The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 21

ed_dreBBed as a Church, i.e. in their corporate capecity, with corporate responsibiliti('B and prmleges, not as saints, i.e. in rt'Bpect of the cons,cration of the members individually. They are addressed as a Church in God the Father, i.e. as having all the position of sons. They are also addra!sed as a Church in the Lord Jesus Christ, i.e. as a Christian family where the sons are all saved men placed under the BUperintendence of him who has the position of Lord, and distributes to their need. • III. GREETING. " Grace to you and peaoc." This did not necessarily e:1clude favour and peace from men, from these persecuting Jews. But whether it had that llweep or not, it certainly meant the Divine treatment of them, not according to meri.t but eccording to infinite mercifulness, and the consequent freeiua of them from a1i disturbing influences. It is what we should invoke for all our friends.-R. F. Vers. 2-10.-Manifestation of interest. I. How THEY THANKED Gon FOB TBE THESSALONIAN&. "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers." The three Christian preachers away et Corinth, and in the midst of their engagements there, were interested in their Thessalonian converts. They were so interested as to act as priests for them. This they did et the throne of grace praying for them by name, in view of their special needs as a Church. This they would also do nnitedly, praying to all the more purpose that they united their prayers; for a threefold cord. i6 not easily broken. Noah, Daniel, and Job in a land may not counteract all wicl..edness; but Paul, Silas, and Timothy, agreeing as touching what they asked for a progressing Church like Thessalonica, would certainly mean valuable help to them from heaven. Praying, they gave thanks always. This designation of time is not to bt understood with the utmost strictness. It is prescribed in Exodus that Aaron l'hould bear the jndgment of the children of Israel (the Urim and Thummim) upon his heart before the Lord continually, i.e. whenever he went into the holy place to discharge the pontifical functions. So the meaning here is that, whenever these men of God went into the presence of God to discharge the priestly function of prayer for the Thessalonians, their hearts were filled with gratitude for them, which they poured forth in thanksgiving. They gave thanks to God, who had made the Thessa.lonians a Church, who had blessed them hitherto, and upon whom they depended for future blOBSing. They gave thanks to God for them all. They did not know of any (and their information was recent) who were bringing dishonour on the Thessalonian rociety. They were all with one heart helping forward the common Christian good. II. UPON WHAT THEY PIIOOEEDED IN THANKING GoD FOB THE TRESS.A.LONI.ANS, "Remembering without ceasing." They proceeded in their thanks~ivings upon what iheJ- remembered of the 'l'hessaloniallll. The impression produced at the time had not beet effaced by fresh scenes, new engagements, the lapse of time. By thinking of theIL and hearing from them their impression of them had not ceased to be li1·ely. This impression concerned the three Christian graces-faith, love, l,ope. In 1 Cor. xiii. love is placed last, the object being to exalt it, in its permanent value, over the other tw" Here, as also in the fifth chapter and in Col. i., and virtually in Titus ii., iht natural order is followed, faith manifesting itself in love (Gal. v. 6), and hope rising out of lo1·e (Rom. v. 5). Hope is also properly held to come last, as the link between ihe present and the future. What the Christian pioneers remembered was the practical outcome of each grace. 1. " Your worl, of faith." In the eleventh of the Hebrews we read of speoial works which were produced by faith. But the work, in its totality, which each man produces, is the life which he lives before the world. Aud he who believes that there is the eye of the holy, heart-searching God upon him; that he is here to carry out the Divine behests; that according as he does or does not carry out these behest8 does he lie under the Divine approval or disappro1·al ; that there is a judgment coming whiah shall prove each man's work of what sort it is ;--such a man will surely produce a work very different from him who habitually looks only to the seen and the temporal. TM adoption of faith as the principle of their lives meant to the 'l'hes~alonians the abandonment of many vices, and the cultivation of ~incerity, humility; purity, temperance, and other (,'hristian excellences. 2. "And lubour of love." The word tra111ilat.ed" labour" approach~s the mcauing of painful effort. We are not merely to wish well to others and to rejoice in their good ;-that impli_es uo laboriousness of love. But we are t.o burden ourbelves with the waut~ of others, aud to undertake labours on behalf UH, I, 1-10,J nm l"IW:i'l' El'I::i'l'LE TO THE 'l'llESSALONlANS. 17