Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
What we have rendered mild, the old translator renders Fuimus parvuli, (we have been little,)
525 but the reading which I have followed is more generally received among the Greeks; but whichever
you may take, there can be no doubt that he makes mention of his voluntary abasement. 526
As if a nurse. In this comparison he takes in two points that he had touched upon — that he had
sought neither glory nor gain among the Thessalonians. For a mother in nursing her infant shews
nothing of power or dignity. Paul says that he was such, inasmuch as he voluntarily refrained from
claiming the honor that was due to him, and with calmness and modesty stooped to every kind of
office. Secondly, a mother in nursing her children manifests a certain rare and wonderful affection,
inasmuch as she spares no labor and trouble, shuns no anxiety, is wearied out by no assiduity, and
even with cheerfulness of spirit gives her own blood to be sucked. In the same way, Paul declares
that he was so disposed towards the Thessalonians, that he was prepared to lay out his life for their
benefit. This, assuredly, was not the conduct of a man that was sordid or avaricious, but of one that
exercised a disinterested affection, and he expresses this in the close — because ye were dear unto
us In the mean time, we must bear in mind, that all that would be ranked among true pastors must
exercise this disposition of Paul—to have more regard to the welfare of the Church than to their
own life, and not be impelled to duty by a regard to their own advantage, but by a sincere love to
those to whom they know that they are conjoined, and laid under obligation. 527
1 Thessalonians 2:9-12
9. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and 9. Memoria enim tenetis, fratres, laborem
travail: for labouring night and day, because we nostrum et sudorem: nam die ac nocte opus
would not be chargeable unto any of you, we facientes, ne gravaremus quenquam vestrum,
preached unto you the gospel of God. praedicavimus apud vos Evangelium Dei.
10. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how 10. Vos testes estis et Deus, ut sancte, et iuste,
holily and justly and unblameably we behaved et sine querela vobis, qui creditis, fuerimus.
ourselves among you that believe:
11. As ye know how we exhorted and 11. Quemadmodum nostis, ut unumquemque
comforted and charged every one of you, as a vestrum, quasi pater suos liberos,
father doth his children,
12. That ye would walk worthy of God, who 12. Exhortati simus, et monuerimus et
hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. obtestati simus, ut ambularetis digne Deo, qui
vocavit vos in suum regnum et gloriam.
9 For ye remember. These things tend to confirm what he had stated previously — that to spare
them he did not spare himself. He must assuredly have burned with a wonderful and more than
525 The rendering of Wicliff (1380) is, as usual, in accordance with the Vulgate— “we weren made litil.” —Ed.
526 “Abaissement et humilite;” — “Abasement and humility.”
527 “Pour vne vraye amour et non feinte qu’ils portent a ceux, ausquels ils scauent que Dieu les a conionts et liez ou obligez;”
— “From a true and unfeigned love which they bear to those, to whom they know that God has conjoined, and tied, or bound
them.”
156
John Calvin