Fragments on 1 Thessalonians
Fragmenta in epistulam i ad Thessalonicenses
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians§1
1The Christians in Thessalonica endured many persecutions from the Gentiles while the Greeks were still in power, which is what he uses to comfort them. He also remembers the resurrection of the dead, comforting them regarding the loss of their own family members. The prescribed thanksgiving in the preface is a testimony to the piety of the Thessalonians.
Faith stirs one toward the work of good (1 Thess 1:3), love enables one to endure hardships, and hope enables those struggling to endure with patience. Faith stirs one toward labors, and love enables one to persist in hardships.
Knowing, he says, beloved brothers, that the gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power (1 Thess 1:4-5). Not only, he says, did we preach the word to you, but we also demonstrated powers and miracles to you (1 Thess 1:5). Instead of it being passed on and proclaimed (1 Thess 1:8).
It was not permitted to us, he says, to be deprived of our boldness toward Christ by the evils in Philippi, but having come to you, we preached the word without shame (1 Thess 2:2). The gospel through which we exhort the afflicted—that is, the resurrection and the recompense within it—is preached not according to error but according to truth (1 Thess 2:4). Instead of being burdensome and oppressive because of demanding the honors which apostles of Christ ought to receive (1 Thess 2:7). He did not say that no one should complain, so that he might not be accused of glorying, but...
Greek · §1
Fragmenta in epistulam i ad Thessalonicenses (in catenis) 1 Thess: Prolog Πολλοὺς ὑπέμειναν διωγμοὺς οἱ ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ Χριστιανοὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πιστεύσαντες ὑπὸ τῶν ἔτι Ἑλλήνων ὄντων, ἐφ' οἷς αὐτοὺς παραμυθεῖται. μέμνηται δὲ καὶ τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως παραμυθούμενος αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς τῶν οἰκείων ἀποβολαῖς. ἡ δὲ προτεταγμένη τοῦ προοιμίου εὐχαριστία τῷ θεῷ μαρτυρία ἐστὶ τῆς τῶν Θεσσαλονικέων εὐλαβείας. 1 Thess 1,3 Ἡ μὲν πίστις ἐγείρει πρὸς ἔργον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη παραμένειν ποιεῖ τοῖς πόνοις, ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς ὑπομένειν ποιεῖ μετὰ μακροθυμίας τοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους. Καὶ ἡ μὲν πίστις ἐγείρει πρὸς καμάτους, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη ἐπιμένειν ποιεῖ τοῖς πόνοις. 329 1 Thess 1,4®5 Εἰδότες, φησίν, ἀδελφοὶ ἠγαπημένοι, ὅτι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον οὐκ ἐγενήθη εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν λόγῳ μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν δυνάμει. οὐ μόνον, φησίν, ἐκηρύξαμεν ὑμῖν τὸν λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυνάμεις καὶ θαυματουργίας ὑμῖν ἐπεδείξαμεν. 1 Thess 1,8 Ἀντὶ τοῦ διαδίδοται καὶ διαβεβόηται. 1 Thess 2,2 Οὐκ ἀφείλετο ἡμῶν, φησί, τὰ ἐν Φιλίπποις κακὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν παρρησίαν, ἀλλ' ἐλθόντες πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀδεῶς ἐκηρύξαμεν τὸν λόγον. 1 Thess 2,4 Τὸ εὐαγγέλιον δι' οὗ παρακαλοῦμεν τοὺς θλιβομένους, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ἐν αὐτῇ μισθαποδοσία οὐ κατὰ πλάνην ἀλλὰ κατ' ἀλήθειαν κηρύττεται. 1 Thess 2,7 Ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπιβαρεῖς καὶ ἐπαχθεῖς διὰ τὸ ἀπαιτεῖν τιμὰς ἃς δεῖ τιμᾶσθαι ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ. 1 Thess 3,3 Οὐκ εἶπεν τὸ μηδένα ὀκλάζειν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ κατηγορεῖν, ἀλλ'
The Rapture of the Living and the Dead§2
2He set down a word that is not able to serve as an indictment of weakness, having said that no one is surprised (1 Thess 4:15-17). 'Not we ourselves are about to be left behind,' he says, 'but we, instead of so many, a few and well-numbered, will be left over, and will not miss the holy ones who have slept for the meeting of Christ; for even if all are raised, not all will meet Christ, but the righteous.' It is therefore evident that at the presence of Christ, some living ones are also caught up.
Or it is something like what he says: if it happened now for Christ to come, we who are left behind today would not miss those who have slept at the presence of Christ. But one must be careful that we, the ones left over, do not miss the sleepers on the day of the Lord. At the voice of an archangel. The same the Lord also says: 'and in the middle of the night a voice came: behold, the bridegroom comes' (Matt 25:6). And 'the dead in Christ shall rise first' (1 Thess 4:16).
