Brief Exposition of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Part 1 · Postscript
POSTSCRIPT.
The first Epistle unto the Thessalonians was written from Athens.
Seeing this Epistle is written in the name also of Timotheus and Silvanus as appeareth from chap. 1. v. 1. Therefore it is most probable that it was not written from Athens, as the Postscript affirms, but rather from Corinth, because they two did not return, the one from Thessalonica, the other from Berea, unto Paul, before he went from Athens unto Corinth, as appears from Act. 18. 5. and 1 Thes. 3. 1. where Paul affirms that when he had dismissed Timotheus he was left alone at Athens, and therefore had not these his two Collegues with him there, and consequently could not write this Epistle in their names from thence. Besides, as the learned observe, in several ancient copies there is no mention made of the place from whence it was written. Hence Learn, That the postscript of Pauls Epistles, or those words which are set after the close of his Epistles, designing alwayes the whence they were written, and sometimes the person or persons by whom they were sent, are no part of Canonical Scripture, not alwayes firm, nor written by the Apostle himself, but added afterwards by some men, either unlearned or certainly inconsiderate, according to their own opinion. And therefore though the Postscripts affixed to the former four Epistles had nothing, for what can be known, dissonant from truth as this hath, yet I did not dare to draw any observations from them, as if they had been of equal authority with the Epistles themselves.
FINIS.