OLBGrk; 1 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 2 1 THESSALONIANS 2:1 Paul setteth forth in what manner he had preached the gospel to the Thessalonians, 1 THESSALONIANS 2:13 and they had received and suffered for it. 1 THESSALONIANS 2:17,18 He showeth his desire of coming to them, and the cause which had hitherto p... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; Here the apostle begins a new discourse, giving an account more particularly of himself, and of his carriage among them, which he mentions as a subordinate reason why his ministry was so successful; for the evil example of ministers often spoils the success of their ministry. And what he spe... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; OUR EXHORTATION; whereby he means either the whole gospel he preached, by a synecdoche, or particularly that which is hortatory; what was first taught doctrinally was followed with exhortations to faith and practice. The decrees of the council at Jerusalem are called an exhortation, ACTS 15:... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; BUT AS WE WERE ALLOWED OF GOD TO BE PUT IN TRUST WITH THE GOSPEL: this verse gives the reasons of what the apostle spake in the former about his sincerity. The one is taken from his trust; God intrusted him with the gospel, to preserve it from corruption by error, therefore his _exhortation_... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; In the former verses the apostle had asserted his integrity more generally; here, and in the next verse, he instanceth in particulars. He vindicates his ministry from the guilt of three vices which too often attend it; flattery, covetousness, and vain-glory. FOR NEITHER AT ANY TIME USED WE F... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR OF MEN SOUGHT WE GLORY: this is the third vice he vindicates his ministry from. The word _glory_ first signifies some excellency in any subject; secondly, this excellency as displaying and manifesting itself; thirdly, the opinion and esteem thereof in the minds of men, as the Greek word imports,... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; BUT WE WERE GENTLE AMONG YOU: he next gives account of their carriage more positively: and first he speaks of their gentleness among them; hpioi, the Latin takes it for nhpioi, infants, we were as infants to you, as nurses are as infants with their infants, and children with children. This i... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; A further account of their behaviour among them. The former verse showed their great gentleness, this their great love; expressed, first: In their affectionate desire of them; as the Latin phrase, _cupidissimus fui, _ imports love to the person. And it was the desire of their salvation, fir... [ Continue Reading ]
To make good what he had asserted before about their integrity in preaching the gospel, that it was without covetousness, and vain-glory, &c., and about their great affection to them therein, he appeals to their own memory. OUR LABOUR AND TRAVAIL: LABOUR, in what we suffered, attended with care and... [ Continue Reading ]
The former verses gave account of their carriage in the ministry, this here of their Christian conversation; _holily, _ with respect to God; _justly, _ with respect to duties commanded towards men; and _unblamably, _ in denying themselves in lawful liberty to avoid all occasion of blame from any of... [ Continue Reading ]
Besides his public ministry, he dealt more privately with them, as ACTS 20:20; and that in a way of exhortation and comfort; by exhortation to quicken them, and by comfort to support them under troubles both outward and inward. And he did this as a father to his children, with much earnestness, comp... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; In the Greek text the word _charged, _ mentioned in the former verse, begins this verse; marturomenoi, it signifies testifying: some read it, we obtested, which is as much as beseeching; others, contested, which is a severe charge, containing a threatening, as EXODUS 19:21: _Charge the peopl... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle having given the reasons on his part and his fellow ministers, why the gospel had such effect upon them, he next proceeds to show the reason on their part, for which he giveth God thanks. And that is, from their manner of receiving it; though this, as well as the former, are but subordin... [ Continue Reading ]
This proves the assertion of the foregoing verse, as the illative _for_ doth show. They were FOLLOWERS OF THE CHURCHES IN JUDEA, which showed the word wrought in them effectually. Though the greatest part of the Jews believed not, yet many did, and hereupon we read of churches in Judea. Though there... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BOTH KILLED THE LORD JESUS; no wonder then though they have persecuted you, and the believing Jews their countrymen. They killed the Lord Jesus by the hands of Pilate, crying: _Crucify him, crucify him._ Though it was by God's determinate counsel, and the Roman power, yet by the Jews malice they... [ Continue Reading ]
FORBIDDING US TO SPEAK TO THE GENTILES THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED: their contrariety to all men is expressed particularly in this instance; they forbade the apostles to preach to the Gentiles, which were the greater number of men; though they opposed also their preaching to the Jewish nation: for the... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle here makes his apology, for his so soon departing from them, and his continued absence. They were under great sufferings for receiving the gospel he had preached, and for him therefore to leave them so soon as he did, (as appears in the story, ACTS 17:1), and not presently to return, mig... [ Continue Reading ]
This he adds further to satisfy them of his real affection to them, that he attempted to come to them ONCE AND AGAIN, that is, often, as NEHEMIAH 13:20 PHILIPPIANS 4:16. And that they might be assured it was not his fellow ministers desire only to come, therefore he expresseth his own name particula... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle gives the reason of his desire to see them. He first calls them his _hope; _ that is, the master of his hope, that among others they should be saved in the day of Christ. Secondly, his JOY: he at present rejoiced in their ready and sincere receiving the gospel preached by him. Third... [ Continue Reading ]
He redoubles the expression, to show his great affection, and complacency of heart in them; or to show that they more than others were this occasion of rejoicing to him. And he mentions GLORY as well as JOY, for the great success of his ministry among them would redound to his glory in the day of Ch... [ Continue Reading ]