1 Thessalonians 3:13

3:11-13 Prayer is religious worship, and all religious worship is due unto God only. Prayer is to be offered to God as our Father. Prayer is not only to be offered in the name of Christ, but offered up to Christ himself, as our Lord and our Saviour. Let us acknowledge God in all our ways, and he will direct our paths. Mutual love is required of all Christians. And love is of God, and is fulfilling the gospel as well as the law. We need the Spirit's influences in order to our growth in grace; and the way to obtain them, is prayer. Holiness is required of all who would go to heaven; and we must act so that we do not contradict the profession we make of holiness. The Lord Jesus will certainly come in his glory; his saints will come with him. Then the excellence as well as the necessity of holiness will appear; and without this no hearts shall be established at that day, nor shall any avoid condemnation.

With all his saints (μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ) Saints is often explained as angels; but the meaning is the holy and glorified people of God. Οἱ ἅγιοι is uniformly used of these in N.T. and never of angels unless joined with ἄγγελοι. See Luke 9:26; Mark 8:38; Acts 10:22. It is doubtful if οἱ ἅγιοι is used of angels in lxx. Zechariah 14:5, which is confidently cited as an instance, is quoted at the conclusion of the Didache (xvi. 7), clearly with the sense of glorified believers. Ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι appears Tob. 11:14; 12:15; Job 5:1. Angels has no connection with anything in this Epistle, but glorified believers is closely connected with the matter which was troubling the Thessalonians. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13. This does not exclude the attendance of angels on the Lord's coming (see Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26), but when Paul speaks of such attendance, as 2 Thessalonians 1:7, he says, with the angels (ἀγγέλων) of his power.

Verse 13. - To the end ( in order that ) he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God. In the sight of God, in his judgment who searcheth the hearts. The words, "before God," are to be conjoined neither with "holiness" nor with "unblamable," but with the whole phrase, "unblamable in holiness." Even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ; at the second advent. With all his saints. By "saints" or "holy ones" are by some understood the angels who shall accompany Christ to judgment; but although the term "saints" is used of the angels in the Old Testament, it is never so employed in the New. The word seems to denote those holy men who have died in the Lord and who shall be raised at the advent, and accompany Christ to the judgment. 1 Thessalonians 3:13

13. your hearts—which are naturally the spring and seat of unholiness. before God, even our Father—rather, "before Him who is at once God and our Father." Before not merely men, but Him who will not be deceived by the mere show of holiness, that is, may your holiness be such as will stand His searching scrutiny. coming—Greek, "presence," or "arrival." with all his saints—including both the holy angels and the holy elect of men (1Th 4:14; Da 7:10; Zec 14:5; Mt 25:31; 2Th 1:7). The saints are "His" (Ac 9:13). We must have "holiness" if we are to be numbered with His holy ones or "saints." On "unblameable," compare Re 14:5. This verse (compare 1Th 3:12) shows that "love" is the spring of true "holiness" (Mt 5:44-48; Ro 13:10; Col 3:14). God is He who really "stablishes"; Timothy and other ministers are but instruments (1Th 3:2) in "stablishing."

(13) To the end. —A beautiful connection of thought. Perfect and settled sanctification in the eyes of God is the object in view, and the means by which it is to be attained is growing and overflowing love toward mankind. (See Colossians 3:14 .) St. Paul is already thinking, probably, how he shall treat the subject of chastity in the next chapter. (See Note on 1Thessalonians 4:6 .) Before God . . . at the coming.—The hearts are to be unblamably holy before God—not only all through life, but also at the Judgment Day, when Jesus Christ is to judge us in the Father’s presence. Though He has “committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22), yet the judgment is His own, and the Son is the agent by whom He judges, just as He is the agent by whom He creates (see Acts 17:31): therefore in that day it is in the Father’s sight rather than in the Son’s (though there can be no divergence between Them) that we are to be able to clear ourselves. With all his saints—i.e., attended by them:- “Thousand, thousand saints attending, Swell the triumph of His train.” The word might possibly be stretched to include the holy angels (Deuteronomy 33:2; Daniel 4:13, et al.); but here we may more probably suppose that St. Paul is anticipating his teaching of 1Thessalonians 4:14, and besides, the Greek seems almost to indicate that these “saints” are to be assessors in the judgment—an honour to be given only to holy men. (Comp. Luke 22:30; John 5:28; 1Corinthians 6:3, et al.)

