Full Text for Leading Thoughts on Eschatology in the Epistles to the Thessalonians, part 6 (Text)

(!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