The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 115

l>fi~ I. IT n A PRATER FOR PBRll'ECI' RANCTIFI0ATION, "And the very God of pellet! Mnctify you wholly." l. It i,• the de.~ign. of the God qf peace to do thi,. Our I,ord came to" s1Lve his people from their sins," to "redeem them from all iniquity." 2. 1'1,,i.s 111Jnctificati0fl is to ext,end to body, soul, and spirit. (1) The body is to be eanotl- fied, for it is to become ILn "instrunwnt of righteousness," IL "temple of the Holy Ghost," ~nd even';U&lly will rP~eive its "!·edempti?n '.' in the r~surre~tion (Rom. viii. 23). (2) l'he aoul 1s to be sanctified. It 1s the pr1nc1ple of animal hfe. lt is the self. The individual life of mlln is to be fully sanctified. (3) The spirit points to the inner life as coming from God, e.s the soul is life as constituted in man. The spirit is the higher aspect of self, the spiritual man being man as p;re.ce has reconstructed him. Yet the two words are parallel, though not equivalent; signifying not two separate natures in man, but two s,•parate functions or the same nature. Provision is made for the sanctifi- cation of the whole man. 3. It is ,iot peiftt-t in the present life. The very prayer that God might sanctify them wholly implies that it was an attainment yet to be reached. Il. IT 18 A PRAYER FOB THE PRESERVATION OF SAINTS TILL THE OOMING 01:1' CHRIST. "May your spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless." 1. It is God anly whe call 1-,, ua.. He "keeps us from falling," that "he may present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24). He "keeps us from evil" (John xvii. 15). Saints e.re "kept by his power" through faith unto sBlvation (l Pet. i. 5). 2. ~ preservation is to ~tend tul the second advent. Not till death, but till bis coming, implying that body and soul e.re alike to share in the final redemption. "He tliat hath begun a good work in you will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. i. 6). III. THE GRom-n OF HIS OO~'ll'JDENCE IN Goo's PURPOSE 01:1' SANCTIFICATION AND PRESERVATION. "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." 1. God'sfaith- fult1f!BIJ is the guarantee. He "lllso will do it." He will be faithful to his oath, to his promises, to his covenant ; for be has promised to cleanse his people from all their sins, amd preserve them to bis kingdom and glory. God is faithful "by whom ye were called int;o the fellowship of his Son" (2 Cor. i. 8, 9). 2. Effectual calling is another guar~ For whom he calls be justifies and glorifies. If he gives grace, he givee glory. The calling implies perfection, as it is the first step t;o it.-T. C. Vera. 25--27.-1'1,,,w dosing injunctions. I. THE APOSTLE ASKS AN INTEREST IN THE PRAYERS OF THE THEssALONIANB. "Brethren, pray for us." 1. He did not.feel himself fr,dependent, in spite qf all his high grace• and gifts, of the intercessions of the humbleat dis~ples. His request is a proof of hie deep humility. 2. His position, with the care of all the <Jhurcha upon his heart, entit'led him to their prayers. He Naid to the Roman Christians, "Strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." (1) He wanted a door of utterance as well as a door of entrance. (2) He wanted to be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men. (3) He wanted to see the gospel flourishing in all the Churches. IL EXHORTATION FOR CHRISTI.ANS TO SALUTE EACH OTHER. "Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss." Eastern customs differ from Western; but the salutation ought still to prevail in all our Churches, not in the letter, but in the spirit. It ought to express the feeling of oneness, of affection, of equality among the disciples of the same Lord. Christianity purifies and elevates worldly conrtesy. III. SOLEMN ADJURATIO!-: TO HAVE THE EPISTLE BEAD TO ALL THE BRETHREN. "I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read unto all the holy brethren." Conjec- tures have been freely expressed that the elders at Thessalonica may have been disin- clined to read the letter to the Church. There is not much ground for the opinion. 1. This Epistle was the fir•t ever written by the apostle to any Churcli; and as the dieciples may not have known how to use it, he gives specific directions on the subject. 2. He recogniua tl~ right of all the brethren to read it. Rome denies to the laity this right. -T.C. Vera. 1-11.-" T1ae day of t'he Lord." L THE TIME OF ITS OOMING. 1. There waa M real nud lo write to them about thiB. St. Paul bad spoken of it; it had been a principal subject of his teaching. They knew all that could be known, all that they needed Lo know ror their souls' health. But there was a restless curiosity, an eager oe. v. 1-28.J 'fHE l<'IHST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIAN&. 116