Thomas Aquinas, on 1Thess 2:2

“But having suffered many things before, and been shamefully treated (as you know) at Philippi, we had confidence in our God, to speak unto you the gospel of God in much carefulness.”

“But we had already suffered bodily trials: "Good sense makes a man slow to anger" (Prov. 19:11): "Vigorous and sturdy shall they be, declaring how just is the Lord" (Ps. 92:15). In addition to this, Paul suffered spiritual trials because of injuries in Philippi, where he endured insults because of the cure of the possessed woman. This city was in Macedonia. In spite of all this his confidence in his preaching was not diminished: "God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid" (Is. 12:2); rather it proved itself in preaching to you the gospel of God in the face of great opposition for your conversion: "He who presides, gives aid with zeal, with carefulness" (Rom. 12:8). "And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches" (2 Cor. 11:28).”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.