Часть первая историческая (1Сол.1, 2–3, 13)

In the first part of the letter, Saint Paul recalls all the historical events concerning the Thessalonians from the time he received entry to them until the time at which he writes the letter, in order to instill in them the conviction that the faith they accepted has the tangible stamp of Divinity, and even more so to inspire them to stand firmly in it, despite sorrows and hardships. He achieves this by depicting - 1) the bright state of the Thessalonica Church - in itself, in God’s relation to it and in its relation to all others (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10); 2) his stay with them, imprinted with a high moral character, recognized by them themselves (1 Thessalonians 2:11-16); 3) and his fatherly and heartfelt concerns for them (1 Thess. 2:17–3, 13). 1. The bright state of the Thessalonica church in spiritual terms (1 Thess. 1, 2–10) The Apostle depicts the bright, grace-filled Christian state of Thessalonians by indicating b) the perfection of the basic Christian virtues in them (1 Thessalonians 1:3); c) God’s favor towards them, shown in their election (1 Thess. 1:4–7); d) in the beneficial effect of the glory of their conversion and faith on all other Christians (1 Thess. 1:8-10). Remembering all this, Saint Paul a) expresses his grateful feelings to God (1 Thessalonians 1:2), attributing to Him all the good that he saw in Thessalonians; so the content of this chapter can be expressed as follows: a) Joyful thanksgiving to God for the manifestation of grace-filled Christian life in Thessaloniki (1 Thess. 1, 2) 1 Thessalonians 1:2. We always thank God for all of you, the remembrance of you is creative in our prayers. Having received good news about the Thessalonians from Saint Timothy, Saint Paul was delighted (1 Thessalonians 3:9) and in joy thanks God for all the good that He was pleased to bestow on the Thessalonians. From the first word, he raises their minds to God and, pointing out in Him the perfecter of their success, inspires that they are God’s and the work of their faith is the work of God. Saint Paul begins almost all of his epistles with thanksgiving, others with almost the same words (Rom. 1:8-9; Eph. 1:16; 2 Sol. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:3); however, this is not a simple turn of phrase, not a matter of custom, but an expression of real feelings with which the soul was full (see: 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 8-9). Called to the work of God, he could not help but rejoice at its successes and, tangibly seeing the finger of God in everything, he could not help but thank God. “We always thank God,” he says. And this is not an exaggeration. The Apostle lived in God and his prayerful appeal to Him did not leave his face. Such is the power of the apostolic spirit, the bearer of the Spirit of God. Thanksgiving in words, of course, was not always there, but it was always in the feeling of the heart, ready to be expressed in words. That we thank everyone, this seems to be intentional. Although the Apostle knew that not everyone is perfect, he did not shorten the breadth of thanksgiving, so that through this he would open the way in advance to the hearts of those who are imperfect, when the turn comes to touch upon their correction. The words: “the remembrance of you is creative,” and so on, define the action of thanksgiving, when it is expressed in words in prayer. The Apostle says something like this: in our prayers, remembering you, we pour out our feelings of gratitude to God. But what were the prayers of the Apostles? These constituted half of their apostolic labors. “We will continue in prayer and in the ministry of the word,” they said when electing deacons for the Jerusalem Church (Acts 6:4). Saint Chrysostom says: “Thanksgiving to God for the Thessalonians is evidence of their great success; because the Apostle not only praises them, but also thanks God as the accomplisher of all their success. Moreover, he teaches them humility, as if saying that all this is the work of God’s power. So, he speaks of thanksgiving because of their good deeds, and of remembering them in prayer because of his love for them.” Thanksgiving in other epistles is in the form of an introductory speech, followed by an indication of other subjects. Here, thanksgiving is closely connected with what follows, and forms the subject of the first chapter. Saint Paul thanks God for the Thessalonians, thinking about the perfection of their Christian character and about God’s election of them. These motives, or objects of thanksgiving, are also shaded in the combination of speech with the words: “continually remembering” (1 Thessalonians 1:3) and “knowingly” (1 Thessalonians 1:4). b) The perfection of the basic Christian virtues in them (1 Sol. 1, 3) 1 Sol.1:3. Constantly remembering your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father. This is the first side of the bright state of Thessaloniki. The Apostle, “wishing to show that he remembers the Thessalonians not only in prayers, but also in addition to prayer, says: “constantly remembering” (St. Chrysostom). The Apostle said that as soon as he remembered them in his prayers, he always thanked Bora. For what? - Because the image of their Christian perfection is constantly in his soul. This constant remembrance of their good condition, which is from God, makes him always thank God for them in prayers. Saint Paul remembers those perfections that he himself saw and about which Saint Timothy told him, and speaks about them with such expressiveness for the sake of the fact that later he intends to speak about his activities among them from the good side. “First he speaks about their exploits, and then about his own, so that it does not seem that he is exalted” (Chrysostom). He says this not in order to bribe their attention to his next word, but as a father rejoicing over the perfection of his children. With all this, however, it can be assumed that the Apostle had in mind to outline what they should demonstrate in their lives in greater and greater perfection. By depicting the beginnings of a perfect life as perfection, he irritates jealousy to reach the indicated limit of perfection. The singular memory of the holy Apostles is threefold in objects. This trinity consists of the three main Christian virtues: faith, hope and love. These are the forces, principles, elements of grace-filled Christian life, which in the act of rebirth in Christ are poured into the hearts of Christians by the Holy Spirit and without which no truly Christian disposition and action is possible. Why does Saint Paul often introduce them into his speech, in his epistles (compare: 1 Thessalonians 1:5, 8; 1 Cor. 13:3; Col. 1:4). Here the peculiarity of talking about them is that the Apostle does not just remember them, but characterizes each with special features that determine how they actually appeared in the life of Thessaloniki, assuring that he remembers them “the work of faith, the work of love, the patience of hope”: not alone - work, work and patience, and not alone - faith, love and hope, but both of them together by mutual penetration, as it were: patience trustful and patient hope, labor of love and laboring love, efficient faith and believing efficiency. For in reality they mutually give birth to each other and support and preserve each other. The matter of faith is more difficult to define with precision than the other two terms. The work of faith is the first act of belief, and it is an important and not easy task, the beginning and root of all other manifestations of Christianity. Faith does not suddenly form: first the thought appears - should I believe? This thought enters into a struggle with what is inside and what is outside. When everything is overcome, the decision is pronounced in the heart: I believe, and the work of faith is completed. Whether this act is understood as the influence of God or as an inclination and decision of the heart, it is always something memorable. The Apostle says: I remember how you believed. The work of faith in this sense will be the work that the Savior demanded from the Jews, who asked what to do: “that you believe in Him whom God has sent” (John 6:29). But this matter is more or less invisible; Meanwhile, the matter of faith, here, according to its correspondence to the work of love and patience of hope, which are visible, there must be something visible. The appearance of faith is its discovery in that which marks faith. Faith has its own circle of manifestations of itself, acceptance, for example, of the sacraments, its own confession, communication with fellow believers in the same spirit with them, elimination from false faiths and everything that reveals false faith. Whoever reveals all this accomplishes the work of faith. The work of faith in this sense will be a constant, persistent, fearless discovery in oneself, in everything and everywhere, of the face of a Christian believer - and will correspond to the manifestation of the lawful work written in the hearts (Rom. 2:15). Close to this is the third meaning of the work of faith, which Saint Chrysostom points to - as steadfastness and constancy in faith, despite constraints. “What is a matter of faith? - That nothing has shaken your constancy. If you believe, stand; If you don’t stand, you don’t believe. Faith is justified by constancy and diligence.” - In this sense, the work of faith will be belief, energetically begun and constantly maintained, despite sorrows, attacks, persecution and oppression, as an occupation, profession, the work of a whole life, giving it its characteristics. But this is not the same as the patience of hope, for this is all directed towards the future, while others are occupied with the present, relying on the past. In what sense is the work of faith to be understood in this place? - In all; for in all these forms the work of faith was truly revealed by the Thessalonians. You can indicate a word similar to it in the feat of faith (1 Tim. 6:12). “Labor of love” - the cares and sacrifices of the Thessalonians in alleviating the lot of Christians and in helping them in every way - what the Thessalonians did “for all the brethren who are in all Macedonia” (1 Thessalonians 4:10). Saint Paul rejoices that even in this difficult time, when they themselves were subjected to all-round attacks, the Thessalonians not only preserved love among themselves, but also spread its sacrifices everywhere, embracing all the saints with it. Labor presupposes action with fatigue, burden, and pain. But the labor of love does not notice and, as it were, does not feel it. And there is patience in him, but the patience of love, consumed by love. This, one might say, is labor without difficulty, or labor-free. “Patience of hope”, unwavering standing under the cross, steadfastness in suffering, revealed by the Thessalonians in the persecution that befell them (Acts 17:5 and Acts 17:9), as the fruit of hope, which in the present sorrow can show the surest path to receiving eternal glorification in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:18). “These events (the persecution of Thessalonians) expressed,” says Saint Chrysostom, “not only their courage, but also the fact that they believed with full conviction in the promised rewards.” Patience is a constant companion of hope: for even self-confidence, like hope, endures (Rom. 8:25); it is not only the bearer of hope, like a body revived by it, but it itself gives birth to hope (Rom. 4:5). Why does it appear in other places in Scripture instead of hope (Titus 2:2). The matter of faith includes the relationship to God; the labor of love determines the attitude towards fellow Christians; Patience of hope outlines the personal fate of each believer in this life with insight into the future. The work of faith fulfills life, strength and readiness to act; the labor of love opens the field for living and prolific action; Patience of hope completes and crowns labors - and is something highest and most detached. Patience pleasing to God is more difficult than action pleasing to God; but on the other hand, through the final test, it leads after the Lord into final perfection and glorification. In these three, the root, trunk and ear of new life in the Lord Jesus Christ manifest themselves. Faith accepts grace and is the seeding of Christian life, transplantation through Christ the Savior into God, incorporation into Him. From here comes love, as a reflection of God's love in the human heart, or the response of the human heart to the felt love of God for him - the soul of every Christian, and the entire body of the Church of Christ. Hope knows that the future belongs to Christ the Lord and the Holy Church of Christ. It is as if it has already moved there and lives there not only by sight, but also by feeling, in the confidence that the spiritual life is glorious, which, emanating from the glorified Lord, now only has quality in His members internally, but in due time it will gloriously be revealed externally, it will penetrate everything, and the current opposites to it - the flesh, the world and the devil - will be eliminated from the stage of life by the new appearance of the Lord, when all that exists will be cleansed fire. Such are the workers of the inner life in Christ. Saint Paul rejoices and in joy thanks God that He was pleased to reveal in Thessalonians this fullness of vital forces that characterize a Christian. Saint Chrysostom explains all these three differences in the main Christian virtues - work, labor, patience - from the embarrassing circumstances in which the Thessalonians were then, and sees in this the seal of the Divinity of the faith they accepted. “God,” he says, “allowed immediate persecution against them so that no one would say that the preaching of Christ was established among them by chance, but on the contrary, it was clear that it was not human conviction, but the power of God that gave such strength to the souls of believers.” The words “Our Lord Jesus Christ” can be applied to all three virtues, indicating their subject and source in the Lord; and one can have one hope: the latter seems more appropriate. Christ the Lord is directly called our hope (1 Tim. 1:1; Col. 1:27) and is the essential subject of hope, not only because all our hopes rest and are established in Him, but also because He Himself is awaited, and through His second coming and the combined revelation of the glory of the Kingdom of Christ, the hope of glory will be fulfilled, and as if the hope itself will be glorified (Titus 2, 13). It is not difficult to notice that with this application Saint Paul from the very beginning puts forward hope before his other companions, because after that he had to talk about his main subject - the second coming of Christ. “Before God and our Father” can be attributed to “remembrance” and can be referred to as three Christian virtues. Saint Chrysostom, Blessed Theodoret and Ecumenius say that it can be attributed to both, but they are more inclined to the latter, which should be preferred. For if we accept the first, that is, that Saint Paul constantly remembered the Christian virtues of the Thessalonians before God and the Father, then there will be the same thought as in the previous verse, where he said that he thanks God, remembering them in his prayers. Meanwhile, according to the flow of thought, it is clear that he should not have said the same thing more clearly, or in other words, but indicated what prompted him to thank God for the Thessalonians. This will be clear by itself when we combine the words: “before God and the Father” with the virtues indicated above. What prompted it? – The perfection of their Christian virtues before God and the Father. It is worthy of praise and thanksgiving that the Thessalonians showed both the work of faith, the work of love, and the patience of hope before God and the Father, dedicating them to Him at the thought of Him, in His presence doing them, and, therefore, with all care and zeal, with all sincerity and purity of motives. The Thessalonians remembered that “the God of all oversees all this” (Blessed Theodoret), that “He sees everything and that with Him nothing that they do is consigned to oblivion” (Ecumenius). That is why they tried to demonstrate the designated virtues in themselves in such strength. Here Saint Paul sees in the Thessalonians the same perfection, success in which - more and more - he later wishes for them at the end of the first part of the letter, praying that the Lord would “establish their hearts blameless in holiness before God and our Father” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). And this was very appropriate to mean, since after this expression of the attitude of the Thessalonians towards God, the Apostle wants to remember God’s attitude towards them, as it were: you do everything before God - and it is worthy to act this way; for God also showed you much mercy by choosing you. c) God’s favor towards them, manifested in their election (1 Thess. 1:4-7) 1 Sol.1:4. Knowingly, beloved brethren, your election is from God. “Knowing” stands in direct correspondence with “constantly remembering” and points to the second reason that prompted St. Paul to thank God for the Thessalonians, namely, their election to participate in the kingdom of grace. Election is definitely a sign of God’s great favor, for which one cannot help but give thanks. Just as ancient Israel was chosen from the entire human race to be the people of God; so now from Israel and from all languages a new race, “tongue,” is chosen for God holy,” people renewed through calling from darkness into the wonderful light revealed by the Gospel (1 Pet. 2:9). The elect are called, those who are called are justified, those who have preserved justification are glorified (Rom. 8:30). Seeing clearly that the Thessalonians were led into this wondrous way of God, Saint Paul thanks God for them. Saint Paul could see this already from the fact that they were called to. Gospel, for this calling is an indication of election. But he draws his special conviction from the fact that their very calling was accompanied by extraordinary manifestations of the power of God. In this peculiarity of vocation he sees the peculiarity of election; why does he include the proclamation: “brothers beloved by God.” Nevertheless, he brings this to their memory both in order to console them in their sorrows, and to assure them that both by believing and by standing in faith they are accomplishing the work of God - what God wants from them, for which He has chosen them. What should we refer to “from God” - to “brotherly beloved from God”, or to “your election is from God”? - Our interpreters do not bother with this; in presenting their interpretation of this passage they use both expressions. Theophylact writes: “We know that you are chosen by God”; Ecumenius: “We know that you are chosen and beloved by God.” There is no need to bother your head with this. In thought, both are equal. applicable - “from God”. Chosen because they are loved, “beloved”, therefore they are chosen. Israel was called beloved (Ps. 59:7, 107:7), by election (Rom. 11:28). And Christians are beloved, as if they were chosen (Col. 3:12). “Beloved” is clearer and more comforting. Is this not why Saint Paul prefaced election with this term, so that this election, something abstract, could be brought closer to the heart and thereby give it the opportunity to produce its effect on it? Graceful election is the realization of God's love for one or another, according to which He, having brought into action the plan of salvation of sinful humanity inherent in Him from eternity through Jesus Christ, consistently introduces people into participation in it, calling for faith in the Gospel. By vocation the act of election is accomplished. Those who follow him enter into the state and rank of the elect. With St. Paul, of course, both are here; for further he describes how their election approached them, 1 Thessalonians 1:5, and how the Thessalonians entered into the rank of the chosen and stand in it, 1 Thessalonians 1:6. In Saint Paul, Christians are everywhere called the elect as those persons in whom, through the call to faith, God’s eternal decree of salvation is fulfilled. 1 Thessalonians 1:5. For our gospel is not swift to you in words, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in telling many people, just as in the message that came to you for your sake. Having pointed out the election of the Thessalonians, Saint Paul now indicates on what his conviction in their election is based. He sees the basis for this both in their calling, by which God’s election was presented to them, and in their following the calling, in the way they entered into the ranks of the chosen ones and stand in it. In both he sees the tangible finger of God and from this he extracts confirmation of the election of the Thessalonians. The first is the content of 1 Thess. 1:5, the second is the content of 1 Thess. 1 and 1 Thess. 