2 Thessalonians 1
ICCNT2 Thessalonians 1:1-99
ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE
I. (1:1-2)
1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the assembly of Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1-2. The superscription differs from that of I 1:1 (q. v.) in adding after πατρι the ἡμῶ , thus expressing the sense of common fellowship in the Father (cf. I 1:3); and in adding after εἰρήν the clause with ἀπο which makes explicit the source of the divine favour and spiritual prosperity, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The clause with ἀπο appears in all Pauline superscriptions except I; Colossians 1:1, however, omits καὶκυρίουἸ .Χ Usually ἡμῶ (א A, et al., omit) is found after πατρό (BD, et al., here; א A, et al., in Galatians 1:3), except in Galatians 1:3 (BD, et al.) where it is put after κυρίο On the inscription πρὸςθες B (א BA, et al.), see on I 1:1.
II. AND PRAYER (1:3-12)
Word has come to Paul, probably by letter, informing him of the increased discouragement of the faint-hearted (1:3-2:17) and the continued troublesomeness of the idlers (3:6-15). Cast down by the persistent persecution, worried by the assertion of some that the day of the Lord is present, and anxious lest they might not be deemed worthy of entrance into the kingdom, the faint-hearted had given utterance to their despair by saying that they were not entitled to the praise of their faith and love, and especially of their endurance which Paul had generously given in his first epistle. To these utterances, reflected in the letter from Thessalonica, Paul replies at once in the Thanksgiving (vv. 3-10) and Prayer (vv. 11-12) by insisting that he ought to thank God for them, as is most proper under the circumstances because their growth in faith and brotherly love is steady (v. 3). In fact, contrary to their expectations, he is boasting everywhere of their endurance and faith in the midst of persecution (v. 4). They need not worry about their future salvation, for their constant endurance springing from faith is positive proof that God the righteous Judge will, in keeping with his purpose, deem them worthy of entrance into the kingdom on behalf of which they as well as Paul are suffering (v. 5). It will not always be well with their persecutors, for God, since he is righteous in judgment, will recompense them with affliction as he will recompense the converts with relief from the same, a relief which Paul also will share (vv. 6-7a).
God will do so at the Great Assize (vv. 7b-10) when the wicked, those, namely, who do not reverence God and do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus, will receive as their punishment separation forever from Christ, on the very day when the righteous in general, and, with an eye to the faint-hearted, all who became believers will be the ground of honour and admiration accorded to Christ by the retinue of angels. In order to reach this glorious consummation, however, the converts must be blameless in goodness and love; hence Paul prays as the converts were praying not only that God may deem them worthy of his call, that is, acquit them at the last day, but also, to insure this acquittal, that he may perfect them morally; in order that finally the name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified in virtue of what they are, and that they may be glorified in virtue of what the name of our Lord Jesus has accomplished. This glorification is in accordance with the divine favour of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
That the purpose of 1:3-2:17 is the encouragement of the faint-hearted is evident from the emphasis put on the certainty of the readers’ salvation (1:5-12, 2:13-17), and from the express statement, purposely added after the destruction of the Anomos, that the advent of the Anomos is intended not for believers, but for unbelievers who have doomed themselves (2:8-12). That Paul is replying to a letter from Thessalonica is a hypothesis (not excluded by ἀκούομε 3:11) which admirably accounts for the emphasis on ὀφείλομε (v. 3, 2:13), καθὼςἄξιο (v. 3), αὐτοὺςἡμᾶ (v. 4) and και in εἰςὃκαι (v. 11), and for the exegetical difficulties in 3:1-5. See Bacon, Introd. 72.
