8<\/strong>. so being affectionately desirous of you<\/em> ] R. V., even so<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The rare and peculiar Greek verb (one word) rendered “being affectionately desirous” implies the fondness<\/em> of a mother’s love yearning over you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n With this mother-like affection, he continues, we were well pleased to impart unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls<\/strong> (R. V.). The apostles were not merely willing<\/em> (A.V.) to bestow themselves on the Thessalonians, they actually did so<\/em>, and with the glad consent of a mother nourishing the babe from her own life. The same verb is rendered “thought-good” in ch. 1Th 3:1<\/span>; and the corresponding noun is “good-pleasure” in 2Th 1:2<\/span> (see note).<\/p>\n For “souls” we might read “lives” ( psych<\/em> is never the soul in general, but the individual soul, the personality) our lives, our very selves<\/strong>. The Apostle sacrificed all personal aims and private interests “what things were gains to me” (Php 3:7<\/span>) to the cause of the Gospel; his life was put in continual hazard in behalf of the Church; and for such people as the Macedonian Christians he did this with cordial satisfaction. “If I am made a libation over the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all” (Php 2:17<\/span>). Even to the thankless Corinthians he says, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls” (2Co 12:15<\/span>). This is the true way to “impart the gospel of God,” to give our own heart and soul with it. For it is to impart the Gospel in the spirit in which it came from God, “Who spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all” (Rom 8:32<\/span>); and in the spirit of Christ, “Who gave Himself up for us” (Gal 1:4<\/span>; Gal 2:20<\/span>), Who “poured out His soul unto death” (Isa 53:12<\/span>).<\/p>\n because ye were dear unto us<\/em> ] More adequately, ye became very dear<\/strong> (R. V.); lit., beloved<\/strong>, the word so often applied to Christ (in the Gospels) by the Father: “My Beloved,” “My Son, the Beloved” (comp. Eph 1:6<\/span>, “accepted in the Beloved”). This Church had won upon St Paul’s affections in an especial degree. They were lovable people, dear to God and to the servants of God. Comp. ch. 1Th 1:3-4<\/span>; 2Th 2:13<\/span>; 2Th 2:16<\/span>; see also Introd.<\/em> pp. 34, 35, and notes on 1Th 2:19-20<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n So, being affectionately desirous of you – <\/B>The word here rendered being affectionately desirous – <\/SPAN><\/span> homeiromenoi – occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means to long after, to have a strong affection for. The sense here is, that Paul was so strongly attached to them that he would have been willing to lay down his life for them.<\/P> We were willing to have imparted unto you – <\/B>To have given or communicated; Rom 1:11<\/span>.<\/P> Not the gospel of God only – <\/B>To be willing to communicate the knowledge of the gospel was in itself a strong proof of love, even if it were attended with no self-denial or hazard in doing it. We evince a decided love for a man when we tell him of the way of salvation, and urge him to accept of it. We show strong interest for one who is in danger, when we tell him of a way of escape, or for one who is sick, when we tell him of a medicine that will restore him; but we manifest a much higher love when we tell a lost and ruined sinner of the way in which he may be saved. There is no method in which we can show so strong an interest in our fellow-men, and so much true benevolence for them, as to go to them and tell them of the way by which they may be rescued from everlasting ruin.<\/P> But also our own souls – <\/B>Or rather lives – <\/SPAN><\/span> psuchas; Mat 6:25<\/span>; Mat 20:28<\/span>; Luk 12:22<\/span>, Luk 12:13<\/span>; Mar 3:4<\/span>. This does not mean that the apostle was willing to be damned, or to lose his soul in order to save them, but that if it had been necessary he would have been ready to lay down his life; see 1Jo 3:16<\/span>. