Jll'ot only in M:aoedonia and Aohaia, but &180 what power and fnlnese or the Holy Ghoet in every plaoe your faith to God-ward ii we prenohed the gospel unto /ou, and wUh spread abroad. Therc is a slight difficulty what joy and confidence An contempt of in the construction. The sentence ie com- danger ye received it. .And how ye tnmed plete without the addition, "your faith to to God from idols. Thia, as already remarked, God-ward is apread abroad," and, therefore, is one of the proofs that the Church of The• wt, muet ooneider these words 1\8 c-quivalent ae.lonice. wae ohiefty composed of Gentile to "from vou sounded out the word of the oon verts, though, of oourse, not to the eJ:olu• Lord." '\\'hen the apostle BRYB that "the sion of the Jewish element (Acts J:vii. 4). llith of fh<' Thee~aloniane is spread abroad To serve the living and true God. Two epi- in every pie.co," the meaning is that !he thets employed in contrast to the idols of report of their joyful reception of the gospel the heathen: "living," in opposition to dead had excited univel'S&l attention. There is idols, which were nothing in the world; here a certain nee of the figure hyperbole. "true," not in the sense of verao!ous, but The words, "in every place," are not to be of reel in opposition to the imaginary goda taken In their full literal sense, but a.re of the heathen. merely a strong expression for the wide Ver. 10.-A.nd to wait. The faith or the diffoeion of the faith of the Thessaloniane. TbeBBD.lonie.ns took the form of hope or a• Paul nees similar hyperboles in other plaoos, pectation for the coming of the Lord: an ae when he speaks of the faith of the Romane element of Christian feeling, perhaps, not eo being spoken of throughout the whole world prominent in the present day. !'or hie Bon (Rom. i. 8), e.nd of the gospel having come from heaven ; referring to the seoond advent. into all the world (Col. i 6). This wide Christ on bis departure from this world diffosion of the fo.itb of the Thesse.lonians, went to heaven, where he residea, me.king notwithstanding the recent date of their intercession for ue, but from thence he will oonvereion, may be accounted for when we oome to jndge the quiok and the dead. In oonsider that Theese.lonica and Corinth the primitive Church the advent of Obrist wt:re two great commercial cities, from e.nd was not regarded ae at a diete.noe, but u k which there we.e a constant coming and an event which might at any moment oconr. going, 110 that reports might easily be trans- Whom he raised from the dead ; with em• mitted by merclie.nts and stranger&, It he.e phasis placed before "Jesus," booause his al.&.i been suggested that Aquila and Pris- resurrection from the dead was the open de- cilla. who had le.tely come from Rome (Aot.a claration, the publio inauguration, of his Di- xviii 2), must in their journey have passed vine sonship (Rom. i 4). Even J'eSUB whioh through Thesse.lonice., e.nd would bring with delivered ne. The participle ie present: not them tc Corinth such e. report of the faith past, "who delivered us," namely, by his of tl,e Thesse.lonians (Wieseler). So that we death ; nor future, " who ehall deliver us," r..eed not to speak anything; that is, of your at the judgment; bot present," who deliver& faith, as thiE is e.lree.dy so well known and us;" tbe deliverance is going on-it com- apple.uded menced with his death, but will not be com- Ver 9.-!'or they themselves; that is, the pleted until his advent. Or the word may reporten, those in Macedonia, Ache.ie., and be nsed as e. substantive, "Jesue, our De- every other ple.ce Show of n,; or, report liverer." From the wrath; or righteous in• - i n g tu1 (R.V.) in regard to our dignation of God ; here punishment as the preaching or entrance among yoa Instead of effect of wrath. "The wrath of God is, in q uestious being asked of us by them, as would its deepest ground, love; love itself beoomee naturally be expected. they of their own a consuming fire to whatever is opposed to e.ccord give information. What manner of the nature of goodness" (Koch). To oome; lllltering in we had among you. " Entering" literally, tohich iB coming, the coming wrath, here evidently refers, not merely to the out- denoting ite absolute certainty. Th is coming ward entrance, the mere preaching of the wrath will take place at the advent of Christ, gDBpel among the Theesalonians ; but to when he appears, not only for the ealva- the aooeae, the internal entrance, which the tion of hie people, but for tho deatruotlon goapel found into their hearts ; that is, with of bis enemiea,
HOMILETICS. Ven. J.., 2.-~ charactM of Chri&tians. 1. They twe contHJrted i' they turn to God from idolB. As the heathen turned from material idols, so do believers from splriLual idols. A change is effected in their dillposition; their chief affection ill now fiJ:ed on God e.nd <!hrist; they serve the living and true God. 2. They wait /or the Lord Jesus Christ; 1.11ey expect salvation from him, and look forward to bis seconcl coming, 3. They live u l,oly life; they po8118BB the three ce.rdinl!-1 virtues, and prove that the1 io 80 by their u1.Ltward manifestation&. ga. 1, 1-10.] 'fHE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE TBESSALONIANS. 5
Ver;. 3.-The three carrU11al virtues: faith, love, and hope. 1. Their <Yraer. Faith is tho commencement of the HJ>iril11al life, love its progress and continuance, and hope its completion; faith is the fou11dation, love the structure, and hope the toirstone C'f God's spiritual temple in the soul. 2. '/'heir manifestations. Faith is seen by its works; love, by its self-denying exertions; and hope, by its patirnce and endurance. 3. Their reference to u-. Faith refers to the past, love to the present, and hope to the future,
Ver. 5.-The entrance of the gospel. 1. Negati11ely. "Not in word only." The preaching of the gospel will only add to our condemnation if we do not by faith acce1,t it; not nominal, but real Christiar.ity is the chief matter; the entrance must not be external, but internal. 2. Positively. "In power," arresting us iu our worldly career ; "in the Holy Ghost," being the Agent of our conversion; "in much assurance," so that we know from experience its truth and efficacy, Ver. 6.-The imitation of Ohrist, Christ not only died as a Sacrifice, but lived as ~n Example. He is the great Example whom we must imitate, the Pattern of the ne1v creation, the Original of which all believers are copies. Especially we must imitate him in his patient endurance of suffering. The cross is ever the Christian's motto; and we can only enter into heaven through tribulation.