The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 22

or the sick, on hclrnlf of the poor, on behalf of the oppressed, on behalf of the Ignorant, 011 behrilf of the erring. 'l'he Thess:ilonian Christians were full of these laboure; their Church lifo had become one labour of love, a p11t,1ing forth of painf11l effort for eaolt other, without thought of reward, with only the rle.sitd to please the Master. It was a labour of purest, freest love, that the Masrrr hirns,·lf undertook on behalf of those whom he was not ashamed to call his brethren. 3. ".And pitience of hope in our Lord, Jesus Christ." Hope was the characteristic grace of the 'l'hessalonians. It was hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, which is more exactly defined in the Epistle as hope with regard to his cowing. It was a hope which burned in them with extraordinary intensity. So eager were they as to the time of its realization that there was a likelihood of impatience being engendered by delay. When the Thessalonians are remembered here for the patience of their hope, we are to understand the brave way in which they maintained the conflict with sin within, and especially with persecution without. It is the hope of victory that sustains the soldier under all the hardships of the march and the dangers of the battle-field. So it was the hope of the infinite compensation that there would be at the coming of Christ that sustained them under the disadvantages of their position. What to them were all that their enemies might inflict on them, when any day Christ might come among them for their deliverance? They could say with their teacher, " For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed to as-ward." Additional circumatance. " Before our God and Father." This points to the solemnity and also the joy of t.he remembrance. It was in prayer that it took place. It was there before the God of Paul and Silas and 'l'imotby, the Heart-searching One, who could testify that it was co formal remembrance, but was marked by sincerity, It was also berore their Father, who, as Infinite Benevolence, regarded it with plea.sure, III. THERE IS NOTED THE FACT OF THE BLECTIOII OF THE TBESSALONU]IIB. "Knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election." Paul, for himself and his helpers, addresses them as brethren. \Vhat they had in common was that they were beloved of God. What marked them as objects of Divine love was their election. This is a word of deep and gracious import, which is more opened up in other places in Scripture. What marked ancient Israel was that they were the election. In succession to ancient Israel, Christians were the election. Among others these Thessalonian Christians had most of them been elected out of heathenism, elected to all the privileges of the new covenant. 'l'hey owed this their position not to their own merits. It was no doings of their own that brought Christ into the world. It was by circumstances over which they had no cont10l that the gospel was preached to them in Thessalonica. It was not in their own strength that they believed. It was Divine love, then, that pn shem their position among the election, and to Divine love was to be all the praise. IV. PAUL AND BIS HELPERS OAHB TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF TBEIB ELECTION BY OON8IDEBATION OF DIVINE ASSIS'l'ANCE VOUCHSAFED IN PRE.A.CHING TO THEH. " Bow that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showe(l ourselves toward you for your sake." The gospel is the glad tidings of salvation to all men. It could only be called their gospel inasmuch as they used it instrumentally in the converEion of souls. It was Christ who was the great Subject of it. "Neither is there salvation in any other." 'l'hese three agreed as to the purport of the gospel. It was not different from the gospel as preached by Peter or any other Christian teacher. In dealing with the Jews in Thessalonica, as we learn from the Acts of the Apostles, the gospel proper was accompanied with the producing of proof from the Old Testament Scriptures that the Messiah was to suffer and to rise from the dead; and the fitting into it of other proof that the historical Jesus, who had lately been on the earth, met all the requirements of their Scriptures. But to Jews and Gentiles alike it was the free offer of salvation, based on the great, facts of the death and resurrection of God's Son in our nature. '!'his gospel had come to them iu Thessalonica; it had providentially been directed their way. It had come to them in word, in the Word preached, l\lld that was a great point gained, "For how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" But it had not come in word only, but also in power. They felt power descending on them in the delivery of their message. This was nothing ell!e than the assi11tance of the Holy Ghost. And it was accompanied with thtl deep ll.8llurance thl\t I, 1'HKSHAI.ONl.!.NS,  18 THE FJrrST EPISTLE TO TIIE TIIESSALONIANS. [ou. 1. 1--10.