{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-2300","native_reference":{"book_number":600,"chapter_from":1,"chapter_to":1,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":3,"verse_to":3},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Ambrosiaster</b>: Paul adds in a fitting manner, so that they testify that great thanks must be given to God for such an infinite gift.</p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: There could be no merit in men's choice of Christ, if it were not that God's grace precedes any faith or action on their part in his choosing them. This is why the apostle Paul pronounces to the Thessalonians this benediction, \"The Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all men.\" This benediction to love one another he gave us, who had also given us a law that we should love one another. Then, in the salutation addressed to the same church where some of its members possessed the disposition which he had wished them to cultivate, Paul says, \"We are bound to thank God always for you, brothers. This is quite fitting, because your faith grows robustly, and your mutual charity abounds.\"<br/><i>— On Grace and Free Will 1.18.38</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"We are bound to give thanks to God alway for you, brethren, even as it is meet.\"</p><p>Again a sign of great humility. For he led them to reflect and consider, that if for our good actions others do not admire us first, but God, much more also ought we. And in other respects too he raises up their spirits, because they suffer such things as are not worthy of tears and lamentations, but of thanksgiving to God. But if Paul is thankful for the good of others, what will they suffer, who not only are not thankful, but even pine at it.</p><p>\"For that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth.\"</p><p>And how, you say, can faith increase? That is when we suffer something dreadful for it. It is a great thing for it to be established, and not to be carried away by reasonings. But when the winds assail us, when the rains burst upon us, when a violent storm is raised on every side, and the waves succeed each other-then that we are not shaken, is a proof of no less than this, that it grows, and grows exceedingly, and becomes loftier. For as in the case of the flood all the stony and lower parts are soon hidden, but as many things as are above, it reaches not them, so also the faith that is become lofty, is not drawn downwards. For this reason he does not say \"your faith groweth;\" but \"groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth.\" Seest thou how this contributes for the ease of affliction, to be in close guard together, and to adhere to one another? From this also arose much consolation. The love and faith, therefore, that is weak, afflictions shake, but that which is strong they render stronger. For a soul that is in grief, when it is weak, can add nothing to itself; but that which is strong doth it then most. And observe their love. They did not love one indeed, and not love another, but it was equal on the part of all. For this he has intimated, by saying, \"of each one of you all toward one another.\" For it was equally poised, as that of one body. Since even now we find love existing among many, but this love becoming the cause of division. For when we are knit together in parties of two or three, and the two indeed, or three or four, are closely bound to one another, but draw themselves off from the rest, because they can have recourse to these, and in all things confide in these; this is the division of love-not love. For tell me, if the eye should bestow upon the hand the foresight which it has for the whole body, and withdrawing itself from the other members, should attend to that alone, would it not injure the whole? Assuredly. So also if we confine to one or two the love which ought to be extended to the whole Church of God, we injure both ourselves and them, and the whole. For these things are not of love, but of division; schisms, and distracting rents. Since even if I separate and take a member from the whole man, the part separated indeed is united in itself, is continuous, all compacted together, yet even so it is a separation, since it is not united to the rest of the body.</p><p>For what advantage is it, that thou lovest a certain person exceedingly? It is a human love. But if it is not a human love, but thou lovest for God's sake, then love all. For so God hath commanded to love even our enemies. And if He hath commanded to love our enemies, how much more those who have never aggrieved us? But, sayest thou, I love, but not in that way. Rather, thou dost not love at all. For when thou accusest, when thou enviest, when thou layest snares, how dost thou love? \"But,\" sayest thou, \"I do none of these things.\" But when a man is ill spoken of, and thou dost not shut the mouth of the speaker, dost not disbelieve his sayings, dost not check him, of what love is this the sign? \"And the love,\" he says, \"of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth.\"<br/><i>— Homily on 2 Thessalonians 2</i></p><p><b>Theodore of Mopsuestia</b>: Paul seems to say here that the activity of grace has grown, for he does not say that \"we give thanks\" but that \"we are bound to give thanks.\" In the same way we deserve to have a complaint lodged against us if we do not render to someone what is justly owed. This is the force of \"as is fitting,\" where the point is that there has been an increase in the work of grace, such that what has happened in the Thessalonians is rightly referred to God as its source.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON 2 THESSALONIANS</i></p><p><b>Thietland of Einsiedeln</b>: Indeed, we must note that in the first letter he does not say 'we ought to give thanks,' but 'we give thanks.' For truly there is a greater virtue in what he says, 'we ought to give thanks,' because indeed somebody can freely give thanks for some thing; but truly he who says that he ought, shows that he, too, is a debtor. Therefore the Apostle shows that he, too, is a debtor.</p><p>because your faith is increasing greatly, and because the charity of each of you toward one another is abundant<br/>Certainly with these words they show the connection and narration of the first letter, since they show to them the progress of the same persons, in order that they might love the good things which they were more devotedly doing. In this act preachers are instructed that, while they know that their hearers have made progress, they must desire to show to them the same progress. To the extent that they give attention to their own progress, they should also love more firmly the good things which they do, and they should try to be imitators of the Thessalonians.</p>","source_html_sha256":"15e1807ca7fdae037d9124b3e35e6b0f0aa66d975cbb30260428db5853b53780","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":2300,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"b12b0dbb1760962c8457808069dc1af0fce934d5b288cbb7bda962837be5e97b","translator":null,"work":null}