able, and iv dyiaoμḥ, K. т. 2., seems to aim at a closer definiteness of the owrnpía. But, as salvation is the ultimate aim, on the attaining of which faith passes into vision, and sanctification into sanctity, this connexion seems surely nowise admissible. The connexion of the words with eiλaro can, accordingly, be only taken thus: "God has chosen you unto salvation, in the design, or on the condition, that ye walk in sanctification of the Spirit and in belief of the truth." It follows of course that vevua here is not the human spirit, which is sanctified, but the Divine one, which sanctifies, so that it is parallel with the Divine truth. But with regard, secondly, to the collocation, it seems that belief in the truth of the gospel must precede sanctification by the Holy Ghost, as the cause precedes the effect. The interpreters pass over this difficulty, which, however, is not a slight one. We may suppose that Paul understood by the Tíoris dλnocías here the faith that is perfected in judgment also (see on 1 Thess. iii. 10), which presupposes sanctification, and not the entirely general faith, which is given with the very first elements. In ver. 14 the eis o cannot be joined with what immediately precedes, as it is usually taken; for Paul cannot intend to say, "for that reason, because men are to walk in sanctification and faith, God has called them by means of the gospel." If Paul designed this connexion, he would have said, "in order that they may be able to walk,” etc. The εἰς ὃ ἐκάλεσε can only refer to εἵλατο, in this sense, "therefore, because God conceived the decree of election from all eternity, he has also called the elect by means of the gospel ;” thus εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης comes to stand parallel with εἰς owτnpíav, and defines more exactly this general expression. It (1 Thess. v. 9) defines it, namely, to the purport that it is participation in the glory of Christ in the kingdom of God. (See 1 Thess. ii. 12.) Ver. 15.-Paul now calls upon his readers, for the attainment of this end, not to let themselves be led astray (with reference to ii. 2), and to hold fast the doctrines which had been delivered to them. For the genuine apostolical Tapadóσɛıç define the true nature of the gospel, which was just now designated as the means of calling men. If the gospel is changed (Gal. i. 6, 7) it must lose its efficacy. Paul now mentions a double form in which the Tapadóσes have been communicated to them; by word of mouth and by writing they have been taught by him. But as he says di' ¿TIOтoλñs there exists no reason for thinking here of any other written compositions than the first Epistle to the Thessalonians. (Kpareiv stands here = Karéxe, which also occurs 1 Cor. xi. 2, in reference to the mapadóσeç. Compare Mark vii. 3, seq.) - κατέ Vers. 16, 17.-As God must give the success to every good thing, Paul prays in conclusion that he may afford to the Thessalonians also support for their life of faith, and the approving of it in word and work. But it is quite unusual that in ver. 16, in the juxtaposition of Father and Son, the name of the Father follows that of the Son, whereas it everywhere else precedes it. As to the rest, the designations of God are so chosen as to justify by their purport the prayer for comfort and strengthening from God. For in the "who loved us” (¿yanýoas nμãs) is couched, as the aorist shews, the allusion to the work of redemption, as the greatest proof of the love of God towards man. If God has established the atonement out of love, he will, surely, be also inclined to win men for it, and to preserve those won by his Spirit. In the second epithet, "who gave eternal consolation and good hope through grace" (dovs παράκλησιν αἰωνίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα ἀγαθὴν ἐν χάριτι) God is depicted as the source of comfort in the distresses of the present, and of good hope for the future, through the operation of his grace. The Tapáπαράκλησις is here called αιώνιος, only in opposition to the transitory and deceitful comfort from the earth, especially as hope is named besides. Comfort in general can find no application to eternity, as the sufferings which are presupposed by the application of it cannot have any place there. (In ver. 17 pas is wanting in A.B.D.E.F.G., and is, with Lachmann and Schott, to be expunged from the text. Further, the collocation pуw kai λóyw on the authority of A.B.D.E. seems to deserve the preference over the inverted collocation.) § 3. CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS. (iii. 1-18.) Vers. 1, 2.