The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 20

LESSON&, 1. The holy lives of Christian people help the blessed work of saving soulH; holy lives are more persuasive than holy word.q, Let each Christian strive to do hia part. 2. We are not in heathen darkness; God_ bas gi~en us the li~_ht of his gospel. Let us be thankful, and show our thankfulness 1n our lives. 3. Wait for the comin'' 0 of• the Lord Jesus; all our hopes are in him.-B. C. C. Ver. 1.-Introduction. This Epistle has the distinction of being the first in time of all Paul's Epistles. The leading thought, to which there is reference towanl the close of each of the five chapters into which the Epistle 11as been divided, is the second coming of our Lord, The first three chapters are personal, setting forth the apostle's connection with the Theesalonians, a11d interest in them as a Church. In the remaining two chapters he addresses them in view of their condition as a Church, and especially in view of anxiety connected with the Hecond coming. Pleased with the progress they were making, he writes to them in a quiet, practical, prevailingly consolatory strain. I. THE WRITERS. "Paul, and Silvanns, and Timothy." Paul comes first, aa pre- eminently the writer. It can be made out that the matter and style are characteris- tically Pauline. It speaks to his humility that he does not claim it as bis own, that he does not put forward his official position, but associates two brethren with him as joint- writers. These, Silvanus (to be identified with Silas) and Timothy (less prominent at the time), assisted at the founding of the Thessalonian Church. Timothy bad just returned from a visit of inquiry_ to Thessalonica. He therefore claims +,hem as adding the weight of their influence with the Thessalonia.ns to his own. .And tlleir place as joint-writers is accorded to them throughout. Only in three places, for a special reason in each case, does be make use of the singular number. II. CoMMUNITY ADDRESSED. "Unto the Church of the Tbessalonia.ns in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Thesso.lonica-so named by Ca.:;sander in honour of his wife, who was a sister of .Alexander the Grea.t--was well situated for commerce " sJn the inner bend of the Thermaic gulf-half-way between the Adriatic and the Hellespont- 011 the sea-margin of a vast plain watered by several rivers," the chief of these beir.g the Axius and Haliacrnon. Under the Romans it became a large, wealthy, and populous city; and was chosen as the Macedonian capita.I. Its importance bas been well kept, up to the present day. Sa.loniki (slightly altered from Thessalonica) r'l11ks next to Constanti11ople in European Turkey, with a population of seventy thou3and. Paul visited Thessalonico. in his second missionary tour, after the rough handliug he had received in the other Macedonian city of Philippi. The Jews, being more numerous here than at Philippi, had a synagogue; and in this, Paul, for three sa.bbath days, reasoned with them from the Scriptures, opening and alleging that it behoved the Christ to suffer and to rise ago.in from the dead, and that this Jesus is the Christ.. The result was so for favourable. Some Jews were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas; of the Gentile proselytes attached t-0 the Jewish synagogue, o. great multitude, and, among these, not a few chief women. But there was also what was unfavourable. 'l.'he Jews as a body, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and raised a tumult against the Christian preachers, which ended in thl'ir depar1ing by night for Ber<BI\, Paul and his assistants had a very short time in which to found a Church in 'l'bessalonica. For three sabbatb days Paul reasoned in the Jewish synagogue. We may allow a little longer time for the ripening of Jewish opposition, Short as the time was, they had settled d9wn to supporting themselves by labouring with their own hands, Short as the time ll'as, the Philippian Christians, in their eagerness, had managed once and again to se:id unto Paul's neces,ity. \Vhat would render the formation of a Christian Uhurch at 'l'hPssnlo11ica easier was tl,e number of Gentile proselytes who embraced Christianity. 'l'hl'~e had received 1raining in monotheistic ideM, and had already the elements of a g"dly character. But, beyo11il this, many Gentile idolaters must have been brought in; l'or the entering in of Paul and his compa11ions was signalized as a turning of the majority of them from idols unto the living and the true God. Un,ler the conditions of time and manual Iii.hour am\ Jewish fanaticism, the foundin(T of the Thessalonian Church was a most marvellous work, Bo short time with thc~n, Paul wrote to them when he got to Corinth, after vieitini: Bercna an<l Athens, about the close of the year 52. 'l'he 'l.'hcssalonia11s are  UI THE FIRST EPISTLE TO 'l'HE 'l'HESSALONIANS. [on. 1. 1-10.