1 and 2 Thessalonians

by John Calvin, Alister McGrath (Editor), J. I. Packer (Editor), J. I. Packer (Introduction)

Overview

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For hundreds of years Christendom has been blessed with Bible commentaries written by great men of God who were highly respected for their godly walk and their insight into spiritual truth. The Crossway Classic Commentary Series, carefully adapted for maximum understanding and usefulness, presents the very best work on individual Bible books for today's believers.

Forced out of Thessalonica by the Jews for his effective ministry, Paul wrote to encourage and teach the new believers there. Within his first letter, according to John Calvin, is a brief definition of true Christianity. It is a faith that is full of vigor, employing itself in the labors of love, intent upon the hope of the manifestation of Christ, despising everything else, and armed with an endurance that rises above the wearisomeness of time and worldly temptations. Paul's second epistle then expands upon and clarifies some of his teachings from the first letter.

John Calvin delves into the rich meaning of Paul's encouraging words, bringing insight into the historical church, as well as instructing today's pastors on maintaining a healthy church and inspiring believers to grow in their daily walk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433517020
Publisher:	Crossway
Publication date:	09/17/1999
Series:	Crossway Classic Commentaries , #22
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	417 KB

About the Author

John Calvin (1509–1564) was one of the most influential theologians of the Reformation. Known best for his Institutes of the Christian Religion, he also wrote landmark expositions on most of the books in the Bible. 

John Calvin (1509–1564) was one of the most influential theologians of the Reformation. Known best for his Institutes of the Christian Religion, he also wrote landmark expositions on most of the books in the Bible. 

  Alister McGrath (PhD, University of Oxford) is the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at the University of Oxford, president of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, and senior research fellow at Harris Manchester College in Oxford. He is also a noted author and coeditor of Crossway's Classic Commentaries series. 

J. I. Packer (1926–2020) served as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College. He authored numerous books, including the classic bestseller Knowing God. Packer also served as general editor for the English Standard Version Bible and as theological editor for the ESV Study Bible.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

1 Thessalonians

Verse 1

Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.

1. The brevity of the inscription clearly shows that Paul's teaching had been received with reverence among the Thessalonians, and that without controversy they all rendered to him the honor that he deserved. For when in other letters he designated himself an apostle, he did so for the purpose of claiming for himself authority. Hence the circumstance here, simply making use of his own name without any title of honor, is proof that those to whom he writes voluntarily acknowledged him to be such as he was. The ministers of Satan, it is true, had endeavored to trouble this church also, but it is evident that their machinations were fruitless.

He also associates others along with himself, in common with himself, as the authors of the letter. Nothing further is stated here that has not been explained elsewhere, except that he says, the church ... in God the Father and ... Christ, by which terms he intimates that there is truly among the Thessalonians a church of God. This mark, therefore, is as it were an approval of a true and lawful church. We may, however, at the same time infer from it that a church is to be sought only where God presides and where Christ reigns, and that, in short, there is no church but that which is founded upon God, is gathered under the auspices of Christ, and is united in his name.

Verses 2-5

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we knew, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

2. We always thank God for all of you. He praises, as he is wont, their faith and other virtues, not so much, however, for the purpose of praising them as to exhort them to perseverance. For it is no small spur to eagerness of pursuit when we reflect that God has adorned us with special endowments, that he may finish what he has begun, and that we have, under his guidance and direction, advanced in the right course in order that we may reach the goal. Just as a vain confidence in those virtues that men foolishly arrogate to themselves puffs them up with pride and makes them careless and indolent for the time to come, so a recognition of the gifts of God humbles pious minds and stirs them up to anxious concern. Hence, instead of congratulations, the apostle makes use of thanksgiving, that he may put them in mind that everything in them that he declares to be worthy of praise is a kindness of God. He also turns immediately to the future in making mention of his prayers.

3. We continually remember. While the adverb continually might be taken in connection with what goes before, it suits better to connect it in this manner. What follows might also be rendered "remembering your work of faith and labor of love."

Paul assigns a reason, however, why he cherishes so strong an affection toward them and prays diligently on their behalf — because he perceived in them those gifts of God that should stir him up to cherish love and respect toward them. And unquestionably, the more anyone excels in piety and other excellencies, so much more ought we to hold him in regard and esteem. For what or who is more worthy of love than God? Hence there is nothing that should tend more to excite our love to individuals than when the Lord manifests himself in them by the gifts of his Spirit. This is the highest commendation of all among the pious, the most sacred bond of connection by which they are more especially bound to each other.

Your work produced by faith. I understand this as meaning the effect of it. This effect, however, may be explained in two ways — passively or actively, either as meaning that faith was in itself a special token of the power and efficacy of the Holy Spirit, inasmuch as he has wrought powerfully in the exciting of it, or as meaning that it afterwards produced its fruits outwardly. I reckon the effect to be in the root of faith rather than in its fruits — "a rare energy of faith has shown itself powerfully in you."

