2 Thessalonians 3

Chap. Ill. Ver. 1—18. Paul entreats the prayers of the own labour, “ things honest in the sight of all men,” became usy-bodies, and went about talking from house to house, whereby they might justly acquire he character of religious gossips: these he severely reproves, pronouncing on them this emphatic sentence,—‘ that. if any would not work, neither should he eat;’’ and referring to the example of himself and brethren, who had worked night and day, when necessary, rather than eat the bread of idleness: and even as to those whose circumstances did not require them to live by daily labour, there was so great a call in the church for active and benevolent exertion, that it was criminal to be idle: and though they had long been thus employed, they were still to persevere, and not to be “ weary in well-doing.”

Paul would not, however, recommend any measrres unnecessarily severe: he would not treat even a disor¢erly brother as an enemy, but admonish, and endeavour to restore him. And “may the Lord of peace himself, (says he,) give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you ait?

Notes on the verses

Ver. 9. Whose coming is after the working.—Doddridge, ‘ energy.” —— Signs and lying wonders.—Macknight, “ Miracles of falsehood;” i. e. according to the Hebrew idiom, false miracles, for which the church of Rome sent tine. has beak famous, from the commencement of her apostacy down to the pre- Ver. 11. Strong delusion—Doddridge, ‘‘ The energ: should believe a lie.—Doddridge, ‘ su that they shall ‘ ly, which themselves have taught. Ver. 12. That they all might be damned.—Doddridge and Macknight, “ Condemned.” 1324 of deceit” —that they elieve the lie;’’ name- Ver. 13. Chosen you to salvation.—Compare (Ephesians 1:4). " Ver. 15. Hold the traditions.—Doddridge, ‘ Retain the instructions. the apostle’s writings, traditions are those doctrines and precepts which sons divinely inspired taught,….

whether by word of mouth, or by writing, as in (2 Thessalonians 3:6)."—Macknight. Compare note on (1 Corinthians 11:2). Chap. Ill. Ver. 1. May have free course, and be glorified.—John Rawards thinks this is another allusion to the Olympic races, in which the runner who gained the prize was said to be glorified; i. e. highly applauded. So the apostle desires that the gospel might ruv its uninterrupted course, with proat Ver. 3. From evil.—Doddridge, “ The evil one.” See note on (Matthew 6:13). Ver. 17. The salutation of Paul.— Paul commonly employed one to write, or at least to make a fair copy of his letters, especially if they were of {BesiDEs those marks of genuineness and authority which this Epistle possesses in common with the others, it bears the highest evidence of its divine inspiration, in the representation which it contains of the papal power, under the characters of the ‘ Man of sin,”

and the ‘‘ Mystery of iniquity.” ‘The true Chnistian worship is, the worship of the one only God, through the one only Mediator, the man Christ Jesus; and from this worship the church of Rome has most notoriously departed, by substituting other mediators, invocating and adoring eaints and angels, worshipping images, adoring the host, &c. It follows, therefore, that ‘* the man of sin” is the Pope; not only on account of the disgraceful lives of many of them, but by means of their scandalous doctrines and principles; dispensing with the most necessary duties, sellling pardons and indulgences for the most abominable crimes, and_perverting the worship of God to the grossest superstition and idolatry.

He also, like the false apostle Judas, is “the son of perdition;” whether actively, as being the cause of destruction to others, or passively, as being devoted to destruction himself. ‘* He opposeth:” he is the great adversary of God and man; persecuting and destroying, by crusades, inquisitions, and massacres, those Christians who prefer the word of God to the authority of men. “ He exalteth himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped;” not only above inferior magistrates, but also above bishops and primates, kings and emperors; nay, not only above kings and emperors, but also above Christ, and God himself; [TimotHy, to whom this Epistle is addressed, was a native of Lystra, a city of Lycaonia, in Asia Minor.

