Friday, November 5, 2021

St. Paul. 1 Thessalonians and The Jews

 [14] For you, brethren, are become followers of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus: for you also have suffered the same things from your own coutrymen, even as they have from the Jews, [15] Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men; 

[16] Prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath of God is come upon them to the end. [17] But we, brethren, being taken away from you for a short time, in sight, not in heart, have hastened the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. [18] For we would have come unto you, I Paul indeed, once and again: but Satan hath hindered us. [19] For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Are not you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? [20] For you are our glory and joy. 

[16] "To fill up their sins": That is, to fill up the measure of their sins, after which God's justice would punish them. For the wrath of God is come upon them to the end-- That is, to continue on them to the end. 

Saint John Chrysostom: Ver. 14, 15, 16For you, brethren, became imitators of the Churches of God, which are in Judæa in Christ Jesus: for you also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove out us, and please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always: but the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

For you, he says, became imitators of the Churches of God which are in Judæa. This is a great consolation. It is no wonder, he says, that they should do these things to you, inasmuch as they have done it also to their own countrymen. And this too is no little proof that the Preaching is true, that even Jews were able to endure all things. For you also, he says, have suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews. There is something more in his saying, as they also did in Judæa; it shows that everywhere they rejoiced, as having nobly contended. He says therefore, that you also suffered the same things. And again, what wonder is it, if to you also, when even to the Lord they dared do such things?

Do you see how he introduces this as containing great consolation? And constantly he adverts to it; and upon a close examination one may find it in nearly all his Epistles, how variously, upon all occasions of temptation, he brings forward Christ. Observe accordingly, that here also, when accusing the Jews, he puts them in mind of the Lord, and of the sufferings of the Lord; so well does he know that this is a matter of the greatest consolation.

Who both killed the Lord, he says— but, perhaps, they did not know Him—assuredly they did know Him. What then? Did they not slay and stone their own prophets, whose books even they carry about with them? And they did not do this for the sake of truth. There is therefore not only a consolation under the temptations, but they are reminded not to think that (the Jews) did it for the truth's sake, and be troubled on that account. 

And drove out us, he says. And we also, he says, have suffered numberless evilsAnd please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved. 

Contrary to all men, he says. How? Because if we ought to speak to the world, and they forbid us, they are the common enemies of the world. They have slain Christ and the prophets, they insult God, they are the common enemies of the world, they banish us, when coming for their salvation. What wonder if they have done such things also to you, when they have done them even in Judæa? Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved.

 It is a mark of envy therefore to hinder the salvation of all. To fill up their sins always. But the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. What is to the uttermost? These things are no longer like the former. There is here no return back, no limit. But the wrath is near at hand. Whence is this manifest? 

From that which Christ foretold. For not only is it a consolation to have partakers in our afflictions, but to hear also that our persecutors are to be punished. And if the delay is a grievance, let it be a consolation that they will never lift up their heads again; or rather he has cut short the delay, by saying, THE wrath, showing that it was long ago due, and predetermined, and predicted.


Does this mean us Catholics can hate the Jews? By no means. We must pray for their conversion and call upon our modern Popes (who do not preach the Gospel to the Jews when they visit Synagogues) to try and convert the Jews for woe betide that Jew who does not convert.


"But as for those my enemies, who would not have me reign over them, bring them hither, and kill them before me."
[Luke 19:27]


Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide:


Ver. 27.—But those mine enemies (the Jews, His citizens, who would not have Him to reign over them) bring them hither—to my Tribunal, in the valley of Jehosaphat and Jerusalem—and kill them before Me.” In the Greek, “Kill them before my face.” Our Lord alludes to those victorious kings who slew and destroyed their conquered rebels. By this destruction Christ signifies the extreme judgment of the Jews and His other enemies, and their own condemnation to eternal death in Gehenna, and that a living and vital death, where they will be perpetually tormented by death-dealing flames, and yet will never die. Our Lord alludes to Titus, who slaughtered the conquered Jews. He describes precisely to the letter the condemnation of the Jews, and the Gehenna which He has appointed for them when He shall return from heaven to judge and condemn them and the reprobate. 




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