Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
in common is sometimes of little service, and some cannot be corrected or cured without particular
medicine.
12 Exhorted. He shews with what earnestness he devoted himself to their welfare, for he relates
that in preaching to them respecting piety towards God and the duties of the Christian life, it had
not been merely in a perfunctory way, 534 but he says that he had made use of exhortations and
adjurations. It is a lively preaching of the gospel, when persons are not merely told what is right,
but are pricked (Acts 2:37) by exhortations, and are called to the judgment-seat of God, that they
may not fall asleep in their vices, for this is what is properly meant by adjuring. But if pious men,
whose promptitude Paul so highly commends, stood in absolute need of being stimulated by stirring
exhortations, nay, adjurations, what must be done with us, in whom sluggishness 535 of the flesh
does more reign? In the mean time, as to the wicked, whose obstinacy is incurable, it is necessary
to denounce upon them the horrible vengeance of God, not so much from hope of success, as in
order that they may be rendered inexcusable.
Some render the participle παραμυθουμένοι, comforted. If we adopt this rendering, he means
that he made use of consolations in dealing with the afflicted, who need to be sustained by the grace
of God, and refreshed by tasting of heavenly blessings, 536 that they may not lose heart or become
impatient. The other meaning, however, is more suitable to the context, that he admonished; for
the three verbs, it is manifest, refer to the same thing.
That ye might walk. He presents in a few words the sum and substance of his exhortations, that,
in magnifying the mercy of God, he admonished them not to fail as to their calling. His
commendation of the grace of God is contained in the expression, who hath called us into his
kingdom. For as our salvation is founded upon God’s gracious adoption, every blessing that Christ
has brought us is comprehended in this one term. It now remains that we answer God’s call, that
is, that we shew ourselves to be such children to him as he is a Father to us. For he who lives
otherwise than as becomes a child of God, deserves to be cut off from God’s household.
1 Thessalonians 2:13-16
13. For this cause also thank we God without 13 Quapropter nos quoque indesinenter
ceasing, because, when ye received the word of gratias agimus Deo, quod, quum sermonem Dei
God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as praedicatum a nobis percepistis, amplexi estis,
the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of non ut sermonem hominum, sed quemadmodum
God, which effectually worketh also in you that revera est, sermonem Dei: qui etiam efficaciter
believe.
agit in vobis credentibus.
14. For ye, brethren, became followers of the 14. Vos enim imitatores facti estis, fratres,
churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Ecclesiarum Dei, quae sunt in Iudaea in Christo
534 “Il n’y a point este par acquit, comme on dit;” — “It had not been in the mere performance of a task, as they say.”
535 “La paresse et nonchalance de la chair;” — “Indolence and negligence of the flesh.”
536 “Fortifiez ou soulagez en leur rafrechissant le goust des biens celestes;” — “Strengthened or comforted in the way of
refreshing their taste with heavenly blessings.”
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John Calvin