The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 49

Vers. 13-11,.-Re.~ponse of the The.~salonians to the proclrtmation of the gospel by Paul and his companions. I. THimt ACCEPTAl"CE OF THE WoRD. "And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that when ye received from us the word of the message, even the Word of God, ye accepted 1t not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the Word of Go,l, which also worketh in you that believe." With this com- mences the second of the di visions indicated at the close of the first chapter. Our attention is tur11ed away from the preachers to the hearers. It is confusing to join "also" to" we," and to suppose the meaning to be, with Liinemann, "We as well as every true Christian who hears of your conduct," or, with Ellicott, "We as well as yoo who have so much to be thankful for." It makes an easier tr,,nsition to join "also" to" thank," making the subject of thaoksgiving something additim,al to the earnest- ness of the preachers. We may translate freely," Having t1,is as an antecedent, we have thi8 in addition as a consequent for which to thank God." Here, then, is a falling back into the thankful strain with which the r:1,istle commenced. The very word translated" without ceasing" is caught up. Having given out their strength in preach- ing, they had unceasing cause of thanksgiving to God in the result. In setting fortb the result, the word is described from the point of view of the Thessalonians in relat.ion to the preachers. The nearest translation is "the from-us-heard-word." This they received in the outward ordinance of prnaching. Having thus received it, they next accepted it or received it into their inmost being. They gave this inner reception to it, as being, in their estimation, not the word of man. It was indeed delivered by men It was a word of human salvation. In.its very humanness it was fitted to reach men. But their estimation or the word rose above it as a mere human word to what it really was (as attested here), the Word of God. It was a Word ~iven under Divine direction. It was a Word that came from the heart of God. It was a Word of the overflowinS! ol Divine love. It was a Word, moreover, tlrnt was accompa11ietl with the Divine efficacy. In harmony with its being the Diviue Word, it is described as working in them that believe. Faith is the organ for our reception of the Word. \Ve may receive the Divi1oe Word in the outward ordinance of preaching, but if there is not this organ of inner reception it must remain inoperative. On the other hand, if there is faith, and in proportion as there is faith, does the mighty power of the word pass into us, ~ven up tu the full extent of our capacity and need. It is, therefore, our duty to see that we vre- sent no obstacle of unbelief to the efficacy or the Wortl in us. "That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our h,·arts, and practise it in our lives." 11. THE ACCEPTED WORD WROUGHT IN THEM TO GIVE THt;lI CURISTUN HEROISM. "For ye, brethren, became imitators of the Churches of God which are in Judaia in Christ Jesus: for ye also su1fored the same things or yom own countrymen, even a.s they did of the Jews." There were, to appearance, other Churches of God in Judaia. It was, therefore, uecessary to distin~uish Christian Chtm:hes in J udrea. It is not to be un<lerstood that the Thessalouian Christians were designedly imitators of the Judrean Churches. In result they were imitators. In similar circnmst,mues they exhibited a. similar spirit. Judaia. was notably the quarter where Christian heroism was most required. 'l'he Jews there were filled with deepest rancour against Christ. By their numbers they were more to be consi,lered by the Human power, and were able to go to greater lengths against the Christians. It could be said of the Thessalonian Christians that they were not hel1ind the Judaian Cl1urches in Christian heroism. They sulTered the same things of their own countrymen. We ar,·, therefore, to understand the.t they were subjected to severe persecut10n in Thessalonica. ,ve know that the, Jew11 he.d to do with the persecutiou as iustigators, but, a.11 they had little in their  •S THE FIRs'l.' EPIS'l.'LE TO '1.'llE THESSALONlANS. [oe. o. 1-20.