1 Thessalonians v. 1, 2
“But concerning the times
and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto
you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh
as a thief in the night.”
, as it seems, is so curious, and so fondly prone to pry into
things obscure and concealed, as the nature of men. And this is wont to
happen to it, when the mind is unsettled and in an imperfect state. For
the simpler sort of children never cease teasing their nurses, and
tutors, and parents, with their frequent questions, in which there is
nothing else but “when will this be?” and “when
that?” And this comes to pass also from living in indulgence, and
having nothing to do. Many things therefore our mind is in haste to
learn already and to comprehend, but especially concerning the period
of the consummation; and what wonder if we are thus affected, for those
holy men, themselves, were most of all affected in the same way? And
before the Passion, the Apostles come and say to Christ, “Tell
us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of Thy
coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matt. xxiv. 23.) And after the Passion and the Resurrection from the dead, they said to Him, Tell us, “dost Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (From Acts i. 6.) And they asked Him nothing sooner than this.
But it was not so afterwards, when they had been vouchsafed the Holy Ghost. Not only do they not themselves inquire, nor complain of this ignorance, but they repress those who labor under this unseasonable curiosity. Hear for instance what the blessed Paul now says, “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you.” Why has he not said that no one knows? why has he not said, that it is not revealed, instead of saying, “Ye have no need that aught be written unto you”? Because in that case he would have grieved them more, but by speaking thus he comforted them. For by the expression, “Ye have no need,” as if it were both superfluous, and inexpedient, he suffers them not to enquire.
For tell me, what would be the
advantage? Let us suppose that the end would be after twenty or thirty
or a hundred years, what is this to us? Is not the end of his own life
the consummation to every individual? Why art thou curious, and
travailest about the general end? But the case is the same with us in
this, as in other things. For as in other things, leaving our own
private concerns, we are anxious about things in general, saying, Such
an one is a fornicator, such an one an adulterer, that man has robbed, another has been injurious; but no one takes account of what is his own, but each thinks of anything rather than his own private concerns; so here also, each omitting to take thought about his own end, we are anxious to hear about the general dissolution. Now what concern is that of yours? for if you make your own a good end, you will suffer no harm from the other; be it far off, or be it near. This is nothing to us.
For this reason Christ did not
tell it, because it was not expedient. How, you say, was it not
expedient? He who also concealed it knows wherefore it was not
expedient. For hear Him saying to His Apostles, “It is not for
you to know times, or seasons, which the Father hath set within His own
authority.” (Acts i. 7.) Why are you
curious? Peter, the chief of the Apostles, and his fellows, heard this
said, as if they were seeking things too great for them to know. True, you say; but it were possible to stop the mouths of the Greeks in this way. How? tell me. Because they say, that this world is a god; if we knew the period of its dissolution, we should have stopped their mouths. Why, is this what will stop their mouths, to know when it will be destroyed, or to know that it will be destroyed? Tell them this, that it will have an end. If they do not believe this, neither will they believe the other.