1:7. I know, he says that you are the chosen ones, because my gospel to you was not only in words. Having said not “in the word only”, of course, he wants to follow this with something other than the word. Why should the words: “in the power and Holy Spirit” not be understood as some features of the word, but as something that was apart from the word, although it accompanied the word. The living word is a necessary means of spreading the Gospel, but in itself it is not sufficient. He was given strength by the special assistance of God, as the Evangelist Mark testified about the Apostles, that they, having departed, preached the Gospel everywhere; but the Lord helped them and confirmed their word with subsequent signs (Mark 16:20). The Holy Apostle says the same thing here - that their gospel was not in words exactly, but in power and the Holy Spirit: “in power” - in the signs revealed in Thessaloniki by God through Saint Paul; “in the Holy Spirit” - in the sending down of wonderful gifts of the Spirit, the gift, for example, of tongues or prophecy and others, so common in the primal Christian Churches - which is hinted at when in at the end he says: “Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecy” (1 Theodoret, 5:19-20). Blessed Theodoret says in this place: “You yourselves are witnesses of the power of the Gospel. For we not only offered you an instructive word, but also through miracles we showed you the truth of the words, in which we ourselves are involved: for this is what the words mean: and in the Holy Spirit.” It is clear,” adds Saint Theophylact, “that you are chosen, that God glorified the preaching among you. For we did not just preach, but there were also signs, because God blessed you to believe as those chosen and ordained by Him.” With the words: “with the knowledge of many,” St. Paul wants to say that their preaching, accompanied by miracles and the distribution of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, penetrated the hearts of the Thessalonians and produced in them complete and complete conviction, or poured into their hearts the wealth of knowledge of reason (Col. 2:2). And the Savior said that without signs and wonders one cannot expect faith from people (John 4:48). The tangible presence of the power of God softens the heart, opens it and opens it to accept the truth. But one can see in these words an indication not of just one belief, but also of some special method of it. In addition to the signs emanating from the Apostle, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed by the laying on of his hands, different persons could, by the grace of God, receive different personal notifications and confirmations of the truth of the Gospel, some a dream, some a vision, some inner illumination, just as Saint Paul himself was in a special way notified not to go to Asia, but to Macedonia. This is suggested by the comparison of these words with the words: “in the power and Holy Spirit.” Just as the right hand of the Most High is obvious in these, so nothing prevents us from seeing its indication “in the notice to the world.” The following verse speaks about the conviction and belief of the Thessalonians. It is not surprising that such features accompanied the gospel of the Gospel in Thessaloniki. This was to be expected. The spirit did not allow the holy Apostle to go to Asia and Bithynia, and the man who appeared called him to Macedonia. This indicates both that the time of calling has arrived for the Macedonians, and that the hand of God, which promotes the word, will not be shortened. How natural that when Saint Paul, guided by this invisible man and the Spirit, after the miracles in Philippi, reached Thessaloniki and extended the word of the gospel to them, this word was confirmed by subsequent signs and announcements from above. “Likewise you know what is going on in you for your sake.” since the Apostle’s goal is to restore in the Thessalonians a conviction in the Divinity of the holy faith, which they accepted, through conviction in their election, then, having indicated on what his own conviction in their election is based, Saint Paul now introduces the same facts into the consciousness of the Thessalonians, so that, having realized everything that happened to them during the sermon, they themselves would draw the same conclusion: yes, here the finger of God is tangibly obvious, acted among us - and the great mercy of God towards us, signifying election, is undoubted. Saint Paul does not say how we preached among you, but what happened, as it were: you know what signs God showed in you through us, what gifts you received, how God informed you that our word is true. So do not doubt God’s favor towards you and the Divinity of faith. "What were in you for your sake". Everything that came from us was for your sake. We are organs; the source is God; you are the receivers. Bypassing the organs, look at the source and make sure from everything that “the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Lk. 11:20), according to God's will, according to His love for you and His election of you. And from here it came naturally to what the Apostle was leading them to: therefore, stand in faith, counting all deprivations and attacks as nothing. 1 Thessalonians 1:6–7. And you became like us and the Lord, receiving the word in great sorrow with the joy of the Holy Spirit, as if you would be an example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The second basis for certification of the election of the Thessalonians is indicated by Saint Paul in the fact that they accepted the Gospel with joy, despite external opposition, thereby becoming like the Apostles and the Lord and becoming a model for all believers. Just as the Lord and the holy Apostles proclaimed the word of truth amid hostile attacks from outside, so the Thessalonians accepted this truth and became bearers of it amidst sorrows with joy coming from the Spirit. This joyful, quick acceptance and strong content of the truth, despite all the external difficulties, is a clear indication of the unnatural, superhuman origin of their faith, and further of the Divinity of faith itself, and even further of God’s special favor towards them. The strength of the proof of the apostolic thought is not in the acceptance of the Gospel, but in the manner of this acceptance. How my word to you, as the Apostle says, was accompanied by manifestations of the power of God; so your acceptance of my word was not according to the usual order; for it was accomplished in the midst of persecution from without, and, moreover, with joy. Apparently God has favored you and God has chosen you. The Apostle strengthens the conviction of election through this unusualness by comparing the Thessalonians with himself and the Lord, which he places in front in order to thereby illuminate his speech. Election lies in the fact that the Lord has deigned to reveal you as similar to us, and even to Himself, in the fact that just as we preach the truth under the cross, so you accepted it and support it while under the cross. You have thus entered the path of God, the path along which the Lord walked and His Apostles walk. Here are a few words from St. Chrysostom about this: “Look, what praise! Students suddenly became equal to teachers. They not only heeded the teaching, but also reached the same height as Paul. But this is nothing compared to what follows. In fact, look where he leads them, saying: “like unto the Lord”? How is this possible? - “I received the word in great sorrow with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” Not just with sorrow, but with much. It was not enough to say: you grieved and, despite the disasters, you did not stop believing; but you believed with great joy. The Apostles did the same: “rejoicing,” it is said about them, “because for the name of the Lord Jesus you were counted worthy to receive dishonor” (Acts 5:41). – How did they become “like the Lord”? - Because He Himself, enduring great suffering, did not indulge in sorrow, but rejoiced. This is why He came voluntarily, this is why He humbled Himself for us, in order to endure spitting, strangling and crucifixion; That’s why, enduring all this, He rejoiced.” How is it possible to receive the word with joy in the midst of sorrows? – When, during the preaching of the Gospel, the heart feels the truth and desires salvation with the hope of receiving it, then it cannot help but feel joy, as if it had found a treasure. So as usual. But when oppression from the outside prevents even conviction from forming, and not just from instilling the hope of salvation, and joy for the sake of it, and yet, in such circumstances, a living, strong faith appears, accompanied by joy; this is a clear sign that there was a special action from above. The Spirit of God gave us a taste of the goodness of salvation and, filling our heart with joy, did not allow it to be constrained by sorrows, and arranged it so that it was open to accept the truth and closed to the feeling of sorrow. Thus, the acceptance of the word in sorrow was mediated by joy, which is from the Holy Spirit; here is a tangible indication of favor from above, and together - of the Divinity of faith and the salvific nature of belief. “If this is already a lot,” says Saint Chrysostom, “to endure sorrow somehow; then to endure them with joy is characteristic of those who are higher than human nature, who had a body that seemed to be impassive. “With joy,” he says, “of the Holy Spirit.” So that no one would say: how do you talk about sorrow and at the same time about joy, how both are together, he added: with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Sorrow in them is as in physical, and joy as in spiritual. How is this possible? – Circumstances are sorrowful, but what they produce is not so: for the Spirit does not allow it. “You,” says (the Apostle), were grieved and persecuted, but the Spirit did not leave you even then, and just as the three youths were watered in fire, so you are in sorrows. Just as there the irrigation was not the action of the nature of fire, but of the cooling Spirit, so here it is not the nature of sorrow that produces joy, but the Spirit, watering and through the furnace of temptation leading to coolness and peace.” “As if to be an image for you.” What is the image? – In diligent acceptance of the Gospel, in unshakable fidelity to it and, as can be seen from what follows, in a complete change in one’s life according to its spirit. The perfection of their faith was obvious to everyone. Recognized perfection evokes imitation. But the Apostle wants to say more, he wants to inspire that this too is from God, that this too is a sign of the Divinity of their faith, the supernaturalism of faith, and, therefore, of God’s special election. Nobody intentionally disclosed it. The light of Divine glory on their faith is seen, because it exists and could not fail to be seen by those who are capable. How and in what way it was discovered that they had become a model, the Apostle further reveals in 1 Thess. 1:8. “For you to be an image of a believer.” Saint Chrysostom says: “He did not say: you should be an image of a believer, but already a believer, that is, you, having entered into the struggle from the very beginning, taught by this how one should believe in God. Do you see how much diligence means? With diligence, you don’t need a lot of time, or procrastination, or procrastination, but you just need to get down to business, and everything will be carried out. That is why they, having accepted the sermon after others, became teachers of those who accepted it first.” d) The beneficial effect of the glory of their conversion and faith on all other Christians (1 Thess. 1:8-10) 1 Thessalonians 1:8. For the word of the Lord has rushed from you not only to Macedonia and Achaia, but also to every place your faith has gone forth to God, so as not to require us to say anything. In the last three verses - 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 9, 10, Saint Paul depicts the third side of the bright state of Thessalonians, namely their glory among all the Christians of that time in Macedonia and Achaia and in every other place. This was not some vague, silent rumor. The rumor about their faith spread with precise certainty, indicating who preached among them and how, how they believed and what exactly. It was like an apostolic sermon without the Apostles, spreading across all countries. In verse 8, the Apostle indicates what was announced, the scope of the announcement, the manner of its distribution and completeness. What was announced? - “The Word of the Lord” has rushed by... “Your faith” has departed. Rumors spread about the faith of the Thessalonians; but as faith comes from the word, at the same time the very word of the Lord spread, or the word of the Lord rushed, as it was preached by the Apostles and believed by the Thessalonians. The flowing Word of the Lord (2 Thess. 3:1) is not something special, but the same as the word of Christ, richly dwelling in hearts (Col. 3:16). How was this announced? “I rushed... out..” . They did not send deliberate heralds and preachers. Besides them, the word itself about their faith and the glory of their belief spread everywhere; εξηχηται responded like an echo. – The Word comes from the Lord and addresses people; and in people the word of God is answered by faith - the receiver of the word; then, borrowing faith from faith, it spreads the word of the Lord throughout the earth. The Word comes from heaven like the voice of the trumpet of God; its sound is accepted by some, but from these these sounds disperse everywhere, without diminishing in strength. Saint Chrysostom writes about this: “Like fragrant myrrh, it does not retain the fragrance in itself, but spreads it far and, dissolving the air with it, delights the senses of those standing around; just as noble and venerable men cannot hide their virtues in themselves, but through the news that spreads about them they benefit many, making them better. The same thing happened then (with the Thessalonians). That is why (the Apostle) said, as it were, about them: you presented an instructive example for those living near you and filled the whole universe with amazement. And he did not say: the word of the Lord is spread, but: rushing, sounded, was announced, εξηχηται, suggesting that just as the voice of a sounding trumpet fills all the surrounding places, so the glory of your valor, as loud as the sound of a trumpet, filled the entire universe and reached everyone everywhere with equal force. Great deeds where they are performed are loudly glorified, but in the distance they are glorified, but not so much. But with you it’s different: your fame spread with equal force throughout the whole earth.” How widely did the rumor spread? - He rushed through all Macedonia and Achaia and went to every place. Saint Chrysostom says that “to every place” means “to the whole universe.” Corinth was the central city connecting East and West. People flocked here from all over the world. And it was not surprising for Saint Paul to hear from Christians visiting Corinth how they were talking everywhere about the conversion of the Thessalonians and their steadfastness in the faith. It can be seen how loud the Apostle’s preaching was in Thessaloniki, being accompanied by signs and wonders and the distribution of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; How wonderful was the conversion of Thessalonians, how noisy the Nevers rebelled against them, and how courageous was their firmness in persecution. All this was the reason for the rapid spread of rumors everywhere. Thessaloniki, with its position, opened the way to this, and Corinth made it possible to hear about this rumor. How full is the hearing? - “Don’t ask us to say what.” “Nowhere,” says Saint Chrysostom, “do they expect to hear our story about you, but people who have not visited you and have not seen anything precede with their stories about you those who visited you and saw your exploits. Thus your faith became known everywhere by rumor! And we do not need to talk about your affairs in order to arouse similar competition in others, for what they should hear about from us, they themselves tell us about, warning us.” What consolation, what inspiration and what strength these words were able to pour into the souls of Thessalonians! If your fame has spread so widely, then be careful not to darken it not only by apostasy, but also by any anti-Christian deeds. If at the same time your conversion served as a reason for the conversion of others, then continue to stand like a candle on a candlestick and shine for everyone. You stand courageously in faith; valiant deed. But now everyone looks at you, everyone sympathizes with you and approves of you. Take heart! You are not alone; everything is with you. 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10. For they proclaim about us what kind of entrance we have to you, and how we have turned to God from idols, to work for God living and in truth, and to wait for His Son from heaven, who rose from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath of the coming. The Apostle indicates what subjects the rumor about the Thessalonians concerned, precisely how it appeared among them and how they turned - to whom, from whom and for what. – Here is a complete program of the apostolic activity and the change they made in the believers. “What is the entrance I have to you” - more than one thing reminds us of the cross under which he stood with them from the first days or how kindly and cordially he was received by those who wanted to listen to the word of truth; but especially in the way in which he appeared among them as an Apostle, that is, with a sermon confirmed by subsequent signs, although pressed from without. “And how you converted” - how wonderfully the change in the hearts of Thessalonians took place, how easily and with what readiness they converted, without feeling, as it were, the need for special effort in order to serve the living and true God (Chrysostom), - also despite the external tightness. In this - “how” - in the mouths of those who spoke, one can hear the joy of outside Christians, at the news of the conversion of Thessalonians, as about the increase in the common, united brotherhood in Christ throughout the whole world and the spread of the glory of the faith of Christ. “How have you turned to God from idols” - the same as in other places, “from these vain things I live to God, who created heaven and earth” (Acts 14:15), or “out of darkness into the light, from the realm of Satan to God” (Acts 26, 18, 20). It is clear that the conversion consisted not only of a change in confession and image of worship, but was accompanied by an internal change, after which the past state compared to the new one was the same as darkness compared to light. There was, therefore, something to proclaim; and the Thessalonians knew what joyful and gratifying event Saint Paul brought to mind when speaking about these rumors. “Work for God living and in truth, and wait for His Son from heaven.” – Two main feelings and dispositions that governed all the affairs and the entire life of the converts! – The latter is protected by the former and strengthened against all inconveniences and troubles. Work! The Lord is about to come and bring everything into blissful order and order! - Works. God is the supreme Lord. Man is a rational creature, obligated to work for Him unconditionally, but consciously and desirably. In this regard, however, there is no cruelty and coldness of slavery. Those who work for God are His own. The servant of God is a God-pleasing person; and work for God - pleasing God. Sonship, acquired in new grace, does not cancel this, but, on the contrary, elevates it, expands it, strengthens it. St. Paul distinguishes the work he preached to God with the words: “I live and truly work for God,” “I live,” in contrast to soulless idols, “and the truth,” in contrast to imaginary, imaginary gods, “who pretend to be gods, but are not” (Rom. 1:25; Acts 14:15) (Blessed Theodoret). It is in vain to think that the Apostle speaks here only from the point of view of the Old Testament, or only from the beginnings of reasonable natural faith, as if in favor of those who had just believed from Jews and pagans, without indicating the features that highlight the work of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Christian features of working for God are faith in the Lord the Redeemer, who cleanses from sins, and rebirth in Him, or the acceptance of the grace of the Most Holy Spirit to resist sin and defeat it. But before this, Saint Paul incessantly mentioned the Lord the Savior and the Holy Spirit, as we have seen. Yes, and in these very words one can imply an indication of that. In order to serve God living and truly, we must first approach Him and be reconciled with Him. You can be reconciled with Him only through Jesus Christ, having cleansed your conscience from dead works by His blood (Heb. 9:14). And not just this; but we still need to receive strength to truly serve Him, and these forces come from the Holy Spirit in the holy sacraments. It is true that all this was explained to the Thessalonians during the first sermon, but now it is only hinted at by one common feature of the work of the living and true God. Christianity does not insert a person into a new rank, but into the one in which he should be by nature, but from which he fell. Moreover, when Saint Paul immediately says: “wait for His Son,” then with this one proposition he briefly embraces all Christian dogma. This means that the Thessalonians already knew that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God - our redemption, sanctification and resurrection. "Wait for His Son". St. Paul defines the goals of converts in two terms: “working” is a matter of love and “waiting” is a matter of hope. If in the word “convert” we see a matter of faith, then here again are all three Christian virtues: faith in conversion, love in service, hope in waiting for the Son of God from heaven. But one cannot help but see that here too the matter of hope is given preferential development. This is due to the nature of this epistle, as well as the second, both of which are deliberately occupied with the second coming of Christ. However, this subject is clearly presented in all other writings of the New Testament, so that the expectation of the Son of God from heaven is, one might say, a distinctive feature of the internal mood of Christians and is so outlined by the Lord Himself that it cannot but be kept in mind every hour and minute. “Wait for His Son from heaven, whom He will raise from the dead.” – In the very first letter we meet in St. Paul’s name the Savior as the Son of God. This determines His eternal relationship with the living and true God, about which the Apostle just spoke. So Saint Paul preached to the Thessalonians about the living God, not only as one in essence, but also as not one in persons, pointing out that God from the beginning has a Son - God, consubstantial with Him, and that this Son is the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world of sinners to save us. "Wait from Heaven". This means that He was resurrected and ascended; ascended back to where he came from. “Rise him from the dead.” This is the main subject of the apostolic preaching - the time of Christianity. Every speech of the holy Apostles, both in Jerusalem and everywhere, boiled down to this. For it was impossible to say a word on behalf of Him who was crucified without saying that He was resurrected, ascended into heaven and will come again from heaven. “You suddenly see everything,” says Saint Chrysostom, “the resurrection, the ascension, the second coming, judgment, reward for the righteous and punishment for the wicked. The main proof that Christ Jesus is the Son of God is His resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1:4). St. Paul exhibits him.” "Jesus delivering us". After the Divine name, Jesus puts the human name for no other reason than to signify two natures - the condition of our deliverance, which is why he immediately adds: deliverer. He did not say: the one who delivered, or the one who has to deliver, but the one who delivers, in order to signify the continuity of the deliverance he accomplished, or His eternal significance as the Deliverer from the age foreordained. How comforting it was to hear that those who have now believed are already freed from the wrath that will strike everyone who is not involved in faith in the Lord! “Here is approval, consolation, and instruction for them. If God the Father raised Him from the dead, if He is in heaven and will come from there - and you believe that this is really so - then this is already sufficient approval” (St. Chrysostom). “The Lord delivers believers from the wrath to come,” that is, from condemnation at the Last Judgment. This action of truth is called wrath for the sake of the severity of the judgment and the immutability of the definition, but more so for the feeling with which those who are subject to it will accept the condemnation. The horror that is about to befall them will, according to the custom of the guilty, see the Judge angry and meekly pronouncing the definition of eternal truth. The Lord Jesus Christ delivers those who believe in Him from this judgment. In Christ Jesus the judgment of the world has already been completed (John 12:31). Only the one who abandons the world and cleaves to Christ by faith is removed from the area affected by this judgment and retreats into the shadow of the cross, through which the blows of God’s wrath will not pass when the sentence of judgment pronounced over the world is carried out. Whoever believes will not be condemned (John 3:14–18, 5:24). “God do not cause us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). 