The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 58

chapter, from whioh it should not be of personal oonvenienoe. Our brother, and ~epRrat.ed. Wherefore; on acoonnt of my minister of God, e.nd our fellow-labourer. affection towartl ~-ou and my repeRted vRin The rending of manuscripts here varies, llt.lempta t.o see you. When we. Some refer Some important ma.nusoripts read, "our the plural to Paul, Silas, Rnd Timothy (eh. brother and fellow-worker with God,,_ i. 1); otbere to PRul Rnd Silas, RB Timothy phrase which is elsewhere employed by the he.d been sent to The88RloniOR; but it is to apostle : "for we are labourers together he restricted to Paul, 88 is evident from with God" (1 Cor. iii. 9). Retaining, eh. ii. 38 and iii. 5, and inasmuch 88 Paul however, the reading of the text, Paul here WM left "lone Rt Athens; the plural being calls Timothy his brother, expressing his here used for the singnlRr. Could no longer esteem and fraternal affection for him ; " a forbear; could no longer restrain our long- minister of God," expressing Timothy's ing Rnd Rnxiety to know your condition. official position and the honour conferred We thought it good; a happy transle,tion of on him by Christ; and his" fellow-labourer," the original, expressing both "we were expressing his laborious work in preaching plea.sed and resolved." To be left at Athena the gospel, and reminding the Theesalonie.ns alone; an expression of solitude. Alone in of his labours among them. Different Athens, in the very metropolis of idolatry. reasons have been assigned for this eulogy Compare with this the cnmmon saying, pronounced by Paul on Timothy. Some "Alone in London." In the Acts of the suppose tba.t it wa.s to show how eagerly he Apostles we are informed that Paul came consultod the welfare of the Thessalonians, to Athens alone, and that there he wa.ited by sending to them a person of such im- for Silas and Timothy (Acts xvii. 14, 15), portance a.nd of such use to himself as Rnd that these fellow-workers rejoined hiru 'fimothy (Calvin); others think that it was at Corinth (Acts :xviii. 5). Many expositors, to recommend Timothy to the favourable however, from this and the next verse, i11fer regard of the Thessa.lonians in the absence that Timothy at lea.et joined Paul at Athens, or himself (Chrysostom); but it appears to but W88 sent back by him to Thessalonica, be the natural outburst of affection for his to inquire int.o the condition of his converts favourite disciple. In the gospel of Christ. in that city. Such is the opinion of Timothy had laboured with Paul and Silas Olshausen, Neander, De Wette, Liineruann, in the publication of the gospel at Thesee.- Hnfmann, Koch, a.nd Schott; and, among lonica, and was consequently well known to English expositors, of Macknight, Paley, the Thessa.lonia.ns, and favourably regarded Eadie, Jowett, Ellicott., and Wordsworth. by them. To establish you, and to oom!ort There is no contradiction between tl,is view yon; or rather, to ezhort you, as the matter of and the ne.rre.tive of the Act& Luke merely exhortation follows. Conoeming your faith; omits to mention Timothy's short visit to in order to the continuance and furtherance Athem and departure from it, and relates of your faith. The purpose of the mission only the final reunion of these three fellow- of Timothy; namely, to confirm the Thessa- worken at Corinth. Indeed, Paley gives lonia.ns in the faith, to exhort them t.o this coming of Timothy to Athens as one of perseverance in Christre.nity, notwithsta.nd• the undesigned coincidences between this ing the persecutions t.o which they were Epistle and the Acts of the Apostles.' exposed. SLill, however, we nre not necessitated to Ver. 3.-This verse contains the object of suppose that Timothy joined the apostle at the exhortation; the clause is an accusative Athens. The words admit of the opinion t.o the verb. That no ma.n should be moved that he was sent by Paul direct from Ber<ea, (or, ahalren) by; or rather, in; expressing md not from Athens ; and that he a.nd the position in which they were placed. Silas did not join Paul until they came These affl.ic.ions. The ea.me word as'' tribula- from Macedonia. t.o Corinth. Such is the tion " in tl.ie next verse. For yourselves know, opinion of Hng, Wieseler, Koppe, Alford, How they knew is explained, pe.rtly from a11d Vaughan. the forewarnings of the apostle, and partly Ver. 2.-And sent Timotheu. This was from their own experience. That we; not to a great act of self-sacrifice on the part of be referred t.o Paul only, nor to Paul and Paul ; because to be without an assistant his companions, Silas and Timothy, nor to and fellow-labourer in the gospel in such a Paul a.nd the Thessalonia.ns, but to all ciiy as Athens, the very centre a.nd strong Christians in general ; that we Christians. bold of heathenism, full of temples a.nd Are appointed thereunto; namely, by God. idols, must necessarily ha.ve brought upon Our afflictions do not result from chance, him m""Y discomforts; e.nd yet bis e.nxiety but a.re the neces1111ry consequence of our for tb~ Tbessalonia.n.s overcum1, all motives Chrbtia.uity; they arise from the appoint- ment aud ordinance of God. Tribulation is 1 Ptt.ley's ' Hom Paulina,' 1 Thes11alo- the Ciuistie,n's portion. Whatever truth niAna, No. iiL there me.y be In the saying tha1) pro1perit7 llll. III, 1-13.] THE ll'IRST EPISTLE ·ro THE THESSA.LONI.ANS. 66