Chapter 2

Chapter Two

¹ For you yourselves know, brethren, our entrance unto you, that it was not in vain. Your part, he says, is great; yet neither did we use mere human speech, nor was our entrance among you in vain—that is, without dangers, untested, and having nothing sturdy about it. For, as has often been said, it is the dangers that make faith firm; and without them it would have been empty.

² But having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God in much conflict. Having escaped, he says, from the dangers at Philippi, we fell again into other dangers. And see how he again refers the whole to God, saying, We were bold in our God—that is, being empowered by Him.

³ For our exhortation was not of error. That is, our teaching was not of error. For those who deceive do not give themselves over to dangers, but to luxuries; whereas I gave myself over to dangers. So that it is plain from this that my teaching does not deceive, nor do I consent to run risks for the sake of human affairs, but for things divine and abiding.

⁴ Nor of uncleanness. That is, I teach nothing unclean, such as the things of the magicians and sorcerers.

⁵ Nor in guile. Nor with a view to sedition and conspiracy, like those around Theudas.[1]

⁶ But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, even so we speak. God, he says, approved us, and chose us to be entrusted with the Gospel; and He would not have chosen us, had He not known us to be worthy. Such, then, we remain—approved, and such as we were chosen by Him for so great a preaching.

⁷ Not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. That is, it is not that we may please you that we do all these things; rather, willing to please God, who examines the hidden things (for this is what “tests” now means); or because He receives our hearts and crowns them. And no one who is deceitful and a cheat and unclean can please Him.

⁸ For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as you know. Since he had earlier praised them, lest he make the praise suspect, he says that neither at any other time did I flatter you (which is the way of deceivers); therefore not now either.

⁹ Nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness. Nor did we preach to you out of love of money. Of my not flattering, you also are witnesses; but of my not being a lover of money, God is witness, for this is hidden from you.

¹⁰ Nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others. He did not say, “We were honored,” nor, “We did not enjoy honor,” lest he seem to reproach them; but, “We did not seek honor,” although the preaching demanded this. For if we count royal ambassadors worthy of much honor, much more those of God. How, then, should we do anything for the sake of glory, we who do not wish to be honored as teachers either by you or by others?

¹¹ When we might have been burdensome, as apostles of Christ. Either in honor, and glory, and weight; or, being able to receive support and to be maintained, and so to be burdensome to you. For our dignity itself demands this—to receive from you.

¹² But we became gentle in the midst of you. “Gentle”—that is, mild, unburdensome. Or also, “as little children in the midst of you”—that is, guileless, free from love of glory. For the little child reckons nothing of the sort. And the phrase “in the midst of you” has this sense: I became as one of you, not taking the higher rank.

¹³ As when a nurse cherishes her own children. He shows his tender affection. Does the nurse flatter? Does she demand money from the little children? So ought the teacher to be kindly, kissing those who behave drunkenly toward him, as the nurse does the infants, even when they strike her.

¹⁴ So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls. “Being affectionately desirous of you”—that is, bound fast to you and clinging to you, the word being formed from “together” (homou) and “to join” (eirō, to interweave). Some read “yearning” (himeiromenoi), in the sense of “desiring”; but it is not so. Not only, then, he says, did we receive nothing from you, but, if it were possible, we are well pleased—that is, we earnestly desire—to pour out even our souls into you. Now to give the Gospel is the more honorable thing; but to give the soul is the harder, and belongs to a more passionate love—which indeed he himself goes on to add.

¹⁵ Because you have become beloved to us. Lest he seem to say all these things as one toiling on their behalf, and as one who ought to be honored by them for it, he says that I do these things for no other reason than love; for I do not seek a recompense, but do it for the sake of the good itself.

¹⁶ For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; working night and day so as not to burden any of you, we preached unto you the Gospel of God. He did not say, “Remember the benefits from me,” but, “the labors”; and not simply, but also “the toils”—that is, those undertaken with much diligence. And not by day only, but also by night. Ah, what zeal, and what diligence not to scandalize anyone! And he shows that the Thessalonians too were in poverty, by saying, “so as not to burden any of you.”

¹⁷ You are witnesses, and God. God indeed is trustworthy; yet since it is hidden from men whether God bears witness to this, he calls as witnesses those also to whom the discourse is addressed.

¹⁸ How holily. Fulfilling all that we ought; for this is what “holily” means, in the sense of “with reverence toward God.”

¹⁹ And righteously. That is, demanding money from no one with demands for payment.

²⁰ And blamelessly. Without offense and without scandal.

²¹ We behaved toward you who believe. For among the unbelievers he was called both unholy, and a charlatan, and a babbler, and nothing sound.

²² Even as you know. Again he calls them witnesses—which is a sign of one who speaks without boasting.

²³ As [we dealt with] each one of you (as a father his own children), exhorting you and comforting. Ah, how great a thing it was to leave no one unconsoled, but to converse with each one fittingly! And “exhorting,” with a view to bearing nobly. So then he was not seeking glory. Above, then, he likened himself to a nurse; but now to a father, showing his love, and his protection, and his freedom from conceit. For what father is puffed up against his children?

