St. Paul testifieth his great love to the Thessalonians; partly by sending Timothy unto them, to strengthen and comfort them; partly by rejoicing in their well-doing; and partly by praying for them, and desiring a safe coming unto them.
Anno Domini 52.
BY the reasoning in the beginning of this chapter, it appears, that the learned Greeks took occasion, from the sufferings of the Christian preachers, to raise a third and very plausible objection against the miracles which they wrought in confirmation of the gospel. Said the philosophers, If these men really possess miraculous powers, why do they flee from their enemies, and not rather work miracles for their own preservation: which, at the same time, would convince the most obstinate that they are sent of God? The behaviour of these pretended missionaries from God, who, instead of restraining their enemies by their miraculous power, flee from them in a frightened, clandestine manner, is a clear proof that their miracles are nothing but impositions on the senses of mankind. The reader will recollect, that this very argument was used for discrediting our Lord's miracles, Matthew 27:41-42. Also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross, and we will believe him. This objection being much insisted on by the philosophers, some of the Thessalonian brethren who came to Berea informed Timothy thereof, who, when he followed the Apostle to Athens, no doubt, related the matter. Now, this beinga natural objection, the Apostle was greatly distressed that he had it not in his power to return to Thessalonica, to shew the falsity of it. Wherefore, when he could no longer bear his anxiety, that is, his solicitude for the welfare of his Thessalonians, he determined to remain at Athens alone, 1 Thessalonians 3:1. And sent Timothy to establish the brethren, and to exhort them concerning their faith, 1 Thessalonians 3:2.—by telling them, that no man should be moved by these afflictions: he meant the afflictions which had befallen him, and his sudden flight from Thessalonica and Berea; as is plain from what follows; for yourselves know that we were appointed to this: we apostles were appointed to suffer, and were not allowed to deliver ourselves from persecution by miracle, 1 Thessalonians 3:3.—This the Thessalonians knew; for St. Paul had told them, that when Christ made him an apostle, he appointed him to suffer for his name; that all men might have a clear proof of his being himself fully persuaded of the things which he preached. The power of miracles, therefore, was not bestowed upon the apostles that they might deliver themselves from persecution.—They were to prove the truth of the gospel by their sufferings, as well as by their miracles. Besides, St. Paul having foretold the very persecution which befel him in Thessalonica, his sudden flight could not be imputed to fear, occasioned by any unforeseen evil, but to Christ's injunction to his apostles, when persecuted in one city, to flee into another. Upon the whole, the Apostle's fleeing from Thessalonica and Berea was no proof of the falseness of his miracles, as his enemies contended; neither was it inconsistent with his character as a missionary from God, 1 Thessalonians 3:4.
Objection 4. A fourth objection was levelled, by the philosophers, against St. Paul in particular. They affirmed that, notwithstanding all his fair speeches to the Thessalonians, he did not really love them. For he had left them to bear the persecution by themselves, without giving them any assistance, either by his exhortations or his example.And from this they inferred that he was a hypocrite, who had deceived them with professions of a love which had no place in his heart. In answer, the Apostle told the Thessalonians, that they might know how tenderly he loved them, from the following circumstances: that, not knowing what impression the arguments of the sophists might make upon them, his anxiety for their perseverance in the faith was extreme; and that he sent Timothy to them from Athens, for this purpose also, that he might know their faith, 1 Thessalonians 3:5.—Farther, he told them, that, being informed by Timothy of their firm adherence to the gospel, and of their entertaining a most affectionate remembrance of him, their spiritual father, at all times; and that they as earnestly desired to see him, as he to see them, 1 Thessalonians 3:6.—the good news had given him the greatest consolation in all his afflictions, 1 Thessalonians 3:7.—because their standing firm in the Lord, was life to him, 1 Thessalonians 3:8.—Wherefore, he could not be enough thankful to God for all the joy which he felt on account of their steadfastness, 1 Thessalonians 3:9.—And having the greatest concern for their welfare, his daily prayer to God was, that he might be allowed to visit them, in order to supply the deficiencies of their faith, by giving them more complete views, both of the doctrines and of the evidences of the gospel, 1 Thessalonians 3:10. Withal he prayed, that God himself would remove every obstacle which might hinder his prosperous journey to them, 1 Thessalonians 3:11.—And, still farther to convince them how tenderly he loved them, he supplicated Christ in particular, to make them abound as much in love to one another, and to all men, as he abounded in love towards them, 1 Thessalonians 3:12.—that their hearts might be established unblameable in holiness, and be found so at the coming of Christ to judgment, 1 Thessalonians 3:13.—Sentiments and affections of this kind never were found in the breast of any impostor. And therefore the Apostle's tender feelings, thus warmly expressed, (the sincerity of which the Thessalonians could not call in question, when they considered his known veracity, as well as all the other circumstances mentioned in this earnest apology) might well convince them that the calumnies whereby the enemies of the gospel endeavoured to discredit him as a missionary from God, were without foundation.