Observe here, 1. courteous and loving compellation, BRETHREN. There is. three-fold brotherhood, which the scripture takes notice of betwixt Christ and believers, betwixt believers themselves, and betwixt the ministers of Christ and their beloved people. Observe, 2. St. Paul's passionate request and... [ Continue Reading ]
In the former verse, St. Paul desired the Thessalonians' prayers with reference to the word; here he requests it with relation to himself, that his person might be preserved, as well as his preaching prosper; that so long as God had any work for him to do, he might be preserved from the rage and fur... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle had prayed for the Thessalonians' establishment before, 2 Thessalonians 2:17. He assures them of it now; GOD WILL STABLISH YOU AND KEEP YOU FROM EVIL, from all evil, and particularly from the evil of apostasy; and the argument for assurance is drawn from the fidelity of God, and his fai... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "Although. gave you the assurance of God's faithful readiness, according to his promise, to do every thing that is requisite on his part, in order to your establishment in holiness, and preservation from sin; yet you must not, you cannot, expect the assistance of God, exc... [ Continue Reading ]
As if he had said, "That we may not be mistaken in this our confidence, we pray that the LORD WILL DIRECT YOUR HEARTS INTO THE LOVE OF GOD, which will constrain you to this obedience." Where note, That to direct man's heart right into the love of God, is the work of God; THE LORD DIRECTS YOUR HEART... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle here enters upon. new subject, namely, that of such discipline; not only exhorting, but commanding and requiring them to excommunicate from their society every brother or Christian professor walking disorderly, and not after the tradition or doctrine delivered by him against such persons... [ Continue Reading ]
In these verses the apostle plainly intimates, whom he meant by the DISORDERLY BROTHER mentioned in the foregoing verse; it is the idle person, called disorderly for this reason; because Almighty God having fitted man for, and ordained him to, labour, he that will not do so, deserts the order in whi... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The solemn charge given by the apostle for every man to follow some lawful calling, and be found in the way of an industrious diligence; if any (being able) will not work, let him not eat (any part of the church's charity). So that the sin of idleness was directly contrary to the ap... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. How far St. Paul was from the censoriousness and uncharitableness of those men who condemn. whole society,. communion,. church in general, for the miscarriages of some particular persons in it. I HEAR, says he, THERE ARE SOME THAT WALK DISORDERLY, BUT YE, BRETHERN, are free from the... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle being now to take his leave of the Thessalonians, closes his epistle with prayer. Where note, 1. The mercy prayed for, PEACE; peace with God, peace with conscience, peace and unity among themselves as Christians, peace with the men of the world, strangers, yea, enemies to Christianity.... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. That the salutation written with his own hand respects his own writing, which did serve as. token or certain mark whereby his own epistles were distinguished from all counterfeits. The sending of salutations, either by word or writing, that we may thereby testify our sincere affecti... [ Continue Reading ]