This again the Lord himself says in the Gospels, whence both the Lord and the apostle commend that the presence of the Lord shall be at night. Furthermore, we the living, the ones left behind, instead of those about us being righteous. He wills some living ones, the ones left behind, to be caught up at the presence of Christ, and this is made evident from 'we the ones left behind at the presence of the Lord.' And
Greek · §2
ἔθηκε λέξιν τὴν μὴ δυναμένην ἐλεγκτικὴν εἶναι τῆς ἐνδόσεως σαίνεσθαι εἰπὼν τὸ μηδένα ξενίζεσθαι. 1 Thess 4,15®17 Οὐκ αὐτὸς ἔμελλε περιλιμπάνεσθαι, φησίν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἡμεῖς ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ τοσοῦτον ὀλίγοι καὶ 330 εὐαρίθμητοι περιλειφθήσονται, οὐ φθάσουσι τοὺς κεκοιμημένους ἁγίους εἰς τὴν ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· εἰ γὰρ καὶ πάντες ἐγείρονται, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες ἀπαντήσουσι τῷ Χριστῷ ἀλλ' οἱ δίκαιοι. δῆλον οὖν ὅτι ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ζῶντές τινες καταλαμβάνονται. ἢ καὶ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ὅ φησιν· εἰ συνέβαινε νῦν τὸν Χριστὸν ἐλθεῖν, ἡμεῖς οἱ περιλιμπανόμενοι σήμερον οὐ μὴ φθάσωμεν ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοὺς κοιμηθέντας. στικτέον δὲ μετὰ τὸ οἱ περιλειπόμενοι εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ κυρίου οὐ μὴ φθάσωμεν τοὺς κοιμηθέντας. Ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου. τὸ αὐτὸ λέγει καὶ ὁ κύριος· μέσης δὲ νυκτὸς φωνὴ ἐγένετο· ἰδοὺ ὁ νυμφίος ἔρχεται. Καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον. τοῦτο πάλιν αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος λέγει ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, ὅθεν καὶ ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος αἰνίττονται ὅτι νυκτὸς ἔσται ἡ παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου. Ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι, ἀντὶ τοῦ οἱ 329, col 2 περὶ ἡμᾶς δίκαιοι. Ζῶντας ἔτι τινὰς βούλεται καταλαμβάνεσθαι ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦσθαι 330,ξολ2 ἐκ τοῦ ἡμεῖς οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου. καὶ
The Suddenness of the Coming§3
3Such is what the Savior says: for just as in the days of Noah they were marrying and being married, and suddenly the flood came and took everyone, so shall the presence of the Son of Man be. Truly, he says, some living are caught up. By command and by the voice of an angel, and the dead in Christ shall rise.
This the Lord himself says in the Gospel: and in the middle of the night, he says, a voice came: 'the bridegroom comes' (Matt 25:6). And that the living are caught up, who also are taken up with those having slept, the Lord shows in the Gospel saying: 'two shall be in bed; one shall be taken, and one shall be left' (Matt 24:40). And 'two shall be working; one shall be taken, and one shall be left' (Matt 24:41). And both the Lord and Paul imply that the presence shall be at night.
He says his presence is a Day of the Lord (1 Thess 5:4). But he compared it to a thief (1 Thess 5:2), because it comes while hiding and beyond expectation. And in night, because the coming day exposes the evils of the night.
But the bride, being adorned with the world of virtues, a soul sleeping the sleep of the day, is joined to the foolish night which is joined to wakefulness, and most fittingly she said: 'I sleep, and my heart wakes' (Song 5:2).
