Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

“Re 12:7), to whom especially is committed the guardianship of the people of God (Da 10:13). trump of God--the trumpet blast which usually accompanies God's manifestation in glory (Ex 19:16; Ps 47:5); here the last of the three accompaniments of His appear…”

“His point being established, that the dead in Christ shall be on terms of equal advantage with those found alive at Christ's coming, he leaves undefined here the other events foretold elsewhere (as not being necessary to his discussion), Christ's reign on eart…”

“Ye have no reason for fear, or for being taken by surprise, by the coming of the day of the Lord: "For ye are all sons (so the Greek) of light and sons of day"; a Hebrew idiom, implying that as sons resemble their fathers, so you are in character light (intell…”

“This verse is to be taken in the literal sense. Night is the time when sleepers sleep, and drinking men are drunk. To sleep by day would imply great indolence; to be drunken by day, great shamelessness.”

“Christ "acquired (so the Greek for 'purchased') the Church (and its salvation) with His own blood" (Ac 20:28); each member is said to be appointed by God to the "acquiring of salvation." In the primary sense, God does the work; in the secondary sense, man do…”

“Paul's practice seems to have been to ordain elders in every Church soon after its establishment (Ac 14:23). them which labour . . . are over . . . admonish you--not three classes of ministers, but one, as there is but one article common to the three in the …”

“At the same time, the word "work," teaches ministers that, while claiming the reverence due to their office, it is not a sinecure, but a "work"; compare "labor" (even to weariness: so the Greek), 1Th 5:12. be at peace among yourselves--The "and" is not in th…”

“Paul practiced what he preached (1Co 9:22). be patient toward all men--There is no believer who needs not the exercise of patience "toward" him; there is none to whom a believer ought not to show it; many show it more to strangers than to their own families,…”

“Php 4:4, 6, "Rejoice in the Lord . . . by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving"; Ro 14:17, "in the Holy Ghost"; Ac 5:41, "in being counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's name";”

“The Greek is, "Pray without intermission"; without allowing prayerless gaps to intervene between the times of prayer.”

“In many cases the Christian should not abstain from what has the semblance ("appearance") of evil, though really good. Jesus healed on the sabbath, and ate with publicans and sinners, acts which wore the appearance of evil, but which were not to be abstained f…”

“And "whole (entire)," individually, each one of them entire, with "spirit, soul, and body." The mention of the preservation of the body accords with the subject (1Th 4:16). TRENCH better regards "wholly" as meaning, "having perfectly attained the moral end," …”

“Some oldest manuscripts read, "Pray ye also for (literally, 'concerning') us"; make us and our work the subject of your prayers, even as we have been just praying for you (1Th 5:23). Others omit the "also." The clergy need much the prayers of their flocks.”

“I charge--Greek, "I adjure you." read unto all--namely, publicly in the congregation at a particular time. The Greek aorist tense implies a single act done at a particular time. The earnestness of his adjuration implies how solemnly important he felt this div…”

“(See on 2Co 13:14.) Paul ends as he began (1Th 1:1), with "grace." The oldest manuscripts omit "Amen," which probably was the response of the Church after the public reading of the Epistle. The subscription is a comparatively modern addition.”