Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
in the same sense in which it is said, that the people believed God and his servant Moses, (Exodus
14:13 505 ) not as though Paul and Moses had anything different from God, but because he wrought
powerfully by them, as his ministers and instruments. 506 While ye embraced. Their readiness in
receiving the gospel is called an imitation of God, for this reason, that as God had presented himself
to the Thessalonians in a liberal spirit, so they had, on their part, voluntarily come forward to meet
him.
He says, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, that we may know that it is not by the instigation of the
flesh, or by the promptings of their own nature, that men will be ready and eager to obey God, but
that this is the work of God’s Spirit. The circumstance, that amidst much tribulation they had
embraced the gospel, serves by way of amplification. For we see very many, not otherwise disinclined
to the gospel, who, nevertheless, avoid it, from being intimidated through fear of the cross. Those,
accordingly, who do not hesitate with intrepidity to embrace along with the gospel the afflictions
that threaten them, furnish in this an admirable example of magnanimity. And from this it is so
much the more clearly apparent, how necessary it is that the Spirit should aid us in this. For the
gospel cannot be properly, or sincerely received, unless it be with a joyful heart. Nothing, however,
is more at variance with our natural disposition, than to rejoice in afflictions.
7 So that ye were. Here we have another amplification — that they had stirred up even believers
by their example; for it is a great thing to get so decidedly the start of those who had entered upon
the course before us, as to furnish assistance to them for prosecuting their course. Typus (the word
made use of by Paul) is employed by the Greeks in the same sense as Exemplar is among the Latins,
and Patron among the French. He says, then, that the courage of the Thessalonians had been so
illustrious, that other believers had borrowed from them a rule of constancy. I preferred, however,
to render it patterns, that I might not needlessly make any change upon the Greek phrase made use
of by Paul; and farther, because the plural number expresses, in my opinion, something more than
if he had said that that Church as a body had been set forward for imitation, for the meaning is, that
there were as many patterns as there were individuals.
8 For from you sounded forth. Here we have an elegant metaphor, by which he intimates that
their faith was so lively, 507 that it did, as it were, by its sound, arouse other nations. For he says
that the word of God sounded forth from them, inasmuch as their faith was sonorous 508 for procuring
credit for the gospel. He says that this had not only occurred in neighboring places, but this sound
had also extended far and wide, and had been distinctly heard, so that the matter did not require to
be published by him. 509
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
505 This is what the original text reads; however, (Exodus 14:31 would seem to be a more appropriate reference. — fj.
506 See Calvin on the Corinthians, vol. 2, p. 288.
507 “Si viue et vertueuse;” — “So lively and virtuous.”
508 “Auoit resonné haut et clair;” — “Had resounded loud and clear.”
509 “Tellement que la chose n’ha point besoin d’estre par luy diuulgee et magnifiee d’auantage;” — “So that the matter does
not need to be farther published and extolled by him.”
150
John Calvin