Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
quemadmodum et nos ipsi affecti sumus erga
vos:
13. To the end he may stablish your hearts 13. Ut confirmet corda vestra
unblameable in holiness before God, even our irreprehensibilia, in sanctitate coram Deo et Patre
Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ nostro, in adventu Domini nostri Iesu Christi,
with all his saints.
cum omnibus sanctis eius.
11 Now God himself. He now prays that the Lord, having removed Satan’s obstructions, may
open a door for himself, and be, as it were, the leader and director of his way to the Thessalonians.
By this he intimates, that we cannot move a step with success, 562 otherwise than under God’s
guidance, but that when he holds out his hand, it is to no purpose that Satan employs every effort
to change the direction of our course. We must take notice that he assigns the same office to God
and to Christ, as, unquestionably, the Father confers no blessing upon us except through Christ’s
hand. When, however, he thus speaks of both in the same terms, he teaches that Christ has divinity
and power in common with the Father.
12 And the Lord fill you. Here we have another prayer — that in the mean time, while his way
is obstructed, the Lord, during his absence, may confirm the Thessalonians in holiness, and fill
them with love. And from this again we learn in what the perfection of the Christian life consists
— in love and pure holiness of heart, flowing from faith. He recommends love mutually cherished
towards each other, and afterwards towards all, for as it is befitting that a commencement should
be made with those that are of the household of faith, (Galatians 6:10) so our love ought to go forth
to the whole human race. Farther, as the nearer connection must be cherished, 563 so we must not
overlook those who are farther removed from us, so as to prevent them from holding their proper
place.
He would have the Thessalonians abound in love and be filled with it, because in so far as we
make progress in acquaintance with God, the love of the brethren must at the same time increase
in us, until it take possession of our whole heart, the corrupt love of self being extirpated. He prays
that the love of the Thessalonians may be perfected by God, intimating that its increase, no less
than its commencement, was from God alone. Hence it is evident how preposterous a part those
act who measure our strength by the precepts of the Divine law. The end of the law is love, says
Paul, (1 Timothy 1:5) yet he himself declares that it is a work of God. When, therefore, God marks
out our life, 564 he does not look to what we can do, but requires from us what is above our strength,
that we may learn to ask from him power to accomplish it. When he says — as we also towards
you, he stimulates them by his own example.
13 That he may confirm your hearts. He employs the term hearts here to mean conscience, or
the innermost part of the soul; for he means that a man is acceptable to God only when he brings
holiness of heart; that is, not merely external, but also internal. But it is asked, whether by means
of holiness we stand at God’s judgment-seat, for if so, to what purpose is remission of sins? Yet
562 “Nous ne pouuons d’vn costé ne d’autre faire vn pas qui proufite et viene a bien;” — “We cannot on one side or another
take a step that may be profitable or prosperous.”
563 “Il faut recognoistre et entretenir;” — “We must recognize and maintain.”
564 “Nous prescrit en ses commandemens la regle de viure;” — “Prescribes to us in his commandments the rule of life.”
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John Calvin