Luk 12:37, Joh 14:3, Act 1:11, 1Cor 4:5, Col 3:4, 1Th 2:19, 2Th 2:1 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 37. Shall gird himself . Shall take the place of the servant himself. Servants who waited on the table were girded in the manner described above. Shall make them sit , &c. Shall place them at his table and feast them. This evidently means that if we are faithful to Christ, and are ready to meet him when he returns, he will receive us into heaven -- will admit us to all its blessings, and make us happy there--as if he should serve us and minister to our wants. It will be as if a master, instead of sitting down at the table himself, should place his faithful servants there, and be himself the servant. This shows the exceeding kindness and condescension of our Lord. For us, poor and guilty sinners, he denied himself, took the form of a servant ( ), and ministered to our wants. In our nature he has wrought out salvation, and he has done it in one of the humblest conditions of the children of men. How should our bosoms burn with gratitude to him, and how should we be willing to serve one another] . Also, see . (h) "Blessed are"

Luke 12:37

Verse 37. Shall gird himself. Shall take the place of the servant himself. Servants who waited on the table were girded in the manner described above.

Shall make them sit, &c. Shall place them at his table and feast them. This evidently means that if we are faithful to Christ, and are ready to meet him when he returns, he will receive us into heaven -- will admit us to all its blessings, and make us happy there--as if he should serve us and minister to our wants. It will be as if a master, instead of sitting down at the table himself, should place his faithful servants there, and be himself the servant. This shows the exceeding kindness and condescension of our Lord. For us, poor and guilty sinners, he denied himself, took the form of a servant (Php 2:7), and ministered to our wants. In our nature he has wrought out salvation, and he has done it in one of the humblest conditions of the children of men. How should our bosoms burn with gratitude to him, and how should we be willing to serve one another] Jn 13:1. Also, see Jn 13:2-17.

(h) "Blessed are" Mt 24:46

John 14:3

Acts 1:11

Verse 11. Ye men of Galilee. Galilee was the place of their former residence; and this was the name by which they were commonly known. There is no evidence that the angel intended this name in any way to reproach them.

Why stand ye, etc. There is doubtless a slight degree of censure implied in this, as well as a design to call their attention away from a vain attempt to see the departed Saviour. The impropriety may have been,

(1.) in the feeling of disappointment, as if he would not restore the kingdom to Israel.

(2.) Possibly they were expecting that he would again soon appear; though he had often foretold them that he would ascend to heaven.

(3.) There might have been an impropriety in their earnest desire for the mere bodily presence of the Lord Jesus, when it was more important that it should be in heaven. We may see here, also, that it is our duty not to stand in idleness, and to gaze even towards heaven. We, as well as the apostles, have a great work to do, and we should actively engage in it without delay.

Gazing up. Looking up.

This same Jesus. This was said to comfort them. The same tried Friend, who had been so faithful to them, would return. They ought not, therefore, to look with despondency at his departure.

Into heaven. This expression denotes into the immediate presence of God; or into the place of perpetual purity and happiness, where God peculiarly manifests his favour. The same thing is frequently designated by his sitting on the right hand of God, as emblematic of power, honour, and favour. Mk 16:19 Mk 14:62 Heb 1:3 Heb 8:1 Acts 7:55; Rom 8:34, Eph 1:20.

Shall so come. At the day of judgment. Jn 14:3, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again," etc.

In like manner, etc. In clouds, as he ascended. Acts 1:9; 1Thes 4:16. This address was designed to comfort the disciples. Though their Master and Friend was taken from them, yet he was not removed for ever. He would come again with similar majesty and glory, for the vindication of his people, and to tread all his enemies under his feet. The design for which he will come, will be to judge the world, Mt 25. There will be an evident fitness and propriety in his coming.

(1.) Because his appropriate work in heaven as Mediator shall be accomplished; his people shall have been saved; the enemy subdued; death shall have been conquered; and the gospel shall have shown its power in subduing all forms of wickedness; in removing the effects of sin, in establishing the law, in vindicating the honour of God; and shall thus have done all that will be needful to be done to establish the authority of God throughout the universe. It will be proper, therefore, that this mysterious order of things shall be wound up, and the results become a matter of record in the history of the universe. It will be better than it would be to suffer an eternal millennium on the earth, while the saints should many of them slumber, and the wicked still be in their graves.

