace " is that love which is devoted to God, but tbal the Greek and " peace " is the Jewish form of love which manifests itself in e.cte or kind- saluLition. The Greeks commenced their ness toward our fellow-Cbristie,ns and toward epistles with wishing grace for those to the human raoe. And by the "patience of whom they wrote; and the usuel form of hope" is meant tlie.t constanoy whioh re- 10.lutation among the Jews was Shalom or mains unconquered by trie,ls and persecu- " peace; " the apolltle combines them, thll8 tions. There is a climax here; faith manifests intimating that both Greeks and Jews are itself by its works-its active exertion; love oue in Christ Jesus. In the Pastoral Epistles by its toils-its works of self-denial ; and and in the Second Epistle of John the form hope by its patience-its endurance a.mid is "Grace, mercy, and peace" (2 John 3), trials and discouragements. "Rr·membering, and in the Epistle of Jude it is "Mercy, the apostle would say, your fo.ith, hope, pee.ae, and love" (Jude 2). From God the and lore: a faith that had its outward Father, and from the Lord 1e111.1 Christ. effect on your lives ; a love that spent itself These words are wanting in some imp••r• in the service of others ; and a hope that t.e.nt mannacripta, and ure omitted in the was no mere transient feeling, but was con- R.V. The preponderance, however, of e&• tent to wait for tLe things unseen, when temal authority is in their favour. Christ should be revealed" (Jowett). In Ver. 2.-We. Many expositors (Cony- our Lord 1esus Christ. Tl1ese words do not beare, Koch, Jowett) suppose that the plural refer to all tl,ree virtues (Hofmann), but is l,ere 11118d for the singular; as Paul els6- only to the last, specifyiug its object, where doea in other pa.rt.a of thid Evidtle. namely, that It is hope in the advent of the 1'1ina: "Wherefore we wenld l'ome unto Lord Jesus Christ. This is hope's highe1t you, even I Paul, once and age.in" (eh. expectation, because at the ad vent the ii. 18); "'Wherefore when we could no kingdom of Christ will come in its glory. longer forbee.r, we thought it good to be lefi In the 1ight of (or rather. before) God an<! oR. 1. 1-10.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO 'l'HE THESSALONIANS. 3