Chapter 1:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy
2 Thessalonians 1
Concise Complete
The apostle blesses God for the growing state of
the love and patience of the Thessalonians. (1-4) And encourages them to
persevere under all their sufferings for Christ, considering his coming at the
great day of account. (5-12)
Verses 1-4
Where there is the truth of grace, there will be an increase of it. The path of
the just is as the shining light, which shines more and more unto the perfect
day. And where there is the increase of grace, God must have all the glory.
Where faith grows, love will abound, for faith works by love. It shows faith and
patience, such as may be proposed as a pattern for others, when trials from God,
and persecutions from men, quicken the exercise of those graces; for the
patience and faith of which the apostle gloried, bore them up, and enabled them
to endure all their tribulations.
Verses
5-10 Religion, if worth anything, is worth every thing; and those have no
religion, or none worth having, or know not how to value it, cannot find their
hearts to suffer for it. We cannot by all our sufferings, any more than by our
services, merit heaven; but by our patience under sufferings, we are prepared
for the promised joy. Nothing more strongly marks a man for eternal ruin, than a
spirit of persecution and enmity to the name and people of God. God will trouble
those that trouble his people. And there is a rest for the people of God; a rest
from sin and sorrow. The certainty of future recompence is proved by the
righteousness of God. The thoughts of this should be terrible to wicked men, and
support the righteous. Faith, looking to the great day, is enabled partly to
understand the book of providence, which appears confused to unbelievers. The
Lord Jesus will in that day appear from heaven. He will come in the glory and
power of the upper world. His light will be piercing, and his power consuming,
to all who in that day shall be found as chaff. This appearance will be terrible
to those that know not God, especially to those who rebel against revelation,
and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the great crime of
multitudes, the gospel is revealed, and they will not believe it; or if they
pretend to believe, they will not obey it. Believing the truths of the gospel,
is in order to our obeying the precepts of the gospel. Though sinners may be
long spared, they will be punished at last. They did sin's work, and must
receive sin's wages. Here God punishes sinners by creatures as instruments; but
then, it will be destruction from the Almighty; and who knows the power of his
anger? It will be a joyful day to some, to the saints, to those who believe and
obey the gospel. In that bright and blessed day, Christ Jesus will be glorified
and admired by his saints. And Christ will be glorified and admired in them. His
grace and power will be shown, when it shall appear what he has purchased for,
and wrought in, and bestowed upon those who believe in him. Lord, if the glory
put upon thy saints shall be thus admired, how much more shalt thou be admired,
as the Bestower of that glory! The glory of thy justice in the damnation of the
wicked will be admired, but not as the glory of thy mercy in the salvation of
believers. How will this strike the adoring angels with holy admiration, and
transport thy admiring saints with eternal rapture! The meanest believer shall
enjoy more than the most enlarged heart can imagine while we are here; Christ
will be admired in all those that believe, the meanest believer not excepted.
Verses
11-12 Believing thoughts and expectations of the second coming of Christ
should lead us to pray to God more, for ourselves and others. If there is any
good in us, it is owing to the good pleasure of his goodness, and therefore it
is called grace. There are many purposes of grace and good-will in God toward
his people, and the apostle prays that God would complete in them the work of
faith with power. This is to their doing every other good work. The power of God
not only begins, but carries on the work of faith. And this is the great end and
design of the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, which is made known to us,
and wrought in us.
Chapter 1:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