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren; compare notes, Joh 15:13<\/span>. His object seems to be to assure them that he did not leave them from any want of love to them, or from the fear of being put to death. It was done from the strong conviction of duty. He appears to have left them because he could not longer remain without exposing others to danger, and without the certainty that there would be continued disturbances; see Act 17:9-10<\/span>.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 8. Being affectionately desirous of you<\/B><\/I>] We had such intense love for you that we were not only willing and forward to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to you, but also to give our own lives<\/I> for your sake, because ye were dear<\/I>, , because ye were beloved by us<\/I>. The words used here by the apostle are expressive of the strongest affection and attachment.<\/P> <\/p>\n A further account of their behaviour among them. The former verse showed their great gentleness, this their great love; expressed, first: In their affectionate desire of them; as the Latin phrase, cupidissimus fui, <\/I>imports love to the person. And it was the desire of their salvation, first in their believing, and then perseverance and progress in faith. It was themselves, not their goods, they desired; as Paul elsewhere saith: We seek not yours, but you.<\/I> Secondly, In the effect of it, which was imparting the gospel to them, whereby they might be saved; which is amplified by two things: <\/P> 1. That they did this willingly, not out of mere necessity, with a backward mind; the word is <\/span>, we were well pleased to preach, and with complacence of mind. <\/P> 2. That they were willing to impart their souls to them; that is, to hazard their lives for them in preaching to them, as Act 16:1-40<\/span>; the same word signifying both the soul and life, and he that dies for another gives his life to them. Or, it may refer to their labours and hardships, whereby they endangered their lives for them, labouring night and day, <\/I>1Th 2:9<\/I><\/span>. Others understand the words only as an expression of their great affection to them; a man imparts his soul to the person whom he entirely loves, as Isa 58:10<\/span>; when a man gives relief to a person in want out of love and compassion, he imparts his soul in what he gives. So did they in the gospel thus preached. And the word imparting is used to express relief to the wants of the body, Rom 12:8<\/span>; and the gospel is the bread of life to give relief to the soul, and used in this sense also, Rom 1:11<\/span>. The apostle may here futher allude to mothers that are nurses, who impart not only other food, but their milk, which is their blood, to cherish their children. <\/P> Ye were dear unto us; <\/B>or, ye have been beloved of us; wherein the apostle more plainly declares their love to them as the ground of all their labours and perils in preaching to them; yea, it may reach to all that he had said before concerning their carriage among them, all was from love. <\/P> <\/p>\n 8. So<\/B>to be joined to “wewere willing”; “As<\/I> a nurse cherisheth . . . so<\/I>we were willing,” c. [ALFORD].But BENGEL, “So,”that is, seeing that we have such affection for you.<\/I> <\/P> being affectionatelydesirous<\/B>The oldest reading in the Greek<\/I> implies,literally, to connect one’s self with another<\/I> to be closelyattached<\/I> to another. <\/P> willing<\/B>The Greek<\/I>is stronger, “we were well content<\/I>“; “we wouldgladly<\/I> have imparted,” c. “even our own lives<\/I>“(so the Greek<\/I> for “souls” ought to be translated) aswe showed in the sufferings we endured in giving you the Gospel (Ac17:1-34<\/span>). As a nursing mother is ready to impart not only hermilk to them, but her life for them, so we not only imparted gladlythe spiritual milk of the word to you, but risked our own lives foryour spiritual nourishment, imitating Him who laid down His life forHis friends, the greatest proof of love (Joh15:13<\/span>). <\/P> ye were<\/B>Greek,<\/I>“ye were become,” as having become our spiritual children. <\/P> dear<\/B>Greek,<\/I>“dearly beloved.”