The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 76

OHAPTEB IV. rise first, and. along with the living, 'W01l]d be caught up to meet the Lord at hfa Oo1ft'Dl'l'II.-With this chapter the second coming, and BO they shall all be llllited In portion of the Epistle-its practical appli- one holy fellowship with him. cation--oommences. The apostle exhorts Ver. !.-Furthermore; literally, finally; and entreats the Thessalonians to make pro- for the rut-introducing the closing or prac- gress in the Christian life, and to practise tical pa.rt of the Epistle. The apostle 1lBell those commandments which, when he was the same word elsewhere at the close of his with them, he gave them by the authority Ep!stl~s (comp. 2 Cor. ~ I; Epb. vi 10; Phil. 1v. 8; 2 TheBB. w. 1). Then; or of Jesus Christ. God had called them to rather, therefore; connecting this exhortation holiness and to the renunciation of their with the cloaing verses of the last chapter: heathen practices. They must especially be In order that you may be es!abliehed un- on their guard agallll!t impurity, to which blamably in holiness at the coming of our as Gentiles they were formerly so prone. Lord J esllll Christ, you must do your pa.rt, you mnst earnestly strive after holiness. He who rejected his injunctions rejected, not We; to be restricted to Paul. Beseeeh you, man, but God, whose commands they were. brethren, and exhort you by the Lord J'88DB; As they were already taught of God in the or rather, in the Lord Jesus; that is, in 11clive practice of Christian love, so they fellowship with him-the sphere or element must abound therein. Tl1ey must not allow within which the apostle besought and e,c- horted the Thessalonian&. He wrote as the themeelves to be led awo.y by excitemeot, as orgl\n or instrument of the Lord Jesus. if the day of Christ were at hand, but with That as ye have reoeived of llll, Paul here quietness and honesty perform the ,lutie~ appen.ls to the exhortations which he gave of their earthly calling, and so cowmen d the them during his residence among them at gospel to unbelievers. And with regard to Thessalonica. Xow ye ought to walk and to please God; how you ought to conduot their anxiety concerning the fate of their yourselves BO as to please God. The walk- c\ecensell friends, they were to be comforted ing was the means of pleaaing. The B.V., by the thought that the dead in Obrist after these words, on the authority of IIIAllU- would be no losers at the advent, but would eaript.s, adds, "even as ye do walk.• So J'9  74 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO 'l'HE THESSALONIANS. [ou. rv. 1-18.