(!tuuror in
ijJqrnlng· al itntttIJly
Continuing
LEHRE UND WEHRE
MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK
THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLy-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
Vol. xm August, 1942 No.8
Page
Verbal Inspiration - a Stumbling-Block to the Jews and Foolish-
ness to the Greeks. Th. £ng<:lder ...................................... .......... _ .. _ .. 561
Leading Thoughts on Eschatology in the Epistles to the Thessa-
lonians. L. Fuerbringer .......................... .. ......................... __ ........... 591
The Principillnl Cognoscendi in Theology. W. H. T. Dan _._ .. _. ___ ... (,11 ..
Outlmes on lh\: Vllcr 'temb, g Ellbll . : · ' ct '(ttl!> .
Miscellanea ................... . "
Theological Observer. - IGHlllich.Zeitgeschichtlith." _ ............. _ ....... 623
ook Review. - Liter 'I II' ................................................................... _ . 633
Ein Prediger muss nlcht alleln wei-
den. also dass er die Schafe unter-
weise. wle sle rechte Christen sollen
aein. sondem auch daneben den Woel-
fen tDehTen. dass e dIe "chafe nlcht
w und m it al I:h~r Lebre ver-
fuehren und Trrtum einfu en.
Luthe-r
Es 1st kein Ding. das die Leuie
mehr bel der Kirche behaelt denn
die gute Predigt. - Apologie. Art. 24
If the trunpet give an lCertain
sound. who shall prepare hlm~t 1 to
the battle? -1 COT. 14:B
Published for the
Ev. Lutb. S)"Uod of Missouri, Ohio, and Otber St. tcs
CONCO I). PUBLlS NG HOUSE, St. Lou , Mo.
Eschatology in the Epistles to the Thessalonians 591
Leading Thoughts (
to thr
Eschatology in the Epistles
rhessalonians
VI
In our discussions of the leading eschatological thoughts in the
Epistles to the Thessalonians we now proceed to a new section.
In the previous installments we have noted that the Lord will
return suddenly, as a thief in the night, 1 Thess. 5: 1-3; that He
will not return before the great Antichrist will have been revealed,
2 Thess. 2: 1-13. But the apostle also shows the purpose for which
the Lord will return, namely, for vengeance upon the unbelievers
and for the glorification of the believers. This truth is stressed
particularly in the section 2 Thess.l: 3-12, to which we now turn
for further study. This passage, moreover, constitutes one of the
great eschatological pericopes of the traditional Church Year, the
Epistle for the 26th Sunday after Trinity.
"Weare bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is
meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity
of everyone of you all toward each other aboundeth." V. 3. Paul
begins his Second Epistle with an expression of thanks, as is his
custom in all of his letters addressed to congregations, with the
sole exception of the Epistle to the Galatians. Ordinarily he says
merely, "I give thanks," or "We give thanks." Cpo 1 Thess.l: 2;
1 Cor. 1: 4; here, however, he emphasizes that he is "bound to
thank God." This obligation rests upon him in view of the whole-
some conditions prevailing in the congregation which he portrays
in the verses following. God's grace had accomplished great things
in that congregation. The plural in "We are bound," oqd),O[.tE'V,
is not the pluralis auctoris, but Paul always has in mind, as in the
First Epistle, his helpers Silvanus and Timothy, v.I. Cpo 1 Thess.
1: 2; 2: 18; 4: 8. With this frank acknowledgment of the whole-
some conditions in the congregation Paul is sure to make the heart
of his readers more willing to accept his exhortations. He ex-
presses his joy over them and his love toward them by the loving
term brethren. But he does not thank the Thessalonians, for they
are not entitled to his thanks; he thanks God on their account.
God alone is the originator of the good which Paul lauds in the
Thessalonians. And God the Father is meant specifically in these
and similar expressions of thanks. Cpo Col. 1: 3; Eph.l: 3. Such
deserved thanks for his Christians Paul "always" brings to his God.
This "always" must not be weakened into a mere "often," for Paul
is actually occupied therewith without ceasing, 1 Thess.l: 2, even
as he admonishes all Christians to pray without ceasing, 1 Thess.
5:17. He gives expression to his gratitude in spite of the fact that
592 Eschatology in the Epistles to the Thessalonians
later in the Epistle he may be compelled to criticize and rebuke
his readers, as is the case in chapters 2 and 3 of the Second Epistle,
in chap. 1: 2-10 of the First Epistle, and in his Epistles to the
Corinthians, whom he had to rebuke severely and at great length,
1 Cor.l: 4- 9. Let this serve as a model for all preachers: They
should acknowledge the good that is to be found in their congre-
gations, despite the deficiencies and the shortcomings in the con-
gregation as a whole and in individual cases.
Paul proceeds: "As it is meet," as is right and proper, namely,
that we give thanks for your sake. This is not a superfluous
addition to "we are bound." "We are bound" emphasizes the duty
to give thanks, subjectively considered; from within, Paul feels
the duty to give thanks; however, the clause "as it is meet" em-
phasizes the duty to give thanks, objectively considered. It is
required by the circumstances to give thanks for such manifesta-
tion of grace. In the following sentence the cause of the thanks
expressed is stated; Paul gives thanks because their faith grows
and their love increases. He had praised their faith and love also
in the First Epistle, chap. 1: 3; but here he not only says that
their faith is great and on the increase, but that it "groweth ex-
ceedingly." 'YnEQau!;6.vELV is a hapax legomenon. Paul frequently
uses compounds with unEQ for the purpose of intensifying the idea.
AU!;6.vELV is used both transitively and intransitively, the compound
only in the latter sense. Paul does not only say that their love is
great but that it is constantly increasing, nAEov6.~EL, it grows greater
from day to day. His wishes and admonitions in the First Epistle
have been gloriously fulfilled, chap. 3: 2; 4: 10. In spite of suffer-
ing, their faith and love, which Timothy had praised, 1 Thess. 3: 6,
had grown stronger. It should be noted that he does not say
"your charity," but "the charity of everyone of you all." Thus
the praise he accords them is emphasized. The growth in charity
is in evidence not only in the congregation as a whole, but in every
individual member. To "charity" Paul adds the modifier "toward
each other." That refers to their fellow Christians in Thessalonica.
He is speaking of the brotherly love of Christians. In 1 Thess. 1: 3
Paul had named a third virtue, "patience of hope." He now refers
to this same virtue in a somewhat different form.
«So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for
your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations
that ye endure." V. 4. This sentence is connected with the preced-
ing one by means of WertE. According to Greek grammar waLE with
the Indicative indicates actual result, with the Infinitive, hypo-
thetical result. However, even in classical Greek perhaps more
exceptions to this rule than agreements with it are to be found;
in the New Testament the Infinitive is used promiscuously to denote
Eschatology in the Epistles to the Thessalonians 593
either actual or hypothetical result. The growth of the Thes-
salonians in their Christianity causes the apostle and his co-workers
to rejoice to such an extent that they not only thank God but also
speak of it before men. They cannot help themselves, they do so
spontaneously without being urged to do so, Ull1;OU£ YIl.L