3We ought, brothers, to thank God always for you, as it is proper, because your faith is growing exceedingly and the love for one another of each one of you all is increasing, 4so that we ourselves are boasting of you in the assemblies of God, of your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and afflictions which you bear— 5proof positive of the righteous judgment of God that you should be deemed worthy of the kingdom of God for which you too as well as we are suffering;— righteous judgment of God, we say, 6if indeed (as it certainly is) righteous in God’ s sight to recompense affliction to those who afflict you; 7and to you who are afflicted, relief with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with his angels of power, 8in fire of flame, rendering vengeance to those who know not God and to those who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: 9who shall be punished with eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 10when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and admired in all those who became believers (for our testimony to you was believed) in that day. 11To which end we too, as well as you, pray always for you that our God may deem you worthy of the calling and may fulfil every resolve after goodness and work of faith in power; 12in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in it, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- εὐχαριστεῖνὀφείλομενκτλ . “ We ought, as is manifestly fitting, proper, worth while, in spite of your remonstrances, to thank God always for your growing faith and brotherly love.” To account for the emphasis on ὀφείλομε , a word only here and 2:13 in Paul’ s thanksgivings, and on καθὼςἄξιο which resumes it, it may be assumed that Paul is replying to the utterances of the faint-hearted, communicated to him in a letter from Thessalonica, to the effect that they did not consider themselves worthy of the kingdom or entitled to the praise accorded them in the first epistle.
Since καθώ in Paul is slightly causal (Bl 78:1), it cannot indicate the degree (Th. Mops.) or the manner (Wohl. who refers to 1 Corinthians 8:2) of εὐχαριστεῖν but must resume and explain ὀφείλομε (Born Dob.). If ὀφείλομε stood alone, it might be interpreted as a general expression of personal obligation (Romans 15:1) in view of the progress of the readers, or as a liturgical formula εὐχαριστεῖ ). Similarly if we had had εὐχαριστοῦμε and καθὼςἄξιόνἐστιν the latter clause might have expressed what was proper in view of the growth of the converts or have been purely liturgical . The resumption, however, of ὀφείλομενινκαθώςκτλ reveals not liturgical tautology (Jowett) but an emphasis due to special circumstances.— That Paul is no slave of epistolary form is evident from the present thanksgiving. Here as in 1 Corinthians 1:4, Colossians 1:3, the πάντω of the common πάντοτεπερὶπάντωνὑμῶ (I 1:2) is omitted; the prayer which is usually associated with the thanksgiving (I 1:2) is omitted here as in 1 Corinthians 1:4; here as in Romans 1:8 he passes directly from εὐχαρ . τοὅτ , while the prayer comes in Romans 1:10 and here in v. 11.
In Philippians 1:3, Colossians 1:3, the thanksgiving and prayer are closely united as in I 1:2, but a further προσεύχεσθα is added in Philippians 1:9, Colossians 1:9 as in v. 11 below. The address ἀδελφοι usually comes later (I 1:4, Galatians 1:11, etc.: it does not appear at all in Col. Eph.); its place here at the start betrays at once Paul’ s affection for his converts.— ἄξιο is rare in Paul, but common elsewhere in Gk. Bib.; on ἄξιο cf. 1 Corinthians 16:4, 1 Corinthians 16:4 Mac. 17:8. Th. Mops. takes it as = δίκαιο (Philippians 1:7); its presence here prepares the way for καταξιωθῆνα (v. 5) and ἀξιώσῃ (v. 11).
ὅτιὑπεραυξάνεικτλ . With causal ὅτ dependent on εὐχαριστεῖ (I 1:1, 2:13), he gives the reason for the thanksgiving, namely, the very abundant growth of the tree of religious life , and the abundance of the fruit of the same (cf. Philippians 4:17, Colossians 1:6, Colossians 1:10) in their ethical life as manifested in the brotherhood (ἡἀγάπ (sc. η and cf. I 3:12) εἰςἀλλήλου , or φιλαδελφί ).
