St. Paul certifieth them of the good opinion which he had of their faith, love, and patience; and therewithal useth divers reasons for the comforting them in persecution; whereof the chief is taken from the righteous judgment of God.
Anno Domini 52.
IT seems, the messenger who carried the apostle's first letter to the Thessalonians had informed him, that they were exceedingly strengthened by it, and bare the persecution, which still continued as violent as ever, with admirable constancy. This good news was so acceptable to St. Paul and his assistants, that they began their second letter with telling the Thessalonians, that they thought themselves bound to return thanks to God for their increasing faith and love, ver.3.—And that they gloried to other churches in their faith and patience in all the persecutions which they endured, 2 Thessalonians 1:4. (probably the churches of Achaia,) inexpectation, no doubt, that their example would have a happy influence on those churches, in leading them to exercise the like faith and patience under sufferings.—And, for the encouragement of the suffering Thessalonians, the apostle observed, that their behaviour under persecution demonstrated God's righteousness in having called them, notwithstanding they were of the Gentile race, into the gospel dispensation, 2 Thessalonians 1:5.—Yet it was just in God to punish their Jewish persecutors, by sending tribulation upon them, 2 Thessalonians 1:6.—but he would bestow on the faithful among the Thessalonians, a share in his rest, along with the faithful among the Jews, when Christ will return from heaven with his mighty angels, 2 Thessalonians 1:7.—to punish all who know not God, and who obey not the gospel of his Son, 2 Thessalonians 1:8.—with everlasting destruction, 2 Thessalonians 1:9.—The apostle adds, that, at the judgement of the world, Christ will be glorified by the ministry of the angels, who shall put his sentences in execution; and be admired by all his faithful people, and, among the rest, by the faithful Thessalonians; 2 Thessalonians 1:10.—And in this persuasion he always prayed that God would judge them worthy of the gospel, whereby they were called to eternal life; and also perfect in them the work of faith with power, 2 Thessalonians 1:11.—That, on the one hand, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified through them, by their persevering in the faith of the gospel, even when persecuted; and, on the other, that they might be glorified through him, by the graces and virtues which they were enabled to exercise, in a degree proportioned to the grace of God bestowed upon them; for these graces and virtues would excite in the minds of their persecutors, the highest admiration of their character, 2 Thessalonians 1:12.
II. THESSALONIANS.] It is probable that this epistle was written from the same place with, and not long after, the first. This seems the more likely, as Timothy, and Sylvanus, or Silas, are mentioned as being still with them. The general design of this epistle, like the former, was to establish the Thessalonians in the faith of the gospel; to comfort them under the sufferings to which they were exposed; to rectify some mistakes into which they had fallen, concerning the general resurrection and final judgment,—from Ch. 1 Thessalonians 4:13, &c. of the former epistle; and to direct them in the exercise of salutary discipline to some, who had been guilty of great irregularities in the church. Though this is the shortest of all St. Paul's epistles tothe churches, it is not inferior to any of them in sublimity of sentiment, or warmth of expression. The remarkable prophesy of the man of sin, as explained in the course of our notes, will be found a strong and undeniable argument of the reality of the apostle's inspiration.