The life and work of St. Paul

THE FIRST EPI3TLE TO THK THESSALONIAHg. 333
from the topic of self-defence on which, indeed, nothing more was necessary
to be said he goes on to tell them that regarding them as his glory and joy
1 nd crown of boasting at the coming of Christ feeling, in his absence from
them, like a father bereaved of his children 2 he had twice purposed to coma
to them, and had twice been hindered by Satan. 3 He had, however, done the
next best thing he could. He had parted from Timothy in Athens, and sent
him to prevent them from succumbing * to those fierce afflictions, of the cer-
tainty of which they had been faithfully forewarned ; and to ascertain their
faith, as shown by the dubious result of too definite temptations. 4 When
Timothy rejoined him at Corinth, the news which he had brought back was
BO reassuring he was able to give so good an account of their faith, and love,
and steadfastness, and affection that it had cheered the Apostle in the midst
of his own heavy afflictions, and been to him like a fresh spring of life. No
thanks to God could be too hearty for this blessing, and it added intensity to
his prayer that God would yet enable him to come and see them, and to perfect
all deficiencies of their faith. Ho concludes this historic or personal section
of his Epistle with the fervent prayer that God would deepen the spirit of
love which already prevailed among them, and so enable them to stand before
Him in blameless holiness at the coming of our Lord Jesus with 8
all His saints.
From these earnest and loving messages he turns to the practical part of
his letter. He beseeches 7 and exhorts them not to be stationary, but to
advance more and more in that Christian course which he had marked out
for them. And then he enters on those special injunctions which he knew to
be most needful. First and foremost he puts the high virtue of purity.
justify bis expression. In the true prophetic spirit he regards the inevitable as the
actual. It is possible, too, that St. Paul may be alluding to the great discourse of
Christ (Matt, xsiii. 3739 ; xxiv. 6, 16. Of. Kom. i. 18 ; Dan. be. 24),
1 Ezek. xvi. 12 :
(LXX.).
ii. 17, rop4