AN
EXPOSITION,
W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N
S,
OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE
T H E S S A L O N I A N S
THESSALONICA
was formerly the metropolis of
Macedonia; it is now called Salonichi, and is the best
peopled, and one of the best towns for commerce, in the
Levant. The apostle Paul, being diverted from his design of going
into the provinces of Asia, properly so called, and directed after an
extraordinary manner to preach the gospel in Macedonia (Acts xvi. 9, 10), in
obedience to the call of God went from Troas to Samothracia, thence to
Neapolis, and thence to Philippi, where he had good success in his ministry,
but met with hard usage, being cast into prison with Silas his companion in
travel and labour, from which being wonderfully delivered, they comforted the
brethren there, and departed. Passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they
came to Thessalonica, where the apostle planted a church that consisted of
some believing Jews and many converted Gentiles, Acts xvii. 1-4. But a tumult
being raised in the city by the unbelieving Jews, and the lewd and baser sort
of the inhabitants, Paul and Silas, for their safety, were sent away by night
unto Berea, and afterwards Paul was conducted to
Athens, leaving Silas and Timotheus behind him, but sent
directions that they should come to him with all speed. When they came,
Timotheus was sent to Thessalonica, to enquire after their welfare and to
establish them in the faith (1 Thess. iii. 2), and, returning to Paul while he
tarried at Athens, was sent again, together with Silas, to visit the
churches in
Macedonia. So that Paul, being left at Athens alone (1 Thess. iii.
1), departed thence to Corinth, where he continued a year and a half, in which
time Silas and Timotheus returned to him from Macedonia (Acts xviii. 5), and
then he wrote this epistle to the church of Christ at Thessalonica, which,
though it is placed after the other epistles of this apostle, is supposed to
be first in time of all Paul's epistles, and to be written about A.D. 51. The
main scope of it is to express the thankfulness of this apostle for the good
success his preaching had among them, to establish them in the faith, and
persuade them to a holy conversation.
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