Commentary on Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians Timothy Titus and Philemon John Calvin (continued)
CHAPTER 2
the Church than to their own life, and not be impelled to duty by a regard to their own advantage, but by a sincere love to those to whom they know that they are conjoined, and laid under obligation. 698
1 Thessalonians 2:9-12
1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 9. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
9. Memoria enim tenetis, fratres, laborem nostrum et sudorem: nam die ac nocte opus facientes, ne gravaremus quenquam vestrum, praedicavimus apud vos Evangelium Dei.
10. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
10. Vos testes estis et Deus, ut sancte, et iuste, et sine querela vobis, qui creditis, fuerimus.
11. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
11. Quemadmodum nostis, ut unumquemque vestrum, quasi pater suos liberos,
12. That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
12. Exhortati simus, et monuerimus et obtestati simus, ut ambularetis digne Deo, qui vocavit vos in suum regnum et gloriam.
9 For ye remember. These things tend to confirm what he had stated previously --- that to spare them he did not spare himself. He must assuredly have burned with a wonderful and more than 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, 699 for in other churches he exercised, equally with others, the liberty allowed him. 700 He received nothing from the Corinthians, lest he should give the false apostles a handle for glorying
698"Pour vne vraye amour et non feinte qu'ils portent a ceux, ausquels ils scauent que Dieu les a conionts et liez ou obligez;" — "From a true and unfeigned love which they bear to those, to whom they know that God has conjoined, and tied, or bound them."
699"Entre les Thessaloniciens;" — "Among the Thessalonians." 700"La liberte que Dieu donne;" — "The liberty that God gives."