This thanksgiving differs from that in I where “ work of faith,” “ labour of love,” and “ endurance of hope” are mentioned, and also from I 3:6 where faith and love are referred to. In thus singling out brotherly love, Paul expresses his appreciation of the fact that love to brothers (I 4:9) is abounding as he exhorted (I 4:10) and prayed (I 3:12) in his first letter. But in order to make plain that he includes in his praise each and every one of them, even the idlers who are troublesome (3:6-15), he adds to ἡἀγάπηεἰςἀλλήλου not only the individualising ἑνὸςἑκάστουὑμῶ (I 2:11) but also πάντω , which precludes any exception.
ὑπεραυξάνει , only here in Gk. Bib., is classic. Paul is fond of compounds with ὑπέ (see I 3:10); if he does not find them he coins them. On the simple αὐξάνει , see 2 Corinthians 10:15; on πλεονάζει , here as usual intransitive, see I 3:12; on ἡπίστιςὑμῶ , see I 1:8, 3:2 ff. αὐξάνει and πλεονάζει , only here in Gk. Bib., are in synonymous parallelism; cf. πλεονάζει and περισσεύει in I 3:12 cf. 2 Corinthians 4:15). Olshausen (apud Lü n.) takes ὑπεραυξάνε as indicating that the converts were guilty of extravagance in their religious zeal, thus introducing a thought like that of Ps.
Sol. 5:19 (cf. 5:6) ἐὰνὑπερπλεονάσῃἐξαμαρτάνε Schrader and Pelt suggest that I 3:12 is in mind, and that the omission of καὶεἰςπάντα shows that the converts do not love the Gentiles. Schmiedel and Holtzmann, on the assumption that II is a forgery, find here a literary reminiscence of I 2:11 and 3:12. Wrede (85) is less certain, but thinks that πάντω might easily come from I 1:2 (so Schmiedel).— The emphasis on the progress of faith (ὑπεραυξάνε , not αὐξάνε , as Chrys. notes) is evidence that II is written after, not before (Grot. Ewald), I.
- ὥστεαὐτοὺςἡμᾶςκτλ The consequence of their progress in faith and brotherly love is that Paul and his associates can and do boast of them everywhere. We have, however, not ἡμᾶ alone but αὐτοὺςἡμᾶ ; a contrast is intended. In I 4:9, αὐτοὶὑμεῖ finds its antithesis in ἡμᾶ supplied from the subject of γράφει ; here no antithesis to αὐτοὺςἡμᾶ is distinctly stated, though ἐνὑμῖ , the emphatically placed object of καυχᾶσθα , suggests the Thessalonians. Precisely what prompts the expression is uncertain; probably Paul has in mind the utterances of the faint-hearted to the effect that their faith and love, and especially their endurance (which, as ὑπέρκτλ shows, is the main theme of Paul’ s exultation) were not worthy of the praise bestowed by the Apostle in I. To these remonstrances he replies: “ So that we ourselves, contrary to your expectations, are boasting.”
Had Paul written not αὐτοὺςἡμᾶ but καὶἡμᾶ , the point would have been that the converts as well as Paul found the Thess. an object of boasting; or that Paul as well as others in general or in particular the αὐτοι of I 1:9 found the Thess. an object of boasting. But αὐτοὺςἡμᾶ indicates not a reciprocal relation but a contrast. Bacon (Introd. 74) interprets differently: “ The Thess. had written that they boasted of the apostles against the slanderers; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:14.” In this “ significant and inimitable ὥστεαὐτοὺςἡμᾶ ” κτλ (Bacon), Wrede (cf. Schmiedel) finds an assertion of apostolic dignity , and also a literary reminiscence of I 1:8-9 ὥστ … ἡμᾶ … αὐτοι — In αὐτοὺςἡμᾶ (Bא , et al.; cf. αὐτὸςἐγω Romans 7:25, Romans 7:9:3, Romans 7:15:14, 2 Corinthians 10:1, 2 Corinthians 12:13), αὐτού gets the emphasis; in ἡμᾶςαὐτού (ADGFKL, et al.; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:13, 1 Corinthians 7:35, 1 Corinthians 11:13, Romans 16:2) ἡμᾶ
ἐνὑμῖν . ἐνκαυχᾶσθαικτλ The two clauses with ἐ specify respectively the object and the place of boasting. By putting the contrasted persons ἡμᾶ and ἐνύμῖ side by side, and by choosing ἐνκαυχᾶσθα instead of καυχᾶσθα , he intensifies the point . The place is described, as in 1 Corinthians 11:16, without geographical limitations, as “ the churches of God” (I 2:14). To insist that every church founded up to this time has heard Paul boast, orally or in writing, of the Thessalonians, or to restrict the reference to the churches of God in Corinth and its vicinity (or more exactly to the church of God in Corinth and the brethren round about), is to forget the enthusiasm of Paul and the compliment which he is paying to his readers (cf. ἐνπαντὶτόπῳ I 1:8).
