Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
human zeal, inasmuch as, along with the labor of teaching, he labors with his hand as an operative,
with the view of earning a livelihood, and in this respect, also, refrained from exercising his right.
For it is the law of Christ, as he also teaches elsewhere, (1 Corinthians 9:14) that every church
furnish its ministers with food and other necessaries. Paul, therefore, in laying no burden upon the
Thessalonians, does something more than could, from the requirements of his office, have been
required from him. In addition to this, he does not merely refrain from incurring public expense,
but avoids burdening any one individually. Farther, there can be no doubt, that he was influenced
by some good and special consideration in thus refraining from exercising his right, 528 for in other
churches he exercised, equally with others, the liberty allowed him. 529 He received nothing from
the Corinthians, lest he should give the false apostles a handle for glorying as to this matter. In the
mean time, he did not hesitate to ask 530 from other churches, what was needed by him, for he writes
that, while he bestowed labor upon the Corinthians, free of charge, he robbed the Churches that he
did not serve. (2 Corinthians 11:8) 531 Hence, although the reason is not expressed here, we may,
nevertheless, conjecture that the ground on which Paul was unwilling that his necessities should
be ministered to, was — lest such a thing should put any hindrance in the way of the gospel. For
this, also, ought to be matter of concern to good pastors — that they may not merely run with
alacrity in their ministry, but may, so far as is in their power, remove all hindrances in the way of
their course.
10 Ye are witnesses. He again calls God and them to witness, with the view of affirming his
integrity, and cites, on the one hand, God as a witness of his conscience, and them, 532 on the other
hand, as witnesses of what they had known by experience. How holily, says he, and justly, that is,
with how sincere a fear of God, and with what fidelity and blamelessness towards men; and thirdly,
unreproachably, by which he means that he had given no occasion of complaint or obloquy. For
the servants of Christ cannot avoid calumnies, and unfavorable reports; for being hated by the
world, they must of necessity be evil-spoken of among the wicked. Hence he restricts this to
believers, who judge uprightly and sincerely, and do not revile malignantly and groundlessly.
11 Every one as a father. He insists more especially on those things which belong to his office.
He has compared himself to a nurse: he now compares himself to a father. What he means is this
— that he was concerned in regard to them, just as a father is wont to be as to his sons, and that he
had exercised a truly paternal care in instructing and admonishing them. And, unquestionably, no
one will ever be a good pastor, unless he shews himself to be a father to the Church that is committed
to him. Nor does he merely declare himself to be such to the entire body, 533 but even to the individual
members. For it is not enough that a pastor in the pulpit teach all in common, if he does not add
also particular instruction, according as necessity requires, or occasion offers. Hence Paul himself,
in Acts 20:26, declares himself to be free from the blood of all men, because he did not cease to
admonish all publicly, and also individually in private in their own houses. For instruction given
528 “Entre les Thessaloniciens;” — “Among the Thessalonians.”
529 “La liberte que Dieu donne;” — “The liberty that God gives.”
530 “Il n’a point fait de conscience de prendre lors des autres Eglises;” — “He made no scruple to take at that time from other
Churches.”
531 See Calvin on the Corinthians, vol. 2, p. 347.
532 “Les Thessaloniciens;” — “The Thessalonians.”
533 “Tout le corps de ceste Eglise-la;” — “The whole body of the Church there.”
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John Calvin