348 Homily VI. 1 Thessalonians iv. 9, 10 “But concerning love of the brethren we997have no need to write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren, and those which are in all Macedonia.” Why then having discoursed with them earnestly concerning chastity, and being about to discourse about the duty of working, and about the not sorrowing for the departed, does he introduce that which was the principal of all good things, love, as if he were passing it over, saying, “We have no need to write to you”? This also is from his great wisdom, and belongs to spiritual instruction. For here he shows two things. First, that the thing is so ne- cessary, as not to require instruction. For things that are very important are manifest to all. And secondly, by saying this he makes them more ashamed than if he had admonished them. For he who thinks that they have behaved aright, and therefore does not admonish them, even if they had not behaved aright, would the sooner lead them to it. And observe, he does not speak of love towards all,998 but of that towards the brethren. “We have no need to write unto you.” He ought then to have been silent, and to say nothing, if there was no need. But now by saying there is no need, he has done a greater thing, than if he had said it. “For ye yourselves are taught of God.” And see with how high a praise he has made God their Teacher in this matter. Ye need not, he says, to learn from man. Which also the prophet says, “and they shall all be taught of God.” (Isa. liv. 13.) “For ye yourselves,” he says, “are taught of God to love one another. For indeed ye do it toward all the brethren, and those which are in all Macedonia”; and toward all the others, he means. These words are very encouraging to make them do so. And I do not merely say, that ye are taught of God, but I know it from the things which you do. And in this respect he bore many testimonies to them. “But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more, and study;” that is, increase and study. Ver. 11, 12. “To be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you: that ye may walk honestly999 toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.” 997 [Chrys. reads “we,” as do many N.T. documents; yet “ye” is pretty certainly right, having been altered because “ye have no need to write to you” is a harsh construction. The “and” after “brethren” is quite certainly genuine for Chrys., but has very slight authority for the N.T. text.—J.A.B.] 998 φιλαδελφία is strictly “lovingness toward brethren,” not merely “as of brethren.” 999 [This ought to be now rendered “becomingly,” the English word “honestly” having ceased to carry that meaning.—J.A.B.] 1 Thessalonians 4:9,10 613 1 Thessalonians 4:9,10