On this interpretation, see Dob. For ἐνκαυχᾶσθα (Bא A; ἐγκαυχᾶσθα P), DEKL, et al., have καυχᾶσθα , and GF καυχήσασθα The compound is rare in Gk. Bib. (Psalms 51:3, 73:4, 96:7, 105:47; cf. Psalms 100:1 Clem. 21:5); it is always construed with ἐ of the object. Of the mainly Pauline words καυχᾶσθαι , κατακαυχᾶσθαι , καύχημ and καύχησι (I 2:19), καυχᾶσθα is in Gk. Bib. usually construed with ἐ , rarely with ἐπι (Psalms 5:12, Psalms 48:7, Sir. 30:2, Proverbs 25:14); cf. Romans 5:2 with 5:3. Here, as in Galatians 6:13, the clause with ἐ precedes the verb. Polycarp 11:3 has our verse in mind when he writes de vobis etenim gloriatur in omnibus ecclesiis; cf. 11:4 et non sicut inimzicos tales existimetis with 3:15 of our letter.
ὑπὲρτῆςὑπομονῆςκτλ The clause with ὑπέ resumes ἐνὑηῖ , and specifies the qualities about which he boasted, namely, their endurance and faith manifested in persecutions. Though faith and persecution are inseparable, as the omission of the article before πίστεω reveals, the ethical takes precedence of the religious from which it springs and of which it is the fruit and evidence (Calvin). The selection not of faith and brotherly love (v. 3) but of faith and endurance, and the position of ὑπομονη before πίστι (cf. Philemon 1:5) are probably due to the utterances of the faint-hearted who had remonstrated against Paul’ s praise of their endurance and faith (I 1:3) in his first epistle.
Here ὑπέ (contrast 2 Corinthians 7:14, 2 Corinthians 9:2, 2 Corinthians 12:15) is equivalent to περι (2 Corinthians 10:8; see below 2:1 and cf. I 5:10). In view of the context and of the usage elsewhere in I, II, πίστι is “ faith” not “ faithfulness” (Bengel, Lü n., Born; cf. Galatians 5:22). Unnecessary is the assumption of a hendiadys whether fidei vestrae firmitatem (Th. Mops.) or ὑπομονὴἐνπίστε (Grot.).
ἐνπᾶσιντοῖςδιωγμοῖςκτλ The fourth prepositional phrase in this verse (cf. I 3:7-8 for a similar heaping up of prepositions), namely, ἐνπᾶσι … ἀνέχεσθ , states the circumstances in which (I 3:3) their endurance and faith were manifested: “ in all your persecutions and afflictions that you are bearing.” The ὑμῶ binds together the virtually synonymous διωγμοῖ and θλίψεσι ; and the αἷ , which refers to both nouns, agrees in ender with the nearer. The πᾶσι intimates that the persecutions have been repeated (“ not in one but in all,” Ephr.); and the ἀνέχεσθ , that they are still going on; while the emphasis on both πᾶσι and ἀνέχεσθ serves to convey rare praise for the unexceptional constancy of their endurance and faith.
