Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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F I R S T   T H E S S A L O N I A N S.

CHAP. I.

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After the introduction

(ver. 1)

the apostle begins with a thanksgiving to God for the saving benefits

bestowed on them,

ver. 2-5.

And then mentions the sure evidences of the good success of the gospel

among them, which was notorious and famous in several other places,

ver. 6-10.

Inscription and Apostolical Salutation.	A. D. 51.

     

1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the

Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord

Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our

Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

     

In this introduction we have,

     

I. The inscription, where we have,

1. The persons from whom this epistle came, or by whom it was written.

Paul was the inspired apostle and writer of this epistle, though he

makes no mention of his apostleship, which was not doubted of by the

Thessalonians, nor opposed by any false apostle among them. He joins

Silvanus (or Silas) and Timotheus with himself (who had now come to him

with an account of the prosperity of the churches in Macedonia), which

shows this great apostle’s humility, and how desirous he was to put

honour upon the ministers of Christ who were of an inferior rank and

standing. A good example this is to such ministers as are of greater

abilities and reputation in the church than some others.

2. The persons to whom this epistle is written, namely, the church of

the Thessalonians, the converted Jews and Gentiles in Thessalonica; and

it is observable that this church is said to be in God the Father

and in the Lord Jesus Christ; they had fellowship with the Father,

and his Son Jesus Christ,

1 John i. 3.

They were a Christian church, because they believed in God the Father

and in the Lord Jesus Christ. They believed the principles both of

natural and revealed religion. The Gentiles among them were turned to

God from idols, and the Jews among them believed Jesus to be the

promised Messias. All of them were devoted and dedicated to God the

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: to God as their chief good and

highest end, to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Mediator between God and

man. God the Father is the original centre of all natural religion; and

Jesus Christ is the author and centre of all revealed religion. You

believe in God, says our Saviour, believe also in me.
John xiv. 1.

     

II. The salutation or apostolical benediction: Grace be with you,

and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is

the same for substance as in the other epistles. Grace and peace are

well joined together; for the free grace or favour of God is the spring

or fountain of all the peace and prosperity we do or can enjoy; and

where there are gracious dispositions in us we may hope for peaceful

thoughts in our own breasts; both grace and peace, and all spiritual

blessings, come to us from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ;

from God the original of all good, and from the Lord Jesus the

purchaser of all good for us; from God in Christ, and so our Father in

covenant, because he is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note, As all good comes from God, so no good can be hoped for by

sinners but from God in Christ. And the best good may be expected from

God as our Father for the sake of Christ.

Thanksgiving to God.	A. D. 51.

     

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of

you in our prayers;

  3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of

love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight

of God and our Father;

  4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

  5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in

power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know

what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

     

I. The apostle begins with thanksgiving to God. Being about to mention

the things that were matter of joy to him, and highly praiseworthy in

them, and greatly for their advantage, he chooses to do this by way of

thanksgiving to God, who is the author of all that good that comes to

us, or is done by us, at any time. God is the object of all religious

worship, of prayer and praise. And thanksgiving to God is a great duty,

to be performed always or constantly; even when we do not actually give

thanks to God by our words, we should have a grateful sense of God’s

goodness upon our minds. Thanksgiving should be often repeated; and not

only should we be thankful for the favours we ourselves receive, but

for the benefits bestowed on others also, upon our fellow-creatures and

fellow-christians. The apostle gave thanks not only for those who were

his most intimate friends, or most eminently favoured of God, but for

them all.

     

II. He joined prayer with his praise or thanksgiving. When we in every

thing by prayer and supplication make our requests known to God, we

should join thanksgiving therewith,

Phil. iv. 6.

So when we give thanks for any benefit we receive we should join

prayer. We should pray always and without ceasing, and should pray not

only for ourselves, but for others also, for our friends, and should

make mention of them in our prayers. We may sometimes mention their

names, and should make mention of their case and condition; at least,

we should have their persons and circumstances in our minds,

remembering them without ceasing. Note, As there is much that we ought

to be thankful for on the behalf of ourselves and our friends, so there

is much occasion of constant prayer for further supplies of good.

     

III. He mentions the particulars for which he was so thankful to God;

namely,

     

1. The saving benefits bestowed on them. These were the grounds and

reasons of his thanksgiving.

(1.) Their faith and their work of faith. Their faith he tells them

(v. 8)

was very famous, and spread abroad. This is the radical grace; and

their faith was a true and living faith, because a working faith.