He adds, your labor prompted by love, by which he means that in the cultivation of love they had not scorned trouble or labor. Assuredly, it is known through experience how hard-working love is. That age, however, more especially afforded to believers a manifold sphere of labor if they desired to discharge the offices of love. The church was dreadfully pressed down by a great number of afflictions. Many were stripped of their wealth, many were fugitives from their country, many were destitute of counsel, many were tender and weak. The condition of almost all was involved. So many cases of distress did not allow love to be inactive.

To hope he assigns endurance, as it is always linked with it (see Romans 8:25). So the statement should be explained as meaning that Paul remembers their endurance in hoping for the coming of Christ. From this we may gather a brief definition of true Christianity — it is a faith that is living and full of vigor, so that it spares no labor when assistance is to be given to one's neighbors. On the contrary, all the pious employ themselves diligently in offices of love and lay out their efforts so that, intent upon the hope of the manifestation of Christ, they despise everything else and, armed with endurance, rise above the wearisomeness of length of time as well as above all the temptations of the world.

The clause before our God and Father may be viewed as referring to Paul's remembrance or to the three things spoken about immediately before. I explain it in this way: As he had spoken of his prayers, he declares that as often as he raises his thoughts to the kingdom of God, he at the same time recalls to his remembrance the faith, hope, and endurance of the Thessalonians. As all mere pretense must vanish when people come into the presence of God, this is added in order that the affirmation may have more weight. Further, by this declaration of his goodwill toward them he designed to make them more teachable and prepared to listen.

4. The word know may apply to Paul as well as to the Thessalonians. Erasmus refers it to the Thessalonians. I prefer to follow Chrysostom, who understands it of Paul and of his colleagues, for it is, it appears to me, a more ample confirmation of the previous statement. God himself had testified by many tokens that they were acceptable and dear to him.

He has chosen you. I am not altogether dissatisfied with the interpretation given by Chrysostom — that God had made the Thessalonians illustrious and had established their excellence. Paul, however, had it in view to express something further, for he touches on their calling; as there had appeared in that calling no common marks of God's power, he infers from this that they had been especially called with evidences of a sure election. For the reason is immediately added that it was a bare preaching that had been brought to them, but such as was linked with the efficacy of the Holy Spirit, that it might obtain entire credit among them.

5. When he says, with power, with the Holy Spirit, it is, in my opinion, as if he had said, "in the power of the Holy Spirit," so that the latter term is added to explain the former term. With deep conviction was either in the thing itself or in the disposition of the Thessalonians. I am rather inclined to think that the meaning is, Paul's gospel had been confirmed by-solid proofs, as though God had shown from heaven that he had ratified their calling. When, however, Paul brings forward the proofs by which he had felt assured that the calling of the Thessalonians was altogether from God, he takes occasion at the same time to recommend his ministry, that they may themselves also recognize him and his colleagues as having been raised up by God.

By the term power some understand miracles. I extend it further, as referring to the spiritual energy of right doctrine. God's calling, which is in itself hidden, is manifested when he gathers to himself the lost sheep and joins them to his flock and holds out his hand to those who were wandering and estranged from him. Hence a knowledge of our election must be sought from this source. As, however, the secret counsel of God is a labyrinth to those who disregard his calling, so those act perversely who, under the pretext of faith and calling, darken this first grace, from which faith itself flows. "By faith," they say, "we obtain salvation. There is therefore no eternal predestination of God that distinguishes between us and reprobates." It is as though they said, "Salvation is from faith; there is, therefore, no grace of God that illuminates us in faith." But it is not so. Rather, as gratuitous election must be linked with calling and with its effect, so it must necessarily hold the first place.

Paul's aim is that the Thessalonians, influenced by the same considerations, may entertain no doubt that they were chosen by God. For it had been God's design, in honoring Paul's ministry, that he might manifest to them their adoption. Accordingly, having said that they know how we lived among you, he immediately adds that he was what he was for your sake, by which he means that all this had been given them in order that they might be fully persuaded that they were loved by God and that their election was beyond all question.

Verses 6-8

You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia — your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it.

6. With the view of increasing their alacrity, he declares that there is a mutual agreement and harmony as it were between his preaching and their faith. Unless men, for their part, answer to God, no proficiency will follow from the grace that is offered to them. It is not as though they could do this of themselves, but God, as he begins our salvation by calling us, completes it by fashioning our hearts to obedience. The sum, therefore, is that an evidence of divine election showed itself not only in Paul's ministry, insofar as it was furnished with the power of the Holy Spirit, but also in the faith of the Thessalonians, so that this conformity is a powerful attestation of it. He says, however, You became imitators of us and of the Lord, in the same sense in which it is said that the people believed God and his servant Moses (see Exodus 4:30-31) — not that Paul and Moses had anything different than God, but because he wrought powerfully by them, as his ministers and instruments. You welcomed. Their readiness in receiving the Gospel is called an imitation of God for this reason: God had presented himself to the Thessalonians, and they had voluntarily come forward to meet him.