The construction assumed above is on the whole the simplest. Some commentators (e. g. Lü n.), forgetting that the presence of ταῖ (which DGFP omit) does not prevent ὑμῶ from uniting the synonymous words , attach πᾶσι to διωγμοῖ alone (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:7), making αἶςἀνέχεσθ parallel to ὑμῶ (cf. Philemon 1:5, and Colossians 1:4 τὴνπίστινὑμῶνκαὶτὴνἀγάπηνἤνἔχετ , where faith and love are not synonymous): “ in all the persecutions you have and the afflictions which you are bearing.” On the other hand, Dob., who takes ἕνδειγμ as a predicate noun after αἶςἁνέχεσθ , breaks the rhythm by putting a comma after θλίψεσι , and is also led to understand ἀνέχεσθ of the necessity of enduring: “ which you have to endure as a proof,” etc. In the Gk.
Bib., διωγμό means usually not “ pursuit” (2 Mac. 12:23) but “ persecution” (Lamentations 3:19, Mark 4:17, Matthew 13:21, Romans 8:35, 2 Corinthians 12:10). On the meaning of θλίψι , see I 1:6.
The persecutions which marked the beginnings of Christianity in Thessalonica (I 1:6, 2:14) and which were going on when Paul wrote I (3:3; cf. 2:14 ff.) still continue, as the presents ἀνέχεσθ and πάσχετ show.— Since ἀνέχεσθα in Gk. Bib., when not used absolutely, is construed not with dat. but either with gen. (Genesis 45:1, Isaiah 46:4, 63:15, Isaiah 46:2 Mac. 9:12 and N. T.) or with accus. (Job 6:26 (where A has gen.) Isaiah 1:13, Isaiah 1:3 Mac. 1:22, Malachi 1:4 Mac. 13:27), αἶ is probably not directly governed by ἀνέχεσθ (Fritzsche, who notes Eurip. Androm. 981, Lft., Mill.) but is an attraction for ὦ , or less likely for ἄ Cod. B gets rid of the difficulty of the unusual attraction by reading ἐνέχεσθ , a rare word in Gk. Bib. (with dat.
Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:3 Mac. 6:10; with ἐ and dat. Ezekiel 14:4, Ezekiel 14:7).
But not even Weiss (35) accepts the reading of B. On the change of ἀ — and ἐ — , see Galatians 5:1 where D and a few minuscules read ἀνέχεσθ With our passage, compare 1 Corinthians 4:12 διωκόμενοιἀνεχόμεθ The ἐ which K reads before αἷ comes from the preceding— σι (Zim).
- ἔνδειγμακτλ The faint-hearted need not worry about their future salvation, for the fact of their unexceptional endurance and faith in all their persecutions is itself a “ token,” “ guarantee,” “ positive evidence” of the righteous judgment of God (Romans 2:5), already in purpose and soon to be declared, that they be deemed worthy of the kingdom of God, for which they, and Paul too, are continually suffering. The εἰςτὸκαταξιωθῆνα expresses the purpose of δικαίαςκρίσεω
Since the object of boasting specified in v. 4 is not suffering, but the constancy of their endurance and faith in the midst of persecution, ἕνδειγμ is to be taken not with the idea of suffering alone, whether with ἀνέχεσθ or with ἐνπᾶσι … ἀνέχεσθ (Calv. et al.), but with the idea of endurance and faith in spite of persecutions, that is, with ὑπὲ … ἀνέχεσθ (De W., Lü n., Lillie, Ell., Lft., Mill., and others). ἔνδειγμ is probably an accus. in direct apposition with the preceding (cf. Romans 8:3, Romans 12:1); but it may be a nominative, in which case ὅἑστι is to be supplied on the analogy of Php 1:28. Ephr. and some minuscules read ἐνδείγματ ; Theophylact and Codex 442 have εἰςἔνδειγμ (cf. Romans 3:25); so similarly g, Vulg Ambst Syr. Arm have in exemplum. The distinction between the passive ἕνδειγμ (only here in Gk.
