2 Thessalonians 2
DOYLY2 Thessalonians 2:3
- — who shall stablish you.] See 1 Thess. v. 24, and the note there.
2 Thessalonians 2:8
8.—whom the Lord shall consume &c.] The Apostle does not mean that ’the man of sin’ should be consumed immediately after he was “revealed;” but to comfort the Thessalonians, no sooner does he mention the revelation of “that wicked one,” than he foretells also his destruction, even before he describes his other qualifications; which should have been described first in order of time, but that the Apostle hastened to what was first and warmest in his thoughts and wishes. Bp. Newton.
—shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:] If these two clauses relate to one and the same event, it is a figure of speech very usual in the sacred as in all Oriental writings. If they relate to two different events, the meaning manifestly is, that the Lord Jesus shall gradually consume him with the free preaching of his Gospel, and shall utterly destroy him at His second coming in the glory of His Father. The former began to take effect at the Reformation, and the latter will be accomplished in God’s appointed time. ‘The man of sin’ is now upon the decline, and he will be totally
2 Thessalonians 2:9
9.—whose coming is after the working of Satan &c.] The Apostle was eager to foretell the destruction of the man of sin: for this purpose, having broken in upon his subject, he now returns to it again, and describes the other qualifications, by which this wicked one should advance and establish himself in the world. He should rise to credit and authority by the most diabolical methods, should pretend to supernatural powers, and boast of revelations, visions, and miracles, false in themselves, and applied to promote false doctrines: “whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders.” He should likewise practise all other wicked arts of deceit; should be guilty of the most impious frauds and impositions upon mankind; but should prevail only among those, who are destitute of a sincere affection for the truth, whereby they might obtain eternal salvation, ver. 10. It does not require any particular proof, for it is too generally known, that the pretensions of the pope and the corruptions of the church of Rome are all supported and authorised by feigned visions and miracles, by frauds and impostures of every kind. Bellarmin reckons the glory of miracles as the eleventh note of the catholic church, but the Apostle assigns lying miracles as a distinguishing mark and character of ’the man of sin.’ And certainly they can hardly “receive the love of the truth,” but must have “pleasure in unrighteousness,” who can believe such fabulous and ridiculous legends, who hold it a mortal sin but to doubt of any article of their religion, who deny the free exercise of private judgment, who take away the free use of the holy Scriptures, and so “shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, neither going in themselves, neither suffering them that are entering to go in.” Bp. Newton.
2 Thessalonians 2:11
- And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion.] And for this wilful refusal of God’s truth, it shall be just with Him to give them over unto strong delusions. Bp. Hall. “God shall send strong delusion,” as He sent a lying spirit into the mouths of Ahab’s prophets, 1 Kings xxi. 22, 23, by permitting the evil spirit to go forth for that end; or as He is said to “deceive His people,” Jer. iv. 10, because He suffered them to be deceived by false prophets; and as He deceived the false prophets, by giving them up unto a spirit of delusion, Esck. xiv. 9. This must be the true interpretation of all such passages as these. Dr. Whitby.
The tyrannical power, described by Daniel in the chapters already quoted, and by St. Paul in this passage, and afterwards by St. John, is both by ancients and moderns generally denominated “Antichrist.” The Fathers speak of “Antichrist” and of ’the man
Paul exhorteth them to stand fast. II. THESSALONIANS. He craveth their prayers.
Anno DOMINI 1st. 13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2 Thessalonians 2:13
- — God hath from the beginning chosen you &c.] See the notes on 1 Thess. i. 4.
2 Thessalonians 2:15
- — hold the traditions] Namely, the doctrines and precepts, which the Apostles and other inspired teachers delivered to the world as revelations from God. No doctrines merit the name of “traditions” in the Scripture sense of the word, but such as were taught by the Apostles of Christ, or by other spiritual men, who
received them by immediate revelation from Him. And though the inspired teachers, to whom these doctrines were revealed, communicated them to the world first of all by word of mouth, they cannot now be known to be theirs, but by their holding a place in those writings, which are allowed to be the genuine productions of these inspired teachers. The traditions therefore, on which the church of Rome lays so great a stress, are of no manner of value. Dr. Macknight.
2 Thessalonians 2:16
16, 17. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, — Comfort your hearts, &c.] That is, I pray the Lord Jesus Christ to do so. In the same manner, speaking of his thorn in the flesh, he says, “I besought the Lord,” &c. namely, Christ. St. Paul’s usual form of benediction was by invocation of the name of Christ; “Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.” Sometimes the name of Christ stands in the first order, as in the passage before us, and in 2 Cor. xiii. 14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,” &c. Bp. Horne. For “comforting the heart” nothing can do but God: and therefore we ought not to pray to any but God to “comfort our hearts:” our Lord Jesus Christ therefore is God. Leslie.
Chap. III. St. Paul desires the Thessalonians to pray for his deliverance from the malice of the Jews, as he had prayed for them: renews his prayer for their constancy and patience: exhorts them by his own example to practise industry in their worldly employments, and to avoid idleness; not to suffer any Christians to live a lazy life; but to censure those who did so, and avoid their conversation, in order to reclaim them. The salutation and conclusion. Pyle.
Ver. 2. — for all men have not faith.] Forasmuch as they hinder or deprive themselves of the same by their wickedness, ill practices, obstinate prejudices, and the like. Dr. Wells. Here saith Theodore, ‘It is of God to call us, but of men to obey the call.’ Whence Christ saith, “If any man will come after Me,” for He compels no man.’ Dr. Whitby.