The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 70

It wu the sovereign, e.ll-wi~e decree of God the.t, through the e.flliction of hie peoplP,, the gospel we.e to be epree.d e.hroe.d, e.nd tre.nemitted to future generations. And that we.a e. ree.son why they were not to be moved in e.ffliction. They were not being made the sport of cha.nee, or simply left to the will of their enemies; but they were sub- mitting to the reasonable necessary e.ppointment of their hee.venly Father, and the.t along with others. The Thessalonians were well acquaiuted with this doctrine. It had been te.ught them by Pe.ul, when he was with them. And in this he was simply following the gree.t Tee.cher. It was impossible tor him to hold out false expectations. He told them whom he e.sked to enter into his service that they were to count the cost; they might be called even to lay down their lives for his sake. And e.t the last he recurs to this in spee.king to his disciples. "If the world hateth you, ye know the.t it hath he.ted me before it hated you. . . . Remember the word that I said unto yon, A sen'e.nt is not gree.ter than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecnte you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.... These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be made to stumble. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he uffereth service unto God. And these things will they do, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I spoken unto you, that when their hour is come, ye me.y remember them, how that I told you." As Paul, after the Master, taught, so it came to pass, e.nd so they had experience. Being thus prepared before- hand, their affliction, instead of she.king them, was fitted to have a confirming effect upon them. III. MISSION OF TIMOTHY WITH REFERENCE TO PAUL. "For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the tempter he.d tempted you, and our labour should be in vain." It seems beet to connect" also• with "sent," as is gramme.tically e.llowable. He sent not merely for the sake of the Theeealonie.ns, but also for his own sake. The affliction was a special reason why he, Paul (the singular being introduced), could no longer forbear. He wanted information regarding their faith. Connected with this was anxiety. As a fact, the tempter had tempted them. God tempteth no man; he seeks only through affliction to make his people couquerors. Through affliction Satan, according to his nature, had sought to seduce the Thessalonians to apostasy. And it might be that by some means (for he is fertile in means) he had succeeded in his nefarious object. ln that case his labour among the Tbessalonians, and laborious praying for them, in e.11 of which he had a nature.I interest before God, would be vain. It would be as if his lot had never been cast among them. Wishing, then, to have his mind relieved from this state of e.n.xiety, he he.d sent on Timothy. IV. Goo» NBWS FBOM TREBBALONIO..l, "But when Timothy came even now unto us from you, and brought us gle.d tidings." Paul had meantime gone on from Athens to Corinth, where, according to Acts xviii. 5, he was joined by Silas and Timothy. He lost no time in writing to Thesse.lonice. after their arrival. Timothy, who seems not to he.ve delayed by the way, was the bringer of good news, of a kind of gospel-being indeed, tidings of the fruit of the gospel. He announced what the gospel had wrough1 for the 'l'hesse.lonie.ns in three particulars. 1. "Of your faith." Timothy we.s able to tell his master, by whom he had been sent, that they had such e. hold upon the Divine help, that they were able to stand against the assaults of their enemies. 2. " .And love." He had also this good news to tell Pe.ul, that, in the face of opposition, they were not weakened by division, but were ouly drawn the closer together in the bonds of Christian love. 3. "Aud that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as we also to see you." He had the further tidings to con.,ey, that they bad e. lively impression of e.11 he had been to them-to whom, under God, more than to any other, they owed their existence e.s a Church. His name was e. savour of e. sweet smell among them. ...tt all timu they thought of him with pleasure. And e.s it had been told them that he he.d e. longing to see them, 10 they wished it to be tolo. him the.t they had e. longing to see again the face, e.nd not less to hear again the voice, of their teacher. v. CollFORT IMPARTED BY THE GOOD HEWS. "Fll'J' this cause, brethren, we were comforted over 7ou in all our distress and affiictiou through your faith: for now we live, If ye stand fast in the Lord." ".As cold we.te111 '.o e. thirsty soul, so is itood news  fl8 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [oR, m. 1-11,