Bib., but classic; cf. Plato, Critias, 110 C) and the active ἔνδειξι (in Gk.
Bib. confined to Paul; Romans 3:25 f. 2 Corinthians 8:24, Philippians 1:28) is negligible; the meaning is demonstrationem (Th. Mops.), ostentamen (Tert. apud Swete). That εἰςτόκτλ is to be connected not with ἀνέχεσθ (Bengel) leaving ἔνδειγμ … θεου as a parenthesis, or with ἔνδειγμ … θεου (Schott), or with ἔνδειγμ (Wohl.), but with δικαίαςκρίσεω is usually admitted (De W., Lü n., Lft., Vincent, Dob., et al.). But εἰςτο , since the telic sense is not always evident in Paul (see I 2:12), might denote either the content of the judgment , or the “ object to which it tended” (Ell.; Lillie), or the result conceived or actual (Lü n.). In Paul, εἰςτο is most frequently of purpose (BMT 409); and this is the probable meaning here (so among others De W. Alford, Ewald, Dob.). καταξιό , only here in Paul (but frequent in Ignatius), means either “ beseech” (2 Mac. 13:12) or, as elsewhere in Gk.
Bib., “ deem worthy” (Luke 20:35, Acts 5:41, Acts 5:4 Mac. 18:3). It intensifies the simple άξιό (a word used by Paul only in v. 11, but found elsewhere in the N.
T. and frequently in Lxx). In the N. T. καταξιό and ἀξιό (except. Acts 15:38, Acts 28:22 where the meaning is “ beseech,” “ command,” as regularly in the Lxx) are to be rendered not “ make worthy,” but “ deem worthy” (cf. SH 30 ff.). Dalman (Worte Jesu, I, 97) observes that “ to be worthy of the future æ on” is a common rabbinical expression. On βασιλεί , see I 2:12.
ὑπὲρἦςκαὶπάσχετ . “ For which you too (as well as we, that is, the writers) are suffering.” The present tense designates the sufferings as going on; ὑπὲρἦ makes plain that the motive or goal of suffering is none other than the future kingdom of God; και implies a fellowship in present sufferings of readers (at home) and writers (in Corinth), and prepares the way for the significant ἄνεσινμεθ ʼ ὑμῶ (v. 7).
It is probable that και here and μεθ ʼ ἡμῶ (v. 7) are due to Paul’ s experiences in Corinth (cf. 3:2); on και , cf. I 2:13, 3:5, 5:25, 2 Corinthians 1:6. Most commentators, however, interpret και (which F omits) as implying a correspondence not between Paul and his readers in reference to suffering, but between present suffering and future glory; so, for example, Lft., who compares 2 Timothy 2:12, and Ell. who notes Romans 8:17, Acts 14:22 and says: “ και with a species of consecutive force supplies a renewed hint of the connection between suffering and the καταξιωθῆναικτλ ” (cf. also Wohl., Dob. and others). In the phrase πάσχεινὑπέ (Philippians 1:29, 1 Peter 2:21, Acts 9:16), ὑπέ may indicate advantage (Lft.), “ object for which” (Ell.), the motive or goal (“ to gain which” ; Lü n. Schmiedel, Dob.); but it is probably equivalent to περι (cf. v. 4, 2:1; also πάσχεινπερι 1 Peter 3:18 B and 2:21 A). On the thought of v. 5, cf. especially Philippians 1:28-30.
6-7a. εἴπερδίκαιονκτλ . The “ righteous judgment of God” (v. 5) is not only positive, the salvation of the readers (v. 5), but also positive and negative, in keeping with the principle of recompense sharply stated as the ius talionis, namely, θλίψι for your persecutors and ἄνεσι for you who are persecuted (cf. Luke 16:25). The principle is put conditionally , “ not indeed as if there were the least doubt respecting the righteousness of any part of the divine procedure in judging the world. On the contrary, it is the very certainty of that truth, as something altogether beyond cavil, that emboldens the writer, by a sort of logical meiosis, to argue from it conditionally” (Lillie; cf. Pelagius: hic “ si tamen” confirmantis sermo est, non dubitantis).