(2.) It is proper that he should come to vindicate his people, and raise them up to glory. Here they have been persecuted, oppressed, put to death. Their character is assailed; they are poor; and the world despises them. It is fit that God should show himself to be their Friend; that he should do justice to their injured names and motives; that he should bring out hidden and obscure virtue, and vindicate it; that he should enter every grave and bring forth his friends to life.

(3.) It is proper that he should show his hatred of sin. Here it triumphs. The wicked are rich, and honoured, and mighty, and say, "Where is the promise of his coming?" 2Pet 3:4. It is right that he should defend his cause. Hence the Lord Jesus will come to guard the avenues to heaven, and to see that the universe suffers no wrong, by the admission of an improper person to the skies.

(4.) The great transactions of redemption have been public, open, often grand. The apostasy was public, in the face of angels and of the universe. Sin has been open, public, high,handed. Misery has been public, and has rolled its deep and turbid waves in the face of the universe. Death has been public; all worlds have seen the race cut down and moulder. The death of Jesus was public; the angels saw it; the heavens were clothed with mourning; the earth shook; and the dead arose. The angels have desired to look into these things, (1Pet 1:12,) and have felt an intense solicitude about men. Jesus was publicly whipped, cursed, crucified; and it is proper that he should publicly triumph, that all heaven rejoicing, and all hell at length humbled, should see his public victory. Hence he will come with clouds--with angels--with fire--and will raise the dead, and exhibit to all the universe the amazing close of the scheme of redemption.

(5.) We are in these verses presented with the most grand and wonderful events that this world has ever known--the ascension and return of the Lord Jesus. Here is consolation for the Christian; and here is a source of ceaseless alarm to the sinner.

(b) "Ye men of Galilee" Acts 2:7, 13:31 (c) "shall so come" Jn 14:3, 1Thes 4:16

1 Corinthians 4:5

Verse 5. Therefore. In view of the danger of being deceived in your judgment, and the impossibility of certainly knowing the failings of the heart.

Judge nothing. Pass no decided opinion. Mt 7:1. The apostle here takes occasion to inculcate on them an important lesson--one of the leading lessons of Christianity--not to pass a harsh opinion on the conduct of any man, since there are so many things that go to make up his character which we cannot know, and so many secret failings and motives which are all concealed from us.

Until the Lord come. The Lord Jesus at the day of judgment, when all secrets shall be revealed, and a true judgment shall, be passed on all men.

Who both will bring to light. Rom 2:16.

The hidden things of darkness. The secret things of the heart which have been hidden, as it were, in darkness. The subsequent clause shows that this is the sense. He does not refer to the deeds of night, or those things which were wrought in the secret places of idolatry, but to the secret designs of the heart; and perhaps means gently to insinuate that there were many things about the character and feelings of his enemies which would not well bear the revelations of that day.

The counsels of the hearts. The purposes, designs, and intentions of men. All their plans shall be made known in that day. And it is a most fearful and alarming truth, that no man can conceal his purposes beyond the day of judgment.

And then shall every man have praise of God. The word here rendered praise, επαινος, denotes in this place reward, or that which is due to him; the just sentence which ought to be pronounced on his character. It does not mean, as our translation would imply, that every man will then receive the Divine approbation-which will not be true; but that every man shall receive what is due to his character, whether good or evil. So Bloomfield and Bretschneider explain it. Hesychius explains it by judgment, κρισις. The word must be limited in its signification according to the subject or the connexion. The passage teaches,

(1.) that we should not be guilty of harsh judgment of others.

(2.) The reason is, that we cannot know their feelings and motives.

(3.) That all secret things will be brought forth in the great day, and nothing be concealed beyond that time.

(4.) That every man shall receive justice there. He shall be treated as he ought to be. The destiny of no one will be decided by the opinions of men; but the doom of all will be fixed by God. How important is it, therefore, that we be prepared for that day; and how important to cherish such feelings, and form such plans, that they may be developed without involving us in shame and contempt!

(a) "judge nothing" Mt 7:1 (b) "who both" Rom 2:16, Rev 20:12

Colossians 3:4

Verse 4. When Christ, who is our life. Jn 1:4; Jn 11:25.

Shall appear. In the day when he shall come to judge the world.

Then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 1Thes 4:16,17. Christians shall then be raised from the dead, and ascend with the Redeemer to heaven.