He says with the joy given by the Holy Spirit so we may know it is not by the instigation of the flesh or the promptings of their own nature that men will be ready and eager to obey God; this is the work of God's Spirit. The circumstance — in spite of severe suffering they had embraced the Gospel — gives us greater understanding. We see many, not otherwise disinclined to the Gospel, who nevertheless avoid it because they are intimidated by a fear of the cross. Those, accordingly, who do not hesitate to embrace along with the Gospel the afflictions that threaten them furnish an admirable example of magnanimity. And from this it is so clearly apparent how necessary it is that the Spirit should aid us in this, for the Gospel cannot be properly or sincerely received unless it be with a joyful heart. Nothing, however, is more at variance with our natural disposition than to rejoice in afflictions.

7. Here we have another amplification — they had even stirred up believers by their example. It is a great thing to be so decidedly impacted by the start of those who had entered upon the course before us as to furnish assistance to them as they follow that course.

A model.Typos (the word Paul uses) is employed by the Greeks in the same sense as exemplar is among Latin speakers and parton among the French. He says, then, that the courage of the Thessalonians had been so illustrious that other believers had borrowed from them a rule of constancy. I prefer, however, to render it pattern, that I might not needlessly make any change upon the Greek phrase made use of by Paul. Furthermore, the plural number expresses, in my opinion, something more than if he had said that that church as a body had been set forward for imitation; there were as many patterns as there were individuals.

8. The Lord's message rang out from you. Here we have an elegant metaphor by which he intimates that their faith was so alive that it rang out, as it were, arousing other nations. The Word of God rang out from them inasmuch as their faith resounded loud and clear, bringing credit to the Gospel. He says this had not only occurred in neighboring places, but this message had extended far and wide and had been distinctly heard, so that the matter did not need to be published and extolled by him.

Verses 9-10

For they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

He says that the report of their conversion had obtained great renown everywhere. When he mentions what kind of reception they gave him, he refers to the power of the Spirit, by which God had adorned and magnificently attested his Gospel. He says, however, that both things are freely reported among other nations as things worthy of mention. In the detail that follows, he shows, first, what the condition of mankind is before the Lord enlightens them by the teaching of his Gospel, and further, for what end he would have us instructed, and what is the fruit of the Gospel. For although not all worship idols, all are nevertheless addicted to idolatry and are immersed in blindness and madness. Hence, it is owing to the kindness of God that we are exempted from the pretenses of the devil and every kind of superstition. Some, indeed, God converts earlier, others later; but as alienation is common to all, it is necessary that we be converted to God before we can serve him. From this also we gather the essence and nature of true faith, inasmuch as no one gives due credit to God but the man who, renouncing the vanity of his own understanding, embraces and receives the pure worship of God.

9. To serve the living and true God. This is the purpose and effect of genuine conversion. We see, indeed, that many leave off superstitions who nevertheless after taking this step are so far from making progress in piety that they fall into what is worse. Having thrown off all regard for God, they give themselves up to a profane and brutal contempt of all religion. Thus, in ancient times the superstitions of the vulgar were derided by Epicurus, Diogenes the Cynic, and the like, but in such a way that they mixed up the worship of God so as to make no difference between it and absurd trifles. Hence we must take care lest the pulling down of errors is followed by the overthrow of faith. Further, the apostle, in ascribing to God the epithets true and living, indirectly censures idols as being dead and worthless inventions and as being falsely called gods. He makes the end of conversion to be what I have noted — that they might serve the living and true God. Hence the teaching of the Gospel induces us to serve and obey God. For so long as we are the servants of sin, we are free from righteousness (see Romans 6:20), inasmuch as we delude ourselves and wander here and there, exempt from any yoke. No one, therefore, is properly converted to God but the man who has learned to place himself wholly under subjection to God.

10. As, however, this matter is extremely difficult, appealing to the great corruption of our nature, the apostle shows us at the same time what it is that retains and confirms us in the fear of God and obedience to him — to wait for his Son. For unless we are stirred up to the hope of eternal life, the world will quickly draw us to itself. As it is only confidence in the divine goodness that induces us to serve God, so it is only the expectation of final redemption that keeps us from giving way and losing heart. Let every one, therefore, who wants to persevere in the path of a holy life apply his whole mind to an expectation of Christ's coming. It is also worthy of notice that Paul uses the expression to wait for his Son instead of the hope of everlasting salvation. For, unquestionably, without Christ we are ruined and thrown into despair; but when Christ shows himself, life and prosperity do at the same time shine forth upon us. Let us bear in mind, however, that this is said to believers exclusively, for he will come to be the Judge of the wicked, and they can do nothing but tremble in looking for him.

(Continues…)

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Table of Contents

Series Preface, vii,
Introduction, ix,
1 Thessalonians,
Dedication, 13,
Argument of the First Letter to the Thessalonians, 15,
2 Thessalonians,
Dedication, 69,
Argument of the First Letter to the Thessalonians, 71,