ἄνεσινμεθ ʼ ὑμῶ . As there is a present fellowship of readers and writers in suffering (καὶπάσχετ v. 5), so also will there be a future fellowship in “ rest” or “ relief” from suffering,— a genuinely Pauline touch (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 1:6 ff. Philippians 1:30).
On the positive side, ἄνεσι is entrance into the kingdom (v. 5) and eternal fellowship with the Lord . θλίψι is, according to v. 9, eternal separation from Christ, the precise opposite of I 4:17. The moral ground of ἅνεσι , not expressed at this point, is faith leading to endurance as v. 4 shows, the ὑμῖ who are persecuted being those who have exhibited an unusual endurance inspired by faith. The same stress on faith is seen in v. 10, “ all who became believers,” and in the explanatory clause with ὅτ The moral ground of θλίψι , not stated in our verse, is, in the light of v. 8, which describes “ those who do not reverence God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus,” the lack of faith and its moral expression. Though the ius talionis is here exhibited in its clearest form (Ell.), the persecutors of the readers are not the only ones who are to receive θλίψι , as is evident from Romans 2:8 ff. where the disobedient receive ὀργὴκαὶθυμός , θλίψιςκαὶστενοχωρί (cf. also I 4:6, Romans 12:19, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Colossians 3:24 ff., etc.). In Romans 8:18 ff., the believers are to get δόξ for their παθήματ ; in 2 Corinthians 4:17, δόξ for θλίψι On the Mosaic lex talionis, see the notes of Charles on Jub. 4:31, 48:14 and Montefiore on Matthew 5:38 ff.— εἵπε is found in Gk.
Bib., apart from Paul, only Judith 6:9 Sus. (Th.) 54, 4 Mac. 11:7. The condition is of itself colourless, the truth or error of the assumption being found, if at all, in the context; here and elsewhere (unless 1 Corinthians 8:5 is excepted), the context implies the truth of the condition with εἴπε (Romans 3:30, Romans 3:8:9, Romans 3:17, 1 Corinthians 15:15, 2 Corinthians 5:3).
Chrys. makes εἴπε = ἐπείπε — παρὰθεῷ (1 Corinthians 7:24) or παρὰτῷθεῷ (so A here; cf. Romans 2:11, Romans 2:13, Galatians 3:11, 1 Corinthians 3:19) = “ in the eyes of,” indice Deo; the day of judgment may here be in mind.— On δίκαιο , cf. Philippians 1:7; on θλίβει , I 3:4; on ἀνταποδιδόνα (I 3:9) as the expression of judicial recompense, cf. Romans 12:19 = Deuteronomy 32:35; also Isaiah 35:4, 59:18, 63:7, 66:4, Isaiah 35:6, Jeremiah 28:6, 24, 56 f. Sir. 32:11, etc.— ἄνεσι (2 Corinthians 2:12, 2 Corinthians 2:7:5, 2 Corinthians 2:8:13; Acts 24:23; Lxx) denotes a let up from restraint; hence “ liberty,” “ license,” or, as here and 2 Corinthians 7:5, 2 Corinthians 7:8:13, “ relief” as opposed to θλίψι ; cf. ἀνάψυξι Acts 3:19. ἡμῶ refers here not to all Christians (De W.), not to the saints in Israel (Bengel, Ewald), but, in view of the specific ὑμᾶ and ὑμῖ and of καὶπάσχετ , which balances μεθ ʼ ἡμῶ , to Paul and his two associates (Lü n., Ell., Lft., Born, Mill., Dob.). In μεθ ʼ ἡμῶ as in αὐτοὺςἡμᾶ (v. 4), Schmiedel inclines to see the hand of a forger putting Paul in a position of apostolic eminence. On the other hand, Dob. remarks on μεθ ʼ ἡμῶ : “ these two little words belong to the genuine Pauline touches for the sake of which no one, with any feeling for the way in which the mind of Paul works, can give up the authenticity of this brief epistle.”
