Exposition on 1 Thessalonians

The Thessalonians were not only perfect in all things themselves, but others too had made progress through their word and example. So by praising them the apostle spurs and invites them to greater things.

"Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians." Through them the word of God had been preached to them, as also to the Corinthians, which he records in the second letter to them. "In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Because through faith in the Son they were both in the Father and in the Son, since "whoever confesses the Son has the Father also." "Grace to you."

"We give thanks to God always for you all." "Making mention of you in our prayers without ceasing." In the unceasing remembrance of prayers the greatness of the love that their merits required is shown.

"Remembering the work of your faith and labour." Not without reason are they mindful of that faith which they proved both by the labour of righteousness and the affection of love and the endurance of sufferings. "Of love and of the patience of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father." Whoever has perfect love endures all things patiently for the sake of the hope to come.

"Knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election." You remember the time of your election, how we preached and you believed. "Because our gospel came to you not in word only." Note that teaching can be effective when it is commended by the example of righteousness. "But also in power." In power: of signs; or of endurance of sufferings. "And in the Holy Spirit." Whom you received when you were devoutly converted; or whose power we showed by signs. "And in much fullness." The perfection of a righteous way of life. "As you know what sort of men we were among you for your sake." For your progress, abstaining even from lawful things, as is contained below.

"And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in much affliction." Receiving the word in sufferings, as both we taught and the Lord preached. "With joy of the Holy Spirit." This is truly to rejoice in the Holy Spirit, as we read that the apostles also did.

"So that you became a pattern to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia." By the example of the perfect a pattern is shown to all believers: so by your example people of another province also made progress.

"For from you the word of the Lord has been spread abroad, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place." This is the nature of report, that whether it brings good news or bad it runs everywhere with all speed. "Your faith, which is toward God, has gone forth." Turned from idols to God. "So that we have no need to say anything." So that when we begin to say something about your example, they themselves say they know it very well.

"For they themselves report concerning us what sort of entrance we had to you, and how you turned to God." The character both of our constancy and of your conversion is known to all. "From idols, to serve the true and living God." An idol (simulacrum) is named from pretending (simulando): fittingly, then, they are said to have turned to the true and living God from false and dead gods.

"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus." You are such that you await the Lord's coming confidently and with joy. "Who rescued us from the wrath to come." By forgiving sins, and by his teaching and example, he freed us from the wrath of judgement, because we already have freedom in hope.

"For you yourselves know, brothers, our entrance to you." He reminds them, so that they may recognize that what they say is true and make progress by their example. "That it was not empty,"

"but having suffered before and been shamefully treated." The word is not empty which is fulfilled by steadfastness in suffering. "As you know, at Philippi." Because some of you saw that, having suffered at Philippi, we did not dread persecutions or cease to preach. "We had boldness in our Lord to speak to you the gospel of God." Who would free us in the present, or in the future repay the reward of our labour. "In much anxiety." Not carelessly or in passing, but in anxiety, not small but great.

"For our exhortation was not of error." Therefore we are not afraid: for whoever thinks or teaches that the wicked can reign with Christ is in error, as elsewhere: "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked." "Nor of uncleanness." As was the teaching of Jovinian. "Nor in deceit." Not teaching and persuading against our conscience.

"But as we were approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak." Uncorrupted. "Not as pleasing men." Who can be deceived. "But God, who tests our hearts." As approved by God and appointed by him to this office, who searches the secrets of the heart.

"For we were never in a word of flattery, as you know." As those who please men, granting everything desired, as to the sick, and neglecting their death. "Nor in a pretext for greed, God is witness,"

"nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others." Everyone who flatters does so either for greed or for vain glory; so he is proved to teach for God's sake who does not seek these things.

"Though we could have been a burden, as apostles of Christ." Or in that which the Lord ordained. "But we became little ones in your midst." Humbling ourselves and not seeking the honour due. "As if a nurse cherishes her children." Humbling herself and making herself equal to the little one in all things, so as to lead him to greater things by imitating her: for she sometimes even lisps with her tongue, pretends to eat, and is accustomed to walk slowly with him.

"So, longing for you, we were willing to give you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls." As a nurse longs to pour into the little one not only words but all the sense of her own maturity, so that he may soon equal her, so we did everything by which you could make progress. "Because you had become very dear to us." Because of your faith and conversion, which we mentioned above.