Note, Wherever there is a true faith, it will work: it will have an

influence upon heart and life; it will put us upon working for God and

for our own salvation. We have comfort in our own faith and the faith

of others when we perceive the work of faith. Show me thy faith by

thy works,
Jam. ii. 18.

(2.) Their love and labour of love. Love is one of the cardinal graces;

it is of great use to us in this life and will remain and be perfected

in the life to come. Faith works by love; it shows itself in the

exercise of love to God and love to our neighbour; as love will show

itself by labour, it will put us upon taking pains in religion.

(3.) Their hope and the patience of hope. We are saved by hope.

This grace is compared to the soldier’s helmet and sailor’s anchor, and

is of great use in times of danger. Wherever there is a well-grounded

hope of eternal life, it will appear by the exercise of patience; in a

patient bearing of the calamities of the present time and a patient

waiting for the glory to be revealed. For, if we hope for that we

see not, then do we with patience wait for it,
Rom. viii. 25.

     

2. The apostle not only mentions these three cardinal graces, faith,

hope and love, but also takes notice,

(1.) Of the object and efficient cause of these graces, namely, our

Lord Jesus Christ.

(2.) Of the sincerity of them: being in the sight of God even our

Father. The great motive to sincerity is the apprehension of God’s

eye as always upon us; and it is a sign of sincerity when in all we do

we endeavour to approve ourselves to God, and that is right which is so

in the sight of God. Then is the work of faith, or labour of love, or

patience of hope, sincere, when it is done under the eye of God.

(3.) He mentions the fountain whence these graces flow, namely, God’s

electing love: Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God,
v. 4.

Thus he runs up these streams to the fountain, and that was God’s

eternal election. Some by their election of God would understand only

the temporary separation of the Thessalonians from the unbelieving Jews

and Gentiles in their conversion; but this was according to the

eternal purpose of him who worketh all things according to the

counsel of his own will,
Eph. i. 11.

Speaking of their election, he calls them, brethren beloved; for

the original of the brotherhood that is between Christians and the

relation wherein they stand one to another is election. And it is a

good reason why we should love one another, because we are all

beloved of God, and were beloved of him in his counsels when there was

not any thing in us to merit his love. The election of these

Thessalonians was known to the apostles, and therefore might be known

to themselves, and that by the fruits and effects thereof–their

sincere faith, and hope, and love, by the successful preaching of the

gospel among them. Observe,

[1.] All those who in the fulness of time are effectually called and

sanctified were from eternity elected and chosen to salvation.

[2.] The election of God is of his own good pleasure and mere grace,

not for the sake of any merit in those who are chosen.

[3.] The election of God may be known by the fruits thereof.

[4.] Whenever we are giving thanks to God for his grace either to

ourselves or others, we should run up the streams to the fountain, and

give thanks to God for his electing love, by which we are made to

differ.

     

3. Another ground or reason of the apostle’s thanksgiving is the

success of his ministry among them. He was thankful on his own account

as well as theirs, that he had not laboured in vain. He had the seal

and evidence of his apostleship hereby, and great encouragement in his

labours and sufferings. Their ready acceptance and entertainment of the

gospel he preached to them were an evidence of their being elected and

beloved of God. It was in this way that he knew their election. It is

true he had been in the third heavens; but he had not searched the

records of eternity, and found their election there, but knew this by

the success of the gospel among them

(v. 5),

and he takes notice with thankfulness,

(1.) That the gospel came to them also not in word only, but in power;

they not only heard the sound of it, but submitted to the power of it.

It did not merely tickle the ear and please the fancy, not merely fill

their heads with notions and amuse their minds for awhile, but it

affected their hearts: a divine power went along with it for convincing

their consciences and amending their lives. Note, By this we may know

our election, if we not only speak of the things of God by rote as

parrots, but feel the influence of these things in our hearts,

mortifying our lusts, weaning us from the world, and raising us up to

heavenly things.

(2.) It came in the Holy Ghost, that is, with the powerful energy of

the divine Spirit. Note, Wherever the gospel comes in power, it is to

be attributed to the operation of the Holy Ghost; and unless the Spirit

of God accompany the word of God, to render it effectual by his power,

it will be to us but as a dead letter; and the letter killeth, it is

the Spirit that giveth life.

