they were probably written, beginning with the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, which is agreed by all to have been the first of them. I would farther observe, that most of these epistles being written upon particular and pressing occasions, and those seemingly temporary ones, there is no appearance of their being intended for the use of the Christian church in all ages, though, in fact, they are of very great use, and must have been so intended by Divine Providence, and the more on account of their appearing not to have been so intended by the writers; because the writers not having any distant views, were not so particularly upon their guard, but expressed their present feelings without reserve, as actually do in letters written in confidence upon particular occasions, and these epistles bear all the marks of having been so written. men Still less is there any appearance of the writers imagining themselves to be inspired in the composition of these letters. Of this the epistles themselves bear no trace, and in some places the apostle Paul expressly disclaims all inspiration. This, indeed, was quite needless; and the idea of it has done great injury to the proper evidence of Christianity. Were not the apostles men who were naturally capable of writing about what they themselves saw and did, and of expressing their own sentiments on the occasions on which they wrote? They evidently were so. This was quite sufficient for their purpose, and it could never be the intention of the Divine Being unnecessarily to supersede the natural use of men's faculties. Considering, therefore, the apostles as men writing in their peculiar circumstances, with their views of things, we are not embarrassed with any objections arising from little imperfections in their manner of writing, or with any inaccuracies that we may perceive in their reasoning: for what else could be expected from men who are not infallible? These incorrectnesses, however, are of very small consequence; and a conviction, with which every discerning person must be impressed from reading these epistles, of the undoubted zeal of the apostles in propagating the gospel, accompanied with the most indisputable marks of their being neither enthusiasts nor impostors, but plain sensible men, of genuine piety and integrity, of which we see traces every where, engaged in the propagation of what they deemed to be the most important truth, sparing no labour, and avoiding no risk, I say the full conviction of this must necessarily interest every candid reader in favour of Christianity. If any person can read these epistles with any other feelings, it is a proof that, whatever he may pretend, or really imagine, his mind is already, from some cause or other, prepos sessed against Christianity. He has, in fact, some reason for wishing it may not be true; and in that state of mind, the most unexceptionable evidence cannot have its proper effect. That the mind of man may be in this state, not only with respect to religion, but science, taste, politics, and civil history, we see continually. Let those persons, therefore, suspect and examine themselves, but more especially let young persons be upon their guard against any thing that tends to indispose their minds for embracing Christianity. If they be apprized what Christianity truly is, viz. the revelation of a future life, by the resurrection of the dead, that every thing else is either of little moment, or some corruption of genuine Christianity; and if they expect only such evidence of the history of Christ and the apostles as they do admit with respect to other histories, that is, the evidence of competent witnesses of facts, stronger indeed, and more definite, but of the same kind, I shall no more doubt of their believing the facts relating to Christianity, than they do any others relating to remote countries and remote times, and the influence of this Christian faith, Christian views and expectations, cannot but be most salutary and happy. I. THESSALONIANS. IN Acts xvii. we have an account of Paul's preaching the gospel at Thessalonica. It was in his second apostolical progress, when he was accompanied by Silas and Timothy. He had visited the churches of Asia Minor, preached the gospel in Galatia, and going over to Macedonia, had preached at Philippi; but having been imprisoned, and otherwise illtreated in that city, he went to Thessalonica, where he preached first to the Jews for three sabbaths, and then to the Gentiles. So violent, however, was the persecution from the Jews in this place, that Paul left it, and going by Berea came to Athens, from which city, being anxious about the new converts at Thessalonica, he sent Timothy to them, who brought him such an account as gave him great satisfaction. From Athens Paul went to Corinth, and being still anxious about the church at Thessalonica, he wrote to the Christians at this place this epistle, in which he encourages them to stedfastness in the Christian faith, notwithstanding the difficulties they had to struggle with, both from the Jews and their own countrymen. He likewise gives them more particular information concerning the Christian doctrine of the resurrection, which they seem in some respects to have misapprehended. This epistle was written A. D. 52, and is therefore the oldest writing, of any Christian. Being undoubtedly authentic, and not written after, but during the time of the transactions it alludes to, it supplies a most indisputable evidence of the certainty of those facts which necessarily imply the truth of the whole Christian history. CHAP. I. 1. [In God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.] That is, they were distinguished from idolatrous Gentiles, which they had been before, by the knowledge of the true God, and of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We see here, as upon all other occasions, how the term God is applied to the Father, exclusively of Christ, or any other being. It is a language which would have been highly improper, and could never have taken place, if Christ, as the Son