Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 0.1–4.14

On the First Letter of Blessed Paul to the Thessalonians. Prologue. In order to exhort others by the example of these, that is, of the Thessalonians, to growth in faith, he praises them, because by remaining in the grace they had received they had increased toward the advancement of their reward, pursuing better things; and he exhorts them to press on to perfection, so that the dignity won by their virtues might stir up the rest. For they had drunk in the spirit of faith so deeply that, in the hope of things to come, they bore with a devoted mind the persecutions inflicted on them for the name of Christ even by their own fellow citizens, the Macedonians. So, to seal in a letter both their merit and his own joy at their progress, he writes to them thus. Chapter 1. (Verse 1.) “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace.” The letter contains the names of three bishops, but the thought and the words are the apostle’s alone. Because they rejoice with a common joy at the others’ progress, the letter is written to the people by common consent, to the exaltation of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, wishing them peace and grace.

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, making remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing, mindful of the work of your faith and the labors of your love and of the expectation of our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our Father.” Since all good things are from God, they give thanks to him first for the progress of their conduct, for he deigned not only to give his gift to human beings placed under sin but also to adopt them as sons, at the same time helping them to bear all afflictions, so that they might become more worthy. For this reason they say that they remember them in their prayers, because they were becoming renowned among other churches for the work of faith, so that by God’s will they might complete the work begun, eager in the pursuit of love and patience and of hope in the Lord’s coming before God, who deigned to make his Son incarnate for human salvation. For it is God’s good pleasure if there is progress in Christ.

“Knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much fullness, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” They indicate that they were humble among them, to give them a pattern of gentleness; not that the mighty works were lacking which would urge them to faith, for the signs and wonders lent force to the gospel teaching, “in the Holy Spirit,” that is, not in appearance but in the truth of fullness, so that help was lacking to no need; rather, grace was seen to superabound in teaching, in manner of life, and in healing the sick, so that the perfect work of the Holy Spirit might appear in the churches of the Thessalonians, and that, seeing themselves in nothing inferior to the churches of the Jews, they might rejoice in the gift of God, who deigned to make them sharers in the promise of Abraham.

“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord himself, receiving the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.” Eager to believe, they endured the reproaches and injuries they suffered from their fellow citizens, trusting in the things to come. Hence they are called imitators of the apostles and of the Lord himself, because the Lord too suffered the same at the hands of the Jews, and the apostles, following the faith of God, suffered persecutions, “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer insults for the name of the Lord” (Acts 5:41), knowing that great rewards had been promised for these things. For a servant is proved fit when, for love of his master, he gives offense to his master’s enemies. Mindful of this, they rejoiced in affliction in the hope of the promise. So it is a great exhortation to progress when he says that they have become like both Christ and the apostles, so as to provide a pattern to the other believers in those places through which their fame was spreading.

“For from you the word of the Lord has been spread abroad not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but your faith which is toward God has gone forth into every place.” This is like what he says to the Romans: “For your faith is proclaimed in the whole world” (Rom 1:8). But in these there is more, because not only their faith but the work of their faith has reached every place.

“So that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report concerning us what sort of entrance we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescued us from the wrath to come.” They say that the report of their entrance and of the Thessalonians’ way of life, together with the preaching of the gospel, had traveled so far that there was no need to tell of it; for it is superfluous to speak of what is known. It had reached everyone round about, so that they themselves told the others with what devotion they had received the apostles. And because they had been very ready for everything they had heard from them, they left dead gods and waited for Christ from heaven, whom they had heard had died for the sake of human salvation and had risen, having conquered death, and had been taken up into heaven with his flesh, a cloud serving him, to the confusion of the wise of the world, who, judging by worldly things, think that the nature of flesh, because it is heavy, cannot be lifted into heaven. This happened by the working of the Holy Spirit, so that the earthborn wise might be put to shame.

“For you yourselves know, brothers, our entrance among you, that it was not in vain; but though we had suffered much before and been treated with insults, as you know, at Philippi, we used open boldness in our God, speaking to you the gospel of God in a great struggle.” The affliction he now recalls (Acts 16:16–40) he suffered at Philippi with Silas because of the spirit of divination which he had cast out of the girl; this has already been treated in its place. He did not yield to this affliction but was found the stronger, daring to preach and not afraid to speak, in the hope, of course, of the promised reward, so that these too might be untroubled in persecutions, rejoicing on account of the reward to come. He says, then, that this is the mark of a devoted and faithful preacher: if in affliction he is not afraid to speak the word of God; and he implies that the one who is daunted from preaching by present terror is “in vain.” For the one who is sure of the promised hope does not give way, so that he may be crowned.

“For our exhortation was not from deceit, nor from uncleanness, nor in guile; but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.” He says this because of the false apostles, who preached in guile and deceit without being sent, in order to entrap the gentiles into serving the law of works. But he proves by many things that he preaches as one chosen and sent: he was found the stronger in afflictions and blameless in his manner of life, so that there was nothing in him that seemed less than worthy of God, while signs accompanied him. For some were preaching Christ for gain, serving the favor of men, since they were also more lax in rebuking, having no authority, and weak in tribulation, because their word was not from the heart but in deceit. For everyone who does something without hope gives way when tribulation arises.

“For we never engaged in words of flattery, as you know, nor in a pretext for greed; God is witness.” Now he discloses what he hinted above, when he says “not in a pretext for greed,” calling God as witness, because he did this from the heart, not in hypocrisy, as if despising small gifts so that more might perhaps be offered. Hence he also appeals to them, since they know and can confirm that he had flattered no one. For the false apostles wanted an example of greed to be given them, so that by that very pretext, when they saw the true apostles accepting everything that was offered, they themselves might plunder simpler people without odium.

“Nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others, although we could have been a burden to you as apostles of Christ.” He makes the case of the false apostles so much worse by declaring that he refused, though it was permitted him to require services, in order to put down those who had neither the ability nor any shame and yet demanded honor for themselves; for they wanted to commend themselves rather than God’s teaching. The apostle, however, who sought glory not in the present but in the future, made himself humble so that the preaching of God might be exalted.

“But we were little ones in your midst, as if a nurse were cherishing her children; so, longing for you, we desire to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls, because you have become most dear to us.” He shows that he has such affection toward them (which, because it is genuine, he wants to be seen as proved by deeds rather than words, for deceit can lie hidden in words), so that, stirred by these exhortations, they might hold all their thought in love of the apostle.

“For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil, working night and day so as not to burden any of you.” This is what he says in the Acts of the Apostles: “For everything that was necessary for me and for those who are with me, these hands labored” (Acts 20:34). Hence he also says in another letter: “He who does not work, let him not eat” (2 Thess 3:10). And this is against the false apostles, who, eating in idleness, pretended to be preachers. So, to give an example of how Christian life should be governed, and to expose the pretenders, he applied himself to human labor, putting the false apostles in the shade; and besides, those who apply themselves to work turn aside from evil thoughts, occupying their mind and keeping it from dangers.

“We preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God, how holily and justly and blamelessly we conducted ourselves with you who believe, as you know; and how, toward each one of you, like a father with his children, we were entreating you and comforting you and charging you to walk worthily of God, who has called you into his kingdom and glory.” These things are plain. He reminds them how they came to believe at his preaching, what they found him to be, and what precepts he gave them, so that they might become worthy of God, who called them from earth to heaven, in order to rouse their joy.

“And for this reason we also give thanks to God without ceasing, that when you received from us the word of God which you heard, you received it not as the word of men but, as it truly is, the word of God, which also works in you who have believed.” They give thanks to God, who opened their understanding to receive his gospel. For it is the glory of preachers when the hearers readily believe; and they received the word with such devotion that they proved they had understood that the teaching is God’s.

“For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you too suffered the same things from your fellow tribesmen as we ourselves did from the Jews, who also killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us, and do not please God, and oppose all men, forbidding us to speak to the gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up their sins; but the wrath of God has come upon them to the end.” He complains of the impiety and unbelief of the faithless Jews, who are enemies not only of their own salvation but also of others’, forbidding them to believe and be saved, murderers of kin from the beginning; for they ought at least to have spared their common Lord, they who did not spare their fellow servants and their leaders; so that their sins are filled up to such a degree that they may never deserve to obtain mercy. Therefore he says that the Thessalonians suffered the same things from their fellow citizens, imitating the patience of the saints and of our Lord Jesus Christ; and he brings in the Jews as the authors of this crime, so that it may be recognized both how great a glory those are worthy of who suffer for the name of the Lord, and what punishment has been prepared for the hostile and faithless. (Verses 17–18.) “But we, brothers, bereft of you for a short time, in face, not in heart, hastened the more eagerly to see your face with great longing. Therefore we wanted to come to you, I Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us.” They say they were torn from them not in spirit but in body; for love is not divided, nor is it separated. But for the sake of fuller instruction they say they long to see their faces too. For in divine matters the finger joints fail to set down what can be spoken; nor is a day enough for the pen for what can be brought out in one hour; not to mention that there are certain mysteries of our religion which ought not to be readily made public because of fleshly minds, lest they take offense; for not everything is to be said to everyone, but what is said must be measured to each one’s capacity, one way for the untaught, another for the grounded. That is why bodily presence is required, because thus the truth of love is made complete. For although love is not divided, the body’s absence produces longing; and so the desire of souls is fulfilled by a kiss and an embrace. He asserts that Satan was an obstacle to this, who also stretched out hands against the apostles, lest the account of the truth be opened to men. For he inflamed the minds of the faithless to hold them back with blows and chains, so that they would not speak the word of God. For the elders of the Jews said to the apostles: “Did we not strictly charge you not to speak in the name of Jesus to anyone?” (Acts 5:28; 4:17–18). But because it is not from God, it cannot stand; the hindrances of Satan are dissolved. (Verses 19–20.) “For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Is it not you, before our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For you are our glory and joy.” It is plain that the perfection of disciples is the joy and crown of the teacher. For these are the ones who will yield the labors of his fruits; for the fruit of a teacher is an obedient disciple, and while the disciple’s good way of life profits the teacher, it yields the labor of its fruit. For the labor of a disciple in good work gives the teacher a crown, with Christ as judge.