<\/P><\/p>\n So being affectionately desirous of you<\/strong>,…. Not of theirs but them; not of glory from them, nor a maintenance by them, but of their spiritual and eternal welfare; were as fond of them as a nursing mother is of her children, who, when absent from them but ever so little a while, longs to see them; see 1Th 2:17<\/span> and 1Th 3:1<\/span>,<\/p>\n we were willing<\/strong>: took the utmost pleasure, delight, and complacency:<\/p>\n to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel of God only<\/strong>; the sincere milk of the word, which they did freely, fully, and for their spiritual good and profit, without any regard to any advantage of their own:<\/p>\n but also our own souls<\/strong>, or “lives”; which is the highest expression and strongest proof of love that can be given; and respect is still had to the similitude of the nursing mother, who may be said to impart her blood, for such it her milk diversified, for the nourishment of her children: and such was the great concern of the apostles for the interest of Christ, the spread of the Gospel, and the good of souls, that their lives were not dear unto them, so that these ends might he answered: because ye were dear unto us; both because they were loved by God, redeemed by Christ, regenerated by the Spirit of Christ, and had the image of Christ stamped upon them; and also because that they were their spiritual children; and as children are dear to their parents, so were these to them, even to such a degree, as that, were there a necessity for it, they could freely have laid down their lives for them.<\/p>\n Even so, being affectionately desirous of you <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Clearly the correct text rather than <\/SPAN><\/span> from <\/SPAN><\/span>, old verb to long for. But the verb <\/SPAN><\/span> (Westcott and Hort om<\/I>., smooth breathing) occurs nowhere else except MSS. in Job 3:21<\/span>; Ps 62:2<\/span> (Symmachus) and the Lycaonian sepulchral inscription (4th cent. A.D.) about the sorrowing parents <\/SPAN><\/span>,<\/P> greatly desiring their son <\/B> (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary<\/I>). Moulton suggests that it comes from a root <\/SPAN><\/span>, remember, and that –<\/SPAN><\/span> is a derelict preposition <\/SPAN><\/span> like -, -, –<\/SPAN><\/span>. Wohlenberg (Zahn, Kommentar<\/I>) calls the word “a term of endearment,” “derived from the language of the nursery” (Milligan).<\/P> We were well pleased <\/B> (<\/SPAN><\/span>). Imperfect active of <\/SPAN><\/span>, common verb in later Greek and in N.T. (see on Mt 3:17<\/span>), picturing Paul’s idea of their attitude while in Thessalonica. Paul often has it with the infinitive as here.<\/P> To impart <\/B> (<\/SPAN><\/span>). Second aorist active infinitive of <\/SPAN><\/span>, old verb to share with (see on Lu 3:11<\/span>). Possible zeugma with<\/P> souls <\/B> (<\/SPAN><\/span>), though Lightfoot renders “lives.” Paul and his associates held nothing back.<\/P> Because ye were become very dear to us <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Note <\/SPAN><\/span> (double cause, , <\/SPAN><\/span>, for that), use of <\/SPAN><\/span> again for become, and dative <\/SPAN><\/span> with verbal <\/SPAN><\/span>, beloved and so dear. A beautiful picture of the growth of Paul’s affection for them as should be true with every pastor. <\/P> <\/p>\n Being affectionately desirous [] <\/SPAN><\/span>. N. T. o. Once in LXX, Job 3:21<\/span>. The figure of the nursing mother is continued. She is not satisfied with nursing the child, but interests herself affectionately in all that concerns it. <\/P> We were willing [] <\/SPAN><\/span>. Better, we were pleased. Imperfect tense : we continued to entertain and manifest our affectionate solicitude. The verb occasionally in later Greek, and often in LXX In N. T. it is used of God ‘s decrees, as Luk 12:32<\/span>; 1Co 1:21<\/span>; Gal 1:15<\/span>; Col 1:19<\/span>; and of the free determination and plans of men, as Rom 14:26<\/span>; 2Co 5:8<\/span>; 1Th 3:1<\/span>. <\/P> Souls [] <\/SPAN><\/span>. Better lives. See on Rom 11:3<\/span>; 1Co 14:45<\/span>; Mr 12:30<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 1) “So being affectionately desirous of you”<\/strong> (houtos homeiromenoi humon) “Thus longing or yearning for you”, Rom 1:11-12<\/span>. The cause of this yearning was a mutual experimental love each party held for one another in Christ, Joh 13:35<\/span>.