The life and work of St. Paul

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To the thoughts suggested by St. Paul's treatment of this weighty topic
we shall revert immediately. He ends the Epistle with moral exhortations
all, doubtless, suggested by the needs of the Church of extraordinary fresh-
ness, force, and beauty. There wore traces of insubordination among them,
and he bids them duly respect and love, for their work'* sake, the spiritual
labourers and leaders of their gommunity, 1 and to be at peace among them-
selves. He further tells them perhaps in these last verses especially
addressing the presbyters to warn those unruly brethren who would not obey.
There was despondency at work among them, and he bids them " comfort the
feeble-minded, take the weak by the hand, be patient towards all men." They
^ere to avoid all retaliations, and seek after all kindness 2 (vers. 12 15). Then
follow little arrow-flights of inestimably precious exhortation. Waa depression
stealing into their hearts P Let them meet it by remembering that God's
will for them in Christ Jesus was perpetual joy, unceasing prayer, universal
thanksgiving. Had there been any collisions of practice, and differences of
opinion, among the excited enthusiasts whose absorption in the expected return
of Christ left them neither energy nor wish to do their daily duties, while it
made them also set very little store by the calmer utterances of moral
exhortation P Then, besides the exhortation to peace, and the noble general
rule to avoid every kind of 8
evil, he warns them that they should neither
quench the Spirit nor despise prophesyings that is, naither to stifle an
impassioned inspiration nor to undervalue a calm address 4 that was said to them, and hold fast what was good.*
but to test all
Then, once more, with the affirmation that God's faithfulness would grant
the prayer, he prays that God would sanctify them wholly, and preserve their
bodies, their wills and affections, their inmost souls, 6 blamelessly till that
coming of the Lord to which he has so often alluded. He asks their prayers
for himself ; bids them salute all the brethren with a holy kiss ;
r adjures
them by the Lord 8 that his letter be read to the entire community ; and so
1 These vague terms seem to show that ilia ecclesiastical organisation of the Church
was as yet very flexible.
2 v. 15, contrast this with Soph. Philoct. 679.
3 Not
"
every appearance of evil " (E. V.), grand a such an exhortation undoubtedly
U. It may perhaps be " from every evil appearance," everything which has an ill look :
possibly it refers to bad yV>? of spiritual teaching,
< 1 Cor. xiv. 39.
* Vers. 1621. What they needed was the *tpi!n wvivntrav (1 Cor. xil. 10 ; Hsb.
v, 14), and to be 66*11*01 TpairfiTai.
6
v. 23,