2. Apostle Paul’s stay with the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:1–16) In the second part of the 1st part of the letter, historical, Saint Paul describes his stay with his colleagues in Thessaloniki (1 Thessalonians 2:1-16), touching mainly on two points: a) the characteristic features of his preaching and action (1 Thessalonians 2:1-12); and b) faith and courageous adherence to the faith of the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:13–16). When we begin to explain this separation, we inevitably encounter the question: what made St. Paul touch on this subject and depict it in such detail? – Saint Paul begins his speech this way: “you know it yourself.” The particle “bo” - γαρ - for in the subsequent speech it indicates the reason for the previous one - as it were: this is what they say about my preaching to you and your conversion. It is so, for you yourself know how it happened. The two halves of this section exactly correspond to what St. Paul heard (1 Thessalonians 1:9), namely, “what is the entrance I have to you” (1 Thessalonians 2:1-12) and “how be converted" (1 Thessalonians 2:13-16) - But if Saint Paul really only intended to confirm and explain what was told by outsiders; then, as all this was already known to the Thessalonians, it would have been enough to hint about it, and not to depict in such detail the speeches of outside Christians can be considered a reason for the fact that the holy Apostle spoke about this subject, but that he speaks about it so broadly, this is true. There was another reason. - The first possible reason here is that by renewing in the memory of the Thessalonians their hopes? Didn’t Paul deceive you, or was he himself delusional, under some influence of the unclean? How many Jews do we have who are reluctant to believe? And he just showed up and left - and he didn’t care... Such speeches could not, of course, confuse everyone, but it cannot be said that they did not confuse anyone, especially among those who believed after St. Paul left Thessaloniki. Those who wavered could be dissuaded by those who were more skillful and firm; but their disbelief required apostolic confirmation. The Holy Apostle writes. It is only clear that he wants to eliminate real, and not imaginary, embarrassment. – The very manner of speech does not allow for the assumption that Saint Paul, foreseeing that here, as in other places, troublers of the peace of believers will appear, is first preparing a rebuff against them in the proposed interpretation of his actions. a) The preaching of the Apostles and their actions Characteristic features of aa) preaching and bb) action of the holy Apostles in Thessaloniki, - 1 Thess. 2, 1-12. aa) Traits of preaching (1 Thess. 2, 1–6) 1 Thessalonians 2:1. You know, brethren, that our entrance, like unto you, was not in vain. “You know yourself.” The previous speech provided the occasion, or served as a transition, to the next one. Saint Paul connects this with that, retelling the same thing that outsiders told and what the Thessalonians themselves knew, only for his own special purpose. - “Our Entry.” This is not only his arrival in Thessaloniki and the first appearance among the Thessalonians, but the entire stay of Saint Paul there, from arrival to departure, entering into spiritual communion with the Thessalonians, as he preached to them, how they believed, how the Church was formed and structured from them. “For it was not in vain.” This goes against the first complaint. “Not in vain" - ου κενη . Κενος - empty. They said correctly: these people, idle wanderers, dreamers, deceiving or deceived, walk in vain. The Apostle says: we are not like that. Whoever is like this will not suffer; but we suffered in Philippi and, having come to you, we had to immediately enter into struggle and feat. You can judge by this one, that our coming to you is our work, completed in you, is not an empty, aimless, deceptive meaning. This word has a similar meaning in 1 Cor. delights." Saint Chrysostom interprets: ουκ ανθρωπινη, ουδε η τυχουσα not human (entrance), occurring for ordinary everyday purposes, and not random, not just something, not aimless, not insignificant. Ecumenius explains Chrysostom’s thought, saying: “not in vain,” that is, our preaching conversations were not false fables or sleepy dreams, idle talk or idle talk - ου μυθοι ψευδεις και ληροι. Where is this visible? - It is clear from this, that, only having avoided dangers, we again dared to expose ourselves to new dangers, which, of course, we would not have dared to do if we were not sure that our preaching was Divine. For, according to Theodoret, “those who indulge in deception only wear a mask to the point of danger, but as soon as they see them, they immediately reveal themselves, and the lie is exposed.” If we put this word “not in vain” in accordance with what is said in 1 Thess. 1:5: “not in word exactly, but in power,” then it will mean: our entrance to you was not ordinary, we did not act among you with one word, but our word, by God’s special mercy towards you, was accompanied by signs and wonders. Such a thought will stand in accordance with the previous one, showing in the signs of God that accompanied The Apostle’s sermon, the reason why they were talking about the Thessalonians everywhere. Saint Chrysostom also points to it when, starting to interpret the second chapter, he speaks generally about its content: “Here (the Apostle) wants to express what he said above, namely, he shows the properties of (Christian) preaching both from the side of the miracles and determination of the preachers, and from the side of the zeal and zeal of those who accepted the sermon.” In relation to what St. Paul says below, 1 Thessalonians 3:5: “Let not our labor be in vain,” one can give this word the following meaning in the present place: that the Apostle’s entry to the Thessalonians was not useless, but brought much fruit, the conversion of so many and so zealous Christians. In this case, it will correspond to 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, which talks about the conversion of Thessalonians. Blessed Theodoret says that after the sorrowful circumstances in Philippi, Saint Paul was filled with great zeal, because he foresaw the benefits of his labors. Which of these three thoughts to choose can be left to your choice, for they all do not contradict one another, as well as the flow of the apostolic speech. 1 Thessalonians 2:2. But having suffered and been annoyed, like the news in Philippi, we dared to speak to you the gospel of God with much effort in our God. In the fact that the Apostles, having suffered, again enter into the work of preaching for which they suffered, one must see something great, extraordinary, superhuman. The persistence of one’s work, and the fearlessness with which a teaching was proposed that brought not joy, but sorrow, show in St. Paul and his colleagues people who need only be recalled in order to dispel the criticism leveled against them and their work. This is what St. Paul does. You yourself, he says, know what happened to us before we came to you and what was with you, and by how it was, judge the meaning of our sermon. Saint Chrysostom says: “You see that from the firmness of preachers the proof of the Divinity of their preaching is borrowed! If,” as the Apostle says, “our preaching were not like this, then we would not expose ourselves to such calamities that do not allow us to breathe freely.” How the Apostles suffered in Philippi, the Acts of the Saints conveys this in Acts 16:12–40. The Thessalonians learned about this either from the Apostles themselves, or from the Philippian Christians, with whom, of course, immediately after their conversion they entered into communication. St. Paul outlines in two words what happened to them in Philippi: “the things that happened before and the troubles that happened.” By suffering he means that they tore their clothes, beat them with clubs and, having given many wounds, sent them to prison, where they were put in a further cell, and their feet were stuffed into luggage (stocks) (Acts 16:23-24). The annoyance (υβρις - reproach, dishonor, reproach), in addition to the fact that they were publicly exposed and beaten, of course not without reproachful words, also truly means that in St. Paul even the right of a Roman citizen was not spared, as he spoke about this to the judges in Philippi (Acts 16:37). How exactly the epistle agrees with Acts even in such particulars! “Bold in our God.” Boldness - παρρησια - courage, unabashed fearlessness to proclaim the truth in the face of unbelievers, and hostile ones at that. It comes not only from conviction in the truth, but also from the confidence that preaching is carried out on God’s personal order, and that God’s help is always ready. This is a distinctive property of all the Apostles. The Lord Himself commanded them to be like this and gave them the strength to do so. “Before the lords,” he says, “and you will be led into kings...”. But don't be afraid. “It will be given to you whatever you say. It is not you who speaks, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matthew 10:18-20). The boldness of the Holy Apostle Paul is often spoken of in the Acts, beginning with his very conversion. In Damascus, in Jerusalem, and then everywhere, he dares to fearlessly preach the truth of the Gospel (Acts 9:27–28, 13:46, 14:3, 19:8, 26:26). He, like the other Apostles, was inspired to such boldness not only by a deep conviction in the truth, but especially by the fact that he personally received from the Lord Himself a commandment for this and a promise of always ready help from above. The Lord Himself appeared to him and sent him to preach His name to all languages ​​(Acts 9:6, 15–16, 22:17–21). So he dares, not relying on his own strength, but dares about “his God,” Whom, from tactile experiences, he recognized as his helper and patron and with Whom, being sincerely united in the depths of his heart, whatever he did, he did in the light of His mental vision, from Him receiving instruction on what, how and when to do, and inspiration for the action itself. Just as one feels such an attitude towards God constantly, so too He speaks involuntarily. Having reminded the Thessalonians of this, the Apostle leads their minds to see the source of the teaching taught to them not in man, but in God and to adhere to it, as if directly given to them by God, he inspires that he preaches before God with the consciousness that it is revealed to Him, and thereby wants to win them over by recognizing it in their consciences ( 2 Cor. 5:11), to recognize that is, as a sincere preacher of God’s entrusted teaching to him, as they already recognized him at the beginning, having received the word from him, “not as the word of man, but as in truth the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13). That’s why he adds that he dared to say to them not something of his own, but “the gospel of God.” This is the main idea of ​​the second verse, like the first - in the word “not in vain.” However, other words only indicate connections that suggest this thought. Both verses can be briefly conveyed this way: our entry to you, our work with you, our preaching was not empty, but we brought you the joyful news of salvation from God, taught you God’s gospel. "With many feats". As before, he said about the Thessalonians that they “received the word in great sorrow with the joy of the Spirit”; This is what he now says about himself: that they, too, dared to teach them the word of the Lord through God with many feats. Saint Paul makes a similar comparison of his own exploits with the exploits of his converts in his letter to the Philippians (1 Thess. 1:30). By feat, however (αγων - struggle), one can understand here not only the overcoming of external obstacles and sorrows, but also the struggle with the minds of those listening, as can be concluded from the fact that Saint Paul competed with the Jews from the Scriptures (Acts 17:2); as well as in general tirelessness in the work of preaching, of which he speaks below ((1 Thess. 2:9-11). Anyone who wishes to see what deeds Saint Paul raised in preaching the Gospel and in other places, let him read 1 Cor. 9:2-9; 2 Cor. 4:8, 11, 23-30; 2 Tim. 4:7. 1 Sol.2:3. Our consolation is not from delusion, nor from impurity, lower than flattery. Our consolation, by implication, is, and was not, as shown by the “verb” in the next verse, with which this is one speech. In this 3rd verse, in connection with the next 4th, the holy Apostle confirms what was said in 1 Thess. 2 and 1 Thess. preaching the gospel - which seems to inspire you to speak, despite the troubles because of it - the answer is this: for all this there is one reason - that our teaching is not some kind of error in which we are entangled, like philosophers, is not the work of unclean forces or some kind of evil intrigue, but directly from God the Commandment of God inspires us to preach, and we are convinced that we are preaching the truth, just as we are convinced of it. that God is true. But just as this testimony of the holy Apostle about himself and his work could be questioned by others, then after this he points to his activity among the Thessalonians, which is known to everyone (1 Thess. 2 and 1 Thess. 2:9), and the conclusion from which should be the same, saying, as it were: if you do not believe the words, then believe the deeds, as the Lord said to the Jews (John 10:38, 14, 11). “Consolation” παρακλησις - which means an invitation, calling, in general, speech addressed to another. According to the content of speech and παρακλησις, there is either teaching (Acts 15:31), or exhortation (1 Tim. 1:9), or consolation. In this place, the Apostle called the Gospel sermon, and appropriately called it that, for the Gospel sermon combines all these three sides. It is also a teaching, for it offers pure and immutable truths about God, man, and everything that exists, and it is also an exhortation or begging (2 Cor. 5:20), for it consists not only in the proposition of truth, but also in the conviction to change the previous unkind order of life to a good one for God. pleasing, is also a consolation, for it promises the highest consolations to suffering humanity in reconciliation with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the preparation of the Kingdom of Heaven for believers. One can therefore say that this word was used by Saint Paul instead of what was said before this, “the gospel of God.” “Not from charm”, ουκ εκ πλανης. Πλανη means deception and seduction of others (Matt. 27:64; Eph. 4:14), and one’s own delusion, or self-delusion. In both senses, it is opposite to “truth” (1 John 4:6), as true love and truthfulness and as undoubted knowledge of real truth. In the present place it has the latter meaning. St. Paul says this: by preaching the Gospel so persistently, we do not stand in delusion, in error, which we ourselves would be carried away by or carried away by others, like philosophers and similar people carried away by their dreams, but we tangibly know that we are preaching the truth, for we have personally received a command to do so from God Himself (Acts 22:21), Who is the truth itself. Our work,” says St. Paul, according to Chrysostom, “is not deception into which we would fall,” according to Theodoret, “the teaching we offer has no resemblance to the fables of poets, filled with many lies,” according to Ekumen, “our preaching is not something erroneous - πεπλανημενον - the fruit of self-delusion rooted." "Not from uncleanness." Others see in this word a denial of unclean motives; The apostle seems to want to say that their preaching is not done out of vanity or self-interest. But as he will speak about this immediately in 1 Thess. 2:5, it is unnecessary to assume the same idea here. Therefore, there is no need to deviate from the meaning given to this word by the ancient fathers and teachers of the Church, namely, that Saint Paul denies the origin of his work from evil spirits, like pagan superstitions, magic and sorcery. This thought is in accordance with St. Paul's purpose in these two verses - 1 Thess. 2 and 1 Thess. 2 - to indicate the source of his preaching and his courage. In the third verse, he denies the false opinions about this that may have circulated among the Thessalonians, and in the 4th he indicates the true source of it. The first source of human error is a short-sighted and proud mind, which considers whatever it comes up with to be certainly true. That the apostolic sermon does not come from this source, Saint Paul said in the word ουκ εκ πλανης. Another source of human error is the father of lies, who taught people all sorts of dark deeds and obscenities. This, in relation to his sermon, was denied by the Apostle: ουδε εξ ακαθαρσιας. The word “uncleanliness,” says Saint Chrysostom, “expresses that the work of the Apostles was not of the kind of dark deeds, like the deeds of sorcerers and wizards. “The apostolic teaching,” says Ecumenius, “is not something unclean, magical, similar to spells and magical verses used by other priests.” Blessed Theophylact and Blessed Theodoret had the same thought. That they could think so about the work of the Apostles and they had to deny this is nothing marvelous, for the Lord Himself had the same criticism and He refuted it. They could have made up this slander against the Apostles on the grounds that their preaching was accompanied everywhere by miracles and they instituted sacraments that produced extraordinary effects in those who received them. “No flattery”, ουδε εν δολω. This is denied in the same way, but with a special connotation that comes from the preposition εν. It is necessary, however, to understand this word in such a way as not to move away from the general goal of the Apostle in these verses - the denial of the sources from which the apostolic work is falsely carried out. Δολος, means cunning, deceit, malice, covering up the intended evil with sweet speech and plausibility. In simple life, this is a conscious deception, or a trick, in which, armed with flattery and people-pleasing, as they say, the skilled bypass the simple. and builds intrigues that are destructive to the established order. It would seem less necessary to level the latter kind of criticism against the preachers of the Gospel, but this kind of accusation is also leveled at the Lord, and at His Apostles, too, the Apostle means. He remembered the word that was raised against him and Silas in Thessalonica, that they were doing everything contrary to the commandments of Caesar, “who says there was another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:7), and he denied it. There were, perhaps, those in Thessalonica who developed this criticism at greater length, and the Apostle considered it necessary to stipulate this. Only in this sense, in accordance with the flow of speech and in εν δολω, will we indicate a new false source of the apostolic work from a political point of view - which is also denied by the holy Apostle, like the others. This meaning is given to him by the holy fathers and teachers. According to St. Chrysostom, the Apostle says to this that their cause is not a malicious matter, it is not any rebellious matter similar to the case of Theudas - δεδολωμενον; according to Ecumenius - malicious, the fruit of a ripe forge - committed, according to Theophylact, out of a desire for disturbances and revolutions, and capable, according to Theodoret, of those who accepted him into trouble. Others here depart from the holy fathers - and in ουδε εν δολω they see the denial of deception and wickedness in the Apostles, or the opinion according to which the Apostles said and did one thing, but meant something else, preached a faith that they did not believe, with selfish goals, choosing flattery as a tool to achieve them. But this confuses the flow of speech, because after one verse the Apostle will again deny the flattering caresses in himself. The obvious order of the speech here is this: in 1 Thess. 2 the Apostle rejects the false sources of his cause; in 1 Thess. 2:4 indicates its real source in God; then in 1 Thess. 2:5 and 1 Thess. 