His father was Gentile, but his mother Eunice, and his penemether Lois, were Jewesses, by whom he was brought up in the fear of God, and early instructed in the knowledge or the Holy Seriptures. ((Acts 16:1). (2 Timothy 3:15).) It is probable that he was converted to the Christian faith during the first visit made by Paul and Barnabas to Lystra, ((Acts 14);) and when the Apostle came from Antioch in Syria to Lystra the second time, he found him a member of the church, and so ogee respected and warmly recommended by the church in that place, that he chose him to be the companion of his travels, having previously circumcised him, ((Acts 16:1-3),) and solemnly ordained him by imposition of hands, ((1 Timothy 4:14). (2 Timothy 1:6),) though at that time he was peheles not more than twenty years of age, ‘(1 Timothy 4:12).) Being thus prepared to be the Apostle’s fellow-labourer in the calling to be an apostle, 20 and of Hymeneus and Alexander, PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ *by the |» cot. Chap. I. Ver. 1—20. Cxap, [, Ver. 1. Which is—Rather, “ whois;” namely, Christ. Ver. 2. My oon son.—Doddridge, My genuine son—in the faith —Macknight understands it of his having been converted by Paul’s ministry. any length,” and to prevent forgery, ‘‘ wrote the salutation in all his letter with his own hand.” —Macknight, in loc. See (1 Corinthians 16:21). (Colossians 4:18) (2 Thessalonians 2:2), above. “ making even the word of God of none effect by his traditions;”’ forbiddin what God has commanded, as marriage, the use of the Seriptures, &c.; an ogeerg tea or allowing, what God has forbidden, as idolatry, persecution &e.

‘So that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself tha he is God.’ His “ sitting in the temple of God,”’ implies plamly his having a seat in the Christian church: and he sitteth there ‘as God,”’ especially at his inauguration, when he sits upon the high altar in St. Peter’s church, and makes the table of the Lord his footstool, and in that position receives adoration. Atall times he exercises divine authority in the church; ** showing himself that he is God;”’ affecting divine titles, and asserting that his decrees are of the same, or greater authority, than the word of God. The foundation of popery wag laid in the Apostles’ days; but several ages passed before the building was completed, and ‘‘the man of sin revealed,”

in full perfection; when that ‘‘ which hindered,” the Roman empire, was dissolved. ‘‘ His coming is after the energy of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders,” &c.; and does it require * particular proof, that the pretensions of the Pope, and the corruptions of the church of Rome, are all supported and authorized by feigned visions and miracles, by pious frauds, and 1mpositions of every kind? But, how much soever ‘‘ the man of sin” may be exalted, and how lorg soever he may reign, yet, at last, “ the Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his mouth, and shal] destroy him with the brightness of his coming.” ]—Bagster. gospel, he accompanied him and Silas in their various journeys, assisting him in preaching the gospel, and in conveying instructions tothe churches.

((Acts 16:10-11), &c.; xvii. 13, 14; xviii. 5; xix. 22; xx. 4.) An ecclesiastical tradition states that he suffered martyrdom at Ephesus, being slain with stones and clubs, A. D. 97, while preaching against idolatry in the vicinity of the temple of Diana; and his supposed relics were transported to Constantinople with great pomp, A. D. 356, in the reign of Constantius. 7 It is evident that this Epistle was written by the Apostle when on a journey from Ephesus to Macedonia, having left gees at Ephesus, in care of the church, (ch. i. 3.) This is supposed by many, both ancients and moderns. to have been when St. Paul quitted Ephesus on account of the disturbance raised by Demetrius, and went into Macedonia, ((Acts 20)

1,) about A. D. 56, 57, or 58.)—Bagster. 3 AsI besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, a Ac.9.15. when I went f into Macedonia, that thou mightto Christian churches; these to Ver. 4. Neither give heed to fables.—Both Jews and Gentiles abounded with fabulous tales connected oth their several superstitions. ——And endless gencalogies.—Most commentators refer these 4 ae family genealogies