1
Thess 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that
when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you
accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word
of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brethren,
became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in
Judea; for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as
they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the
prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all men 16
by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be
saved-so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s
wrath has come upon them at last! 17 But since we were bereft of you,
brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the
more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face; 18
because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but
Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of
boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For
you are our glory and joy.
Saint Thomas Aquinas comments: In
what has gone before the Apostle disclosed the character of his
coming to them; here he indicates the character of their conversion.
In treating this Paul makes two points. First, he shows that they
have been perfectly converted as a result of their steadfast faith;
secondly, he shows how courageously they persevered amidst
tribulations (2:14). Paul first remarks upon their blessings, for
which he offers thanks, and then he supplies a reason for this.
So
Paul says, and,
since
I have carefully preached to you, as a father to his children, I
therefore thank
God as
a father does for the welfare of his children: “No greater joy can
I have than this, to bear that my children follow the truth” (3 Jn.
1:3). “With thanksgiving” (Phil. 4:6). But for what reason? For
this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us,
you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the
word of God. The
preacher should give thanks when his preaching proves to be effective
in the lives of his congregation. Paul tells them, you heard
the word of God from us, that
is, through us: “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak” (Ps.
85:8). “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by
the preaching of Christ (Rom. 10: 17). You accepted
it, that
is, you kept it firmly in your heart, not
as the word of men; for
the words of man are empty: “You desire proof that Christ is
speaking in me” (2 Cor. 13:3). “No prophecy ever came by the
impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2
Pet. 1:21). And why does he give thanks? Because the fact that you
have believed, God has worked in you. “For God is at work in you,
both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). “Thou
hast wrought for us all our works” (Is. 26:12).
Then
when be says, for
you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ
Jesus which are in Judea, he
shows how courageously they persevered in the midst of tribulations;
and in treating this he makes two points. First, he speaks of their
trials, in which they stood firm; secondly, of the remedy he proposes
to apply (2:17). Again, the first point is divided into two parts.
First, Paul commends them for their patience in the face of
difficulties; secondly, be reprehends those responsible for the
difficulties (2:15).
Consequently,
Paul says: you received the word not as the word of men, but
as what it really is, the word of God, for
you exposed yourselves for its sake even to death. The fact that a
man dies for the sake of Christ is testimony to the fact that the
words of the faith are the words of God; and, therefore, “martyrs”
means the same as “witnesses.” In
Judea, for
it is there that the faith of Christ was first proclaimed: “For out
of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem” (Is. 2:3). In addition, it was also there that the first
persecution of the faith occurred, as is evident from Acts (8:1): “On
that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem.”
“But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you
endured a hard struggle with sufferings” (Heb. 10:32). The
Thessalonians endured similar difficulties, so Paul remarks: for
you suffered the same things from your own countrymen, that
is, from the incredulous Thessalonians: “And a man’s foes will be
those of his own household” (Matt. 10:36).
Then
when Paul observes, who
killed both the Lord Jesus, he
rebukes the Jews who started the persecution. First, he recalls their
sin, and then the reason for the sin (2:16). In regard to the first
point Paul does three things: first, he treats their sin in relation
to God’s ministers; secondly, with reference to God Himself; and
thirdly as relating to the entire human race.
The
ministers of God are those who preach, namely, Christ, the prophets
and the apostles. Preaching is performed by Christ as the one from
whom the doctrine originates, by the prophets who prefigured this
doctrine, and by the apostles who carry out the injunction to preach.
Paul
first makes reference to Christ when he says: who
killed the Lord Jesus, as
is clear from Matthew (21:38): “This is the heir; come, let us kill
him.” That it was the Gentiles who killed him is not a valid
objection, for the Jews with their own words asked Pilate to kill
him: “My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest, she
has lifted up her voice against me” (Jer. 12:8). Paul then speaks
of the prophets when he mentions: and
the prophets. “Which
of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those
who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you
have now betrayed and murdered” (Ac. 7:52). Paul next speaks of the
apostles when he comments: and
drove us out, that
is, the apostles. “Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to
councils, and flog you in their synagogues” (Mt. 10: 17).
Secondly,
Paul mentions the sin of the Jews in its relation to God, with the
words: and
displease God, although
they may think that through this they do a service to God, as is
evident in John 16. Actually, because they do not have zeal for God
in accordance with knowledge, they are not pleasing to God, since
they do not act in keeping with right faith and “without faith it
is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6); “therefore the anger of
the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his
hand against them and smote them” (Is. 5:25).