(b) "who is our life" Jn 11:25, 14:6

1 Thessalonians 2:19

Verse 19. For what is our hope. That is, "I had a strong desire to see you; to assist you; to enjoy your friendship; for you are my hope and joy, and my absence does not arise from a want of affection." The meaning, when he says that they were his "hope," is, that their conversion and salvation was one of the grounds of his hope of future blessedness. It was an evidence that he was a faithful servant of God, and that he would be rewarded in heaven.

Or joy. The source of joy here, and in heaven.

Or crown of rejoicing. Marg., as in Gr., glorying; that is, boasting, or exulting. The allusion is, probably, to the victors at the Grecian games; and the sense is, that he rejoiced in their conversion, as the victor there did in the garland which he had won. 1Cor 9:24-27.

Are not even ye. Or, will not you be?

In the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. "When the Lord Jesus appears at the end of the world, then our highest source of happiness and honour will be your conversion and salvation." Then their salvation would be a proof of his fidelity. It would fill his soul with the highest happiness, that he had been the means of saving them from ruin.

(1) "rejoicing" "glorying" (a) "in the presence" 2Cor 1:14, Php 4:1 (b) "of our Lord Jesus Christ" Jude 1:24 (c) "at his coming" Rev 1:7

2 Thessalonians 2:1

2nd Thessalonians CHAPTER II.

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER,

THE main object of this chapter is to correct an erroneous impression which had been made on the minds of the Thessalonians respecting the second coming of the Saviour, either by his own former letter, or by one forged in his name. They had received the impression that that event was about to take place. This belief had produced an unhappy effect on their minds, 2Thes 2:2. It became, therefore, necessary to state the truth on the subject, in order to free their minds from alarm; and this purpose of the apostle leads to one of the most important prophecies in the New Testament:

The chapter comprises the following points:--

I. An exhortation that they would not be alarmed or distressed by the expectation of the speedy coming of the Saviour, 2Thes 2:1,2.

II. A statement of the truth that he would not soon appear, and of the characteristics of a great apostasy which must intervene before his advent, 2Thes 2:3-12.

In this part of the chapter, the apostle shows that he did not mean to teach that that event would soon happen, by stating that before that, there would occur a most melancholy apostasy, which would require a considerable time before it was matured.

(a.) That day would not come until there should be a great apostasy, and a revelation of the man of sin, 2Thes 2:3.

(b.) The character of this man of sin was to be such that it could not be mistaken: he would be opposed to God; would exalt himself above all that is called God; and would sit in the temple showing himself as God, 2Thes 2:4.

(c.) There was a restraint then exercised which prevented the development of the great apostasy. There were indeed causes then at work which would lead to it, but they were then held in check, and God would restrain them until some future time, when he would suffer the man of sin to be revealed, 2Thes 2:5-7.

(d.) When that time should come, then that "wicked" one would be revealed, with such marks that he could not be mistaken. His coming would be after the working of Satan, with power and signs and lying wonders, and under him there would be strong delusion, and the belief of a lie, 2Thes 2:8-12. This great foe of God was to be destroyed by the coming of the Saviour, and one object of his appearing would be to put an end to his dominion, 2Thes 2:8.

III. The apostle then says, that there was occasion for thankfulness to God that he had chosen them to salvation, and not left them to be destroyed, 2Thes 2:13,14.

IV. An exhortation to stand fast, and to maintain what they had been taught, (2Thes 2:15;) and a prayer that God, who had given them a good hope, would comfort their hearts, closes the chapter, 2Thes 2:16,17.

Verse 1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The phrase "by the coming," is not here, as our translators seem to have supposed, a form of solemn adjuration. It is not common, if it ever occurs, in the Scriptures, to make a solemn adjuration in view of an event, and the connection here demands that we give to the phrase a different sense. It means, respecting his coming; and the idea of Paul is, "In regard to that great event of which I spoke to you in my former epistle--the coming of the Saviour--I beseech you not to be troubled, as if it were soon to happen." As his views had been misunderstood or misrepresented, he now proposes to show them that there was nothing in the true doctrine which should create alarm, as if he were about to appear.

And by our gathering together unto him. There is manifest allusion here to what is said in the first epistle, 1Thes 4:17, "then we shall be caught up together with them in the clouds;" and the meaning is, "In reference to our being gathered unto him, I beseech you not to be shaken in mind, as if that event were near."