2 he rejects the evil goals and methods falsely attributed to them. 1 Sol.2:4. But if we have been tempted by God, return us to accept the gospel, so we say, not as pleasing to man, but to God who tempts our hearts. “Tempty” - δεδοκιμασμεθα. Δοκιμαζειν - to test, to inquire in practice, to investigate (1 Thessalonians 5:1; 1 Tim. 3:10), then, as a result of the test, to recognize one as fit, capable of something and for that reason to choose for some work (1 Cor. 16:3), and in general - to honor, to grant. People test and, after testing, choose. God has no need for testing (Chrysostom), but simply sees. Therefore, the Apostle says here: God saw or found us fit (as if he tested our suitability, skill and fidelity) in order to entrust us with the Gospel. He entrusted us with the Gospel because he saw our suitability, the shrine entrusted to us, with the help of grace, to receive pure, to preserve pure, and to pass on pure to others without any admixture from the corruption of our minds and hearts. “God tested us and chose us to entrust us with the Gospel” (Theophylact); would not have chosen us if he had not recognized us as worthy; If there were anything bad in us, then God would not have recognized us as fit and skillful. The proof of such dignity is that we have been entrusted with the gospel (Chrysostom). But the purpose why Saint Paul mentions this here is not to remind of his own dignity, but to certify others of his fidelity to God’s command. since such trust has been placed in us, we cannot be unfaithful. But as it was entrusted to us and as, when entrusted, it was commanded, “we say this,” that is, in the same spirit, according to the same norm and thought. Preaching the Gospel is entirely consistent with trust. God tempted us and entrusted us with the gospel. But as He tempted us, so we remain. We speak as is characteristic of those who are tempted by God and recognized as worthy to preach the gospel (Chrysostom). The conclusion from here is: therefore, believe our word as the word of God. We speak to you not for any of the reasons indicated before and rejected, but we speak God, according to God’s command, without any admixture of anything disapproving before God. “As if we were tempted... this is the verb, not like pleasing man, but God who tempts our hearts.” “We don’t have in mind,” he says, “to please people, but our whole concern is to be pleasing to God, who tempts hearts.” “We did not make ourselves teachers, but God entrusted us with the Gospel. Therefore, we speak and do everything, as if with God as a witness; for we know that not a single movement of the soul is hidden from Him” (Theodoret). Although Saint Paul says that they are only trying to show their work pleasing to God, they obviously have the confidence that it is exactly like that; because their conscience testifies that they are faithful in everything to the One who has entrusted them and act completely according to His intentions and desires. This Apostle prevents criticism that is unfavorable for the success of the Gospel, as if they act out of man-pleasing. For in this case, suspicion of distortion of the truth is always appropriate. But this is impossible when they act before God to please Him. God sees this unchanging faithfulness, and we are jealous with fear to show it to Him, serving as if in His presence, lest otherwise He would remove us from the work for unfaithfulness. If he doesn’t leave us behind, it means he sees us as faithful. The conclusion here is the same: therefore, do not hesitate in believing our word, for it is completely such as God Himself wants it to be. By people to whom St. Paul denies pleasing, one can either understand such people who would be misled and persuaded to spread their false teaching, or who would form some kind of coven and teach them to act according to their plan, or one to whom the Gospel is preached, in order to show that they are not applied to their desires, but directly speak the truth of God, not stopping at the fact that it may be unpleasant to those who hear (compare: Gal. 1, 10). 1 Thessalonians 2:5–6. Never in a word of caress would I come to you, as if I knew; below in the wine of covetousness: God is my witness. Neither seeking glory from man, neither from you nor from others. Saint Paul now proceeds to indicate the spirit, types and methods of his preaching. Three criticisms, possible or actual, are dismissed here by Saint Paul: in flattery, in covetousness and love of fame. This is also indicated by the structure of speech: “never... nor” in wine... “nor” seeking: in Greek ουτε ... ουτε ... ουτε. First of all, St. Paul removes the criticism of endearment: “never in the word of endearment would I come to you.” This endearment, or flattery, is an extremely repulsive way of acting. It is not only unpleasant in person It is appropriate to deal with a flatterer, but even one who does not appear to be a flatterer in personal intercourse loses a lot, as soon as such a criticism is brought upon him and Saint Paul hastens to remove it, for it could serve as a barrier between him and the Thessalonians. Moreover, by rejecting this criticism, the holy Apostle thereby weakened the other two (in covetousness, in the search for glory). You can't have success without flattery. St. Chrysostom places them in precisely this dependence, saying: “We did not caress, as people do who seek self-interest or power. It cannot be said that we caressed in order to achieve power, or that we decided to do this for the money.” The Apostle says: we did not treat you with a word of endearment, we did not treat you with a word of endearment. Our word to you was alien to flattery, both in the manner of speech and in its content. But λογος also means the meaning of the matter, the motivation, the reason. If this is accepted, the Apostle’s thought will be this: we did not treat you and did not act among you in a spirit of flattery. In this case, “in the word of caresses” εν λογω κολακειας εν προφασει πλεονεξιας and will embrace the entire activity of the Apostles, whereas in the first it concerns only the word, conversation, preaching. “It’s not the fault of covetousness.” We did not act among you in the form of self-interest. They came to you to benefit you by preaching the Gospel, and not to take advantage of you. In wine, covetousness εν προφασει πλεονεξιας. Προφασις – preposition and intention. The apostle wants to say: under the plausibility of preaching and apostolic work, we did not hide selfish views. It’s not that he wants to say that no one can accuse them of this, that nothing of the sort was discovered, but that they didn’t have covetous plans in their hearts, that it didn’t even occur to them (Ecumenius). Why does the Apostle call God as a witness? – Because of the importance of criticism, which can cause great harm to the work of preaching if it is not removed; meanwhile, one cannot see that the Apostles really do not have such goals, for they are hidden in the heart. - The Apostle calls God as a witness, searching hearts, before Whom and from Whom they act (compare: Rom. 1:9; Phil. 1:8). He wants no trace of such dark thoughts about them to remain, and invites them to look into their consciences in the light of God’s omniscience. “In the discussion of flattery,” says Blessed Theodoret, following Chrysostom, “the Apostle called them (Thessalonians) themselves witnesses, because flattering speeches are obvious to those listening, but in the discussion of covetousness, not only them, but also the One who watches over the whole universe, because the purpose for which something is done is often hidden from people.” “No man seeks glory, neither from you nor from others. “We were not seeking”, that is, we were also not seekers of human glory, we acted without demanding honors, without vainglory - and this is not only with us, but everywhere and in front of everyone. “The Apostle did not say: we endured dishonor, or: we did not use honor, which would mean reproaching (thessalonians), but: we did not seek glory” (Chrysostom). “Although they were glorified by people, they themselves did not seek glory and did not enjoy it” (Ecumenius). In this, the holy Apostles were likened to the Lord, Who not only did not seek glory from people (John 8:50), but also did not accept it (John 5:41). The love of glory suppresses the love of truth (John 5:44). But this is not the glory of God. “Seek the glory of Him who sent him; this is true and there is no untruth in him” (John 7:18). Saint Paul wanted to instill this conviction in the hearts of the Thessalonians. Calling God as a witness to certify one’s purity from covetousness also extends to this point—to certify one’s purity and love of glory. “The same witness is also what we preach, not seeking glory from men” (Ecumenius). bb) Traits of action (1 Sol.2, 7–12) Until now, Saint Paul had exposed the subject of the sermon, the source of the teaching being preached and the spirit of preaching, or the motivation for it. Now he begins to depict how they behaved during the preaching of the Gospel to the Thessalonians. In three separate denials (1 Thess. 1:2, 3:4, 5:6) he reflected the criticism leveled at him, confirming that his teaching is not some empty superstition, but the Gospel of God, which is from God, and not from some evil source, and that he himself, when preaching it, was not driven by any unclean motives of covetousness or vanity and did not teach with the wrong ones methods of flattery and deceit, but as before God, testing hearts. Now he describes his activities from the positive side in short but strong terms. 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Mighty in the burden of being, like Christ’s Apostles: but you were in your midst, like a milkmaid warming her child. “In the burden of being,” one could, as it seems at first, apply to what the Apostle says in 1 Thess. 2:9: “let us not be burdened,” and to the use of this word by the Apostle in other places (2 Thess. 3:8; 2 Cor. 12:16, 11:9), to understand how to burden oneself with content. The apostles, according to the Lord’s command to the evangelists to eat from the gospel (1 Cor. 9:14), could immaculately accept content from those who accepted the Gospel. As this required new expenses that had not been experienced before, it could seem like a burden. Is it not this burden that St. Paul means here, saying, as it were: we could have burdened you with supporting ourselves, but we did not? - No, not this one. For then you should have added and put instead of - “in the burden of being” εν βαρει, - to be in a burden εις βαρος, - to say that is: it may be a burden to you. The main reason why such a meaning cannot be accepted is that it does not correspond to either the previous speech, which speaks of not seeking glory, or the subsequent one, where the Apostle speaks of his quietness. It is better to interpret “mighty in the burden of life” as in the Russian translation: able to appear with importance, like the Apostles. Chrysostom says in this place: “If the envoys of kings are honored, how much more so can we. Those who are sent to people from God, in all fairness, should, as messengers who appeared to us from heaven, enjoy greater honor, but, despite such an excess of rights, we do nothing of the kind to stop the mouths of our opponents.” It can be assumed that the Holy Apostle here has in mind to remove a new special criticism, similar to the one that was later woven in Corinth (2 Cor. 10:10), namely, that Saint Paul acted too weakly. The Messenger of God should have shown more importance. The Apostle says: we could have appeared as such, but we were quiet. Our love for you made us act this way. “But byhom tisi among you.” But it responds directly to the above: “mighty in the burden of being,” together with which it forms a special complete thought - how: we could appear with importance, but were quiet - that is, we did not maintain a high tone, were not possessive (1 Pet. 5:3), but as servants, according to the commandment of the Lord, we were ready to do everything ourselves for you (Matthew 20:26). “Tisi” - ηπιοι. `Ηπιος, - meek, quiet, tenderly loving, supportive, - is used precisely in the relations of superiors to inferiors, kings to subjects, bosses to subordinates, parents to children, doctors to those being treated. “Among you” - in treating you we were the same as you; as if we had nothing special, as if we had not received anything special purposes and meanings (Chrysostom); they appeared among you, surrounded by you, like teachers with students, like mothers with chicks. This condescension, perhaps, served to reproach the Apostles for their affection, and for others to reproach them for their weak character. The Apostle answers: all this is the fruit of love for you, and not flattery or weakness. “Like a milkmaid warms her children.” The first character trait of the Apostles of Thessaloniki is quietness; the second is maternal love. The “milkmaid” here is not a wet nurse, as can be seen from the fact that she appears to be feeding her children. This is a mother during the period of milking a child, a milking mother (breastfeeding). Saint Paul also compares himself to mother in his letter to the Galatians (1 Thessalonians 4:19). And he often calls himself a father in relation to those who believed through him (here - 1 Thessalonians 2:11; 1 Cor. 4, 15). The comparison with matter turned out to be more appropriate here, because the Apostle wanted to express his extremely tender love for them, or love from the side of feelings; he expresses love from the side of deeds of love below (1 Thess. 2:9) by comparing himself with his father. The Apostle also wanted to throw a final light on his previous thoughts justifying against criticism: “Does a nurse flatter a child in order to deserve from him? glory? Does she seek money from little ones? Is she arrogant and harsh with them? Here the Apostle discovers tender love in himself.” “He warms his own child”, θαλπη. This is said about birds that warm their young by covering them with their wings. So a mother wraps her little child at her breast, which protects him and gives him life. The comparison indicates the aspiration of love, ready to do everything for the beloved. 1 Thessalonians 2:8. Thus desiring you, with the grace of giving you not just the gospel of God, but also your souls, which are already beloved to us. “It so desires you” - ομειρομενοι υμων. This word means a strong desire to connect with someone, to enter into communication and a heartfelt union with him, in relation to those who are absent - the desire to see them and be together again. The Thessalonians were formerly strangers by faith, as though they lived in the country. The Apostle expresses by this how he wanted to attract them to himself, wanted a heartfelt union with them, wanted precisely them, and not something of theirs, as in another place (2 Cor. 12:14) he said: “I do not seek yours, but you.” “Benevolent” – ευδοκουμεν. This word means a willing, joyful and pleasure-accompanied free decision of good will. It is used both to express God’s good will for the salvation of the human race and every person (Col. 1:19; Gal. 1:15; 1 Cor. 1:21), and about the good aspirations of human desires (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 5:8 and others). “Give to you” ... my soul, μεταδουναι - convey. In vain they want to see here only δουναι - to give, to bestow, - by soul meaning life, so that it would be: we willingly wanted not only to teach you the Gospel, but also to lay down our souls for you, if necessary (compare: Matt. 20:28). But then it would stand for you, not for you. Moreover, to interpret it this way means in the same phrase to double the meaning of the same word μεταδουναι. In relation to souls - give. Although giving one’s soul for someone in the sense of sacrificing one’s life shows strong love, it is still weaker than what the Apostle wants to express. He wants to say that it was his soul that he willingly wanted to transfer to them. Just like the mother with whom the Apostle compares herself, she is not only ready to lay down her life for her children in danger, but is constantly ready to pour out and pours out her soul into them, the same thing that lives with her soul in them. So Saint Paul assures that he was ready to pour out his soul into them. According to St. Chrysostom, the Apostle expresses: “We love you so much that, if necessary, we would even give you our souls,” because we were completely devoted to you. We taught you more than one Gospel, but together with the words that, sparing no effort, abundantly sowed in you, we deigned to convey to you the very souls of how the soul of a mother passes, as it were, into a child, whom she feeds not with external things, but with the elements of her life. Strong love is ready to transfer, or transfer, everything into the beloved. Thus, Christ the Savior, as a demonstration of His boundless love for us, gives Himself to us in Holy Communion. Paul has the same character of love. What the Savior gives by deed, the Apostle conveys by good will. “Beloved sooner to us.” Having expressed such a disposition and at the same time reminded the Thessalonians that it is real and revealed as such, the Apostle hastens to characterize it, indicating its true source not in anything extraneous, but in love alone. One might have thought then, or thought now, that they were ingratiating themselves with something. In disgust of such suspicion, the Apostle says: all this was for no other reason, but “beloved before us” (Chrysostom, Theophylact). 1 Thessalonians 2:9. Remember, brethren, our labor and deed: we labor night and day, so that we may not burden even one of you, preaching to you the gospel of God. The third character trait of the Apostles is complete selflessness. - “Remember bo..”. He gives a reason for what was said before, answers, as it were, the question: from what is it clear that the Apostles were to the Thessalonians like a mother, that they were ready to hand over their souls to them as beloved? - From how we acted among you. Remember how we treated you among you, and be convinced of how we loved you and are ready to give everything to you. “Our work and feat” - κοπον και μοχθον. He did not say: remember our good deeds, but what is more impressive: our work and feat (Theophylact). These words are also found together (2 Sol. 3:8; 2 Cor. 11:27). The latter strengthens the first, and together expresses one idea: that the Apostles did not touch labor lightly, but applied themselves to it intensely, and had memorable labor (Chrysostom). - But differentiate in such a way that κοπον should be attributed to preaching, but feat (μοχθον) should not be attributed to handicraft. Both hug each other. "Night and Day". - A common phrase expressing the continuous continuation of something throughout the day. We say: “day and night,” and so do the Latins: diu noctuque (long, too long). The same is found in Scripture (Luke 18:7; Acts 9:24; Apoc. 20:10). Night stands ahead because for the Jews (and Athenians) the day began at sunset and ended at sunset. There is no reason to separate them, devoting the night to handicrafts and the day to preaching. And at night Saint Paul preached (Acts 20:7). By this the holy Apostle only wants to say that they were not idle for a minute, they were constantly at work: they either made tents or preached. Theodoret says: “(The Apostle) showed the excessiveness of the efforts, not only by pointing to “labor and feat,” but by adding night time to the days.” Doing, εργαζεσθαι is the usual expression of bodily labor and predominantly manual work, doing with hands (1 Cor. 4:12; Eph. 4:28). Saint Paul refers to his art - the tabernacle, the making of tents for travelers, troops, gardens (Acts 18:3). The grammatical form shows that handicraft is not the main thing in the Apostle’s speech, but a subordinate one; the main thing is preaching. “Let us not burden a single one of you,” of course – with the content of us. And St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “from other churches we have accepted a rent for your service” (2 Cor. 11:8). It is therefore impossible to assume on this basis that the Christians of Thessalonica were poor. This is what the Apostle did everywhere, out of fear of putting an obstacle to the spread of the Gospel if he demanded maintenance from his converts. “This is what zeal is and what care is taken not to seduce anyone” (Theophylact). “Look what Paul did! Being a preacher and Apostle of the universe, and having received such a high honor, he worked with his own hands so as not to burden those taught” (Chrysostom). “By preaching to you” εις υμας is similar to υμιν, in general meaning, but has its own connotation, not only that they preached “among them,” but also that the sermon entered into them, or sowed the seeds of Divine truths inside them. 1 Thessalonians 2:10. You are witnesses and God, how reverently and righteously and blamelessly you have been to those who believe. From this verse 10 it talks about how the holy Apostles behaved after the conversion of Thessalonians. This is suggested by the words: “to you who believe,” that is, after you have believed. Consequently, 1 Thess. 2 and 1 Thess. 2:12 make it clear how and what the Apostles taught them, who had already believed. Everything said up to 1 Thessalonians 2 inclusive refers to the activities of the Apostles for the conversion of Thessalonians, and 1 Thessalonians 2:10, 11, 12 - on conversion. "You and God are witnesses". At the beginning he places witnesses in order to more impressively dispose him to accept the word without hesitation or doubt, “through this giving his words a greater degree of reliability and adding that which could especially convince them” (Chrysostom). Since the speech concerns not only the external, obvious to everyone and conveniently observed and discussed by everyone, but also internal feelings and dispositions, namely in relation to God, the Apostle calls as a witness not only the Thessalonians, but also God. About reverence, that is, piety and fear of God, only God can truly know. Why does the Apostle say, as it were: I am testified by your conscience and by God, the witness of my conscience. “You are witnesses of what you saw, and what you could not see, God is witness” (Ecumenius). “For people know only what is visible, but God knows what is hidden from people” (Theodoret). “As reverently,” that is, piously, reverently, with the fear of God, always remembering that we do God’s work before the eyes of God, and therefore “without guile, without deception, without man-pleasing, without wicked motives” (Ecumenius). “Righteously”, not unrighteous to anyone, giving everyone his due, generally acting in relation to others according to the entire breadth of the commandments that determine this relationship. “Immaculate”, αμεμπτως, impeccable, sober, chaste, self-controlled, sedate, in general, so that no one can complain about us, that we relax ourselves in anything, that we are not strict with ourselves. It is obvious that with the word “immaculate” St. Paul indicates a lawful, God-pleasing way of acting in relation to oneself. In this understanding, no stretch is made for the sake of the usual division of a person’s responsibilities according to the three relationships shown. It may here mean the same thing as “chaste” in Titus. 2.12. But it is in no way possible to accept it as a concept that embraces both of the previous ones - both reverent and righteous - and nevertheless, as a definition of the same thing that “righteous” expresses, only from the negative side. For it stands alongside the first as a special part, equal to them, and it should not be merged with them. “You would be a believer,” that is, after you accepted the Gospel and believed. According to Saint Chrysostom, the Apostle Paul speaks here about his treatment of the Thessalonians, defines the image of his behavior among them, and says: we acted piously, righteously and impeccably - or behaved ourselves - before you believers. These are the characteristic features in which the image of their behavior should have been imprinted in the souls of Thessalonians - how bright, pure, and attractive it was to their eyes, enlightened by faith. 