The life and work of St. Paul

THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THE3SALONIANS. 32
title directly l to the Thessalonians, because his claim to i f in its more special
sariso had not yet been challenged by insidious Judaisers.* In his five earlier
Epistles he always addresses "the Church;" in his later Epistles "the Saints,"
* and tho reason for this is not clear but to all Churches alike he ;
repeats this
opening salutation, " 4
Grace and peace." It is a beautiful and remarkable
blending of the salutations of the Jew and the Greek, the East and the West,
with their predominant ideals of calm and brightness. The solemn greeting
"
the lighter greeting of the
of the Jew was SHALOM, " Peace be to you ;
Greek was xa 'P eiv " "
, Rejoice the Church of Christ ;
possessed of ft joy that
defied tribulation, heir to a peace that passeth understanding not only com-
bined the two salutations, but infused into both a deeper and more spiritual
significance. 6
After this salutation ' he opens his letter with that expression of thankful-
ness on their behalf which he addresses even to tho Corinthians, whose deeds
were so sad a contrast to their ideal title of saints, and which is never wanting,
except in tho burning letter to the apostatising Galatians. So invariable i*
this characteristic of hia mind and style that it has acquired a technical
description, and Gorman writers call it the DanJcsagung of the Epistles. 7
It
was no mere insincere compliment or rhetorical artifice. Those to whom he
wrote, however much they might sink below their true ideal, wore still converts,
were a Church, were saints, were brethren. There might be weak, there might
, . . .. .'!>'!> .. ' ! 1
'-*< ":':' *'"< **' ..J:viitTU!
1 See 1 Thes*. 11. 6.
-
It would have been inappropriate in the private note to Philemon.
3 Another slight peculiarity is that in his first two Epistles he
"
says the Church of
the Thessaloniaus ;" whereas in the next three he
" "
prefers the expression the Church in
such and sucli a city. This may be a mere trifle.
4 In hia Pastoral Epistles he acids the word t.^rt, "mercy." We may thus sum
up the peculiarities of the salutations: i. "An Apostle," in all except Philem. and
Phil. ii. "To the Church," in 1, 2 Thess., 1, 2 Cor., Gal. iii. "To the Church of the,"
1, 2Thesg. ; but "to the Church which is in," 1, 2 Cor., Gal. In all other Epistles
li
Tothe taints." iv. "Grace and peace, "in all but the Pastoral Epistles, which have
"
Grace, mercy, and peace."
Xipis, quae est prmcipium omnis boni ; tlrfrq, quae est finale bonorum omnium
(Tho. Aquin.).
6 The Epistle, which is mainly personal and practical, may be analysed as follows :
l.f. iii. Historical ; II. iv., v. Hortatory ; each ending with a prayer. (I.) i. 1. Brief
greeting, i. 2 10. Thanksgiving for their conversion and holiness, ii. 1 12. Appeal
to them as to the character of his ministry, ii. 1316. Renewed expression of thanksgiving
for their constancy under persecutions, and bitter complaint of the Jews. ii.
17 iii. 10. His personal feelings towards them, and the visit of Timothy, iii. 11 13.
His prayer for them. (II.) iv. 18. "Warning against impurity, iv. 9, 10. Exhortation
to brotherly love ; and 11, 12. honourable iv. 13 v. 11. The
diligence,
only doctrinal
part of the Epistle, iv. 1318. Consolation about the dead. v. 111. of watch-
Dufr^r
fulness, sinc the Lord's advent is near, and the time uncertain, v. 1215. Their duties
to one another. 1622. Spiritual exhortations. 23, 24. His prayer for them. 2528.
Last words and blessing. The Epistle is characterised by simplicity of style, and the
absence of controversy and of developed doctrine. Its keynote is "hope," as the keynote
cf the Epistle to the Philippians is
"
joy."
Ewald, Die Sendsc&rcilen da Ap. Pauliu, 19,30, &o. It may perhaps be urged that
some of these peculiarities may be due to the ordinary stereotyped formula of corresjion-
how little he was inclined to mere formula.
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