of God, had been equal to the Father, in eternity and all divine attributes. We see that, according to the apostle, we are to consider the Father only as God, and Christ as our master, or teacher, instructed and authorized by God. 2. We see here the practice of the apostles to pray for particular churches and persons, though the state of the churches and of the persons was well known to God, and he would, no doubt, do what was right and fit with respect to them. While we are in this imperfect state, anxiety about ourselves and our friends is unavoidable, and to express this before God with proper resignation, is not only highly useful to us, promoting a habit of acknowledging God in all our ways, but, for that reason perhaps, enjoined as proper to our receiving favours from God. 4. That is, you are chosen to be the peculiar people of God, or highly favoured by him, distinguished by the best of his gifts, that of the gospel, as the Jews were by their peculiar dispensation. See Michaelis's “Introductory Lectures to the New Testament," (Gottingen, 1750,) 12mo. 1780, Sect. cxii. pp. 235–237; Lardner, VI. pp. 30S, 304; Doddridge's Introd. +"Connect it. Knowing your election, ye beloved of God, as Thess. ii. 19." Beza; Wetstein in Bowyer. PARAPHRASE. I Paul, with the concurrence of my companions, Silas and Timothy, address this epistle to you Christians in Thessalonica, who are converted from idolatry to the worship of the one living and true God, and the belief of the gospel of Jesus Christ. May you have all the blessings which this God, and this gospel, can impart to you! In I am truly thankful to God in my prayers for you, when I consider how much you have already distinguished yourselves by your faithful and affectionate labours in the cause of the gospel, and by your patient hope of the rewards of it. This cannot fail to be pleasing to God, who has favoured you with the knowledge of the gospel, the truth of which was not only proved to you by sufficient arguments, but was confirmed by miraculous gifts of the Spirit, which left no room to doubt of its coming from God. You know also that our conversation was agreeable to our profession, especially in our labours and sufferings on your account. this you have followed our example; and, notwithstanding the persecution you have met with, the joy with which you have been filled, through the participation of the miraculous gift of the Spirit, has led you so to behave, that you are a pattern to the churches in Macedonia, which are in your neighbourhood, and even to those in Achaia, where I now am, at so great a distance from you. And not only in those countries, but in all Christian churches, your faith and zeal are so well known, (as if they had been proclaimed with the sound of a trumpet,) that they want no information concerning them for we found them able to inform us, when we were about to inform them, with what readiness you' embraced the gospel that we preached, and how, in consequence of it, you turned from the worship of idols to that of the living and true God, and entertained the firmest belief that Christ will come again to raise the dead and judge the world, a truth which had been evidenced by his own. resurrection to immortal life, and that you will then be delivered from those punishments which God will inflict on the wicked and impenitent. II. 1. The apostle, having given a general account of his planting the gospel among the Thessalonians, and their reception of it, proceeds to remind them of his own, disinterested labours on their account, in order to engage their attachment to that gospel which came so well recommended to them, and to induce them to bear with patience and cheer fulness all the trials to which their adherence to it might expose them for it was natural to them to infer, though he does not make the inference for them, that if the profession of the gospel could lead him to act with that patience and fortitude, without regard to his reputation or advantage, it ought to induce them to act with the same heroism. 2. It was from Philippi, where he had been imprisoned, that Paul went to Thessalonica. 3-5. The love of praise was a great motive with the Greek philosophers, to whose conduct he seems to allude. In general, too, they made a considerable gain of their discourses, and they were far from being free from the impurity to which the Heathen world was shamefully addicted. 6. As the apostle elsewhere observes, the workman is worthy of his hire, and they who preach the gospel have a right to live by the gospel; but he forebore to avail himself of that right, for the greater furtherance of the gospel. 9. Both at Thessalonica, at Corinth and at Ephesus, Paul had maintained himself by the trade of a tent-maker, and probably he did the same at other places; while the more wealthy and considerate churches at a distance had sent him occasional supplies, as the Philippians; he says, did once and again. If the most unquestioned indications of an upright mind in this epistle be properly attended to, (and I will venture to say there is no instance upon record of any hypocrite writing in this manner,) and it be compared with the equally unquestionable zeal of the apostle in preaching the gospel, and the marks of a sound mind in conducting himself with the greatest prudence and judgment, a conviction of the truth of Christianity will be the necessary result. Let any unbeliever account for the character, the conduct and the mode of writing of this apostle upon any other supposition, if he can. If any person thinks that he can, I will venture to say he either has not duly attended to all the circumstances, or has little knowledge of human nature. PARAPHRASE. In writing to you, Thessalonians, I have still less occasion to speak of the success of my preaching, for you know that it was very great, notwithstanding the opposition that I and my companions met with from the Jews, just before, at Philippi, and upon our first arrival among yourselves. From • Perhaps Paul refers to their disposition to flatter, and to their avarice. See Le Cene, p. 620. |