1 Thessalonians 2:11–12. As I know, for one and only one of you, like the father of his child, pleading and comforting you, and witnessing to you to walk worthy of God, who has called you into His kingdom and glory. First of all, it is necessary to determine the grammatical structure of speech. “As you know, zane...” ... because, or as far as you know, everyone... “pleadingly and comfortingly” and so on. The controlling verb is missing in these participles: “pleading” and so on. To have it, some supplement the speech with the addition ηγαπησαμεν, εφιλησαμεν, so that it reads like this: because you know how we, as the father of children, loved each of you, begging and so on. - The addition is complete. arbitrary! Others more directly supplement with the word ημεν - so that it would be clear how everyone... we were supplicatingly, or begging. Agreeing that this is permissible, others say that there is no need for this addition, a similar verb is already present above - precisely at the end of 1 Thessalonians 2:10: “to you who believe” - εγενηθημεν The Apostle repeated it mentally here too, but did not write it in order not to obscure with it “pleading” and so on, in which, together with “walk worthy of God,” the whole power of speech. – Those who believe must live by faith. Since this life, not only internally, but also externally, had to be expressed, while the external orders of the former - pagan in many ways, even essential ones, did not agree with the Gospel, the Apostles, having converted the Thessalonians, began to improve the life of new Christians in family and civil life, except for the religious, in which the essence of the matter. “Only one of you..” . Saint Chrysostom: “he did not miss anyone, neither small nor great, neither rich nor poor, - everyone who had need, without distinction.” It’s true that I had to talk to each of the converts, and with others, perhaps, a lot of negotiations and interpretations were necessary until he understood and agreed to order his life according to the spirit of the new life. Each could have everyday circumstances that required explanation of how to act in them according to the Gospel. “Like the father of a child,” indicates the source of such tireless care in paternal love for them. Above, when the Apostle spoke about their conversion, when they were just being born into spiritual life, he compared himself to matter, and now, when they were born and should have been raised and led to perfection, he compares himself to his father. In correcting morals, it was necessary to show not only the tenderness of maternal feelings, but also the firmness of the father’s will and power, experience and prudence, which is what fathers usually differ in and what mothers are not entirely strong at. “Praying and comforting you and bearing witness to you.” If we take into account mainly the persons to whom all these actions of the word are directed, then they must be understood as different methods of speech aimed at improving the life of Thessaloniki. The Apostle seems to want to say: we have exhausted all means of persuasion in order to incite you to walk worthy of God. In this case: “pleading” παρακαλουντες will mean: convinced, persuaded, acted on the mind; “comforting” παραμυθουμενοι - aroused sympathy, disposed to love a new way of life, as God-pleasing and saving, acted on the feeling and heart. “Testifying”, μαρτυρομενοι, - the testimonies of Scripture, the words of the living God, obliged and conjured, bringing the will to an inspired determination for a new way of life with a readiness for all kinds of sacrifices for its sake. But if we take into account their subject - to walk worthy of God, then in each of them one can see an indication of the special aspects of a walk worthy of God. In this case: pleadingly - παρακαλουντες - will be: begged, convinced to accept the faith and keep it; comforting - παραμυθουμενοι - they consoled in the sorrows that were, and inspired those who were to meet with courage; testifying - μαρτυρομενοι - on behalf of God they obliged and conjured to live in the Gospel. “Walk worthy of God,” or worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27; compare: Rom. 16:2; 3John 6), or worthy of the calling (Eph. 4:1), in general in all things pleasing to God and in every work of brilliance (Col. 1:10), as those who have received new life should walk (1 Pet. 1:23; Rom. 6:11 and further) and children of light (Eph. 5:8). This is the main thing and goal for those who believe in the Lord. Faith doesn't do everything. It gives entry into the kingdom of Christ - the Church. The one who enters has the main duty - to walk as the sons of the kingdom should. Apparently, the Apostles paid strict attention to this. “To Him who called you into His kingdom and glory.” The kingdom and glory will be revealed after the resurrection (Rom. 8:17), but the Thessalonians are called already called into them, for the goal of the entire dispensation of salvation, or all grace-filled means, is there. By faith and grace they claim the inheritance of the eternal kingdom and glory, or in other words: they are called into the kingdom of grace in order to inherit the kingdom of glory, if the conditions for receiving this inheritance are preserved, which are all combined in one word - those who walk worthy of God are called into the kingdom, to be under royal authority, so that later they can participate in the reign. Those who unquestioningly submit to the will of the Lord here will co-reign with Him there. In the future the glory of human nature restored will be revealed. But just as here it is purified by the power of God, so there it will be glorified by the glory of God: the glory of God will shine in everything. Christian believers are called to this glory. So this separation also consists of transferring attention to the future life, like the first (1 Sol. 1, 10)! The Apostle was so much occupied with that thought, and so strongly did he see in it the reinforcement of the Christian character in Christians. b) The faith of the Thessalonians and their courageous persistence in faith (1 Thessalonians 2:13–16) Having indicated the signs of the Divinity of the Gospel teaching, in the circumstances of his stay with the Thessalonians, the Apostle now proceeds to depict how the word of preaching was accepted by the Thessalonians, indicating here also the signs of its Divine dignity, aa) You yourself, he says, accepted our word as Divine, therefore, you had reason to be convinced of this then; bb) the accepted word acts in you, this is a continuously ongoing confirmation of its extraordinary power and inhuman dignity (1 Thess. 2:13); c) your fate, upon acceptance of the word, puts you on a par with all confessors of the Divinity of the Gospel, a sign that it is not of human origin, for otherwise they would not have persecuted anyone (1 Thessalonians 2:14). There is only one conclusion from all this: stand in faith as you stand. – Verses 1 Sol. 2 and 1 Sol. 2 stand like an appendage. But since they, although briefly, fully and powerfully depict the ever-present character of stubbornly unbelieving Jews and define their final part, one cannot help but assume that the holy Apostles had a special motivation to say this, namely, to stop the wavering of faith that was caused by the following thought: the Jews are yours; They should believe you, but they drive you away. - The Apostle says to this: do not look at them; they are always like this; That's the end of them. 1 Sol.2:13. For this reason, we thank God unceasingly, because having received the word of God’s hearing from us, we have received it not as the word of man, but as it truly is, the word of God, which works in you who believe. "For this sake." What? – If we relate to what is immediately above, then it will be for the sake of the fact that God has called you into His kingdom and glory. Everyone should rejoice at this. We also rejoice, thanking God, that you, by this calling, believed our word as the word of God, without which it is impossible to be partakers of God’s saving dispensation for people, which we proclaim. According to this thought, the Apostle continues to testify to his fatherly love for the Thessalonians. But it is better to refer to everything previous (1 Thess. 2:1-12). “We know our entrance to you” - you know how many sacrifices we have made, how much work, attention, and heartfelt care we have expended. You believed and crowned our efforts with success, we rejoice and thank God. Saint Chrysostom sees such a connection with the word: “for this sake,” and behind him Ecumenius and Theophylact. Chrysostom writes: “It cannot be said, he (the Apostle) says, that we alone acted impeccably in everything, and you did something inconsistent with the way we treated you, for you did not listen to us with the same disposition with which people listen, but listened to us as if God Himself was instructing you.” "We thank God". Saint Paul’s goal is to point out the Thessalonians’ conviction in the Divinity of the word, as proof of this Divinity. He thanks God for such a conviction, in order to show that it was placed in the hearts by God Himself; and thus giving an unearthly origin to a belief, exposes its inhuman importance and arouses the obligation to remain faithful to it. “Because you received the word of God’s hearing from us, you partook...”. “The word of hearing refers to a sermon that is believed through hearing. For, “how will they believe unless they hear?” (Rom. 10, 14)" (Theophylact). since “faith comes from hearing, and hearing is the word of God” (Rom. 10:17), then God was pleased to preach and sent preachers. God wanted everyone to hear His word. Those who are worthy of this are worthy of hearing God—hearing the word that comes from God and is heard according to God’s dispensation. The Holy Apostle thanks God for the Thessalonians, who accepted the word, that they received it, that it reached them and they agreed to listen to it, for this too is from God, and that, having received the word in this way, they accepted it “as the word of God,” which is again obvious from God. Having received the word by ear, the word that came to you from outside, you perceived it in your heart not “as the word of men,” although it came from men, but as the word of God. - “From us you received a word, such, however, that it is not ours, but God’s, for God speaks through us” (Photius in Ecumenium). Listening to our word, you felt the extraordinary power of the word - and recognized that it was not earthly, but Divine. Together with the word, light entered your souls and drove away the darkness, an invisible force entered and aroused in you the energy of dormant spiritual forces. This is “the river God to shine out of darkness into light, to shine in your hearts” (2 Cor. 4:6). You realized this and were convinced that our word was the word of God and accepted it as such. “It also acts in you.” The action of the word was not momentary, but, having begun once, continues continuously. As in the parable of the Savior, a seed thrown into the ground then by itself produces grass, a trunk, an ear of corn and grain; Thus, among the Thessalonians, the word of the Gospel, having been accepted into the heart by faith, by itself, without any external mediation, developed more and more, occupied the earth of the heart more and more widely, enlightened concepts, corrected feelings, and regulated morals. It, like a medicine taken, healed the sick and restored the healthy powers of nature. When it is accepted not only by the mind and hearing, but by the heart, then it does not remain idle, but enters life and acts in it (2 Pet. 1:8) as an all-moving and ruling force. - However, the holy Apostle understood not only the internal action of the word, but also the extraordinary gifts of grace that accompanied the word of the Gospel everywhere. Of course, the Thessalonians, having been granted prophetic grace, prophesied, spoke in tongues and performed extraordinary miracles (Theodoret and Ecumenius). The Apostle says, as it were: all this you experience; Consequently, you have living proof of the unearthly action of the word, testifying that it is not earthly, ordinary, human. Stop! “In you who believe” - because you believe - insofar as you believe - under the condition of faith. Without faith, the word will not go into the heart, and cannot act in it. If it has entered and is working in you, it is only because you have believed and believe. This is the power of belief! When the heart answers every point of faith and every question about it without any reflection: so God commanded. This conviction imparts steadfastness of thought and moral strength of submission to the will of God. When all the powers of the spirit are united by faith, the spirit receives integrity and the ability (strength) akin to it. At the same time, it becomes a strong vessel for containing grace-filled gifts. The Apostle says to the Thessalonians: for the sake of your faith, see what fruits you have received; treasure it. 1 Sol.2:14. For you are now likened, brethren, to the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, and henceforth you also will suffer from your fellow tribesmen, just as you did from the Jews. Writing to the Philippians, the Apostle said that it was given to them not only to believe in the Lord, but also to suffer for Him. And here, having said the same thing about the faith of the Thessalonians, he also remembers their suffering as necessary companions of faith. “We lie on this,” as he says afterwards (1 Thessalonians 3:3). First he said: “You became like us and the Lord, receiving the word in miosis with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 1:6). Here he says: “like the churches” of the Jews. He wants to confirm in them the idea that in the dispensation of salvation everyone suffers: the Lord, His Apostles and all believers. This is the law of the appearance on earth of the truth about Christ Jesus - the division of people and the rebellion of one against another (Matthew 10: 35-37). Those who do not accept it arm themselves against the receivers and bearers of the word of God and persecute them. So it was in Judea, so everywhere, and so with you. The fact that they rebelled against you is not a reproach to the word and does not undermine its truth, but, on the contrary, proof that it is out of the ordinary, not earthly - Divine. The particle “bo” (for) shows that the Apostle here gives a reason. For what? - For what he spoke about before this - that the word preached by them and accepted by the Thessalonians is Divine and has Divine power and action in them. How does trouble and persecution from their own serve as proof of this? - Thus: the accepted word, by the action of grace, changed the way of thinking, morals and behavior of those who believed. This separated them from their own and armed the latter against them. Persecution proves the Divinity of the word by indicating a significant change in the minds and hearts of those who believed, which could not have happened if the word were not Divine. On the other hand, those who are persecuted endure and firmly stand their ground. Where is this from? - From the same power of the word, accepted with faith. Thus, the Divinity of the word is proven both by the fact that there is persecution, and by the fact that those who receive the word remain faithful to it, despite this persecution. Saint Chrysostom says: “He proves that they accepted the word properly by the temptations to which they were exposed. How would you, he says, endure such dangers if you did not listen to our words, as to the words of God Himself? The ecumenius adds: “That you accepted our word as the word of God is evident from the fact that you were able to endure such sorrows. Just as the Apostle proved above from what he himself suffered that he was preaching the Divine, so from what they suffered he now proves that they accepted his preaching as the word of God.” The same with Theophylact. Comparing the Church of Thessalonica with the Jewish Churches gives it great honor and inspires patience. Already pagan proselytes were accustomed to look at Jerusalem and Judea as the sanctuary of the truth of God. The pagan Christians should have treated those there with greater reverence. The Lord acted there, the Holy Spirit descended there, the first Churches were founded there, and the Apostles came out from there throughout the entire universe. The churches there were exemplary, and to become like them was the glory of the Christians who lived far away. Here the prophecy of Saint Isaiah about the glory of Zion and the desirable desire of the tongues for enlightenment and truth was fulfilled (Is. 2:2-3). Pointing to the Churches in Judea, the Apostle characterized them as follows: “the churches of God in Christ Jesus,” in order to show that not all societies there are true Churches. “Since the Jewish synagogues were, apparently, about God, the Apostle says about the Churches of believers that they are not only about God, but also about Christ Jesus, for he who rejected the Son and the Father rejected is” (Ecumenius, like Theophylact). The Apostle has the same goal here too - to keep the attention of the Thessalonians on the thought of the division created everywhere by the word of the truth that they preach. And this was necessary for him to remove the bewilderment that the unbelief of the Jews led to. How, Jews, worshipers of the true God, guardians of His revelations, do not believe you? Is it true that your words are not from God? The Apostle breaks up this bewilderment, saying that not everyone does not believe, and then depicts the unbelieving Jews with gloomy features - in 1 Thess. 2:15, 16. The best part of the Jews believed and formed glorious churches in Christ Jesus. And they suffer from their own half-blooded Jews, just as you suffer from your fellow tribesmen. If all the Jews did not believe, this bewilderment would persist; but how entire Churches were formed from them, this is a strong proof of the truth of the word. For those who believe suffer from their own, and at the same time it is necessary to have stronger motives and reasons for faith than for unbelief, since unbelief would leave them alone, under the old order, which they themselves previously valued highly. Saint Chrysostom says: “If the Jews also decided to endure everything with patience for the sake of faith, then this serves as an important proof that the sermon is true.” Theophylact continues the same thought: “A considerable proof of the truth of the Gospel is that the Jews willingly endure for what they themselves previously persecuted.” Having thus separated the believing Jews from the unbelievers, the holy Apostle strictly lays the full weight of judgment on the latter. 1 Thessalonians 2:15. Those who killed the Lord Jesus and His prophets, and those who drove us out, and those who displeased God, and those who opposed all people. h5 1 Thessalonians 2:16 . Those who forbid us to speak with our tongues, may they be saved, so that they may always fulfill their sins: but wrath will come upon them to the end. Both of these verses are an appendage to the previous one. In them, the Apostle seems to casually express his thought about the Jews - unbelievers. But since they so completely define the character of the unbelieving Jews and prophetically point to their final fate, one cannot help but see that they were added by the Apostle intentionally - and precisely for the final dispersion of bewilderment, which others could, and perhaps actually did, derive from the unbelief of the Jews in Thessaloniki. In Thessalonica, among the believers, there were much fewer Jews than pagans; but the persecution brought against Christians was instigated by the Jews, although they were hiding behind the pagans. Their disbelief could therefore be very embarrassing. The Holy Apostle now says that there is nothing to be embarrassed about by the unbelief of the Jews. They always proved disobedient to God. God sent them prophets, they beat them; The Lord Jesus came and they killed Him; The Lord sent us to them, and they drove us out; from them we turned to the pagans, and they, too, hinder us from proclaiming the word of truth. So throughout history they are god-fighters and misanthropes. “So, do not be embarrassed by their unbelief, especially since their end is already near.” God had mercy on them for a long time; now the final wrath of God is ready to fall on their head. – This is the thought in the above verses! Let us add a few comments about private expressions. “Those who killed the Lord Jesus...”. The depiction of Jewish evil begins with Deicide, and deliberately calls the Savior Lord, in order to say that they “crucified the Lord of glory” (Acts 3:15; 1 Cor. 2:8). How they killed the Lord, this was, correctly, said during the gospel in Thessaloniki. For the first sermon in Thessaloniki went in such a way that it was extensively proven from Scripture, “that it was fitting for Christ to suffer in this way” (Acts 17:3). “And His prophets” also killed. Saint Chrysostom draws consolation for the persecuted Thessalonians from the mention of the death of the Lord Himself and then adds: “But perhaps the Jews did not know Him (the Lord)? “On the contrary, they knew Him very well.” But what? Didn't they kill and stone their prophets, whose Scriptures they carry with them everywhere? Of course, they did not do this out of love for the truth. “So, he (the Apostle) not only offers consolation in temptations, but also urges not to think that the Jews acted this way out of love for the truth - and not to be embarrassed by this.” Theophylact adds: “Why it is obvious that they do nothing as zealots of the truth, but rather raging against the truth.” "And those who drove us out." The reason for such a speech could be the recent expulsion of Saint Paul and Silas from Thessaloniki (Acts 17:5-9). But just as the Apostle intends to depict in general the truly hateful character of the Jews, here he probably means all the Apostles in general, the evangelists of the New Testament, in accordance with the Old Testament prophets, see: Acts. 5, 17 ff., Acts. 6, 12 et seq.). “And those who displease God, and those who oppose all men.” The dividing words - “and, and” - show that in each of these sayings new features of Jewish evil are expressed. What do the words express: “Those who displease God, and those who resist man” - when it goes without saying that those who did what was said before do not please God and resist people? - The Apostle wants to indicate the source of the atrocities shown. They do this because it is not in their hearts sincere intention to please God and warm love for people. They do not love God and do not make pleasing Him the main goal of their life. Their heart, which is not God-loving, does not love the truth of God - it rebels against it. Without loving God, they are unkind to people and always go against what is good for them from God - But how do they all stand for God’s institutions?! 