Homilies on First Thessalonians

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->1 Thessalonians 1:8-10

“For from you has sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth; so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivers us from the wrath to come.”

As a sweet-smelling ointment keeps not its fragrance shut up in itself, but diffuses it afar, and scenting the air with its perfume, so conveys it also to the senses of the neighbors; so too illustrious and admirable men do not shut up their virtue within themselves, but by their good report benefit many, and render them better. Which also then happened. Wherefore he said, “So that you became ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.” “For from you,” he says, “has sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth.” You have filled, therefore, all your neighbors with instruction, and the world with wonder. For this is meant by the expression, “in every place.” And he has not said, your faith is noised abroad, but “has sounded out”; as every place near is filled with the sound of a loud trumpet, so the report of your manfulness is loud, and sounding even like that, is sufficient to fill the world, and to fall with equal sound upon all that are round about. For great actions are more loudly celebrated there, where they have taken place; afar off indeed they are celebrated, but not so much.

But in your case it was not so, but the sound of good report was spread abroad in every part of the earth. And whence know we, says one, that the words were not hyperbolical? For this nation of the Macedonians, before the coming of Christ, was renowned, and celebrated everywhere more than the Romans. And the Romans were admired on this account, that they took them captive. For the actions of the Macedonian king exceeded all report, who, setting out from a little city indeed, yet subdued the world. Wherefore also the Prophet saw him, a winged leopard, showing his swiftness, his vehemence, his fiery nature, his suddenly in a manner flying over the whole world with the trophies of his victory. And they say, that hearing from a certain philosopher, that there were infinite worlds, he groaned bitterly, that when they were numberless, he had not conquered even one. So high-minded was he, and high-souled, and celebrated everywhere. And with the fame of the king the glory of the nation also kept pace. For he was called “Alexander, the Macedonian.” So that what took place there was also naturally much talked of. For nothing can be concealed that relates to the illustrious. The Macedonians then were not inferior to the Romans.

And this has also arisen from their vehemence. For as if he were speaking of something living, he introduces the word “gone forth”; so vehement and energetic was their faith. “So that we need not to speak anything,” says he, “for they themselves report concerning us what entering in we had unto you.” They do not wait to hear from us, but those who were not present, and have not seen, anticipate those who were present, and have seen your good deeds. So manifest were they everywhere made by report. We shall not therefore need, by relating your actions, to bring them to equal zeal. For the things which they ought to have heard from, us, these they themselves talk of, anticipating us. And yet in the case of such there is frequently envy, but the exceeding greatness of the thing conquered even this, and they are the heralds of your conflicts. And though left behind, not even so are they silenced, but they are beforehand with us. And being such, it is not possible for them to disbelieve our report.

What means, “What manner of entering in we had unto you”? That it was full of dangers, and numberless deaths, but that none of these things troubled you. But as if nothing had happened, so you adhered to us; as if you had suffered no evil, but had enjoyed infinite good, so you received us after these things. For this was the second entering. They went to Berœa, they were persecuted, and when they came after this they so received them, as though they had been honored by these also, so that they even laid down their lives for them. The expression, “What manner of entering in we had,” is complicated, and contains an encomium both of them and of themselves. But he himself has turned this to their advantage. “And how,” he says, “ye turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God”; that is, that you did it readily, that you did it with much eagerness, that it did not require much labor to make you. “In order to serve,” says he, “a living and true God.”

Here also he introduced an exhortation, which is the part of one who would make his discourse less offensive. “And to wait,” he says, “for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivers us from the wrath to come.” “And to wait,” he says, “for His Son from heaven”; Him that was crucified, Him that was buried; to wait for Him from heaven. And how “from heaven”? “Whom He raised from the dead.” You see all things at the same time; both the Resurrection, and the Ascension, and the second Coming, the Judgment, the retribution of the just, the punishment of the wicked. “Jesus,” he says, “which delivers us from the wrath to come.” This is at once comfort, and exhortation, and encouragement. For if He raised Him from the dead, and He is in heaven, and thence will come, (and you believed in Him; for if you had not believed in Him, you would not have suffered so much), this of itself is sufficient comfort. These shall suffer punishment, which he says in his second epistle, and you will have no small consolation.

And to “wait,” he says, “for His Son from heaven.” The terrible things are in hand, but the good things are in the future, when Christ shall come from heaven. See how much hope is required, in that He who was crucified has been raised, that He has been taken up into heaven, that He will come to judge the quick and the dead.

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->Chap. 2:1, 2. “For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it has not been found vain: but having suffered before, and been shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God in much conflict.”

Great indeed were your actions also, but yet neither did we have recourse to human speech. But what he says above, that also he repeats here, that from both sides is shown what was the nature of the Preaching, from the miracles, and from the resolution of the preachers, and from the zeal and fervor of those who received it. “For yourselves,” he says, “know our entering in unto you, that it has not been found vain,” that is, that it was not according to man, nor of any common kind. For being fresh from great dangers, and deaths, and stripes, we immediately fell into dangers. “But,” he says, “having suffered before, and been shamefully entreated; as you know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God.” Do you see how again he refers the whole to God? “To speak unto you,” says he, “the Gospel of God in much conflict.” It is not possible to say, that there indeed we were in danger, but here we are not; yourselves also know, how great was the danger, with how much contention we were among you. Which also he says in his Epistle to the Corinthians; “And I was with you in weakness,” and in labor, “and in fear, and in much trembling.”

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->Ver. 3, 4. “For our exhortation is not of error nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: but even as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God which proves our hearts.”