-In conclusion Paul calls on the Thessalonians also to pray for him; not to the end, however, that God may strengthen him and keep him in the faith, but only that God may be pleased to bless his labours. Paul supposes his own personal position in the faith as incapable of being lost; he was so conscious of his election by grace that with him a falling away was out of the question. Besides, it would have been against decorum for Paul to beg his disciples to offer up supplication to God for his preservation in the faith. The apostles were completely secured against every falling away from the faith with the possession of the Holy Ghost. See on Eph. vi. 19. Ο λόγος τοῦ κυρίου, is here = εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ →εov. But трéxεv involves the contrast with being bound [2 Tim. ii. 9]. A reference to Ps. cxlvii. 15 is certainly comprised in the term. ▲ošáčɛodaι here expresses the recognition of the gospel in its glory. Now, in order to be able there too, where he is now, in Corinth, to labour effectually for the gospel, as had been done among them in Thessalonica, he utters a wish to be delivered from all adversaries who hinder him. But whether these ἄτοποι καὶ πονηροὶ ἄνθρωποι (άτοπος is, according to Hesychius = ἔκθεσμος, αἰσχρός) are to be looked for within or without the church depends on the meaning of the following, où yàp návτwv ý níoris, and on the mode of connecting those words with what precedes. As TίOTIC has the article here, it can only mean the Christian faith, and not, for instance, "fidelity," as one might think from the moròç 8 kúptos, which follows. But the idea "not all have the faith" is too trivial to be admitted, especially as Paul had only just uttered the wish that the gospel might spread. Accordingly, the clause can only imply that all are not ready to receive the faith, that they strive against the Spirit who wishes to effectuate the faith in them, as Paul calls them at 2 Tim. iii. 8, ἄνθρωποι κατεφθαρμένοι τὸν νοῦν, ἀδόκιμοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν. Still, this incapacity must not certainly be thought absolute, or even derived from a Divine decree, but from personal unfaithfulness and impurity. Now, if we ask after the connexion formed by yap between this clause and what precedes the language, "that we may be delivered from wicked men, for all are not capable of faith," might mean, "that God may take them away from the earth, as there is certainly no prospect of their conversion." But, if we reflect that Paul himself in the first Epistle to the Corinthians does not imprecate death on the incestuous. man, but will only have him given over unto Satan for the saving of his soul, we must also here declare such a view entirely inadmissible. As long as a man is in the life of this body there is also for him the possibility of conversion. Even incapability of faith and moral impotence can be removed through grace. 'Púeofar, therefore, can be understood here only of a deliverance by change of place and other circumstances, and not of death. Thus, then, it follows that the ἄνθρωποι ἄτοποι and πονηροί must not be supposed members of the church, but persons out of the church, and, indeed, probably the Jews in Corinth, who had set so many persecutions on foot against Paul. (See Acts xviii. 12, seq.) Ver. 3.-From himself personally Paul turns back directly to his readers, and utters the conviction that God would establish them and preserve them from evil. This cannot in the connexion imply every temptation, but such only as might proceed from the influence of such hostile persons as were described in ver. 2. No relation at all is to be supposed between the morós and the níors which precedes. God's faithfulness refers purely to the calling of the Thessalonians unto the kingdom of God, by which the decree of election is pronounced, "and this," Paul means to say, "God will also faithfully preserve unto you by the removal of everything which can injure you in your life of faith." Considered in itself, the ȧTÒ Tой Tоνηрой might assuredly be taken as neuter; but, as Paul acknowledges evil to be embodied in Satan, as he expressly teaches a fight of the faithful with Satan (Eph. vi. 12), it is more conformable to the meaning of the author to keep to the masculine here also. As to the rest the ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ refers only to φυλάξει, not to orηpíšε too. The context is rather to be taken thus: "the Lord will establish you and, as being established, or after ye are established, also guard you from the evil one." True, it might be said, that prλážu should then stand first; for what is not yet established requires preserving from the fight, but not what is already established. But this objection disappears if we understand the puλáoσɛɩν ảñó not of the keeping entirely remote from every fight, but of guarding in the fight. The being established, therefore, precedes, in order to make fit for maintaining the fight. Vers. 4, 5.-The exhortation to obedience to his commands Paul pronounces in the form of sure confidence in the Lord. He therefore expects fidelity, not from the Thessalonians as such, but from the Lord who is efficient in them. It is unsuitable here to refer ¿v Kupi to Paul himself and his fellow workers, with ovтes supplied. The prayer which follows (ver. 5) suggests the conduct adapted to realize this obedience to the apostle's commands, viz., the directing of their hearts to the love of God and the patience of Christ. The combination" love and patience" does not allow us to understand the love of God merely of universal love. It must rather be referred to the manifestation of the love of God in Christ and his work of redemption. The úñоμоvì Xριστоv is, accordingly, also to be taken in a special sense of his patient surrender to death for the reconciliation of men; and the sense of ver. 5 is accordingly this, "may God be pleased to direct your hearts to the centre from which all the strength of the Christian proceeds, viz., to love God's love as it manifests itself in the sufferings of Christ.” Ver. 6. After this Paul delivers a command, and that in his apostolical authority in the name of Christ himself. This communication which now follows enables us to perceive what moral injury the errors of the Thessalonians had brought on the church. What in 1 Thess. v. was but briefly hinted at, required now an open and very severe denunciation. On account of the supposed proximity of the kingdom of God, working had been given up by many, who now wandered about in fanatical idleness. However, there was yet a number of quiet persons also in Thessalonica who had not permitted themselves to be carried away. It is to be presumed these were the elders. For this reason, Paul turns primarily to them, and calls upon them to give up communion with the brethren that walked in a disorderly manner. (For ¿v ¿vóμati tov kvpíov the parVOL. V.-22 allel dià Tou Kupíov stands in ver. 12. In it both the command of τοῦ κυρίου the Lord, and his power, which can effect the carrying out of that command, are pointed to. Στέλλεσθαι ἀπό τινος, οι ἀποστέλλεσθαί τινος, denotes, like TоOTÉλ200α [which, however, has rather the subordinate idea of clandestine, Gal. ii. 12], "to separate, draw back one'sself from any one." [See Eurip. Suppl. v. 598.] Ver. 14 shews more nearly how Paul would have this understood here.-Ver. 11 further elucidates the import of the drákтwс перITатεÏν.-We have no ground for supposing other causes of the disorderly life of the Thessalonians than merely Apocalyptic errors; the napádoσis which Paul here mentions refers also merely to that. It expresses the obligation to await quietly the time and hour of the advent, without neglecting one's earthly calling. The discrepancy of the readings at the close of the verse is very great. The text. rec. reads παρέλαβε, with a reference to ἀδελφός ; the codices waver between ἐλάβοσαν, παρελάβοσαν, παρέλαβον, παρελάβετε, which last reading Lachmann has adopted on the authority of B.F.G. I, with Griesbach, take apɛháßorav for the original reading; first, because the more unusual form [See Winer's Gr. § 13, 2], which, however, often occurs in the New Testament, might easily be changed into the more usual one; then, because after the allocution adɛλpoí the second person is expected rather than the third, or at least, with reference to the brother walking disorderly, the third person singular.) Vers. 7.-10.-In order to convince the Thessalonians that were gone astray of their perverseness in giving up their handicrafts, Paul sets himself forth as an example to them; with all his spiritual labours he had yet continually followed his handicraft too, and earned his own livelihood. It is true, he insists here too, that the privilege certainly belonged to him of allowing himself to be maintained by the churches, but, for the sake of the good example, he had made no use of the privilege. That this was not the only motive that led Paul to this conduct has already been remarked at 1 Cor. ix. 7, 8, at which passage consult the Comm. on the causes of this mode of proceeding in Paul. Paul had also already declared himself upon this point (1 Thess. ii. 9), partly in the same words. (Ver. 7. 'ATаKTETV is defined here by the context; it denotes, "to give up the regular earthly calling." As at that time, so even now also, with the rousing of the soul to new life, a contempt of external action is very apt to appear-a tendency which he that has the cure of souls cannot too powerfully counteract.-Ver. 8. Awpɛáv is here "without labour," thus without having earned one's maintenance. For the phrase apтov payεive, and denotes here livelihood ἄρτον in general, as o0íev in ver. 10.--On &πißaрñσaι see at 1 Thess. ii. 9. -On éžovoía see at 1 Cor. ix. 4, 5.-Ver. 10. In the axiom, ei TS OV = |