2). “They think of offering service to God” (John 16:2), but in reality they resist Him. “Those who forbid us to speak with our tongues, may they be saved.” These words serve as an explanation of the previous ones. It is clearly visible that they displease God, and that they displease their people in that they interfere with preaching the Gospel to tongues. Here they become god-fighters and misanthropes. God commanded, but they interfere; the sermon is saving, but they don’t want it to reach the tongues and save them. “If it is necessary to preach to the whole universe; and they resist this, then they are the common enemies of the universe” (Chrysostom). “In order for them to always fulfill their sins.” This is how the Word of God speaks everywhere about the judgments of God, that terrible punishments befall people for fulfilling a measure of sins (for example, Gen. 15, 17). God admonishes sinners in every possible way, but when the latter stubbornly reject God’s saving orders for them, then God betrays them into the hands of their own will. And then, adding sins to sins, they fulfill the measure of sins and exhaust God’s patience. An inexorable judgment follows. - The Apostle says, as it were: this is how they act, so that it can be said about them that they fulfilled the measure of their sins “always”, at all times, in all periods of their historical life, both before the Lord Jesus, and with Him, and after Him, throughout their entire history. They were allowed to rebel against us and the Lord Himself, so that even in this period they would not be without a deed against God (Photius in Ecumenius). They have done so much evil to the ancient prophets, and in our time to Christ the Lord and to us, so that our sins would always be fulfilled. “Or the Apostle wants to say: they sinned before, but it was still bearable. When they finally rebelled against God Himself and His holy Gospel, then the measure of their sins was fulfilled. They can no longer be tolerated. The Lord said: “And you will fulfill the measure of your fathers” (Matthew 23:32), - fill in what was missing from those. In this case, it will always mean forever, as we say: “once forever,” that is, definitively. Theophylact writes: “This was done to the ancient prophets, then to Christ, and finally to us, to show that they are in a hurry to reach the full measure of sins, their extreme limit.” “The wrath of God is upon them to the end.” “Comprehend to the end” - the measure of long-suffering has been fulfilled, the final determination of God’s judgment on them has taken place, their fate has been decided. So Chrysostom: “By saying “understand wrath,” the Apostle showed that it (anger) must certainly follow, for it is intended and predicted.” Or this: the wrath of God always followed them, now it has reached them, it has come close - it is about to break out. Or to the end means final wrath; will completely strike, there will be no recovery - don’t expect mercy. Obviously, the Apostle is referring to the Lord’s prediction about the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the people. They sinned before, God punished them in the form of correction. Now comes the final wrathful punishment for resistance to God’s intentions, so obvious and so saving both for them and for all people, that without them it is impossible for people to achieve their goals. They go against the God-determined flow of the restoration of humanity; are not worth keeping. When the Apostle wrote this, the beginnings of oppression from the Romans had already appeared. They made it clear that what the Lord had predicted was close to fulfillment. Saint Chrysostom says to this: “For them there will be no more than what was before. There is no time for repentance; there is no place for God’s long-suffering, but inevitable wrath sets in. How can this be seen? “From the prediction of Christ.” Ecumenius paraphrases this apostolic accusation of the Jews with special movement: “The Apostle raises a great accusation against the Jews. For he says that everything that the Jews did, they did with the purpose of sinning, that is, they found pleasure in sins and sinned, even incomplete sins, as it were: they sinned as if they were paying off a debt with sins. Let the Lord be killed out of ignorance; Why were the prophets beaten - the revered ones? Why were we expelled? Why do they harm you? Why are languages ​​prevented from being saved? – If the conversion of pagans to Christ is good, why, without converting themselves, do they put up obstacles to their conversion? If they do not consider this a good thing, then why do they envy those who convert? And what do they care about the pagans? – You see how they sin out of sheer love of sin and do everything to fulfill their sins, that is, in order to never remain without sins. “For this reason,” he says, “the wrath of God will be comprehended upon them to the end.” Anger always pursued them when they sinned, but was restrained, giving way to repentance; now I have comprehended them. Anger - η οργη with a member shows that here of course is the very anger that should have fallen on them long ago. - “To the end.” It will not be the same as before - slavery and again liberation, captivity and again return, the wrath of God and again mercy, - now the wrath of God is on them to the end, there will no longer be liberation from troubles.” 3. The concerns of the Apostle Paul about the Thessalonians after his departure from Thessaloniki (1 Thessalonians 2:17–3, 13) Saint Paul depicted how he was towards the Thessalonians during his stay with them - 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16. Now he depicts how he was and is towards them at a distance from them. And both there and here, the goal is the same - to show that the image of his action cannot cast the slightest shadow on his preaching, but, on the contrary, justifies its truth and serves to confirm it. “He very easily expresses to everyone: I do not seek anything that is yours, but you, and you, not for myself, but for you, so that you may appear perfect before the Lord and worthy of the inheritance of His eternal Kingdom.” – The activity of the Apostle, in the founding of the Church of Thessalonica and in caring for it, is of the highest dignity. In this third section of the historical part of the letter, the Apostle testifies to his extremely warm, fatherly caring love for the Thessalonians: a) his grief over separation from them and his desire to see them, 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20; b) by his concern for them, which forced Timothy to send him to them, in order to confirm and calm them, and bring information about them, 1 Thess. 3: 1-5; c) joy upon receiving satisfactory information, gratitude to God for that and a new expression of desire to see them - 1 Thess. 3:6-10; d) and their good wishes, - 1 Thess. 3:11-13. a) Grief over separation from Thessalonians and desire to see them (1 Thessalonians 2:17–20) If only there had been someone capable of thinking about Saint Paul: behold, he turned, drew us to his side, plunged us through this into sorrow, but he himself slipped away, and there is no grief for him; he could no longer remain with such thoughts, having become convinced of the feelings that Saint Paul experienced upon leaving Thessaloniki. Having left, he felt like an orphan, 1 Thess. 2:17, - once and twice he tried to return to them, but could not, 1 Thess. 2:18 - and all this was not out of any calculations, but for the sole reason that his apostolic dignity required it, that in this was his joy and eternal glory - 1 Thess. 2:19-20. 1 Thessalonians 2:17. But we, brethren, having become orphaned from you by the time of the hour, in face and not in heart, were too anxious to see your face with many desires. “We” - as for us. He spoke before this about how the sermon went on, how the Thessalonians believed and how they began to suffer for their faith to their glory and special dignity before the Lord. He continues, as it were: here we had to leave - and this is what was in our souls. “Orphaned” actually refers to unhoused children who are deprived of their parents; but it also goes to parents who are losing children. The apostle considers himself a disheartened father. “Orphaned” is a tender expression of the state of mind upon separation from loved ones. Having parted with the Thessalonians, Saint Paul feels like an orphan. And we say: he looks like an orphan, or: so lonely. Throughout this chapter, the Apostle applies to himself the strongest kindred feelings, the feelings of a mother (1 Thess. 2:7-8), father (1 Thess. 2:11), and here - orphans. “First, the Apostle likened himself to a mother who feeds and cherishes a baby, then to a father who is tenderly disposed towards children; now - to the youth who mourns his premature orphanhood" (Theodorit). It should be said that they were orphans, having lost him, their spiritual father, and Saint Paul considers himself orphaned, wanting to show that it was not so much they who lost as much as he lost by moving away from them. It is not you who are orphaned, but us. Just as small orphaned children have the greatest sorrow for their parents, not only by nature, but also by loneliness, so do we. By this he shows the melancholy he was in due to separation from them. One can, however, believe that the Apostle used this word not only to express his feeling, but also to hint that such a feeling tormented him for nothing other than the fact that he left his spiritual children, not yet grown up, not fully educated, not confirmed in the principles taught to them. This is also suggested by the following words: “by the time of the hour.” This phrase expresses the shortness of time; προς καιρον ωρας for hourly time. We say: for an hour. – But what does the Apostle want to say? “Or that he was separated from them for a short time.” Then, as he moved away from Soluni and became orphaned, he did not have the idea of ​​​​being separated from them for a long time - he left for a short time, only so that the confusion would subside. So in the Russian translation; or that a little time has passed since he became orphaned. “They did not wait long, but a short time and little, like one hour” (Theodoret). That is, a little time has passed since the separation, and I already miss you. “It cannot be said that time has raised the sorrow of separation to such a degree, but love. You see what love is like! I was sad, having been separated for an hour, and only with my face” (Ecumenius). Or the fact that he was separated from Thessaloniki too soon. So soon I was orphaned from you, I didn’t have time to talk to you, I didn’t have time to convey to you everything you needed, I had to move away from you. Paul complains that, due to the slander of the Jews, he was so quickly torn away from Thessaloniki, as from children who had not yet grown up and were not strong. Against my will, I was soon torn away from you, without having time to convey everything to you and establish you, I wanted to see you again with all the more zeal - But doesn’t προς καιρον ωρας mean, - due to the circumstances of the time? "With your face, not your heart." Outwardly I was torn away from you, but in my thoughts I was incessantly occupied with you, and my heart was inseparably with you” (Chrysostom). Don’t tell anyone that I left, abandoned you. I kept thinking about you, carrying you in my heart. There was no separation here even for a moment. “I am deprived of a sensual view of you, but I constantly contemplate you with my spirit” (Theodoret). “We are too anxious.” “Superfluous” - more than any other matter, they didn’t care about anything as much as about you, everything else was like an outsider, the main thing was you (Chrysostom). Or, superfluous - even more so. Having been torn away from you so soon, we tried all the more to see you. “We are anxious” - we were looking for ways, plotting, figuring out how to arrange this. “See your face.” – Of course, the Apostle was attracted not by one feeling, but by the extreme spiritual need of the Thessalonians. But it is also clear that the Solunians, with their sincere faith and love, tied him to themselves, and he wanted to see their faces. “Even though I always had them in my heart, I also wanted their personal presence. Such is the property of fiery love that it desires to see and hear loved ones and speak with them” (Chrysostom). That’s why I added: “with many desires” - not just for mental considerations about the need for my being with you, I wanted to see you; I was drawn to this by my very heart. - “Paul loved as if to the point of ecstasy, and in feelings of friendship he was uncontrollable and indomitable” (Chrysostom). Ambrosiast writes in this place: “For their greater learning, I wanted to see their face. You cannot suddenly teach everything about Divine things. There are sacraments in our faith that should not be revealed immediately, lest they serve as a temptation, due to the unrefined sensual sense of those listening. Not everyone should say everything, but the word should be proportioned to the capacity of each. So the Apostle wanted to see them again in order to complement the teaching of the truth.” 1 Thessalonians 2:18. We also want to come to you, since Paul once and twice, and Satan forbid us. “The same” - due to such circumstances, prompted by such a fiery desire to see you, “wanting to come.” Previously, they were only plotting and finding ways, but now they themselves decided on it, they attempted, they gathered, they wanted to bring into action what was constantly on their hearts. "Az ubo Pavel". – Saint Paul distinguishes himself especially because for some time he was definitely alone, without Silas and Timothy. And now he says that at that time he was going to visit them, perhaps from Athens and Corinth. Or he says this to show that he personally wanted to come to them, and not through Silas and Timothy, who were there, near Thessaloniki. In the words: “once and twice,” others see an indefinite number in the sense: they attempted more than once. Others - definite, namely - twice; were constantly concerned about seeing you, and tried to come once or twice. The apostle wants to say that the concern to see them was not momentary, but constant, forcing him to repeatedly get ready to stay with them. “And Satan forbid us.” The Apostle was forbidden to go to the Romans earlier due to the duties of his apostleship (Rom. 15:23). He did not go to the Corinthians at the same time for the reason that it was better for them (2 Cor. 1:15,23). The Spirit forbade him to go to Bithynia (Acts 16:6). Here Satan is indicated as the one who prohibits. Having senses trained in the judgment of good and evil, the Apostle was able to correctly distinguish between the causes and forces operating in events: there God is the providential arrangement of the course of affairs; there the Spirit is by suggestions; here the dark force is wiles. So, according to the Apostle, Satan has influence on the course of Affairs, of course, by God’s permission, for everything is from God. But some things are arranged directly by God, others are allowed only by Him. And God allows Satan to act because of the freedom given to people. People freely yield to Satan's suggestions and, becoming his tools, carry out his plans. These actions of Satan and evil spirits are mentioned throughout Scripture. In the present case, it seems like a big deal - to come or not to come to Thessaloniki; but since through this the kingdom of Christ should have been strengthened, and accordingly the area of ​​darkness should have been reduced, Satan erected obstacles to the Apostle’s visit to newly converted believers - not personally himself, but through the executors of his will, people obedient to him. The apostle himself saw himself acting because of people, and although he believed that God’s closest helper is preaching, he did not, however, consider it appropriate to go against it, so as not to be tempting God. God-enlightened prudence inspired him to give in to the obstacles erected for the time being. And he fulfilled what he considered necessary for the Thessalonians in a different way - he sent Timothy, and then wrote a message. What exactly this satanic rebuke consisted of is not clear. Saint Chrysostom says that these were “sudden and strong temptations.” Theodoret, - that the zeal of the Apostle was hindered by the continuous temptations that the common enemy usually raises; Damascene, - that the Apostle was prevented from going to Thessaloniki by sorrows and troubles because of the preaching, which came from Satan, for it was he who aroused the infidels against the Apostle. Ambrosiastes writes: “Satan put obstacles in the way of the Apostles so that they would not spread the light of truth among people. He incited the infidels to hinder the Apostles with beatings and chains, so that they would not speak the Word of God. This is what the elders of the Jews said to the Apostles: “Is it not a prohibition that you should not teach about this name?” (Acts 5:28).” So, everyone is limited to indicating obstacles, sorrows, temptations in general, without defining them. One can guess that the Apostle was held back by the evil intentions of the unbelieving Thessalonica Jews. It is very likely, and in the spirit of the Jews, that they had already made an attempt on his life and were building siege. Their persecution of Saint Paul, even in Beria, reveals strong irritation against him. Perhaps in Beria they, in a rage, expressed what they were looking for; They heard this to the Apostle and passed it on to him. From Beria, it is true, the Apostle would have returned to Thessaloniki, if not for the machinations of these enemies. They forced him to flee further to Athens. From Athens, it is true, the Apostle again longed to stay in Thessaloniki, but prudence forced him to first inquire about the state of affairs there, for which Saint Timothy was sent. As a practical application of this passage of Scripture, we cite the words of St. Basil the Great about these satanic prohibitions. “Can,” he asks, “can Satan forbid the intention of the saint, because it is written: “For Paul wanted to come to you once and twice, and Satan forbid us”?” And he answers: “Of the things we do in the Lord, some are done according to spiritual intention and judgment, and others are done with the help of the body, or diligence, or patience. And Satan cannot hinder that which consists in the soul's intention and judgment. But what is carried out with the help of bodily activity, God often allows some obstacles to be created; to test and reprove the one who encounters an obstacle, in order to either convict the one who has changed his good intention, like those sown on stones, who for a short time “with joy” received the word, “but having been sorrowful,” they soon fell away (Luke 8:13; Matt. 13:21), or one who remains in goodness to show - either those who are zealous for good deeds, like the Apostle himself, who, many times intending to go to the Romans and, being forbidden, as he himself admitted, did not abandon this desire until he fulfilled his intention - then patient, like Job, who, having suffered so much from the devil, who forced him to say something blasphemous, or to be ungrateful before God, even in extreme adversity he did not retreat from pious judgment and from sound thoughts about God. For it is written about him: “In all these... Job sinned nothing with his lips before God, and did not commit foolishness to God” (Job 1:22).” 1 Thessalonians 2:19. Who is our hope or joy or crown of praise? Are you not also before our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? The Apostle indicates the source of his care for the Thessalonians, confirming that his concerns and love for them are caused by his apostolic title and hope. The particle “bo” proves it. The Apostle expressed his pain for the Thessalonians. - Now he says: for how could I act otherwise when you are my hope before the Lord? - St. Paul is the Apostle of tongues. The conversion of every tongue is the fulfillment of its purpose. At the coming of the Lord it will turn out: both of them are converted by St. Paul. Talents in abundance. - And it will be said: enter into the joy of your Lord. – This is why Saint Paul values every conversion and watches over those converted! This is connected with his eternal participation and constitutes his purpose in this life. At the same time, he expresses that in his labors and concerns for the believers he is not guided by any earthly calculations. Those who, taking advantage of the quick departure of St. Paul, embarrassed those, saying: “I only caused you grief and abandoned you” - in these words there was a strong rebuff. The apostle answers: how could I do this, when my eternal glory lies in their fidelity to the faith? Transporting his thoughts before the face of the Lord at His coming and imagining Thessaloniki with himself, the Apostle, on the one hand, affirmed: this is how long our connection will last - is it possible to think that it would be interrupted by such minor accidents as you encountered; on the other hand, he inspired: my future glory and joy is not only mine, but also yours. Together we will be joyful and glorified; keep yourselves faithful to the Lord until His coming. “Who else” is a phrase that makes us decide that the future glory of the Apostle depends ultimately on the faithfulness of the Thessalonians; but how then does it stand: “not you too”? then, in saying this, the Apostle did not single them out from the number of others converted by him, who would serve to crown him with glory at the second coming of Christ. Chrysostom says: “Are the Macedonians alone your hope, tell me, blessed Paul? “They’re not the only ones... That’s why he added: “Aren’t you too?” So, this is not an endearment, for he did not just say: “you”, but: “and you” - together with others.” And indeed, for him the Philippians are “joy and crown” (Phil. 4:1), and the Corinthians are “praise in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 1:14). Such are all the Churches planted and established by him. “Imagine,” says Chrysostom, “as much as possible, the entire Church planted and approved by Paul; who wouldn’t rejoice over her many children and happiness?” “Hope, joy, crown of praise” are different sides of one and the same moment - appearing before the Lord at His second coming. “Hope” is the support of boldness, that someone will dare to stand up and not fall on his face and cry: “the mountains will fall” - on what is it affirmed? - On the conscientious, without self-pity, performance of the tasks to which one is called, on the proper use, for the glory of God, of the talents that have been entrusted to one by the Lord. “Joy” determines the state of the heart during the appearance of the Lord. The Apostle will not have fear, but joy - from the consciousness that his conscience is clear in everything before the Lord. Conscience will certify that everything possible has been done without omission and falsehood, and will overshadow the hearts with trustworthiness. Hence the joy of the spirit. “Crown of Praise” is a reward that crowns a joyful heart with a bright position in the host of glorified saints and angels. The crown of praise is not something that one can particularly boast about, but for which one will be especially praised, a crown of praise, praise, brilliant glory... The Lord expresses all these three sides in His parable with one saying: “O good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21). Theophylact paraphrases the speech of St. Paul in this way: “I hope that for your sake I will be worthy of great boldness before Christ the Lord and joy, for the very sake of which you are now and will then be for me a crown of praise, that is, a crown of brilliant glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:20. You are our glory and joy. The answer to the question proposed above is already contained in the question; but the Apostle especially expresses it, saying, as it were: yes, you, in order to further focus attention on the expressed thought and confirm it. Do not think that, in saying this, I was carried away by a special affection for you or that I only used such a turn of phrase. No, in fact it is so, and it cannot be otherwise. Does the Apostle mean future glory and joy here, or present one? – As the speech progresses, the Apostle’s thought continues to remain before the face of the Lord at His coming. The image of the expression is so general that it does not give any hint of time. Why the interpreters do not say definitely, but only in general. “How glorious it is to bring such a Church to Christ and, moreover, such a well-crafted one” (Theophylact). Or: “Whoever is appointed to be a teacher, for him his crown and joy is the success of his students” (Damascene). Or: “The perfection of students is joy and crown for the teacher. Teachers have a taste of the fruit of their labors. The fruit of a teacher is an obedient student. When the good life of the student serves for the benefit of the teacher, then the teacher will taste the fruit of his labors. The success of the students in good will give the crown to the teacher at the Judgment of Christ" (Ambrosiastes). b) Epistle of Timothy to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 3:1–5) 1 Thessalonians 3:1. Moreover, it is no longer tolerable, with good will, to remain alone in Athens. The same means a conclusion from the previous one. The Apostle wanted to be with the Thessalonians himself, but since this was not possible, he decided to carry out the desired communication with them in the person of another, trusted person. Or this: since your standing in faith is so important to me, that it is my joy and crown of praise, and I don’t know what position you are in, I hasten to send to you to find out what is going on with you. Ignorance about you has become unbearable for me. It was relieved by the hope of being with you soon; but as this turned out to be inconvenient, there was no more patience. - And the end - 1 Thessalonians 3 - I agree with this: since you are a crown, you sent it, so that “our labor would not be in vain.” “Not tolerant” - μηκετι στεγοντες. This verb has different meanings. Actually - to hide, from here to shelter, to protect, from here to support, to wear and to endure: one could do this: no longer able to hide my desire to see you, no longer having the strength to suppress it with silence. But as the course of speech shows, the Apostle was greatly worried about the Thessalonians, and then was extremely pleased when Saint Timothy, returning, informed him of the firmness of the Thessalonians; then it’s closer to the point to give in this place the meaning of this word - to endure, endure. No longer able to bear the anxiety that ignorance of your condition caused me, I decided to send to you. Timofey. “Benevolent” does not only mean willingness, but by reasoning a certain determination, they considered it good - and they desired it. Chrysostom: “With good will, we decided instead.” Theophylact: “They chose, they judged, they preferred.” “Remain united” - “These words are evidence of great love for the Thessalonians” (Damascene). And it could not be pleasant for him to remain alone for so long, but here: in Athens, there was a lot of work ahead of him, which made the assistance of an employee necessary. But, despite this, he decided to send Timothy. So much occupied and worried him about the state of Thessaloniki. 1 Thessalonians 3:2. And by the message of Timothy, our brother and servant of God and our companion in the gospel of Christ, to confirm and comfort you about your faith. Unable to visit the Thessalonians himself, Saint Paul sent Timothy to them. “This is the mode of action of this holy Apostle,” notes Ecumenius, “that when, due to temptations and the constraint arising from them, he himself cannot go to any of his disciples, he sends others to them, and through them he is present to them and converses with them. This is what he did about the Philippians, and this about the Corinthians, sending this same Timothy to them and talking with them through him.” Just as Saint Timothy was probably not personally known to the Thessalonians, and yet had to affirm and console them, to act with an authoritative word, the holy Apostle tells them who the one he is sending is, and inspires them that he is capable of replacing the Apostle Paul himself and that they, with power of attorney, can and in conscience should listen to him, as the Apostle Paul himself. At the same time, he showed that, by sending such an ambassador, he had very serious concern for them, one that concerned the most important aspects of their lives, and thus obliges them to pay full attention. St. Chrysostom says that St. Paul praises Timothy in this way, “not exalting Timothy, but giving honor to them by sending to them a co-worker and minister of the gospel, saying, as it were: having taken a break from business, we have sent to you a servant of God and our accomplice in the gospel of Christ.” (Same as Ekumenius and Theophylact.) “And by the ambassador of Timothy our brother.” Christians mutually called themselves brothers, as born from one Spirit in one font, united with the One Lord and constituting one Church. But the Apostle, calling Timothy this way, wants to say that he is the person closest to him, that they are connected by sincere love and that for them he is the same as the Apostle himself - a brother in whom the Apostle trusts everything, in whom they can trust, for his brother is their brother. "Servant of God". This indicates the special appointment of Saint Timothy from God Himself. A servant of God is an executor of God’s special intentions, who is entrusted by God to do something for the glory of God, in fulfillment of the plans of Providence. The same was Tychicus - “a faithful servant in the Lord” (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7). And Apollos, and even Paul himself - what is the essence of “just ministry - as to whom the Lord has given” (1 Cor. 3.5). “Our assistant...”. Determines what kind of service Timothy has to God. He is determined to be Saint Paul's companion in preaching the Gospel. This is how he is called in the Epistle to the Romans (1 Thess. 16:21), where the Apostle calls himself serving “God in the spirit in the gospel of His Son” (Rom. 1:9). He also calls Epaphroditus the Philippian this way (Phil. 2:25). “To affirm and comfort” is the purpose of the message. Both words together embrace all the sides on which Saint Timothy could and should have acted. So also Silas and Judas, sent from Jerusalem to Antioch, “comforted the brethren with many words and strengthened them,” after the troubles caused among them by the zealots of the Jewish law (Acts 15:32). The work of Saint Timothy was to strengthen those standing in the faith even more, to inspire those who were weak and ready to waver to firmness, and to console those who were grieving because of persecution, so that no one would fall or fall away. “The Solunians needed confirmation and consolation in order not to lag behind the faith” (Theophylact). If we discuss each word separately, it will be: “affirm” - strengthen the spirit in the way of thinking and the rules of life, give strength to the beliefs accepted in faith and the determination to live according to the requirements of faith. “Confirm as wavering” (Ecumenius). “Not to offer you a new teaching, but to confirm it in the old teaching” (Theodoret). To console - to calm the heart, restless, sick, grieving because of the troubles in which the Thessalonians were placed on the occasion of the acceptance of the Gospel. Another time the Apostle wrote to them: The Lord... “may he comfort your hearts and establish you in every word” (in thoughts and beliefs) “and in deeds” (in the rules of life by faith) (2 Thess. 2:17). “About your faith” - can only be attributed to “comfort.” The heart was in sorrow and confusion due to the circumstances attracted by faith. For this reason, the sorrow of the heart cast a shadow on faith itself. By interpreting the difficulties encountered in a God-appropriate manner, Saint Timothy could comfort the hearts and thereby again restore the brightness of the face of faith in the minds of believers. “About your faith” - it will be: regarding your faith in these circumstances caused by faith yours. 1 Thessalonians 3:3. As if not a single one should be embarrassed by these sorrows: you yourself know that we are lying on this present day. The work of affirmation and consolation with words was aimed at preventing the shaking of faith by the action of sorrows (Ecumenius), so that no one would be shaken in these sorrows. The Apostle points to certain well-known and, moreover, ongoing sorrows, meaning, of course, those that were a consequence of preaching the Gospel and believing in it. How these sorrows affected both the believers and the Apostles, both should be understood here. It is very natural that a young Christian society, which had so recently learned the beginnings of faith, could be greatly shaken by troubles and oppressions, which struck the heart more sensitively the more directly they followed the acceptance of the Gospel and the closer there were to other persons who, having not accepted the Gospel, enjoyed, as usual, a quiet life. Why is the verb “to be embarrassed” σαινεσθαι used by the Apostle in a way that implies hesitation by some kind of bait, or by flattering promises and hope. He wanted to express precisely: so that anyone, due to sorrows due to accepted beliefs and rules of life, would not be shaken in loyalty to them by the lure of a calm life and flattering expectations. Blessed Theophylact writes: “The Apostle points out here what benefit confirmation and consolation on behalf of Saint Timothy had to bring them. This, he says, so as not to become confused, so as not to lose heart and not relax. For the devil, when he seizes a favorable time for temptation, shakes the unstable with a reminder of the former peace, so that they lag behind what was the cause of sorrows.” The sorrows of the Apostles could have shaken them: how can the messengers of God endure such attacks and encounter such obstacles?! Although they work miracles, they immediately find themselves weak and extremely humiliated, suffer beatings and are imprisoned and in chains. “The disciples,” says Saint Chrysostom, “are embarrassed not so much by their own temptations as by seeing the temptations of their mentors, just as a warrior is not so much embarrassed by his own wounds, but when he sees his leader wounded.” (Same as Ekumenius and Theophylact.) “You yourself know,” from the words of the holy Apostle when he was in Thessaloniki, as he himself speaks about this after this, “as we lie on this present day.” Who is this? - All who cling to the Lord by faith and the Apostles themselves. It is so determined from above; This is God's plan! So it was, is and will be, for darkness cannot have a peaceful relationship with the light that is brought into its midst by the Gospel and believers. Chrysostom says: “We lie on this” - the Apostle refers to all Christians. He proclaims in another place that “all who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). And Christ Himself says: “You will be in a world of sorrow” John. 16, 33). He didn’t just say: we endure temptation, but: “we lie on this,” instead of: “we were born for this.” - Ecumenius adds: “We are assigned to this (κεκληρωμεθα), we are assigned to this.” “Let us hear that Christians lie down to grieve: for he did not say this about the Apostles alone” (Theophylact). And throughout Scripture the idea is instilled in various ways that sorrows are inseparable from the Apostles and Christians. The Lord told the apostles that he was sending them out like “sheep among wolves” (Matt. 10:16), that the world will hate them, just as it hated Him Himself (John 15:18-19), to the point that anyone who kills them will think that he is doing a service to God. The apostles were aware of this and expected nothing but troubles and sorrows. Why did they call themselves those on death row (1 Cor. 4:9), that is, doomed to death, and favored them even more in need, distress and sorrow (2 Cor. 12:10). But all Christians “must enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations” (Acts 14:22), - in this narrow and sorrowful way (Matthew 7:14; Luke 13:24), - and when they were in temptations, they were inspired not to think that something alien to them had happened here (1 Pet. 4:12). Ecumenius very appropriately notes that with this word Saint Paul gives the Thessalonians consolation not only for present sorrows, but also for future sorrows. For if they lie down to grieve, then there is nothing to be surprised or embarrassed when sorrows come. 1 Sol.3:4. For when you were in trouble, I foretold to you that, like the imams, sorrow would come quickly and well. Indicates how the Thessalonians know about the inevitability of sorrows. The Apostle told them about this in advance. And he spoke about this so that they would not be embarrassed when sorrows come. The apostles did not entice us with flattering earthly hopes, but revealed the matter of faith in all its nakedness, with all its unpleasant consequences, so that if anyone believed, he believed according to one conviction in the truth of the Gospel, and not according to any bait. When he later says: “the hedgehog is fast,” everything was as we predicted, then by this, justifying the accuracy of the prediction of the consequences of belief, he exposes faith itself in an unearthly light and thereby strengthens the conviction of its truth. “We should not be embarrassed by sorrows,” says Saint Chrysostom, “because nothing unusual or unexpected happens to us. “And this was enough to encourage them.” You see, Christ also said to His disciples: “And now the Lord will not even punish you before; but when it happens, you will have faith” (John 14:29). For much serves to comfort the disciples when they hear from their teachers what will happen to them. Just as a patient, if he hears in advance from a doctor that this and that will happen to him, is not too embarrassed, but if something happens to him unexpectedly, so that the doctor himself becomes perplexed, and the illness exceeds his skill, then the patient is sad and embarrassed: so it is here.” “Imams of sorrow” - we are all: both you who believed, and we who proclaimed the faith to you. What a consolation for the Thessalonians when the Apostle calls their sorrows his own, in addition to those that he himself endured! 1 Sol.3:5. For this reason, and if I am not patient, I sent you to understand your faith, so that you are not tempted by the tempter, and our labor will be in vain. “For this sake” - for the sake of such troubles and sorrows that have befallen us. “And I” - suggests another. Who is the other? - Some say that these are Thessalonians; others, that these are Christians who surrounded the Apostle; others, that Saint Paul said so just to highlight himself, just as in verse 1 Thessalonians 2:18. - If this is the way to explain, then the first assumption is closest. The Apostle says as if: I predicted to you that we would mourn; sorrows followed immediately, as you know. They separated us, and their severity increased even more. You, of course, were worried about me, what was with me and where I was. I was no less worried about you, - and, no longer enduring, I sent, and so on. - But it will be more direct if we accept this translation: “for this reason,” for these circumstances, “and I sent to you. "Not tolerating ambassadors". “He does this out of an abundance of love; for those who love, out of fiery jealousy, fear for what is safe. Although he said: we lie on this, the excessive multitude of evils frightened me. - He didn’t say: having noticed something bad in you, he sent it, - but “to someone who cannot bear it,” - which actually comes from love. In sorrow we put aside the memory of everyone, but he feared and trembled so much for the children that he even sent the one who was a consolation for him, Timothy, his accomplice and assistant to them” (Chrysostom). “Consider your faith” - the state of faith - whether you are firm, whether you have not succumbed to temptation, whether you stand your ground. “Since I could not bear the thought that bothered me more, I sent, wanting to find out whether any harm had happened to you from temptations and whether the work that we had undertaken for you had been lost” (Theodoret). “However, the tempter tempted you”—didn’t the tempter tempt you? – Anyone who, with his depraved speeches, could shake the recent convictions of the Thessalonians and distract them from faith in the Lord could be called a tempter. But, according to the Apostle, obviously Satan is meant here, which he already mentioned - 1 Thessalonians 2:18. Acting in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2), he is the tempter κατ` εξοχην (Matt. 4:3, 10; 1 Cor. 7:5). The Apostle knew that the Thessalonians suffered even after his departure, or were subject to temptation from without; but he did not know what effect these sorrows had on the hearts of Thessalonians. This is what I wanted to know: had Satan swayed them? Tribulation and persecution in themselves are not temptations. They are in the order of things and for the good. From them, or in connection with them, Satan already arranges temptations when, approaching the heart, he instills doubts and shakes faith. “You see that confusion in grief is the action of the devil and his cunning. He calls hesitation a temptation from the devil. The only person who is tempted is the one who already hesitates, who has already accepted the devil’s charm” (Chrysostom). “And our labor will be in vain.” If it turns out that you tempted, that is, shook you, then all our labor spent on you, for nothing, was in vain. Actually, the work of the Apostles, even if there was no success, could not be in vain when everything possible had been done. But the Apostle does not look at rewards from God, but at his own intentions in his apostolic works. He works not just to work, but always with the fruit of his labor in mind - the glory of the Gospel and faith in the Lord, so that when this does not happen, he does not put work into work, it is all the same, even if he did not work - for such work, according to him, there is nothing to expect from the Lord. And before he said: you are a joy and a crown, meaning: if you stand in faith. – The Apostle here touches on the love for himself of the Thessalonians, who experienced his fatherly care. Love makes the good common, and the harm of one evokes the sympathy and assistance of others. The Apostle strikes at this, remembering the futility of his labor. He gives an incentive in this - to stand firmly in faith, as if saying: you will not dare to offend me by depriving the fruit of my labor for you. Theophylact writes: “If they had turned aside, O Paul, what to do with you! “Your work will not remain without full reward from God.” Saint Chrysostom paraphrases more fully: “After all, even if they were seduced, it would not be through your fault and not through your negligence. “But in this case,” he says, “due to strong brotherly love, I would consider my work lost.” c) The joy of St. Paul upon receiving good information about the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 3:6–10) 1 Sol.3:6. Now Timothy has come to us from you, and preached to us your faith and love, and that you have a good memory of us, always wanting to see us, just as we do you. What sincerity and love breathes in the expression of joy upon receiving good information about the Thessalonians! This joy was all the more lively the more unexpected the news. The Apostle was afraid that they would waver and destroy his labors, considering this probable, due to the well-known weaknesses of man. It turned out to be completely different: faith with love is in strength, and the memory of the Apostle is with warmth. The news exceeded expectations - and the Apostle’s joy knew no bounds. How he took to heart everything related to the successes of the Gospel! "I'll come.." This return of Saint Timothy coincides with the one mentioned in the Acts: “when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia” (Acts 18:5). At least there is no other case known in Scripture. Accepting this makes guessing about another time unnecessary. And no matter how many of them were built, they are all incompatible with the circumstances of writing the message, which are mentioned in the message itself. “I brought the good news.” – “Do you see Paul’s joy? He did not say: I proclaimed, but “I brought good news.” He considered their firmness in faith and love to be such a great blessing” (Chrysostom). The joy was so great that he called the news about it the gospel - a word that in the New Testament usually means the gospel of the salvation of the world by the Lord Jesus Christ. This message concerns the area of ​​the dispensation of salvation, like the message about the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19). The Apostle’s joy because of her flowed from the spirit of apostleship. This spirit was zealous to plant saving faith in the Lord everywhere and was satisfied only if it saw that those who heard the sermon believed, clung to the Lord and remained faithful to Him. The confirmation that the Thessalonians were like this calmed and sweetened the spirit of the Apostle, and he could not call the news of this anything other than a gospel for himself. What was the good news that Timothy brought? - About the truly Christian mood of the Thessalonians, expressed by faith and love, and about the preservation of good relations towards the Apostle, evidenced by the memory of him and the desire to see him. “I brought good news to your faith and love.” Faith and love for the Apostle are the essence of Christianity. Neither faith without love is worthy of praise, nor love without faith has value. Why does he teach - he teaches that everyone should hold faith promoted by love, assuring that without them everything else is insignificant in the eyes of God (1 Tim. 1:5-6); If he praises anyone, he praises him for his faith and love. So at the beginning of almost all of his messages. In the words: “I preached to me your faith and love,” the Apostle said the same thing: he told me that you remain true Christians. “And as if the memory of us is good.” Good memory is a memory with goodwill, warm, heartfelt, the fruit and evidence of love for the Apostle. Or a good memory is a good memory in the sense as we say: he left a good memory of himself, they remember the Apostle with kindness, considering him to be their true benefactor, as a true messenger of God. “You remember me with praise and approval,” explains Theophylact. The