<\/p>\n 2) “We were willing to have imparted unto you”<\/strong> (eudokoumen metadounai humin) “We were well pleased to impart to you all”; Giving is an expression of loving, Joh 3:16<\/span>; 1Jn 4:7<\/span>.<\/p>\n 3) “Not the gospel of God only”<\/strong> (ou monon to evangelion tou Theou) “not only the gospel (good news) of God”; The gospel void of affections in the bearer of good news may become of little or non effect, 1Co 9:26-27<\/span>.<\/p>\n 4) “But also our own souls”<\/strong> (alla kai tas heauton psuchas) “But even (also) our own souls, (lives)” our life itself. We are taught of our Lord to be willing to lay down our lives for our brethren, 1Jn 3:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n 5) “Because ye were dear unto us”<\/strong> (dioti agapetoi hemin egenethete) “Because ye became beloved ones to us,” or very dear to us, 2Co 12:15<\/span>.<\/p>\n Text<\/strong> (1Th. 2:8<\/span>)<\/p>\n 8 even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were become very dear to us.<\/strong><\/p>\n Translation and Paraphrase<\/strong><\/p>\n 9.<\/p>\n Even so (in the same manner as the nurse cherishing her own children, we,) yearning after you (greatly as we did,) were well-pleased to impart unto you not only the good news of God, but even our own lives, because ye were (that) beloved unto us.<\/p>\n Notes<\/strong> (1Th. 2:8<\/span>)<\/p>\n 1.<\/p>\n Pauls feelings toward the Thessalonians overflowed with love so deep and genuine that it led him to make many great sacrifices for them. He worked day and night to support himself while with them.<\/p>\n The true minister of Christ does not count the cost to him of helping people to know Christ. Anything he can give he will give.<\/p>\n 2.<\/p>\n Paul was like Jesus, who came not to be ministered unto but to minister. Mat. 20:28<\/span>.<\/p>\n 3.<\/p>\n 2Co. 12:15<\/span>And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.<\/p>\n 4.<\/p>\n Concerning the gospel of God, see notes on 1Th. 2:2<\/span>, paragraph 6.<\/p>\n 5.<\/p>\n Pauls self-sacrificing sincerity is also seen in Rom. 9:1-3<\/span>, where Paul says that he could wish himself accursed from Christ for the sake of his brethren in the flesh, the Israelites, if that would help save them.<\/p>\n (8) So<\/strong> means hero even so, <\/em>confirming the simile, and is not to be taken in the sense of therefore.<\/p>\n Not the gospel of God only.<\/strong>The gospel was, as it were, the milk given to the young converts; but the nursing mothers were ready to let them draw their very life away, so dearly did they love them.<\/p>\n 8<\/strong>. <\/strong> Desirous of you<\/strong> Eager to get, not yours, but you<\/strong>. <\/p>\n Not the gospel only<\/strong> As the mother imparts her milk. <\/p>\n Our own souls<\/strong> As in the milk the mother imparts her own life to her infant, sometimes at the expense of life.<\/p>\n ‘Even so being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own inner selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labour and travail. Working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.’<\/p>\n We learn here the great love that Paul had for his converts. ‘Affectionately desirous’ expresses the idea of a yearning love. It was used on a grave inscription describing the parents’ sad yearning for their dead child. He gave them not only the Good News, but himself as well, because of how much they meant to him. Beware the preacher who lacks love, and does not impart his inner self to his hearers.<\/p>\n This was further demonstrated by the huge effort he put into bringing home to them the Gospel. ‘Labour and travail’, represents wearisome toil and hard and painful toil. They had worn themselves out, working to support themselves (see Act 18:3<\/span>) so as not to be a financial burden, and preaching night and day whenever opportunity arose, until they were exhausted.