52 lines
3.3 KiB
XML
52 lines
3.3 KiB
XML
<div2 id="iTh.i" n="i" next="iTh.ii" prev="iTh" progress="65.15%" title="Introduction">
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<div class="Center" id="iTh.i-p0.1"><h2 id="iTh.i-p0.2">First Thessalonians</h2>
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<p id="iTh.i-p1">Completed by <span class="smallcaps" id="iTh.i-p1.1">Daniel Mayo</span>.</p>
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</div>
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<hr/>
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<pb id="iTh.i-Page_770" n="770"/>
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<div class="Center" id="iTh.i-p1.3">
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<p id="iTh.i-p2"><b>AN</b></p>
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<h3 id="iTh.i-p2.1">EXPOSITION,</h3>
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<h4 id="iTh.i-p2.2">W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E
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R V A T I O N S,</h4>
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<h5 id="iTh.i-p2.3">OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE</h5>
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<h2 id="iTh.i-p2.4">T H E S S A L O N I A N S.</h2>
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<hr style="width:2in"/>
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</div>
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<p class="indent" id="iTh.i-p3"><span class="smallcaps" id="iTh.i-p3.1">Thessalonica</span>
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was formerly the metropolis of Macedonia; it is now called
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<i>Salonichi,</i> and is the best peopled, and one of the best
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towns for commerce, in the Levant. The apostle Paul, being diverted
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from his design of going into the provinces of Asia, properly so
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called, and directed after an extraordinary manner to preach the
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gospel in Macedonia (<scripRef id="iTh.i-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Acts.16.9-Acts.16.10" parsed="|Acts|16|9|16|10" passage="Ac 16:9,10">Acts xvi. 9,
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10</scripRef>), in obedience to the call of God went from Troas to
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Samothracia, thence to Neapolis, and thence to Philippi, where he
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had good success in his ministry, but met with hard usage, being
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cast into prison with Silas his companion in travel and labour,
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from which being wonderfully delivered, they comforted the brethren
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there, and departed. Passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they
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came to Thessalonica, where the apostle planted a church that
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consisted of some believing Jews and many converted Gentiles,
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<scripRef id="iTh.i-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:Acts.17.1-Acts.17.4" parsed="|Acts|17|1|17|4" passage="Ac 17:1-4">Acts xvii. 1-4</scripRef>. But a
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tumult being raised in the city by the unbelieving Jews, and the
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lewd and baser sort of the inhabitants, Paul and Silas, for their
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safety, were sent away by night unto Berea, and afterwards Paul was
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conducted to Athens, leaving Silas and Timotheus behind him, but
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sent directions that they should come to him with all speed. When
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they came, Timotheus was sent to Thessalonica, to enquire after
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their welfare and to establish them in the faith (<scripRef id="iTh.i-p3.4" osisRef="Bible:1Thess.3.2" parsed="|1Thess|3|2|0|0" passage="1Th 3:2">1 Thess. iii. 2</scripRef>), and, returning to
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Paul while he tarried at Athens, was sent again, together with
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Silas, to visit the churches in Macedonia. So that Paul, being left
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at Athens alone (<scripRef id="iTh.i-p3.5" osisRef="Bible:1Thess.3.1" parsed="|1Thess|3|1|0|0" passage="1Th 3:1">1 Thess. iii.
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1</scripRef>), departed thence to Corinth, where he continued a
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year and a half, in which time Silas and Timotheus returned to him
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from Macedonia (<scripRef id="iTh.i-p3.6" osisRef="Bible:Acts.18.5" parsed="|Acts|18|5|0|0" passage="Ac 18:5">Acts xviii.
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5</scripRef>), and then he wrote this epistle to the church of
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Christ at Thessalonica, which, though it is placed after the other
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epistles of this apostle, is supposed to be first in time of all
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Paul's epistles, and to be written about A.D. 51. The main scope of
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it is to express the thankfulness of this apostle for the good
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success his preaching had among them, to establish them in the
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faith, and persuade them to a holy conversation.</p>
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</div2> |