Apostle is pleased with such a memory, not just as a memory, but because it signified commitment to the faith that he passed on to them. Saint Chrysostom says: “This is the praise that not only when we were with you and when we performed miracles, but also now, when we are far from you and suffer beatings and endure countless disasters, “keep a good memory of us.” “Always wanting to see us” - “Always” some refer to: “and have a good memory”, as in the Russian translation, others to: “wishing to see us”, as in the Slavic. This does not change the thought at all, but in Slavic it is better. Good memory was aroused by the constant desire to see the Apostle, and this flows out of love for him. The memory of the heart, expressed by the desire to see the Apostle, is stronger and stronger more unshakably than mental memory. The latter was established on the first - and if it was everlasting, it was because the everlasting desire was to see, generated by love. “Like we do you.” If the Apostle had not added this, his depiction of sympathy for the Thessalonians would have been incomplete. Reciprocity is the soul of heartfelt communication. It was comforting, of course, for the Thessalonians to know that the Apostle was convinced of their love for him: “for it is very pleasant for a lover if the beloved knows that he is loved by him” (Chrysostom). But incomparably more comforting should be the assurance that he is the same towards them as they are towards him. All these reminders from the Apostle were not just ordinary figures of speech in written communications, but expressed the very truth and were all directed towards one goal - to inspire the Thessalonians to value the faith they accepted, to love it and stand firmly in it. 1 Sol.3:7. For this reason, brothers, we are comforted about you in all our sorrow and need, through your faith. “For this reason” - according to the grammatical flow of speech, one would not expect; but as several joyful thoughts were placed ahead, then, generalizing them and bringing them together, the Apostle inserted - “for this reason” - for the sake of everything announced by Timothy, everything that he said. In the end, what stands—“by your faith”—will serve as an explanation—“for this sake.” With all this, through your faith, we have been comforted, for faith combines everything. “We are comforted, brethren, about you.” The Greek εφ` υμιν on you, as if they rested on you, calmed down regarding you, all our worries about you passed, and this filled our hearts with consolation. “They were afraid that temptation might overpower you, and they grieved about it. But when Timothy told us what was happening to you, we not only stopped grieving, but were also filled with joy. There is no lower feeling of any sadness left in us because of the joy about you” (Ecumenius). "In all our sorrow and need." Sorrow and need embrace everything that oppresses the Apostles. Need points more to external tightness, and sorrow to the tightness of the heart. The joy was so great that with it the Apostle forgot about all the troubles that weighed on him, despite the fact that they were both great and numerous. The Apostle understands sorrow and need, both those he endured and those he endured at that time. This also contains the sorrows suffered for the sake of the Thessalonians. In this regard, the thought will be: thank God, we did not suffer and endure in vain for your sake - you are strong, our labor is not in vain. In relation to the tightness in which the Apostle was when he received the good news, the thought will be: “We no longer feel sorrows, but we have been comforted not in just one sorrow, but in every one. Our joy for you has become a counterbalance to all our needs” (Theophylact). "By your faith". Faith here means everything: Christian teaching, and life in accordance with it, and all Christian rites, and the memory of the Apostles with the desire to see them. “By your faith” is the same as by your Christianity, in that you, having accepted the faith and began to live according to its spirit, continue to this day. Saint Chrysostom says: “Who can compare with Paul, who considers the salvation of his neighbors as his own, having the same attitude towards everyone as the body does towards its members? He did not want them to express gratitude to him for the temptations he endured for their sake, but expresses gratitude to them for not being shaken by the temptations that happened to him, saying, as it were: you faced more danger from temptations than we did; you were more exposed to temptations than we were, although you did not suffer during our sufferings. Since Timothy brought us the good news, we have not felt any sorrow. Nothing can disturb a good teacher as long as the affairs of the students flow according to his wishes. “We are comforted by you,” that is, you strengthened us, you anointed us, you allowed us to breathe, you did not allow us to fall under the weight of temptations.” 1 Sol.3:8. As we live today, even if you stand in the Lord. “We are alive.” This is what everyone says about himself, over whom trouble weighed heavily and passed: the unknown about the Thessalonians caused mortal grief to the Apostle, now it has passed, the stone has fallen from his heart, and he feels revived. Or this: my circumstances are as difficult as death, so I can say: “I am dying all the days” (1 Cor. 15:31). But, having received good news about you, I everything is forgotten, nothing matters when you stand... Or so: the life of the Apostles is the success of the Gospel and the faith of Christ; hearing about the steadfastness in the faith of the Thessalonians, the Apostle says: “That is life for us when we are faithful to the Lord.” We consider nothing more than their stumbling, but life is their progress” (Chrysostom), “their firmness in faith and standing in Christ” (Theodoret, Ecumenius). “As long as you stand in the Lord.” To stand in the Lord means to unwaveringly believe in Him, to be attached to Him and to unswervingly follow His commandments. “Those stand in faith who keep an unshakable faith in Him and lead their lives in accordance with faith” (Ecumenius). The Lord is the source and element of life. Those who stand in Him are rooted in Him, united and united with Him, hidden in Him with their hearts and thoughts. “Even if” does not mean doubt, but, on the contrary, complete confidence that the Thessalonians not only stand, but will also stand in the Lord - confidence in their unshakable firmness. If there were no such confidence, there would not be the aforementioned outpouring of joy. Doubt would kill it in the very bud. One can, however, assume that by using such a turn of phrase, the Apostle secretly gives an admonition: watch, stand, do not shake I have confidence in your steadfastness, otherwise you will kill me. 1 Sol.3:9. We can give thanks to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God. The first fruit of the message brought by Saint Timothy is the joy of the Apostle Paul; the second is thanksgiving to God. He who is joyful gives thanks to God, from Whom is all good. The spirit that lives in God turns to Him for the first time, whether in joy or in sorrow. “For” - for - explanatory, instead of: yes, and what kind of thanks shall we give? Or, - keeping the usual meaning of this particle - indicating the reason - we can assume that - "for what thanksgiving shall we give" - stands instead: for this is for us the greatest, ineffable good. This good is from God. Instead of exposing the greatness of the good, the Apostle speaks of the impossibility of worthily thanking God for it. As it were: how much is your firmness in faith? was desired, and how much I feared for her! The news exceeded my expectations. This is a great blessing from God for me. And I do not have the strength to adequately thank God for this goodness. My joy for you has no measure. St. Chrysostom says: “Expanding the above (that is, we are alive...), the Apostle says: “we will give thanks... You were the cause of such great joy for us that we are not able to give thanks adequately.” God. We consider your successes to be a gift from God. You have benefited us so much that we consider this a work done at the inspiration of God, or, better, the work of God Himself. Such sublime feelings (yours) are not the work of human effort.” “We can repay.” They repay the debt. Considering himself extremely favored, he feels an obligation to thank God, but does not find the strength to adequately thank Him. So great is the benefit of joy. “The greatness of joy overcomes the singing of the lips, for we are not able to offer to God a song equivalent to the joy that you brought to us” (Theodoret). “About you.” He speaks only of his joy because of them, in expression of his strong and uncontrollable love for them. “About all joy” - either indicates various objects that brought joy, or generally means the fullness of joy - like this: for all this joy, this also applies to: “we rejoice for your sake...”. To rejoice with joy means to rejoice fully, to the highest degree - the same as in another place - “to rejoice with great joy” (Matthew 2:10). "Before God". - Raises the price of joy - rejoices with the kind of joy that is characteristic of rejoicing before God, holy, reverent joy, in the spirit of faith and devotion to God, both conceived and ripening. There is also confirmation of the sincerity of joy, as it were: before God, an all-seeing witness of everything that happens secretly inside. 1 Thessalonians 3:10. Night and day it is too much to pray to see your face, and to commit the deprivation of your faith. The third fruit of the good news about the Thessalonians is the desire to see them and the desire is so strong that St. Paul had a day and night prayer for this, diligently poured out before God. When he thanks for his joy, one might think that he thanks for himself, for his happiness. By also adding a prayer to see newly converted disciples, he makes it clear that this is not the only joy in his soul. It's outside, deeper lies love. Joy out of love for them. Love brought joy at the news of their good standing in the faith. She is the reason that he is not content with joy alone, but wants to see them. Both of them merge into one feeling, and make you pray day and night, so that God will grant you to see them again. “Just as a farmer, hearing about his field, which he has cultivated, that it abounds in fruits, impatiently wants to see for himself what gives him such pleasure, so Paul - Macedonia” (Chrysostom). He prays to see them not just to see them, but to make up for the deprivation of faith. The Apostle's feelings are always subordinated to the main goal of his apostolic ministry - so that those converted stand in the faith and know it perfectly. During the short stay in Thessaloniki, much was not agreed upon. So he wants to visit them to reach an agreement. Similarly, writing to the Romans, he says that he always wanted to see them in order to “teach them some spiritual gift for their strengthening” (Rom. 1:11) "Commit deprivation of faith". Faith, as a spiritual mood, was strong among them, but not all of the content of faith was taught to them. The power of faith was great, but not the knowledge of its objects. Faith may appear in full tension from the first moment of belief, but time and teaching reveal the realm of faith more and more. Saint Chrysostom writes: “To commit the deprivation of faith...”. what does it mean? - The fact that they have not yet taken advantage of all the teachings and have not learned everything that should have been learned. Perhaps there were also competitions between them about the resurrection, and there were many who embarrassed them not by temptations and dangers, but by posing as teachers. This is what he calls deprivation of faith. Why didn’t he say: approve, but: “commit...”? which relates more to teaching than to affirmation, just as he says in another place: “Let you do righteousness in every work” (Heb. 13:21).” The ecumenium adds: “About those who waver in the faith he says: “confirm” (1 Thessalonians 3:2), and about those who are firm in the faith, who have some deficiency in its teaching, he says “perfect,” that is, make up for it. The doctrine of faith was not completely known to them. They knew incompletely about the resurrection and, perhaps, about something similar. They were firm in their faith in Christ, despite temptations and sorrows. But they had to learn all the dogmas of our faith” (the same with Theophylact). d) Saint Paul’s prayerful wishes to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 3:11–13) The Apostle has already expressed everything about himself. He concludes his speech with a prayer that he may reach the Thessalonians, and that they may grow in Christian perfection and appear as such at the second coming of Christ. 1 Sol.3:11. May God and our Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, correct our path to you. God the Father, as the Almighty and Creator of the visible, and the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom all things were (John 1:3), to whom “all authority was given in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18), is the omnipotent power to arrange everything for the good of faith and the faithful, and who promised to be with the believers “always until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) and to fulfill any of their requests. “This teaches the equality of the Father and the Son, making it known that the Father and the Son build one and the same thing, just as they create the same thing” (Theodoret). Why let him correct is in the singular. – The Trinitarian God acts in us for salvation through the incarnate Only Begotten Son of God and the descending Holy Spirit by the good pleasure of the Father. “May our path to you be corrected.” “Let him correct” - time will indicate, he will remove obstacles and arrange everything favorable for a peaceful journey. The Apostle lived in Devotion to God and directed all his steps according to instructions from above, whether they were expressed internally - by the complete preparation of the “heart”, without interference, or externally - by a combination of circumstances that called for any undertakings and provided all the convenience for that. He himself did not pre-ordain anything, but everything was like God. Saint Chrysostom says in this place: “To pray not only internally, but also to express your prayer in a message is a property of extreme love, it is a property of a fiery and truly uncontrollable soul. He says something like this: May God Himself put an end to the temptations that everywhere prevent us from having a direct path to you,” “may He fulfill our desire and destroy the difficulties that we encounter” (Theodoret), “may He drive away Satan, who everywhere through temptations puts obstacles for us to come to you” (Ecumenius). 1 Thessalonians 3:12. May the Lord multiply you and overflow with love for each other and for everyone, just as we do for you. Well wishes to the Thessalonians in the spirit of faith and hope. – He wishes them perfection in love, which alone is strong to keep them unshakable in faith and pure in life until the very second coming of Christ, in which the eternal fate of everyone is decided. “The Lord is yours.” Before he said: “God and Father and Lord...”. and now only “Lord.” This is because the Lord and the Father are one, according to the word of the Lord Himself: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and because after him are attached good wishes for the economy of our salvation, which the Trinitarian God accomplishes through the incarnate God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. “Let him increase and abound in love” is the same as let him fulfill and overflow with love. Saint Chrysostom expresses the meaning of both words in one way: “let it increase.” Blessed Theodoret divides the meaning of each word and relates the first to the multiplication of the number of believers, and the second to the unification of all of them in love. “He prays that he will replenish them in number and make them abundant in love, that is, those who have acquired perfect love, so that they will not lack in it at all.” “Love for each other and for everyone.” – He desires love exclusively because it is a union of perfection (Col. 3:14), it is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10). Christian prosperity is prosperity in love (1 Tim. 6:11). Like the Lord Himself, like the other Apostles, so Saint Paul places love above all else in Christianity (1 Cor. 13). – But who does the Apostle mean by “to all”? – If by “to each other” he means only those who believed, Thessalonians, then “to all” will mean – to all other Christians. So Theodoret: “So that they show love not only to each other, but also to all those of the same faith, wherever they are.” If by “to each other” we mean Christians in general, then “to all” will mean all people. Thus Ecumenius: “The task of Christians is not only to love brothers, but also to all people, both believers and non-believers.” Saint Chrysostom means love for everyone, without indicating faith. “Look how he wants to spread this love!” - Not only to each other, but also to everyone. For in this truly love according to God is revealed, that it strives to embrace everyone. If you love one and not the other, then your love is human.” The Holy Apostle Paul often inspires love for all people. So Titus. 3, 2; 1 Tim. 2, 1 ; 1Sol. 5, 15; and the like. “Just as we are towards you,” means: we are full and abundant in love. A truncated expression requires additional thought. It can be like this: having said about love for everyone, he gave a hint to himself, saying, as it were: to everyone, and to us... After this it will naturally follow: “as we love you” - or directly: love yourself mutually and everyone, as we love you - that is, unselfishly, with readiness for all kinds of sacrifices, as he says about himself in 1 Thess. 2. He sets his love, known to the Thessalonians and experienced by them, as a model: “Have us as a measure and example of love” (Theophylact). The holy Apostle Paul usually sets himself as a model (2 Sol. 3:9; Phil. 3:17). But he does not stop Christians from himself, but leads them from himself to Christ the Lord, saying: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). Thus, he raises everyone to the One. In the matter of moral education, example is stronger than any word. 1 Thessalonians 3:13. To establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Amen. He desires love, because it is the only support for complete moral purity, which now appears like this in the eyes of the all-seeing God and this will appear at the coming of the Lord, when everything - including the hidden - will be naked and revealed before everyone. “Love makes one blameless, and, moreover, it alone makes one truly blameless. Love for one's neighbor blocks every entrance to sin. And there is absolutely not a single sin that, like fire, would not be destroyed by the power of love. It is more convenient for weak brushwood to resist strong fire than for the nature of sin to resist the power of love” (Chrysostom). That is why, wanting firmness in moral integrity and purity, he desires love. Love is a means to unshakable purity, or firm, impeccable morality, and this latter is a condition for justification at the second coming of Christ. In another place he writes: “having the promise of love, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, creating holiness in the passion of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). Here he says: if you want to be so pure and impeccable, seek and beg for yourself perfect love. Saint Chrysostom writes: “I want, he says, for this love to overflow in you so much that there is no vice in you. He did not say to establish you, but “your hearts.” “For from the heart come evil thoughts” (Matthew 15:19). You can be evil without doing any evil, such as: feeling hatred, unbelief, being treacherous, rejoicing in the misfortunes of your neighbors, being unfriendly, adhering to a false teaching, for all this is a matter of the heart. To be pure from all this constitutes holiness. For although chastity is primarily and predominantly called holiness, just as fornication and adultery are also called uncleanness, in general every sin is uncleanness and every virtue is purity. “Blessed,” says the Savior, “pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8), meaning by pure those who are pure in everything.” “Before God and our Father” - can be referred to as “blameless in holiness”, in the thought that their hearts should be blameless and pure before the all-seeing eye of God, in which case only purity can be real purity - and to: “the coming of the Lord”, in the thought that judgment will be carried out before the face of the Father. So Saint Chrysostom, Ecumenius and Theophylact. Chrysostom writes: “The judge then will be Christ, but we will not stand before Him, but before the Father during the judgment. – Or here the Apostle means that we must be blameless before God. What I always tell you is that one should not be blameless before the face of man, but before the face of God, because this is what true virtue consists of.” "At the Coming of the Lord". – The Apostle has already brought the attention of the Thessalonians to this decisive moment more than once (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2:12, 19). Now he again represents it as the last limit of hopes and expectations, and at the same time as the strongest incentive to maintain energetic efforts in himself for deeds and feelings that can be approved at that time. Whatever is then laid down about someone will seal his fate with an unchangeable seal for all eternity, either for bliss or for torment. "With all the saints". Others believe that the Apostle wishes them integrity with all the saints, along with them, like them, in order to be in their host at the meeting of the Lord (Theodoret). But these words refer more directly to the coming of the Lord with all the saints. With which saints? - “The closest thing is with the angels. For this is how the coming of the Lord is described everywhere, that He will be surrounded by hosts of angels (Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Acts 10:22; Matthew 16:27; 2 Sol. 1:7). But as they say, with “His” saints and, moreover, “all”, we can also mean perfect Christians, who are His essence, primarily, as those purchased by His blood and united in one spirit with Him. The first of them, the Apostles, were promised to sit on twelve thrones and judge (Matthew 19:28). “Amen.” More than once during his speech, the Apostle introduces prayerful appeals - and appeals to God, which he often reinforces with the word: amen. As if: so be it - be it, be it. He wants to say that his prayerful goodwill is not a consequence of a momentary enthusiasm, but the fruit of his constant and firm desire for the good that is essential in Christianity. You might be interested in: