The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 44

Vers. 1-12.-I?ie manner of the preacher,; tit", sel,f-portraiture.. I. WHAT THE 1'HESSALONIANS HAD FOUND THEIR PREACHING TO BE. 1. Not void of power. "For your- selves, hrethre11, know um entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain." "J!'or" goes back to the first of the two divisions given at the close of the previous chapter. This is indicated by the recurrence of the leading Greek word translated "entering in." It was said, "For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we bad unto yon." There is an advance to a further point. Not only did the people in the "<"arious places report, hut they themselves had the evidences in their possession. The e"<"idences are regarded as extending down t.o the time of the Thessalonian letter bein~ received. Taken bold of at that moment, and addn-ssed as brethren, they are asked this question, "What has the entering in of us preachers been found to be?" And, having had ample time to estimate the entering in, they are confidently expected to ~ve this testimony, "It hath not been found vain." The epithet " vain" might mean empty of result; but that thought falls under the serond division, which is taken up at ver. 13. It must, therefore, mean empty of all that it ought causally to contain-empty of purpose, and earnestness, in a word, of evangelical power. 2. <Jharacterized ~y fortit'U,(U. "But having suffered before, and been shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much con- liict." This is so far confirmed by the Acts of the Apostles, where the narrative of the entering in to Thessalonica is immediately preceded by the narrative of the rongh treat- 1.uent received at PhilippL The feature of the suffering before referred to here is there presented as imprisonment. I'; was imprisonment with aggravated circumstances. Paul and Silas were dragged into the market-place before the magistrates, by whose orders they were beaten with rods. After many stripes had been laid on them they were cast into the inner prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks. This was s/,,,,,,-,£,fal treatment, not because they were there in Philippi on an errand of mercy, which b.,athen magistrates could not appreciate, but because their rights were not respected. It was an irregularity to lay stri1,es on them at all as Roman citizens. It was a further irregularity to punish so hastily in obedience to clamour, and without an opportunity of defence being granted. All this was known to the Thessalonians. So far tl,e statement here supplements t.be narrative in the Acts of the Apostles. We read, further, that Timothy accompanied Paul from Lystra, and again that he was left bebinil at Berrea, but there is nothing said of him in the interval. We learn from this not1c1 that he was co-operating with Paul and Silas both in Philippi and in Thessalonica, although, we may understand. not so prominent an object of attack as the others, who were hie seniors both in age and in service. The three were not iutimidated by this tr'eatment in Philippi. On the contrary, prooeeding to Thessalonica, they waxed bold in their God to speak unto the 'l'hes,;aloaians the g;ospel of God. It waH the gospel of God, inasmuch as it came as a glad message from God. 'Jhey looked to God as tl~ir GoJ, who had commissioned them to deliver I.Jin 111es,age. As commissioned by God t.o deli\'er his message, they did not flee, like Ju11ah, through fear, but they emboldened themselves in their God, that he would give them his protection and support. It did ce. n. ~-20.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THEHSALONIANS. 41