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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
on the Whole Bible
First Thessalonians
Completed by DANIEL MAYO.
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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