“Therefore, no longer bearing it, we thought it best to be left alone at Athens, and we sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker of God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and to plead for your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this; for even when we were with you we told you beforehand that we were going to suffer affliction, as has happened, and you know.” He has expressed the reasons for the longing mentioned above. For they wanted to be present with them in order to strengthen their minds, lest any of them be offended at the apostles’ afflictions, that men who worked such great signs should at times be weak, so humbled as to be subjected to blows and chains. To explain this, he testifies that Timothy, a fit teacher, was sent to show that merits grow for Christians in this way, if, having suffered for the name of the Lord, they give thanks to him from whom they expect the reward for it; and at the same time that they should pour out prayers to God that they might be steadfast. They had foretold that they would suffer this persecution so that, by declaring that they had foreknowledge of it, they might show that they could have escaped and avoided these injuries, but that, because great hope lies in them, they willingly bear them when they are inflicted.

“Therefore I too, no longer bearing it, sent in order to know your faith, lest somehow the tempter has tempted you and your labor become vain.” He says this because of some who could be led astray by Satan’s cunning; for in every congregation there is a firm part and a weak part, and for the latter’s sake he was anxious lest he lose the fruit of their believing. And because he could not bear for long not knowing more certainly what was happening with them, he sent Timothy, a bishop he had made, from whom he could learn for certain.

“But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us news of your faith and love, and that you always keep a good remembrance of us, longing to see us as we also long to see you, therefore we have been comforted, brothers, in you, in all our need and affliction, through your faith; for now we live, if you stand firm in Christ.” He has made clear why he writes to them in cheerful language: for when the messenger came and told of the firmness of their devotion in faith and in love for the apostle, he was made glad at their common concord and writes to them, assured of the fruit of their faith and good way of life.

“For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, praying night and day most abundantly that we may see your face and supply what is lacking to your faith?” He says that nothing is so worthy as to be able to suffice to repay the salvation the gentiles have gained. And since they had advanced themselves by perseverance in faith and by the conduct of a better life, he longs more and more to see them, so that they might learn what belongs to their perfection, namely the mysteries of spiritual things, which ought not to be readily made public, so that they might know who and how immeasurable he is whom they hoped for as judge. For it is one thing to receive the faith and another to receive the exposition of the faith; for one discussion concerns the nature of the Father and the Son, and another the persons. The Father is unbegotten, the Son begotten; as far as the persons are concerned there seems to be a difference, although there is an undivided unity of nature; for the unity is not in the person but in the substance. And let the Holy Spirit not be thought of lower kind because he is placed third. Whoever, then, has no doubt about the second person admits the third also.

“Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you.” He asks that his journey be arranged in the proper order, first by God the Father, because from him are all things; then by the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things; so that the power and providence of the Father and the Son might commend his coming, and that he might be acceptable to those who hear him, and the hindrances of the devil be removed so as to direct his way. (Verses 12–13.) “And may the Lord multiply you and make you abound in love for one another and for all, as we also do for you, to strengthen your hearts blameless in holiness before God and our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” To heap up the joy he has over them, he wishes them to be multiplied in all good things, so that when he comes to them he may find in them more that is worthy of praise than he had heard from Timothy, so that they may be found blameless with the saints in the love of God the Father and at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when the examination before his tribunal has begun to approve each one. He calls him “God” because of the terror of his majesty, and “Father” because of the kindness by which he deigns to adopt those who believe in him as sons, which will be made manifest at the coming of the Lord.