²⁴ And charging you, that you walk worthily of God, who calls you unto His own kingdom and glory. To charge belongs already to a more forceful kind of teaching. So then they did not flatter. But since he had said before, “as a father,” then he added also, “charging.” For not harshly, he says, but as fathers, that you walk worthily of God. And observe how, under the form of a narrative, he both teaches and at the same time consoles. For if God calls us unto a kingdom, we must bear all things.

²⁵ For this cause we also give thanks to God without ceasing, that when you received the word of hearing from us, namely of God, you received not the word of men, but (as it truly is) the word of God. Here he praises them as well. For it is not, he says, that we do all things blamelessly, while you displayed something unworthy of my charge. For you are not disposed as those who hear men simply, but you gave heed as to God Himself exhorting. And by “the word of hearing of God” he means the preaching, as being believed through being heard. For how shall they believe unless they hear?

²⁶ Which also works in you who believe. Whence is it plain that you received it as God’s word? It works in you, he says—that is, it is shown from the works. For unless you had received it thus, you would not have borne such great trials so nobly. For just as he himself shows that he is no flatterer, nor deceitful, by his enduring of dangers, so also their faith is made evident by their bearing up under afflictions.

²⁷ For you, brethren, became imitators of the Churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus. Lest anyone understand the “Churches in Judaea” to mean the synagogues of the Jews, he added, “in Christ Jesus,” that he might make plain the Churches of the faithful.

²⁸ For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, as they also from the Jews. Great is the consolation. For if the Jews, zealots for the ancestral law, once they had believed endured so much, how much more ought you? And it is no small proof that the preaching is true, that the Jews suffered so much for it which before they persecuted.

²⁹ Who both killed the Lord Jesus. And what wonder if they ill-treated their own countrymen, where indeed they even killed the Lord? And see how great a consolation it is to share with Christ in His sufferings. Therefore Paul too always brings this forward amid trials.

³⁰ And their own prophets. But someone will say that they were ignorant of the Lord. What then? Did they not know their own prophets, whose books they carry about? How then did they kill these also? So that it is plain they do nothing as zealots for the truth, but rather rave against the truth.

³¹ And persecuted us. The apostles, your teachers. You therefore, the disciples, must bear up, looking to the examples.

³² And please not God. For how should they please God, who killed the Son, having beforehand killed the prophets?

³³ And are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved. For if it is needful that the saving words be spoken to the whole world, and these men hinder it, they are therefore common enemies of the world. For it is malice beyond all bounds to impede the common salvation.

³⁴ To fill up their sins always. These things, he says, they did both formerly against the prophets, and later against Christ, and against us, so as to show themselves sinning in the most complete way, and reaching the full measure of wickedness, and its very summit.

³⁵ But the wrath has come upon them to the end. That is, no longer, as before, is there a return from captivity and a repossession of the land; rather, the wrath of God has come upon them to the end—that is, even to the end the wrath of God will so remain upon them. And by saying “the wrath,” with the article, he shows that it is owed to them, and foreordained, and decreed. Having consoled the Thessalonians by showing that they have many partners in their trials, he consoles them now also by showing that those who afflict them will pay the penalty.

³⁶ But we, brethren, being bereft of you for a short while of an hour. Here he speaks of his love. Above, then, he said, “As a father his children,” and, “As a nurse”; but here, “being bereft”—which befits children seeking their fathers—that from this we may learn how he longed for them. And he hints also at the despondency he was in because of the separation. And it is not possible to say, he says, that we waited for a long time, but only for a short and brief while, and as much as may be reckoned as a single hour.

³⁷ In presence, not in heart. And these things, he says, we did—not even in heart were we separated, but in presence; yet, although ever bearing you about in our heart, we are grieved that we do not enjoy you bodily as well. And note this too, that those who love fervently have need of meeting face to face, and that love is the more kindled by this.

³⁸ We endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. “The more abundantly”—that is, more than was to be expected of those parted for an hour. And see his love, that I wish to come, he says, for no other reason than to see your face.

³⁹ Wherefore we wished to come unto you, even I Paul, both once and again, and Satan hindered us. What do you say? Does Satan hinder? Yes; for it was not God’s work. For in the case of the Romans, he says, that God hindered; and Luke says that the Spirit hindered them; and in the case of the Corinthians, he says the work was the Spirit’s. But here it was only of Satan, who brought on grievous and unexpected trials—by divine permission, of course. And see how he glories in his love, showing that he loved them most of all, by saying, “Even I Paul”—that is, the others with me were eager to come, but I both was eager and made the attempt.[2]

⁴⁰ For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting? Are these not the words of mothers whose very inward parts are warmed through, conversing with their little children? And it did not suffice him to display his warmth by “crown,” but he added “of boasting.” For over you, he says, I hope that I shall obtain greater boldness before Christ on your account; and I rejoice for this very thing, that you are my crown—and a crown of boasting, that is, of splendid glory—both now, and then you shall be.

⁴¹ Is it not even you, before our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? What then? Are the Thessalonians your hope, blessed Paul? Not these alone. Therefore he said, “even you,” showing that there were others as well.

⁴² For you are our glory and joy. For how great a glory it is to bring so great a Church to Christ, and one so well-esteemed!