<\/p>\n Note the stress in this chapter on ‘the Good News of God’ (1Th 2:2<\/span>; 1Th 2:8-9<\/span>). He wants to stress that the Good News is from God, and reveals God, because He is its source.<\/p>\n 1Th 2:8<\/span> . ] occurs, besides LXX. Job 3:21<\/span> , and Symmachus, Psa 62:2<\/span> (yet even in these two places MSS. differ), only in the glossaries. Hesychius, Phavorinus, and Photius explain it by . Theophylact derives it from and ; and corresponding to this, Photius explains it by . Accordingly, would denote bound with you, attached to you. Fritzsche, ad Marc.<\/em> p. 792 f., Schott, and others agree. But this is questionable (1) Because the verb is here construed with the genitive, and not with the dative; (2) because there is no instance of a similar verb compounded with or ; see Winer, p. 92 [E. T. 125]. Now, as in Nicander ( Theriaca<\/em> , ver. 2:402) the simple form occurs in the sense of , it can hardly be doubted that is the original root to which and (having the same meaning) are related, having a syllable prefixed for euphony. Compare the analogous forms of and , and , and , and , and see Khner, I. p. 27. Accordingly, as denotes primarily the yearning love, the yearning desire for union with an absent<\/em> friend, and secondarily is, according to the testimony of Hesychius, synonymous with , receives here the suitable meaning of filled with love to you<\/em> . Beza unnecessarily, and against the context (because the word is a verbum<\/em> ), supplies: videlicet vos ad Christum tanquam sponsam ad sponsum adducendi.<\/p>\n ] belongs not to (Schrader), but to ; thus it is not intensifying so much<\/em> , but a simple particle of comparison: thus, in this manner<\/em> .<\/p>\n ] not present, but imperfect with the augment omitted. See Winer, p. 66 [E. T. 83]. , to esteem good<\/em> , here, to be willing<\/em> , denotes that what took place was from a free determination of will. Thus it is used both of the eternal, gracious, and free counsels of God (Col 1:19<\/span> ; Gal 1:15<\/span> ; 1Co 1:21<\/span> ), and of the free determination of men (Rom 15:26<\/span> ; 2Co 5:8<\/span> ).<\/p>\n ] not a Hebraism in the sense of nosmet ipsos (Koppe, Flatt), but our lives<\/em> (Hom. Od.<\/em> iii. 74; Aristoph. Plut.<\/em> 524); the plural proves that Paul thinks not of himself only, but also of Silvanus and Timotheus.<\/p>\n On , comp. Bernhardy, Syntax<\/em> , p. 272; Winer, p. 136 [E. T. 187], However, the verb does not strictly apply to , as the idea of imparting<\/em> is here transformed into that of offering up, devoting<\/em> . (Erroneously Bengel: anima nostra cupiebat quasi immeare<\/em> in animam vestram. Hofmann: In the word preached, which Paul and his companions imparted to the Thessalonians even to the exhaustion of their vital power, this as it were passed over to them, just as the vital power of the mother passes over to the child, whom she is not content with nourishing generally, but, from the longings of love to it, desires to nourish it by suckling.) From the compound verb the idea of the simple verb is accordingly to be extracted (a zeugma; see Khner, II. 606).<\/p>\n The thought contained in is accordingly: As a mother not only nourishes her new-born child with her milk, but also cherishes and shelters it, yea, is ready to sacrifice her life for its preservation, so has the apostle not merely nourished his spiritual child, the Thessalonian church, with the milk of the gospel, but has been also ready, in order to preserve it in the newly begun life, to sacrifice his own life.<\/p>\n The inducement<\/em> to such a conduct was love, which the apostle, although he had already mentioned it, again definitely states in the words , because ye were dear and valuable to us<\/em> .<\/p>\n 8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ver. 8. So being affectionately desirous<\/strong> ] Honing and hankering after you. The Greek word signifieth the most swaying heart passion, the most effectual affection. ( . Cupidine rapti.<\/em> )<\/p>\n<\/p>\n But also our own souls<\/strong> ] Greater love than this hath no man; and such a love ought there to be in every pastor toward his people. Love is liberal, charity is no churl. <\/p>\nFuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n