Homilies on First Thessalonians — Homily 6

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting

[[1 Thessalonians 4.9]], 10

But concerning love of the brethren we have no need to write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another; for indeed you do it toward all the brethren, and those which are in all Macedonia.

Why then having discoursed with them earnestly concerning chastity, and being about to discourse about the duty of working, and about the not sorrowing for the departed, does he introduce that which was the principal of all good things, love, as if he were passing it over, saying, We have no need to write to you? This also is from his great wisdom, and belongs to spiritual instruction. For here he shows two things. First, that the thing is so necessary, as not to require instruction. For things that are very important are manifest to all. And secondly, by saying this he makes them more ashamed than if he had admonished them. For he who thinks that they have behaved aright, and therefore does not admonish them, even if they had not behaved aright, would the sooner lead them to it. And observe, he does not speak of love towards all, but of that towards the brethren. We have no need to write unto you. He ought then to have been silent, and to say nothing, if there was no need. But now by saying there is no need, he has done a greater thing, than if he had said it.

For you yourselves are taught of God. And see with how high a praise he has made God their Teacher in this matter. You need not, he says, to learn from man. Which also the prophet says, and they shall all be taught of God. [[Isaiah 54.13]] For you yourselves, he says, are taught of God to love one another. For indeed you do it toward all the brethren, and those which are in all Macedonia; and toward all the others, he means. These words are very encouraging to make them do so. And I do not merely say, that you are taught of God, but I know it from the things which you do. And in this respect he bore many testimonies to them.

But we exhort you, brethren, that you abound more and more, and study; that is, increase and study.

Ver. 11, 12. To be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you: that you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.

He shows of how many evils idleness is the cause, and of how many benefits industry. And this he makes manifest from things which happen among us, as he often does, and that wisely. For by these things the majority are led on more than by spiritual things. For it is a mark of love to our neighbors not to receive from them, but to impart to them. And observe. Being about to exhort and admonish, he places in the middle their good conduct, both that they may recover even from the preceding admonition, and from the threat, when he said, He therefore that rejects, rejects not man, but God, and that they may not be restive at this. And this is the effect of working, that one does not receive of others, nor live idly, but by working imparts to