The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Thessalonians — Section 65

engage men to receive the testimony of the the sphere of Christ. Touching you ; with apostle ; and others fidelity, ae if the apostle reference to you-the direction of hie con- meu.nt, "There u.re few men whom we oan fidence. That ye both do and will do the trust." thinga whioh we command you. There is Ver. 8.-But; in contrast with the men l.aere the su.me union of Divine aseietu.nce juat mentioned. The Lord ii faithful ; u.e if and human effort, of God's working and the u.poetle hu.d so.id," Mu.n mu.y be faithless, rnan'a working, which pervades the whole but the Lord is faithful" (see Rom. iii. 4). e,·heme of the gospel ae.lvation (aee Phil. ii •• In contrast to the infidelity of mu.n, he 12, 13). pru.ises the fidelity of God" ( Bengel). By Ver. 5.-And the Lord; namely, Chriet, the Lord, Obrist is meant. In the former Cor so the word "Lord" ie to be rendered in Epistle, faithfulness is attributed to God St. Paul's Epistles. Bishop Wordsworth (1 These. v. 24), here to Christ. This faith- supposes that the Holy Ghost is here fulness of Christ consisted in watching over invoked, ae both God and Christ a.re after- hie Church, u.nd in effecting its diffusion in wards mentioned in the petition; hut the spite of nil the opposition of these unreu.eon- term "Lord" is not applied by the apostle u.ble u.nd wicked men. Who shall stablish to the Holy Ghost; 2 Cor. iii. 17 is the you, u.nd keep you from evil ; or, 1718 ev-i!. only apparent exception. Directyolll' hee.rta; The word "evil" mu.y be either mu.sculine e.e the bee.rt is the fountain of Christian or neuter: if masculine, then it denotes life-the centre of the will. ID.to the love "the evil one;" if neuter, then "evil" of God. Here not God's love to ns, speciu.lly in general. There is nothing in the word "the manifestation of the love of God in itself to determine its meaning; this must Christ and his work of redemption" (Ois- be learned from the context. Most com- hausen); nor the love of God to man, which mentators (Calvin, Bengel, Olshu.usen, Hof- is to be the pattern of our love to God ; but, mann, Macknight, Ellicott, Eu.die, and objectively, onr love to God. This love of Bishop Alexander) suppose that the evil God is the fulfilment of the Law; and hence one is meu.nt; and it is so rendered in the the apostle prays that the Thessalonians R.V.: "Guu.rd you from the evil one." But may be directed into it e.e the source and it is better to take the word u.bstmctly- essenoe of all acceptable obedience. And " evil" in general, whether evil persons or into the patient waiting tor Christ. The evil things ; 11.11 a contra.et to "every good words, " patient waiting," are but one word and work" (eh. ii. 17). So Alford, word in the original, genere.lly transle.ted Ulnemann, De Wette, Jowett, Lillie. There "patience" or " endure.nee." The olanse is the same difference of opinion with regard has been differently interpreted. Some to the words in the Lord's Prayer: " Deliver (Calvin, Hofmann, Jowett) render it, e.s in us from evil; " or " from the evil one " the A.V., "patient waiting for Christ." (R.V.). Here, also, notwithstanding the And this is conformable to the oontext, as high authorities on the opposite side, we the object of Paul we.e to repress e.11 impatient consider thu.t our Lord's words are not longing for the advent. But such u. mean- limited to the evil one, but are to be tu.ken ing is not linguistically justifiable. Others generally-" evil " in the widest sense, e.e render it, "patience for Christ," that is, being muoh more foroible. ateadfe.st endure.nee for his aake (De Wette); Ver. 4.-And we hu.ve oonB.denoe in the but there is no preposition in the origi.nl\\. Lord. The apostle confidently expects the The words simply mean "Christ's patience," obedience of the Thessa.J.onie.ns, but his or "the patience of Christ" (R.V.), the confidence is not fixed on them-on their patience which he exhibited under hie own efforts, endeavours, u.nd resolutions- unparalleled sufferings. The Thesse.lonie.ns but on the Lord, namely, Christ; on his were exposed to persecutions, and therefore grace and strength comrnuniooted to e.nd the apostle prays that they might be directed perfeoted In weakness. The obedience of into the patience of Christ, a.a this would the The,,,,alonians flowed from the grace enable them to bear all their sufferings with of Obrist; it we.a in oonseq uence of the oomposure. Love and patience comprehend communication of the influences of his the active and pe.esive virtues of Christi,rnity. Spirit thu.t they were enabled to make pro- greBB u.nd to persevere in the Christian life. Now follows a warning against the dis- "Here," observes Professor Jowett, "~ orderly life and oonduct which the expec- elsewhere, the apostle speu.ks of believing, tation of the immediate advent of Chrisl. hoping, doing all, things in Christ. We he.d produoed. On account of the supposed lead an ordinary life e.e well e.e a religious nearness of the day of the Lord, great one; but, with the apostle, his ordinary lire i~ his religio111 one, and hence he uses disorders he.d arisen in the Thessalonian religioua expressions in reference to all thu.t Ohurch. Work had been given up by he •1• and doe1." The apoatle lives in mu.ny, who walked e.bou.t ill fallatioa.l  64 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [en. m. 1-18.