Thirdly,
Paul considers their sin in its relation to the whole human race,
when he says: and
oppose all men. “His
hand against every man and every man’s hand against him” (Gen.
16:12). And they are antagonistic, because they prohibit and impede
the preaching to the Gentiles, and also the conversion of the
Gentiles. In Acts 10 and 11 Peter is criticized for having gone to
Cornelius; also in Luke 15 the elder son, the Jewish people, is
disturbed because the younger son, the Gentile people, is received by
the father. “Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you
begetting”’ (Is. 45:10). “Would that all the Lord’s people
were prophets” (Num. 11-29).
The
reason for this sin is found in the divine permission, by which God
wills that they fill up the measure of their sins. Indeed, for all
things which come about, either good or bad, there is a certain
measure, because nothing is infinite; and the measure of all these
things is in [God’s] foreknowledge. The measure of good things is
what it prepares, for “grace was given to each of us according to
the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph. 4:7); the measure of evil
things, however, is what it permits, for if some are “evil, they
are not as evil as they want, but as God permits. And, therefore,
they live until they attain that which God permits: “Fill up, then,
the measure of your fathers” (Matt. 23:32). So Paul says: so
as always to fill
up
the measure of their sins. For
after the suffering of Christ, God gave the Jews forty years to
repent, but they were not converted; rather they multiplied their
sins. God did not permit this to go on, so Paul states: but
Gods wrath has come upon them until the end. “For
great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because
our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according
to all that is written concerning us (2 Kg22:13). “For great
distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people” (Lk.
21:23). And you should not think that this wrath shall last for one
hundred years only, but until
the end of
the world, when all the Gentiles will have embraced [the Christian
religion], and then all of Israel shall be saved, as it appears from
Rom. 10, Lk. 19:44, 21:6, and Matt. 24:2: “There will not be left
here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.”
Then
when Paul says, but
since we were bereft of you, brethren, for a short time, he
shows the remedy that he proposed to apply for them, namely, that he
will personally go to them. In regard to this he makes three points:
first, be discusses his proposed visit; secondly he treats the
obstacle to his visit (2:18); thirdly, he gives the reason why he
wanted to go (2:19).
So
Paul says: but
since we were bereft of you, either
on account of your tribulations, or because we were separated from
you [in
conversation],
that
is, missing the opportunity for conversation, and in
person, that
is, not being able to enjoy your company. Both of these things
require the presence of a friend because it is consoling. But not
in heart, for
we are present in heart, as is evident from 1 Cor. (5:3): “For
though absent in body I am present in spirit.” We
endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to
face, that
we may be present also in body as we are in our heart; “I have
longed for many years to come to you” (Rom. 15:23). When Paul says
we,
he
intends a plural meaning, because he writes in the name of three
persons, that is, in his own name, and that of Silvanus, and of
Timothy. Therefore Paul says: we
wanted to come to you, all
of us perhaps once, but I Paul,
again and again, that
is twice, as I proposed; but
Satan hindered us,
that is, set up obstacles, perhaps through violent winds, as in:
“Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding
back the four winds of the earth” (Rev. 7:1).
Then
when Paul says: for
what is our hope, he
gives the reason for his proposal. First, in regard to the future;
secondly, in regard to the present (2:20). Paul says: I desire to see
you and I give thanks for your blessings which are our hope;
for
it is on account of these blessings that we hope for rewards from
God, when He shall come to render to every one according to his
deeds. For the greatest reward of the preacher comes from those whom
he has converted. Or
joy, because
their joy is the Apostle’s joy, just as their goodness is the
Apostle’s goodness; for the goodness of the effect is accounted for
by the goodness of the cause. Or
crown of boasting, because
as a result of their struggles he who encouraged them to struggle
shall be decorated; for the commander who led the soldiers to combat
is decorated: “He who disciplines his son will profit by him, and
will boast of him among acquaintances” (Sir. 30:2). 1 ask what is
this hope; is it
not you? Yes,
assuredly: in the future, that is,
before our Lord Jesus at his coming; but
also in the present, for
you are, among
all the faithful, our
glory: I would
rather die than have any one deprive me of my ground for boasting”
(1 Cor. 9:15); and
joy, for
which reason Paul rejoices over their good fortune in the present.