"For you remember, brothers, our labour and toil, working night and day." The labour of hands by night, and the toil of the word by day: otherwise, if they were always working, when did they teach? "So as not to burden any of you." He laboured among these and the Corinthians and the Ephesians, from whom he wished to remove the occasion either of receiving or of suspecting something about him. "We preached the gospel of God among you;"

"you are witnesses, and God." As Samuel calls the people to witness. "How holily and justly and blamelessly we behaved toward you who believe." Lest we seem to give you any offence. "How, as a father his sons, each one of you,"

"exhorting you." He cherishes little ones like a nurse, but instructs those already advancing like a father. "And comforting and testifying in this." In tribulations we comforted you with the promises of Christ. "That you might walk worthily of God." He walks worthily of God who does nothing unworthy of God. "Who calls us into his kingdom and glory." Which none will possess except those like him, namely in the example of righteousness and holiness.

"And therefore we too give thanks to God without ceasing, because receiving from us the word of the hearing of God." Which you first heard about God. Or: so that you might hear God. "You received it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God." He receives it as the word of men who despises it: but you so believed that you thought you were hearing God himself. "Which works in you who believe." By word or by signs. Or: it exercises mighty works; for Mark says: "These signs will follow those who believe."

"For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus." To whom it is said: "For you had compassion on those in chains, and accepted the plundering of your goods with joy." "Because you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, as they did from the Jews." I wonder more at you, because you had neither the law nor the prophets as examples.

"Who also killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us." What wonder if the wicked persecute us, who did not spare even the Lord himself! "And are opposed to all,"

"forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up their sins." They hinder not only the Jews but begrudge it to the Gentiles too, to the heaping up of their own sins. "For the wrath of God has come upon them to the end." Or: because they were taken captive by an untimely punishment. Or: because understanding was taken from the unbelievers.

"But we, brothers, bereaved of you for a short time." A short time. "In presence, not in heart." As he says elsewhere: "though absent in body, yet present in spirit." "We hastened more abundantly to see your face with great desire,"

"because we wished to come to you, I Paul once and again, but Satan hindered us." By the tribulations of persecutors.

"For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Is it not you before the Lord Jesus at his coming?" Not without reason do we long for you, through whom we hope for the joy of gladness and the crown of glory.

"For you are our glory and joy." Good teachers are accustomed to place all hope, joy, and crown in the progress of their pupils.

"Therefore, no longer bearing it." Not bearing that none of us should come to you. "We thought it good to remain at Athens alone." We preferred to remain alone rather than not know what you are doing.

"And we sent Timothy our brother." It is asked how Timothy was sent, who is writing with him: for he was not sent this time, but earlier. "And God's helper in the gospel of Christ." Disciples too are commonly called helpers. "To strengthen you and to entreat for your faith." In this matter only, because you have believed perfectly.

"That no one be moved in tribulations." I do not say "that not all," but "that not even anyone be moved." "For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this." So you ought not to wonder, knowing that we cannot pass through otherwise, as the Lord says: "Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves," and again: "These things I have said to you, that in me you may have peace, but in the world, tribulation."

"For when we were with you, we foretold that we were to suffer tribulation, as has happened and you know." So that the very novelty might not frighten you, but rather our prophecy might strengthen you, as the Lord foretold that he would suffer.

"For this reason I too, no longer bearing it, sent to know your faith, lest perhaps he had tempted you." Saying: "See what they suffer, in whom you think God is!" and perhaps he might shake your faith. "He who tempts." As is proved in Job and in the Lord. "And our labour be in vain." If you suffer some scruple. Note too that teaching is called labour.

"But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have a good remembrance of us, longing to see us, as we also you." Because, believing firmly in Christ, you keep the faith and love us with your customary love.

"Therefore we were comforted, brothers, in you, in all our necessity and distress, through your faith." We do not feel any necessity or tribulation because of the greatness of our joy at your state.

"For now we live, if you stand in the Lord." Even if we are killed, we live, since our life consists in your firmness.

"For what thanksgiving can we render to the Lord for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God?" Your conduct gives us a threefold cause of gladness: you make progress, the Lord is blessed through you, and you give an example to others.

