ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. λείπτως, ότι παραλαβοντες Γενουσιν. Answer to the Objection against the Truth of the Christian Miracles, 14 Υμείς γαρ μιμηται εγενήθητε, αδελφοι, των εκκλησιων του Θεον των ουσων εν τη Ιουδαία, εν Χριςῳ Ιησου, ότι ταυτα επαθετε και μεις ύπο των ίδιων συμφυλετών, καθως και αυτοι ύπο των Ιουδαιων. 15 Των και τον Κυριον αποκτειναντων Ιησουν, και τους ιδιους προφητας, και ἡμας εκδιωξαντων, και Θεῷ μη αρεσκοντων, και πασιν ανθρωποις εναντιων· Ver. 13.1. The preached word of God. Λογον ακοής τε Θε8, literally signifies, the word of the hearing of God: the word which God hath appointed to be heard through our preaching. Accordingly, λogov arons, Heb. iv. 2. is rendered, by our translators, the word preached. Dr. Chandler, however, thinks the clause should be rendered, the word of the report concerning God: supposing it to be an allusion to Isaiah liii. 1. Who bath believed (ry anon ήμων) our report 2 Ver. 15.-1. Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets. The expression, their own prophets, is emphatical; and denotes, that the Jews acknowledged the prophets whom they killed, to be prophets really sent of God. So remarkable were the Jews for persecuting the prophets, that Stephen challenged the council to shew so much as one prophet, whom their word of God from us, ye embraced not the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh effectually in you who believe. give thanks to God without ceasing, that when ye received from us, the word which God hath appointed to be preached, (digare, chap. i. 6.) ye embraced, not a doctrine framed by men, but as it is in truth, the doctrine of God: which also worketh effectually in you who believe, by producing in you the greatest attachment to the gospel, and fortitude in suffering for it. taken from the Unbelief of the Jews in Judea, and their persecuting 14 For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because ye also have suffered like things from your Own countrymen, even as they HAVE from the Jews, 15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have greatly persecuted us, and do not please God, and are contrary to all men ;2 14 Your attachment to the gospel, ye shewed by the sufferings which ye endured. For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; (ch. I. 1. n. 2.) because ye also have suffered like things from your own countrymen : ye have been calumniated by them as atheists, ye have been imprisoned by them as malefactors, and spoiled of your goods: even, as they have suffered from the Jews. 15 The killing of Jesus by the Jews, and their persecuting his apostles, are objected as proofs of the falsity of Christ's miracles and doctrine. But if the Jews killed the Lord Jesus, they killed also their own prophets, and have bitterly persecuted us, fancying they please God; but do not please God, and are enemies to all men. fathers had not persecuted, Acts vii. 52. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? 2. And are contrary to all men. The hatred which the Jews bare to all the heathens, without exception, was taken notice of by Tacitus, and Juvenal, and even by Josephus. This hatred was directly contrary to the law of Moses, which in the strongest terms recommended humanity to strangers. It arose, it seems, from the Jews not understanding rightly the intention of 16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. 17 But we, brethren, 16 Κωλυοντων ήμας τοις έθνεσι λαλησαι ἵνα σωθώσιν, εις το αναπληρωσαι αύτων τὰς ἁμαρτίας παντοτε εφθασε δε επ' αυτούς n εις τελος. οργή 17 Ημεις δε, αδελφοι, being taken from you for απορφανισθεντες αφ' ὑμων a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to sce your face with great desire. προς καιρον ώρας, προσωπῳ, ου καρδια, περισσότερως εσπουδασαμεν προσωπον ὑμων ιδειν εν πολλη επιθυμία. the precepts of their law, which were given to prevent them from having familiar intercourse with idolaters, lest they might have been tempted to imitate them in their practices.—In the more early times of their republic, the Jews did not entertain that extreme aversion to the heathens, for which their posterity afterwards were so remarkable. But, by their intercourse with their heathen neighbours, having often declined to idolatry, and being severely punished for that sin, they began, on their return from the Babylonish captivity, to conceive an aversion to the heathens; which was increased by the persecutions which the Greek princes, Alexander's successors, carried on against them, for the purpose of abolishing their law, and introducing idolatry into Judea; fancying, perhaps, that uniformity in religion among their subjects, was necessary to the support of their government. From that time forth, the Jews, looking on all the heathens without exception as their enemies, obstinately refused to do them the smallest office of humanity; and discovered such a rooted malevolence towards them, that they were hated and despised by the heathens in their turn. The apostle, therefore, in this passage, gave the true character of the Jews in later times, when he said of them, that