The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 107

Ablf'; a different word rrom that rendered There are Riso tracea or it in the Old TeslA- " gn<ld" in vcr. I!'>. We are to rct1<in wh1<t- ment, the spirit, or breath of God, hei11g e.-er is good in those •· Rll things" whioh we distinguished from the soul. Be presened are to prove or test, namely, in the pro- ble.meleH. "The spirit is preserved blnme- pl,esyinga. less at the advent when the voice of truth Ver. 22. -Ablltain from all appea.re.noe of rules it, the soul when it strives against aJI evil. Thie vel'l!e is oonneoted with the laet, the charms of the senses, and the body when ..nd atates negati<el~· what ie there stated it is not abused ae the instrument of shnme- positively. Teat the decla.re.tions of the ful actions" (Lunemann). Unto the oomi.ng prophets : retain the good. and reject the of our Lord JeaUB Christ. evil. The word translated "appearance " Ver. 24.-F&ithfu.l is he that oalleth you. hu bt'eu di fl,,r<'ntlv rendered; it deuotes Paul knows that he does not beseech God form, figure, ,peci~, kind : BO that the in vain. He who calls you to the Christian cl&Ulle is to he rendered, "Abstain from all faith is faithful to fulfil his promises. God's form of evil" (R.V.), or, "of the evil." the calling is the commencement of a series word being an abstract substantive. The which terminatea in glori.llcation (Rom. viii.. wl10le exhortation is similar to that given in 30). A similar appeal to the faithfulness of Hom. xii. 9, only there the negative state- God is elsewhere me.de by the apostle (1 ment is put fil'l!t: "Abhor that which is Cor. i. 9; 2 Thess. iii. 8). Who also will do evil ; clea,·e lo that which is good." Some it; namely, will preserve you blameless suppose that the metaphor employed is from unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. ,he pmotice of money-changers who tested Ver. 25.-Breth!-en, pray for UBj namely, the money offered to them, rejecting what that our apostolic work may be successful ; was base and retaining what was genuine. that" the Word of the Lord may have free Among the Fe.thel'I! we meet with the phrase, course and be glorified" (2 Thess. iii. I). ~ Be ye experienced money-changers," as a The apostle, in almost all his Epistles, traditione.ry ae.ying of our Lord; and some requests from his converts an interest in suppoee that the apostle refers to this saying, their prayers (Rom. :n. 80; 2 Oor. i. 11 ; and give the following paraphrase: "The Eph. vi. 19; Col. iv. 3; 2 Thess. iii. 1; good money keep; with every sort of bad comp. Heh. xiii. 18). Ministers and people 111oney have nothing to do; act as experi- need !'.a.eh oth~r•s prayers, and prayer is a enced money-changers : all the money pre- dnty which they owe to each other. sented to yon as good, test. n Such a Ver. 26.-0reet all the brethren with a supposition is fanciful and far-fetched. holy kiaa. That certain persona were en- Ver. 23.-And the very God of peace; the joined to B&lute the other members of the God who communicates peaoe; an expres- Church is a proof that the Epistle was sion frequently emplo,·ed by Paul at the given into the hands of the presbyters. The close of his Epistles (Rom. xv. 33; xvL 20; reference is to the mode of salutation in the Phil iv. 9; 2 Cor. xiii. 11 ; 2 'l'hess. iii. 16). East. The kiss is called "holy" because it 8anatifJ yon wholly; that is, perfectly, was the symbol of Christian affection. The withont anything wanting, referring to the a&me exhortation is me.de in other Epistles entillmess of the sanctification. which is (Rom. xvi. 16; 1 Cor. xvi. 20; 2 Oor. xiii. 12). presently expressed in detail. And I pray Ver. 27.-1 ohe.rge you; namely, the God your whole spirit and sonl and body ; presbyters. By the Lord; name! y, Christ, an the adjective " whole" e.ppliea to all the indirect proof of his Divinity, the adjuration .three subst&nti.-es. The apostle here being in liis Ne.me. The reason of this divides humaD nature into three parts- solemn charge was, not on account of any spirit, soul, e.nd body; and this threefold remissness on the part of the presbyters, but division is 11ot a mere rhetorical statement: was occasioned by the earnestness of the •· The apostle pouring forth iJ,om the fulness apostle and by his consciousness that what of his bee.rt a prayer for hie convert•" be wrote was most important to the Thesse.- (Jowett); but a distinct statement of the lonians, and we.a the command of the Lord three component parts of human nature. J esua Christ. That this Epistle be read unto The "spirit" is the highest part of man, all the holy brethren ; unto the Church of that which assimilates Lim to God ; renders Tbease.lonica. him capable of religion, e.nd susceptible of Ver. 28.-The graoe of our Lord lesua ueing acted upon by the Spirit of God. The Christ be with you. A similar salutation " i;onl " ill the inferior part of his mental is ro bo found at the close of all Paul'a natme, the seat of the passions and deaires, Epistles; indeed, in tlie Second Epistle to uf the De.tnral propensities. The " body" the Thesse.lonians, he states that this salu- is the corporeal frame. Such a threefold tatiou was the token whioh he affixed lo hie distinction of human nature was not un- Epistles (2 Thess. iii. 17, 18). Amell. To known among the Stai.ell &nd Ple.toDista. be rejected, 1111 uot in the original. oe. T, 1-28.J THE Jl'IBBT EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIAN&. 107