These words some refer only to the verse immediately preceding: by increasing and abounding in love, their hearts would be established unblamable in holiness. Which is true, for that holiness is justly to be suspected, at least is to be blamed, which is without love to men. And love itself is a great part of holiness; and who will blame holiness when it shines forth in love? Yea, it will be unblamable before God and men. And when God doth cause a people to increase in love, he doth hereby establish them in holiness that is unblamable; where love is wanting the heart is not established. The hypocrite will fall off in an hour of temptation, because he wants love; and though he may for a while make a fair show before men, yet he is not unblamable before God, who searcheth the heart: neither will he be found so at the appearance of Jesus Christ; which the apostle prays for here with respect to these Thessalonians, that they might be established in holiness until the coming of Christ; or that they might be found unblameable in holiness at his coming. Whereby the apostle signifies there is yet another coming of Christ, when there will a strict trial pass upon men, and therefore the saints should labour to be then found unblamable, or without spot and blemish, as 2 Peter 3:14 . At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints; whereof he gives a particular account in the next chapter.

To the end he may stablish your hearts - That is, "may the Lord cause you to increase in love 1 Thessalonians 3:12 , in order that you may be established, and be without blame in the day of judgment." The idea is, that if charity were diffused through their hearts, they would abound in every virtue, and would be at length found blameless. Unblameable - See the 1 Thessalonians 1:10 note; Philippians 2:15; Philippians 3:6 notes; Hebrews 8:7 note; compare Luke 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23. The meaning is, so that there could be no "charge" or "accusation" against them. In holiness - Not in outward conduct merely, or the observance of rites and forms of religion, but in purity of heart. At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ - To judge the world; notes, 1 Thessalonians 1:10. As we are to appear before him, we should so live that our Judge will find nothing in us to be blamed. With all his saints - With all his "holy ones" - τῶν ἁγίων tōn hagiōn. The word includes his "angels," who will come with him Matthew 25:31, and all the redeemed, who will then surround him. The idea is, that before that holy assemblage it is desirable that we should be prepared to appear blameless.

We should be fitted to be welcomed to the "goodly fellowship" of the angels, and to be regarded as worthy to be numbered with the redeemed who" have washed their robes and have made them pure in the blood of the Lamb." When we come to appear amidst that vast assemblage of holy beings, the honors of the world will appear to be small things; the wealth of the earth will appear worthless, and all the pleasures of this life beneath our notice. Happy will they be who are prepared for the solemnities of that day, and who shall have led such a life of holy love - of pure devotion to the Redeemer - of deadness to the world - and of zeal in the cause of pure religion of universal justice, fidelity, honesty, and truth, as to be without reproach, and to meet with the approbation of their Lord.

13 . to the end he may stablish your hearts ] On “stablish” see note to 1 Thessalonians 3:2 ; and on “hearts,” ch. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 ; comp. also 2 Thessalonians 2:17 . This is an O.T. phrase, found in Psalm 104:15 , “Bread that strengtheneth (Greek, stablisheth ) man’s heart ”; and Psalm 112:8 , “His heart is established , he shall not be afraid.” The only N.T. parallel is in James 5:8 , “Be patient; stablish your hearts ; for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” In all these places it signifies the imparting of conscious strength ; and denotes here, therefore, not so much a making firm or steadfast in character , but giving a firm confidence, a steadfast and assured heart (contrast the language of 2 Thessalonians 2:2 ). This would be the effect of the abounding love prayed for in the last verse. The Apostle’s thought runs in the same groove as St John’s in 1 John 3:18-21 and 1 John 4:16-17 , “Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement.… Perfect love casteth out fear.” The Church was living in the expectation of Christ’s speedy return to judgement, a prospect before which the heart naturally quails; in order to “assure their hearts before Him,” the Thessalonian believers must increase and abound in love. “Love” is the one thing that “never faileth” ( 1 Corinthians 13:8 ).