"Praying night and day more abundantly that we may see your face." He shows how much the brothers should be longed for by others, since he himself longs for them so much. For who, when he has learned of the good report of good people, does not wish to see them? "And supply what is lacking in your faith." If your faith may lack something of teaching.

"Now may God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you." By removing the devil's stumbling blocks, by which our coming is hindered.

"And may the Lord make you multiply and abound in love." Because it is already full and proved by deeds. "Toward one another and toward all." So that you may love not only Christians but people of every sect, for the sake not of their error but of their nature, and not deny them, in what they need, the mercy that God shows them in the present. "As we also do toward you"

"to strengthen your hearts." He has made it abound, so that you may also strengthen the hearts of others. "Blameless in holiness before God our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints." Not before men, as is said of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and through Isaiah: "And you will be righteous to me, says the Lord." "Finally, brothers." After praise and consolation the exhortation begins. "We ask and beseech you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, as you are walking." For you, whose way is Christ, walk with steps worthy of him: of meekness, love, peace, and all virtues. "That you abound more." Because with the age of faith progress and character ought to increase, as with the age of the flesh both food and study increase.

"For you know what commands we gave you:"

"for this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality." Sanctification calls a Christian back from all incontinence; it does not befit him to touch the holy body of Christ while incontinent, especially since even Moses, wishing to sanctify the Jews, commanded the whole people to abstain from every woman, so that they might deserve to enjoy the presence of God.

"That each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour." Let each one sanctify and honour his own body by keeping it chaste. Consider that he does not write to them, as perfect, as he did to the Corinthians, as weak. "Not in the passion of desire, as the Gentiles who do not know God." Lest, serving excessive and immoderate lust, you be like the Gentiles, who do not know God, the lover of chastity.

"That no one transgress and defraud his brother in the matter." That no one, after continence has been vowed by consent, try to use some circumvention or force on his partner. Or: that in any matter no one defraud another. "Because the Lord is the avenger of all these things." Not only of fornication and public shame, but also of the transgression of a resolve: for whoever has vowed continence to God has made unlawful for himself what was lawful.

"For God did not call us to uncleanness." Even excessive incontinence can be counted as uncleanness, which does not allow the body of Christ to be received boldly. "But to sanctification." That you may live by Christ's example: for "whoever has this hope sanctifies himself, as he too is holy."

"Therefore whoever despises these things despises not man but God, who also gave his Holy Spirit in us." He despises not my words but those "of him who speaks in me, Christ," whose Spirit everyone injures who does not live holily.

"But concerning brotherly love you have no need that we write to you." See how perfect they were, who did not need to be reminded of so great and so necessary a command. "For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;"

"for indeed you do it toward all the brothers." By Christ, who said: "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another." This is new: that we die for each other, because the old covenant had not commanded this. "But we ask you, brothers, to abound more"

"and to be eager." That is, to love even all strangers. "To be quiet and to mind your own business and to work with your hands, as we commanded you." Some of them were running restlessly through various people's houses, asking things even from unbelievers to the reproach of religion, a matter he treats more fully in the second letter to them. So he wants them to be occupied with care for their own business and the labour of their hands rather than have the harm of idleness and the sin of restlessness.

"That you may walk honestly toward those outside, and lack nothing." Lest those who seem to be superior should mark you out.

"But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep." For he sleeps who is certain to rise, as was said of Lazarus. "That you may not grieve, as the others who have no hope." One who goes abroad ought to be treated one way, one who dies another.

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again." If we believe this, which we likewise have not seen, and through his resurrection are certain that we have obtained pardon, why should we not likewise believe that which the Gentiles do not believe because they do not see it? "So also God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus." He who raised the head has promised that he will raise the other members too.

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left at the coming of the Lord." The saying of the gospel always made the apostles expect the day of the Lord, as if it would find them in the body. "Shall not precede those who have fallen asleep." Their resurrection will be as swift as our being taken up.

