Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
heads, unless they keep aloof from contagion. Hence, however wicked men may treat with ridicule
all instructions that are given as to a holy life and the fear of God, those that are endowed with the
Spirit of God have a very different testimony sealed upon their hearts. We must therefore take heed,
lest we should extinguish or obliterate it. At the same time, this may refer to Paul and the other
teachers, as though he had said, that it is not from human perception that they condemn unchastity,
but they pronounce from the authority of God what has been suggested to them by his Spirit. I am
inclined, however, to include both. Some manuscripts have the second person — you, which restricts
the gift of the Spirit to the Thessalonians.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
9. But as touching brotherly love ye need not 9. De fraterno autem amore non opus habetis,
that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught ut scribam vobis: ipsi enim vos a Deo estis edocti,
of God to love one another.
ut diligatis invicem.
10. And indeed ye do it toward all the 10. Etenim hoc facitis erga omnes fratres, qui
brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we sunt in tota Macedonia. Hortamur autem vos,
beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and fratres, ut abundetis magis,
more;
11. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do 11. Et altius contendatis, ut colatis quietem,
your own business, and to work with your own et agatis res vestras, et laboretis manibus vestris,
hands, as we commanded you;
quemadmodum vobis denuntiavimus,
12. That ye may walk honestly toward them 12. Ut ambuletis decenter erga extraneos, et
that are without, and that ye may have lack of nulla re opus habeatis.
nothing.
9 As to brotherly love. Having previously, in lofty terms, commended their love, he now speaks
by way of anticipation, saying, ye need not that I write to you. He assigns a reason — because they
had been divinely taught — by which he means that love was engraven upon their hearts, so that
there was no need of letters written on paper. For he does not mean simply what John says in his
first Canonical 571 Epistle, the anointing will teach you, (1 John 2:27) but that their hearts were
framed for love; so that it appears that the Holy Spirit inwardly dictates efficaciously what is to be
done, so that there is no need to give injunctions in writing. He subjoins an argument from the
greater to the less; for as their love diffuses itself through the whole of Macedonia, he infers that
it is not to be doubted that they love one another. Hence the particle for means likewise, or nay
more, for, as I have already stated, he adds it for the sake of greater intensity.
571 The Epistles of John, along with those of James, Peter, and Jude, “were termed Canonical by Cassiodorus in the middle of
the sixth century, and by the writer of the prologue to these Epistles, which is erroneously ascribed to Jerome.... Du Pin says
that some Latin writers have called these Epistles Canonical, either confounding the name with Catholic, or to denote that they
are a part of the Canon of the books of the New Testament.” —Horne’s Introduction, vol. 4, p. 409. On the origin and import
of the epithet General, or Catholic, usually applied to these Epistles, the reader will find some valuable observations in Brown’s
Expository Discourses on Peter, vol. 1.
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John Calvin