Greek · §3
τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ὅ φησιν ὁ σωτήρ· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ Νῶε ἦσαν γαμοῦντες καὶ γαμισκόμενοι, καὶ ἐξάπινα ἦλθεν ὁ κατακλυσμὸς καὶ ἔλαβε πάντας, οὕτως ἔσται ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. οὐκοῦν, φησίν, ζῶντες καταλαμβάνονταί τινες. Ἐν κελεύσματι καὶ ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται. τοῦτο αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος λέγει ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ· μέσης δὲ οὔσης νυκτός, φησί, φωνὴ ἐγένετο· ὁ νυμφίος ἔρχεται. ὅτι δὲ ζῶντες καταλαμβάνονται, οἳ καὶ ἀναλαμβάνονται μετὰ τῶν κοιμηθέντων, ὁ κύριος δηλοῖ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ λέγων· δύο ἔσονται ἐν κλίνῃ· ὁ εἷς παραληφθήσεται, καὶ ὁ εἷς ἀφεθήσεται. καὶ δύο ἔσονται ἀλήθουσαι· ἡ μία παραληφθήσεται, καὶ ἡ μία ἀφεθήσεται. καὶ ὁ κύριός τε καὶ ὁ Παῦλος αἰνίττονται ὅτι νυκτὸς ἔσται ἡ παρουσία. 1 Thess 5,4®5 Ἡμέραν κυρίου τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ λέγει. κλέπτῃ δὲ παρείκασεν αὐτήν, ὅτι λανθάνουσα καὶ παρὰ προσδοκίαν ἔρχεται. ἐν νυκτὶ δέ, ὅτι ἡ ἡμέρα ἐπιστᾶσα τὰ ἐν νυκτὶ φαῦλα ἀπελέγχει. 331 1 Thess 5,6®8 Ἀλλ' ἡ νύμφη καὶ τῷ τῶν ἀρετῶν κόσμῳ κοσμουμένη ψυχὴ τὸν τῆς ἡμέρας ὕπνον καθεύδουσα τὸν ἄμοιρον νυκτὸς τὸν τῇ ἐγρηγόρσει συνεζευγμένον, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως ἔλεγεν· ἐγὼ καθεύδω, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου γρηγορεῖ.
The Bridegroom's Voice and the Preservation of the Whole Person§4
4In this way, the voice of the bridegroom did not cease to sleep her thus; for while knocking on the door, he was aware and said: 'The voice of my sister is knocking at the door' (1 Thess 5:9). That it is not among those being judged, but among those being saved (1 Thess 5:10).
Because of this he says: Christ died on our behalf, so that whether we are watching, that is to say we live, or whether we are sleeping, that is to say whether we die—for in this way to sleep is not as above he took it—at the same time with him let us live. For those having acquired the said weapons will live together and reign with Christ (1 Thess 5:10).
Then the spirit is quenched (1 Thess 5:19), when the rule is unworthy of the faith. Do not despise prophecies (1 Thess 5:20). Test all things (1 Thess 5:21). Do not, he says, sit in wait for the secrets of the spirit, nor accept every proclamation unexamined (1 Thess 5:21).
Nowhere has he placed the three upon the unfaithful, spirit, soul, body (1 Thess 5:23), but only upon the believing ones, of whom soul and body are of nature, but the spirit is of the blessing, that is, the gift of the believing ones. And he did not say 'blamelessly' should it be kept, so that you might not think that he prays on behalf of the gifts, but blamelessly, that is, our living blamelessly and preserving ourselves through piety.
Greek · §4
ταύτῃ τοι καὶ οὐ διέλαθεν αὐτὴν οὕτω καθεύδουσαν ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ νυμφίου· καὶ γὰρ τὴν θύραν κρούοντος ἤσθετο καὶ εἶπεν· φωνὴ ἀδελφιδοῦ μου κρούει ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν. 1 Thess 5,9 Ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τοῖς κατακρινομένοις, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς σωζομένοις. 1 Thess 5,10 ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν ὁ Χριστός, ἵνα εἴτε γρηγορῶμεν, τοῦτ' ἔστι ζῶμεν, εἴτε καθεύδωμεν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν εἴτε ἀποθάνωμεν–ἄλλως γὰρ ὧδε τὸ καθεύδειν καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἄνω ἐξέλαβεν–ἅμα σὺν αὐτῷ ζήσωμεν. οἱ γὰρ τὰ εἰρημένα ὅπλα κτησάμενοι συζήσουσι καὶ συμβασιλεύσουσι Χριστῷ. 1 Thess 5,19®21 Τότε σβέννυται τὸ πνεῦμα, ὅταν ἡ πολιτεία ἀναξία ᾖ τῆς πίστεως. Προφητείας μὴ ἐξουθενεῖτε. πάντα δοκιμάζετε. μήτε, φησίν, ἐνεδρεύητε τοῦ πνεύματος τὰς ἀποκρύψεις, μήτε πᾶσαν ἀπαγγελίαν ἀδοκιμάστως παραδέχεσθε. 1 Thess 5,23 Οὐδαμοῦ ἐπ' ἀπίστου τὰ τρία τέθεικε, πνεῦμα ψυχὴ σῶμα, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μόνων τῶν πιστευόντων, ὧν ψυχὴ μὲν καὶ σῶμα τῆς φύσεως, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τῆς εὐεργεσίας, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ χάρισμα τῶν πιστευόντων. καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν «ἄμεμπτα» τηρηθείη, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ὅτι ὑπὲρ τῶν χαρισμάτων εὔχεται, ἀλλ' ἀμέμπτως, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἡμῶν ἀμέμπτως διαγόντων καὶ διατηρούντων διὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας.