The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 104

EXPOSITION. Lord's coming. But of the times and the 1ea- OHAPTER 't. 1ons, brethren; that is,or the time nnd the pre- CoNTlllffl!.-With regard to the time cise period of the Lord's adrnut. "Times" of that glorious nih•ent when believers, and "se":~?ns" aree!~ewhere united together (Eccles. m.; Dau.· n. 21 ; Acts i. 7). The wl,Pther dead or living, will be gathered word translated "times" denoles time together to Christ, the Tbeesalonians had absolutely without regard to circumeto.nces; already bePn fully in8tructed. They knew and the word rendered •• seasons " denotes well that the day of the Lord would come a definite point of time; not merely the duddenly and une1pectedly, and surprise dRy, but the hour (i\fark xiii. 32). Ye have no need that I write unto yon ; literally, au ungodly world. But they were not in that ought be written unto you (R.V.); comp. <larknees llO ae to be taken by surprise. eh. iv. 9. The reason why it wae not need- Still, however, they must e1erciae constant ful for the apostle to write unto them was, Wlltchfulrwss and sobriety, and be armed not because he regarded the information with the Christian graces of faith, love, and unprofitable or superfluous, or because he knew it to be impossible, but because he hope, being comforted with the assurance had already informed them when at Thes- that God had not appointed them to wrath, salonica that the time of the advent wae but to the acquisition of salvation through beyond the sphere of his teaching. The J0111111 Chl'ist, who died for their benefit, in apostle mentions this to repress that vain order that, whether living or deed, they curiosity which is natural to man, and which was the occasion of so much disorder nmong might share in the blessings of bis advent. the Thessalonians. Our duty is, not to pry Now follows a aeries of short admonitions. into the times and seasons which the Father The Thessalonians were to love and honour bath put in his own power (Acta i. 7), hut their ministers, to live in peace among to exercise constant watchfulness. themselves, to admonish the disorderly, to Ver. 2.-For yonrselves know perfeotly; namely, uot from Scripture, nor from oral encourage the faint-hearted, to support the tradition, but from the teaching of the weak, and to e1ercise forbearance toward apostle when in Thessalonica. That the d&y all men. They were to be on their guard of the Lord. " The day of the Lord " is e. ag&iW1t revenge, to preserve Christian joy- common Old Testament e1pression, denot- fulnees, to be constant in prayer, and to ing the coming of the Divine judgmentll (Joel i. 15 ; ii. I); e.nd by the phrase here maintain a thankful disposition. They is meant, not the destruction of Jerusalem, were not to quench the Spirit, nor despise nor tbe day of one's death, but the day of prophesyings, but were to tesi all 'things, the Lord's advent, when Christ shall descend retaining the good and rejecting the evil. from hee.ven in glory for the resunection of And it was his elll'Ilest prayer for them that the dead and tbe judgment of the world. The idee. of judgment is contained in the _God would so completely sanctify them that term " day." So oometh e.s e. thief in the they might be blameless at the advent of night. The same comparison is used by our the Lord Jesus. After req nesting an Lord himself (Matt. uiv. 43; Luke xii. interest in their prayers, and solemnly 39), and the very words are employed by charging them to read this Epistle to the Peter (2 Pet. iii. 10). The point of re•em- blance is evidently the une1pectedness and &1111embled Church, the apostle concludes suddenness of the coming. The thief comes with his apostolic benediction. upon people in the night season, when they Ver. 1.-This verse is connected with are asleep and unprepared; so, in a similar what precedes. The apostle was comforting manner, when Cl,rist comes, he will find the Thessalonians under the Joss of th<--ir tl,e world unprepared e.nd not expecting dece&Bed friends by tbe assure.nee that both his e.dvent. The ancient Fathers inferred the living and the dead would be gathered from tllis passage that Christ would come _to t.ogether at the ad vent. The question judgwent in tbe night season, and hence would naturally arise, •• W-hen shall these thr·y instituted vigils, or night watohes. things be?" (Luke l[l[i. 7); and it would Sowe, still more precisely, th:ed the coming 8.)Jpe&r that the ThessaloniaW1 expected an on Easte1 night, fro1u the analogy of the immediate advent. The apostle represses deliverance of the fare.elites from .Egypt on tLeir curiosity on this point by reminding the paschal eveuiJJg. tl,.,.,., of the uncertainty of the time of the Ver. 8,-For; the be~L we.nUBcript11 omit oe. v. 1-28.) THE FIRS'f EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 108