THESSALONIANS, Christians of Thessalonica. St. Paul being obliged to quit Thessalonica, as will be said in the next Article, retired to Berea, where he left Timothy and Silas, to confirm the Churches of Macedonia. From thence he went to Athens, and from Athens to Corinth, where, after some Months, Silas and Timothy came to him, and informed him of the Condition of the Church of Thessalonica; who persisted in the Faith, notwithstanding the Persecutions and Sufferings to which they were exposed. They told him also, that there were some among them who afflicted themselves too much for the Death of their Relations, and who were not sufficiently instructed as concerning the Coming of our Lord, and the Last Judgment. They informed him also, that some of them were vain, inquisitive, and restless.
Ist Epist. to the Thessalonians, in the Year of Christ 52 or 53.St. Paul therefore wrote to them, about the End of the Year 52, or the Beginning of 53, of the Vulgar Æra; and this first Epistle to the Thessalonians is the first in order of Time of all St. Paul’s Epistles. The ancient Greek Subscriptions, and the Latin Inscriptions, the Syriac, the Arabick, the Coptick, Theodoret, and St. Athanasius, think it was written from Athens. But our more skilful Criticks maintain, and the Series of the History of St. Paul’s Journies sufficiently shews, that it was sent from Corinth. The Apostle instructs them concerning the Last Judgment, and about the Manner and Measure wherewith Christians should be afflicted for the Death of their Relations. He expresses much Affection and Tenderness for them, and an earnest Desire of coming to see them. He reproves them with much Mildness and Prudence, mixing Strokes of Praise, and Marks of Tenderness, with his Reprehensions.
IId. Epist. to the Thessalonians, in Year 53.The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Corinth, a little time after the First, about the Beginning of the Year 53 of the Common Æra. In this St. Paul animates the Thessalonians against the Fears that certain Persons had inspired into them upon a false Interpretation of his former Epistle, as if he had said, that the Day of the Lord was at hand; or even by foisting upon him a false Letter, which he had not writ at all. He exhorts them to continue stedfast in the Doctrine and Traditions that he had taught them, and to suffer with Constancy the Persecutions that were raised against them on this account. He reproves more vehemently than he had done before, those that live in Idleness and vain Curiosity: He would have them take notice of these People, and separate from them, that at least they might be ashamed of their trifling, and reform it. He signs the Letter with his own Hand, and desires them to mark it well, that they might not be imposed on by suppostitious Letters written in his Name.
We think Nero and Simon Magus to be the Figure, one of that wicked Person who 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4. 2 Thess. ii. 7.worketh the mystery of iniquity, and the other of that man of sin, the son of perdition, who was to exalt himself above all that is called God; and that the Revolt of the Jews against the Romans, is the Figure or Representation of the last Revolt of the People against the Roman Empire, and the Apostacy of Christians against Jesus Christ, and against his Church. The Mystery of Iniquity already worked under the Government of Claudius, and when St. Paul wrote this Epistle; but it did not break out till under the Empire of Nero, when this Prince displayed all his wicked Inclinations, and supported Simon Magus by his Favour and Protection, who was the most dangerous of all Impostors. But Simon and Nero themselves, were but the Figure of that Antichrist which was to appear at the end of some Ages, to persecute the Church of Christ, and to put a Period to the Roman Empire.
Some Ancients have thought this Epistle to have been sent from Athens; others that it was written from Rome, or from Laodicea; but there are no good Proofs for any of these Opinions. Grotius will have it to have been written a long time before the First to the Thessalonians, and that it was directed to Jason the Jew, Kinsman to Silas and Timothy, and to other Judaizing Christians who had withdrawn out of Syria and Palestine, after the Persecution begun at the Death of St. Stephen, and were come as far as Thessalonica. He fixes the Epoch of this Epistle in the second Year of Caius. The Confutation of this Opinion may be seen in Bochart’s Letter to M. De Sarrau, Tom. 3. p. 1044. Edit. Leid. Henric. Maurus, l. 2. c. 21. and in our Preface to the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians.