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For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain,
Verse 1. Vain. Our entrance among you was not in vain fables, or lies; our preaching was not in trifles: (Œcumenius) or rather was not without fruit. Others have spoken of it every where; but why refer you to others when yourselves know that it was every where followed by abundance of good works, faith, patience? and so forth Estius.
but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict.
For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.
Verse 3. Our exhortation was not proceeding from error. [1] That is, was not by promoting errors, or uncleanness. Witham.
But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak—not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.
Verse 4. As we were approved of and chosen by God to announce his gospel, we have tried to correspond with his designs; and we speak in a spirit of disinterestedness, not to please men, but God. Being chosen by God, it is to him we must render an account. Have we spoken to you in words of flattery? Have we disguised the gospel truth, or concealed its austerity? Have we made piety a cloak for avarice? and so forth Calmet.
For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),
Verse 5. Nor taken an occasion of covetousness. Not so as to make the gospel a cloak for gain-sake. Witham.
nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ.
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.
Verse 7. But we became little, [2] by our carriage, and by our humility and kindness. In the Greek, made ourselves gentle, good natured, and so forth Witham.
Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.
Verse 8. Because you were become most dear to us. Lit. desiring you. [3] Saint John Chrysostom admires the tender expressions of love in Saint Paul. Witham.
For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.
You are witnesses with God how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.
Verse 10. You are witnesses. We must necessarily conclude that the apostle speaks this not from vain glory, or personal vanity; but in the just right of defending his own character against the aspersions of enemies, and lest the faith of any might be staggered by the calumnies. In such cases self-praise is not only lawful, but frequently an imperative duty, if confined within the limits of truth. A.
As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children,
to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.
For this cause we also thank God without ceasing that when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, God’s word, which also works in you who believe.
Verse 13. The word [4] of the hearing of God, which can only signify the word of God you heard from us. Witham.
For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews
who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men,
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.
Verse 16. To full up the measure of their sins, after which God’s justice would punish them. Witham.—The Jews filled up the measure of their iniquities by the opposition they every where manifested to the religion of Christ. The earliest Fathers of the Church testify that they dispersed people into every nation to blaspheme the name of Christ; and hence sprang the evil fame which Christians bore among the pagans. See the apologies of S. Justin, Tertullian, Origen, and so forth—For the wrath of God is come upon them to the end. It seems a foretelling of their entire destruction, which happened not long after under Vespasian and Adrian. Witham.
But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,
Verse 17. Being taken away from [5] you. Lit. become desolate, because of our separation from you. Witham.
because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us.
Verse 18. Satan hindered us. That is, has raised such an aversion to me among the pagans and Jews of Thessalonica, that my friends do not think it safe I should come among you. I am now detained from you by violence; but when this life is past, you shall form my joy and my crown. I will present you at the tribunal of my Saviour, and say: Behold me and my children; behold the fruits of my labours, the proofs of my fidelity, and my claims for a recompense. Calmet.—If the apostle here calls his disciples his hope, joy, glory, why may we not call the blessed Virgin Mary, or other saints, their joy and hope, for the special confidence they have in their prayers?
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?
TR adds “Christ”
For you are our glory and our joy.