A. D. 62. 2 Continue in pray- fame with thanksgiv- 2. AND NOW, to conclude my Exhortation to you all, as you have many Difficulties to encounter, many Adversaries that strive to draw you from the true Faith, be diligent, and conftant in earnest Prayer to God, for all needful Bleffings, and in Thanksgivings for the Mercies you have received. 3 Withal, praying fpeak the mystery of 4 That I may make 5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 3 & 4. In which Devotions, let me, your Apoftle, have a continual Share; befeeching God to assist and encourage me in preaching the Gofpel to the Gentile World: a thing fo unexpected by them, and fo violently oppofed by the Jews, that I am now a Prifoner for doing it. 5. Ufe the utmoft Difcretion in your Carriage toward Infidel People; endeavouring as much as lawfully you may, by due Circumfpection, to avoid the Dangers their Obftinacy and Malice may expose you to. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, feafoned with falt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every 6. Let all your Difcourfes in Company be mild and courteous, prudent and cautious, fo as to anfwer every Queftion, or Objection against your religious Principles, and ftand any publick Examination of them before Heathen Magiftrates, in fuch a manner as may conduce to the Credit of Christianity, and your own Safety in these evil Times. man, 7 All my state shall the 8 Whom 7, 8 & 9. As to my Condition here, under my prefent Confinement, of which I conclude you would gladly hear; I have, with this Letter, fent Tychicus my beloved Chriftian Brother, and faithful Minifter of Chrift, and along with *A door of utterance. See i Cor. xvi. 9. the Note there. 8 Whom I have fent unto you for the fame purpose, that he might know your eftate, and comfort your hearts : 9 With Onefimus a faithful and beloved 'brother, who is one *See Epi with him Onefimus *, a faithful A. D. 62. of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here. to you, receive him) 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a fervant of Christ, faluteth you, always labouring frequently for you in prayers, that ye may ftand perfect 12 & 13. Epaphras, your good Chriftian Teacher, who has a zealous Love for your Church, and is ever praying for your Conftancy and Perfection in Chriftianity, fa lutes you. and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him record, that he hath zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. 16. And, when this Epiftle has been communicated to all your own Church, let it be read to the Church of Laodicea, and let their || Epiftle be read to your Church too. A.D. 62. 16 And when this 17 And fay to Ar- 18 The falutation by the hand of me, Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen. 17. Warn Archippus, from me, to mind the main Duties of his Chriftian Ministry, and not trouble himself, or other People with needlefs Controverfies and Difputes. 18. I here falute you, with my own Hand - Writing. Remember I am a Prifoner for your fakes, and keep fteddy to my Doctrine. The Divine Love and Favour be with you. Amen. Written from Rome The Epifle from Laodicea. It is not known, for certain, what this Epiftle was. Dr. Mills and Dr. Whitby think it to have been St. Paul's Epiftle to the Ephefians; (which they fuppofe in Reality, to have been written to the Laodiceans.) See Dr. Mill. Prolegom. § 72, 73, &c. and Mr. Benfon's Hift. of the ・firft Propag. Gofp. Vol. II. Chap. 10. Sect. 8. Others take it for one written to the Laodiceans, which is now loft; as no doubt many other Apoftolical Papers may be, without any Derogation to the facred Canon; there being as many of them left and providentially preserved, as are abundantly fufficient for the End for which they were written. A PARA Α C PARAPHRASE ΟΝ ΤΗΕ First and Second Epiftles of St. PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS. The PREFACE. Tis agreed on by the most exact Chronologers, That there could not pass above a Year, between the writing of these two Epiftles. That they were also written from the fame Place, viz. Corinth; and upon the fame Argument and Occafion, appears by the concurrent Suffrage of the best, both of ancient and modern Authors. What the chief Aim of them was, will be learn'd partly from the History of the As, relating to St. Paul's preaching to this Church, and partly from the Paffages in the Epiftles themselves. $2. As 17. We find St. Paul preaching in a Jewish Synagogue at Theffalonica. The Converts he then made, according to the Account there given, confifted of fome Jews, but moftly of Greeks, profelited to their Religion. But that fome Gentiles alfo came in, before either of thefe Epiftles were fent; and made this, like most others, a Church mix'd up of both kinds of Believers, feems clear from several Expreffions and Advices peculiarly directed to Gentile Converts, as in 1 Theff. i. 9. iv. 3, 5, 6. §3. The violent Oppofition, and implacable Malice wherewith the generality of the Jews of this Place perfecuted the Apostle, and his Doctrine, we read in the forementioned Chapter of the Als. And the whole Strain of thefe Epiftles, together with the Time of their Inditement, which was, during his Stay at Corinth, even in the fame Year he converted the Theffalonians, fhows his Defign to have been, by an early Care, to fupport and cherish his new Chriftians, under the furious Attacks, and the falfe and malicious Suggestions of thofe Jewish Zealots. 4. Thofe obftinate Wretches, not contented to injure the Bodies and Eftates of fuch of their Brethren as had forfaken the Ceremonial Law, to profefs the Chriftian Faith, endeavour'd to affright and terrify their Minds alfo, by continually founding in their Fars that confident Affertion of theirs, That none but a Circumcifed Ifraelite could have any Share in the future Happiness; and confequently that all Chriftian: that died without Circumcifion, were eternally loft. To this the Apoftle refers, 1 Epift. Chap. iv. 13, to the End. And, whereas the Prophetick Writings had fpoken much of The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, and the Apoftles themselves had frequently given Notice of a Dreadful Appearance of Chrift to Judgment; this they understood of the Temporal Kingdom and Conquefts of their Meffiah; affirming it to be near at hand, and that its greatest Terrors were to light upon the Head of fuch Chriftians as revolted from the Law of Mofes. On the contrary, the founder Chriftians, according to St. Paul's Doctrine, expected that Judgment to fall on the obftinate Jews, and thofe falfe Chriftians that corrupted the Gofpel Religion; though by a common Prejudice they feem to have expected it to come fooner than they had any just Grounds for. See Epift. Chap. 52 |