(3.) The gospel came to them in much assurance. Thus did they entertain

it by the power of the Holy Ghost. They were fully convinced of the

truth of it, so as not to be easily shaken in mind by objections and

doubts; they were willing to leave all for Christ, and to venture their

souls and everlasting condition upon the verity of the gospel

revelation. The word was not to them, like the sentiments of some

philosophers about matters of opinion and doubtful speculation, but the

object of their faith and assurance. Their faith was the evidence

of things not seen; and the Thessalonians thus knew what manner of

men the apostle and his fellow-labourers were among them, and what they

did for their sake, and with what good success.

Evidence of the Apostle’s Success.	A. D. 51.

     

6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having

received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

  7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia

and Achaia.

  8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in

Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to

God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any

thing.

  9 For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we

had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the

living and true God;

  10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the

dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

     

In these words we have the evidence of the apostle’s success among the

Thessalonians, which was notorious and famous in several places.

For,

     

I. They were careful in their holy conversation to imitate the good

examples of the apostles and ministers of Christ,

v. 6.

As the apostle took care to demean himself well, not only for his own

credit’s sake, but for the benefit of others, by a conversation

suitable to his doctrine, that he might not pull down with one hand

what he built up with the other, so the Thessalonians, who observed

what manner of men they were among them, how their preaching and living

were all of a piece, showed a conscientious care to be followers of

them, or to imitate their good example. Herein they became also

followers of the Lord, who is the perfect example we must strive to

imitate; and we should be followers of others no further than they are

followers of Christ,

1 Co. xi. 1.

The Thessalonians acted thus, notwithstanding their affliction, that

much affliction which the apostles and themselves also were exposed to.

They were willing to share in the sufferings that attended the

embracing and professing of Christianity. They entertained the gospel,

notwithstanding the troubles and hardships which attended the preachers

and professors of it too. Perhaps this made the word more precious,

being dear–bought; and the examples of the apostles shone very bright

under their afflictions; so that the Thessalonians embraced the word

cheerfully, and followed the example of the suffering apostles

joyfully, with joy in the Holy Ghost–such solid and spiritual

and lasting joy as the Holy Ghost is the author of, who, when our

afflictions abound, makes our consolations much more to abound.

     

II. Their zeal prevailed to such a degree that they were themselves

examples to all about them,

v. 7, 8.

Observe here,

     

1. Their example was very effectual to make good impressions upon many

others. They were typoi—stamps, or instruments to

make impression with. They had themselves received good impressions

from the preaching and conversation of the apostles, and they made good

impressions, and their conversation had an influence upon others. Note,

Christians should be so good as by their example to influence

others.

     

2. It was very extensive, and reached beyond the confines of

Thessalonica, even to the believers of all Macedonia, and further, in

Achaia; the Philippians, and others who received the gospel before the

Thessalonians, were edified by their example. Note, Some who were last

hired into the vineyard may sometimes outstrip those who come in before

them, and become examples to them.

     

3. It was very famous. The word of the Lord, or its wonderful effects

upon the Thessalonians, sounded, or was famous and well known, in the

regions round about that city, and in every place; not strictly

every where, but here and there, up and down in the world: so that,

from the good success of the gospel among them, many others were

encouraged to entertain it, and to be willing, when called, to suffer

for it. Their faith was spread abroad.

(1.) The readiness of their faith was famed abroad. These

Thessalonians embraced the gospel as soon as it was preached to them;

so that every body took notice what manner of entering in among them

the apostles had, that there were no such delays as at Philippi, where

it was a great while before much good was done.

(2.) The effects of their faith were famous.

[1.] They quitted their idolatry; they turned from their idols, and

abandoned all the false worship they had been educated in.

[2.] They gave themselves up to God, to the living and true God, and

devoted themselves to his service.

[3.] They set themselves to wait for the Son of God from heaven,

v. 10.

And this is one of the peculiarities of our holy religion, to wait for

Christ’s second coming, as those who believe he will come and hope he

will come to our joy. The believers under the Old Testament waited for

the coming of the Messiah, and believers now wait for his second

coming; he is yet to come. And there is good reason to believe he will

come, because God has raised him from the dead, which is full assurance

unto all men that he will come to judgment,

Acts xvii. 31.

And there is good reason to hope and wait for his coming, because he

has delivered us from the wrath to come. He came to purchase salvation,

and will, when he comes again, bring salvation with him, full and final

deliverance from sin, and death, and hell, from that wrath which is yet

to come upon unbelievers, and which, when it has once come, will be yet

to come, because it is everlasting fire prepared for the devil

and his angels,

Mt. xxv. 41.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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