(Verse 1.) “For the rest, then, brothers, we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, as you are indeed walking, you abound still more.” This is what I said above, that to heap up his joy he wants them to grow in good works according to the apostolic commands.

“For you know what precepts I gave you through our Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, and that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in holiness and honor, not in the passion of desire, like the gentiles who do not know God; and that no one go beyond and defraud his brother in the matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, as we also told you before and solemnly testified.” Although he praises them in the whole letter, he nevertheless warns them not to be led into unlawful things by any stealth and incur the punishment which they have learned avenges evils, knowing that it pleases God if they keep their bodies undefiled and also deal sincerely with their brothers, lest, found to be like the gentiles, they be disowned from the name of adoption.

“For God has not called us to uncleanness but to holiness. Therefore whoever rejects these things rejects not man but God, who has given the Holy Spirit in us.” To bind them more firmly to what he teaches, he brings in the person of God, saying: “Whoever passes over the precepts rejects not man but God.” He says that God gave us the Holy Spirit for this reason, that we may live holily, because the Holy Spirit does not dwell in a body subject to sins (Wis 1:4). (Verses 9–10.) “But concerning brotherly affection we have no need to write to you; for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another (John 15:17). For indeed you do this toward all the brothers throughout all Macedonia.” Even while he praises them for doing this, he nevertheless urges them to do it more readily; for by saying they were taught by God himself, he indicates that they ought to be readier in brotherly love. For it was because of his great love that God had mercy on us; having become imitators of him, we show, not undeservedly, that we have been adopted by God as sons.

“But we urge you, brothers, to abound more, and to strive to be quiet and to mind your own business and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk honorably toward those outside and may desire nothing of anyone.” Again he urges the same, that they should take pains to abound in good deeds; for he warns of this often to show that this truly is what pleases God. For the way of righteousness must be held to, so that one may rightly come to mercy; so that those who are poorer in means should work with their hands, so that by that very effort they may be lifted out of common restlessness and wicked thoughts, so that their discipline may be praised even by unbelievers and they may be drawn to the faith.

“But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so too God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.” The reasoning is plain: if the resurrection of the dead is believed to be coming, those who depart with the sign of the cross are not to be mourned. Truly to be mourned are the unbelievers, who pass from here into Gehenna, to learn that what they would not believe is true. The faithful, however, will rise to glory, so that those who were held foolish in this world because of faith may be seen to be wise; for they provided glory for themselves. These are the ones who, through Jesus, that is, departing in the hope of this faith, will be brought with him at his coming, so as to be seen by men. Yet though he himself forbids mourning the death of one who has died, elsewhere he himself says, “lest I have sorrow” (Phil 2:27). But this has already been resolved in its place.

“For this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven at the command, and at the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and those who are dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” He declares that he speaks the mind of the Lord when he says, “This we say to you in the word of the Lord.” For in order to show a sure hope and a settled glory of the resurrection promised to the saints, he sets out the very order of how it will be, by the will of Christ the judge, the Holy Spirit making it known, so that by this very hope those who have sent their dear ones ahead may not grieve, learning that at the Lord’s coming those who die in Christ will rise first. For Christ the Lord himself, by the Father’s will, as if the first angel of the heavenly host, as is contained in the Apocalypse of John the apostle (Rev 12:7–9), will descend from heaven to wage war in the name of God against the Antichrist. When he has been destroyed, the dead will rise at his command. This, then, is “to descend with the trumpet of God”: to wage war in the name of God. For he is, as he himself said to Jesus the son of Nave, “the commander and prince of the army of the Lord” (Josh 5:14), and for this reason he is called archangel. But when he descends with the trumpet of God, he is God, for the Scriptures contain both; as in Exodus, where we read that an angel appeared to Moses in a flame, we recognize at once in what follows that he is God himself, that is, the Son of God, the same Scripture saying: “And Moses turned away his face, because he could not look upon the face of God” (Exod 3:6). He is God, then, because the Son of God is true God; and he is commander and prince because he is the head of all, since through him are all things. So when those who have died in Christ rise first, then we who are alive will be caught up together with them, borne by clouds, to meet Christ in the air, so that all may come with the Lord to the battle, and he [the Antichrist] may see alive those whom he had killed; for as the clouds served the Lord, so too they will serve those whom he has deigned to call his brothers. “And so we shall always be with the Lord.” For in that very catching up death will come, as if through sleep, so that the soul, having gone out, may be restored in a moment. For when they are lifted up they will die, so that, coming to the Lord, they may receive back their souls in the Lord’s presence, because in God’s presence they cannot be dead. “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” He bids those who still, in the gentile manner, thought the death of their dear ones was to be mourned, to comfort one another with this hope.