"For the Lord himself, at the command and at the voice of the archangel." He shows the terror of that day, that then every power of heaven and all the elements will be moved, so that we may know with what conscience we can await the day of the Lord without fear. "And with the trumpet of God will descend from heaven." If the earth seems to be shaken at a man's trumpet, how much more at God's, as Elijah too saw the terrible coming on the mountain of God! "And the dead who are in Christ will rise first,"

"then we who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Christ in the air." The dead who are in Christ will rise first, and the saints who are found alive will be caught up together with them; they will not be judged, but will rather judge. "And so we shall always be with the Lord." In the same glory of eternity.

"Therefore comfort one another with these words." Note that he commands this to laypeople, that they instruct one another with their teachings.

"But concerning the times and seasons, brothers, you have no need that we write to you;"

"for you yourselves know accurately." Taught by the clearest reading of the gospel. "That the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." When it knows all are sleeping securely.

"When they say, Peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them." It is most to be feared then, when it is feared by almost no one. "As labour pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape." As she does not escape the pains when the birth comes.

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you like a thief." You are not ignorant, so as not to know that you ought always to be ready.

"For you are all sons of light and sons of the day." Of the knowledge of truth. "We are not of the night nor of darkness." Because, like darkness, ignorance too gives confidence for sinning. "So then let us not sleep, as the others do." Who have so fallen asleep that they have even forgotten themselves. "But let us watch and be sober."

"Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life": so cares too intoxicate the mind.

"For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk are drunk at night." They are idle and drunk because they are in darkness.

"But we who are of the day, let us be sober." We who have Christ as day ought to be neither idle nor drunk. "Having put on the breastplate of faith and love." All righteousness consists in faith and love, which he elsewhere compared to a breastplate.

"For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." Unbelievers are appointed to wrath, because they are already judged.

"Who died for us." That we might not die. "So that whether we wake or sleep, we may live together with him." So that whether we are found in the body or out of the body, we may always live with him.

"Therefore comfort one another and build each other up, as you are doing." Note that he commands this to laypeople, whom he also warns to show the duties of love to those set over them.

"And we ask you, brothers, to know those who labour among you." That you may understand their labour. "And are over you in the Lord, and admonish you." By the example of righteousness, not by earthly power, as blessed Peter says.

"That you esteem them very highly in love because of their work." Presbyters who labour in the word are to be honoured doubly, that is, both with the service of love and with the dignity of their rank.

"And we beseech you, brothers: rebuke the restless, comfort the faint-hearted." For a diversity of diseases a diversity of medicine must be applied: the former must be rebuked lest they perish, the latter comforted lest they fail. "Support the weak." Bear with recent believers who are not yet strengthened. "Be patient toward all." Even toward those rebuked, because impatience does not correct but provokes.

"See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone." Take care with all diligence that no one weaker or ignorant render evil in return, for I do not believe anyone could do it of his own accord: for everyone who does injury ... therefore he himself also does evil, because, as was said above, "everyone who does injury does evil." "But always pursue what is good toward one another and toward all." Not only among you Christians, but toward all people.

"Rejoice always." In purity of conscience, "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing."

"Pray without ceasing." If the tongue cannot do so continually, at least with the heart, as is said to Moses, who was silent: "Why do you cry to me?" Or: let your every action be such that it entreats God for you.

"In everything give thanks." In all that happens, as Job did. Or: in all your conduct let thanks be given to the Lord. "For this is the will of God in Christ for you all." As it was fulfilled in Christ in all things, so let it be fulfilled in all of you.

"Do not quench the Spirit." Do not quench the Spirit of one exhorting by raising questions. Or: he put "Spirit" for the gift of tongues, as he says: "If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays." So as he says to the Corinthians, "And do not forbid speaking in tongues," so here he testifies that the Spirit is not to be quenched.

"Do not despise prophecies:"

"but test all things; hold fast what is good:"

"abstain from every evil appearance." Whether those who foretell the future or those who discuss the past, only test whether what is said is not contrary to the law, and if anything is such, reject it.

"Now may the God of peace himself." Who bears with all, even blasphemers. "Sanctify you in all things." By his grace or his teaching. "That your spirit and soul and body be kept whole." The grace of the Spirit, which, though in itself it is always whole, is not whole in us unless it is held by those who are whole. "At the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Until the day of judgement, because not only beginnings but the end is to be praised.

"Faithful is he who calls you." Who said: "Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest." "Who also will do it." What he promised.

["Greet the brothers with a holy kiss."]

"I adjure you by the Lord that the letter be read"