they did not please God, and were contrary to all men. Ver. 16.1. Hindering us to preach to the Gentiles that they may be saved. The apostle and his assistants preached to the Gentiles, that to their salvation, faith, and not obedience to the law of Moses, was necessary. But this doctrine enraging the unbelieving Jews, they endeavoured to hinder its progress, by persecuting those who preached it. 2. But the wrath of God is coming upon them. Εφθασε, bath come. But the past time is here put for the present, as is plain from this, that the wrath of God had not yet fallen on the Jewish nation. The apostle speaks of their punishment as at hand, being taught it, either by Christ's prediction, or by a particular revelation made to himself. It may not be improper to observe, that in the rejection and destruction of the Jewish nation for killing Christ, 16 Hindering us to preach to the Gentiles that they may be saved; so that instead of pleasing God, the Jews are filling up the measure of their iniquities always; but the wrath of God is coming upon them at length, whereby God's displeasure with them for their treatment of us, will be made evident to all. 17 Our fleeing to Berea, is objected as a proof of our being im postors. But we did not flee with a resolution not to return. On the contrary, we, brethren, being separated from you, for a short time, in person only, not in affection, the more earnestly, on that account, endea voured with great desire, all the time we remained in Beroa, to see your face again. and opposing his gospel, we have an example and proof of the manner in which all obstinate opposition to the gospel will end. 3. At length. So us T, used adverbially, signifies. See Stephen's Thesaurus. The ancient commentators, by this phrase, understood a long duration; so that, according to them, the apostle meant to say, The wrath of God is coming on the Jews, not for thirty, or forty, or seventy years, but for many generations. The version which our translators have given of this phrase, namely, to the uttermost, is improper. For, though the calamities brought on the Jews by the Romans were very great, they did not utterly destroy them. According to God's promise, that he never would make a full end of the Jews, a remnant of them was left; and in the posterity of that remnant, now multiplied to a great number, the promises concerning the conversion and restoration of Israel, will be fulfilled. Ver. 17.-1. Being separated from you. Awgpaviores, is commonly applied to children who are deprived of their parents. Here it is applied to parents who are deprived of their children: in which sense Chandler says it is used by Euripides. 2. During the time of an hour. Пg xaigov 'agas, during a short time : So the phrase signifies, 2 Cor. vii. 8. Gal. ii. 5. Horace likewise uses the phrase in the same sense : horæ momento, cita mors venit, aut victoria læta. The apostle means, that when he fled from Thessalonica to Berea, he proposed to be absent only a few days, till the rage of the Jews was abated; after which he intended to return. Accordingly he tells them, he, the more earnestly on that account, endeavoured to return, and actually made twe VOL. IV. 6 attempts for that purpose. But the coming of the Jews from Thessalonica; to stir up the people in Berca against them, frustrated his design, and obliged him to leave Macedonia. Ver. 18.—1. I Paul. This parenthesis shews, that what follows is to be understood of Paul alone, though he continues to use the plural form of expression. Wherefore, in other passages, where he uses the plural num. ber, he may be speaking of himself only. 2. Satan bindered us. Because the devil employs himself continually in obstructing the good purposes and actions of mankind, he hath the name of Satan, or adversary, given him by way of eminence. And they who assist him in his malicious attempts, such as false apostles and teachers, are called ministers of Satan, 2 Cor. xi. 15. The persecution raised against the apostle in Beroa, by the Jews from Thessalonica, is here ascribed to Satan, to teach us, that persecution for conscience is the genuine work of the devil.— Perhaps the apostle foresaw, that if he returned to Thessalonica, while the rage of the Jews continued, or even if he remained in Berea, they would certainly have put him to death in some tumult. Wherefore, that he might have a farther opportunity of perfecting the faith of the Thessalonians, and of converting the rest of the Gentiles, who were to be his crown of glorying, he saved his life by fleeing, first from Thessalonica, and next from Berga. Ver. 19.—1. Or crown of glorying ? Are not ye also, &c. So Theophylact translates x-In this passage, the apostle compares the return of Christ to heaven, after the judgment, to the solemnity of a triumph, in which the apostle himself is to appear crowned, in token of his victory over the false religions of the world, and over the abettors of these religions; and attended by his converts, who are in that manner to honour him as their spiritual father. Or the allusion may be, to the solemnity with which the ancient |