7b-10. The description of the advent unto judgment begins with a temporal phrase, ἐντῇἀποκαλύψεικτλ . which is to be attached to ἀνταποδιδόναικτλ (v. 6). First, with three prepositional adjuncts (cf. I 4:16), the external features of the revelation are described; then the function of the person revealed is indicated, the punishment of those who deserve it; then (v. 9), with οἵτινε resuming τοῖςμὴεἰδόσινκτλ and with δίκηντίσουσι resuming διδόντοςἐκδίκησι , the character of the punishment is exhibited, eternal separation from Christ; and finally, with ὅτανἔλθῃ (v. 10), which is grammatically connected with τίσουσι , the beginning of the eternal fellowship of the saints and all believers with their Lord is suggested, in that, because of what they are, honour and admiration are asscribed to Christ. In writing πᾶσιντοῖςπιστεύσασι to balance τοῖςἁγίοιςαὐτου , instead of τοῖςπιστεύουσι , Paul passes purposely from the general to the specific, having in mind the faint-hearted, as the parenthetical clause with ὅτ which refers distinctly to the welcome accorded to the gospel demonstrates. The ἐντῇἡμέρᾳ which belongs with the infinitives is suspended temporarily by the parenthesis, only to take its place at the end with a solemn effectiveness.
As in I 4:16-17 so here it is Paul himself who is responsible for the rhythmical description in which only such features are mentioned as serve both to bring out the value of the judgment and to inspire hope and assurance in the hearts of the faint-hearted. Though the description abounds in reminiscences from the Lxx, there is but one approximately exact citation. ἀπὸπροσώπο … ἰσχύοςαὐτου (Isaiah 2:10; cf. ὄτανἕλθῃ 2:10 and ἐντῇἡμέρᾳἐκείνῃ 2:11).
The passage abounds in allusions to or reminiscences of the Lxx, but the only exact quotation is in v. 9, taken from the refrain of Isa 2:10 which is repeated in 2:19, 21: ἀπὸπροσώπουτοῦφόβουκυρίουκαὶἀπὸτῆςδόξηςτῆςἰσχύοςαὐτοῦ , ὅτανἀναστῇθραῦσαιτὴνγῆ ; cf. ἐντῇἡμέρᾳἐκείνῃ 2:11, 17. Though the citation is evident, τοῦφόβο is omitted. Furthermore in v. 8 there is an apparent allusion to Isaiah 66:15: ἰδοὺγὰρκύριοςὡςπῦρἣξεικαὶὡςκαταιγὶςτὰἄρματααὐτοῦἀποδοῦναιἐνθυμῷἐκδίκησιναὐτοῦκαὶἀποσκορακισμὸναὐτοῦἐνφλογὶπυρό Paul, however, is composing not copying, as the unique parallelism τοῖςμὴεἰδόσινθεὸνκαὶτοῖςμὴὑπακούουσινκτλ suggests. At the same time, such passages as Jeremiah 10:25 (cf. Psalms 78:6): ἔκχεοντὸνθυμόνσουἐπὶἓθνητὰμὴεἰδότασεκαὶἐπὶγενεὰςαἳτὸὄνομάσουἐπεκαλέσαντ and Isaiah 66:4: ὅτιἐκάλεσααὐτοὺςκαὶοὐχὑπήκουσάνμου , ἐλάλησακαὶοὐκἤκουσα (cf. Isaiah 65:12) may have been running in his mind.
In v. 10, where ἐνδοξασθῆνα and θαυμασθῆνα are in parallelism (cf. the description of God in Exodus 15:11), there seems to be a reminiscence of Psa 88:8: ὁθεὸςἐνδοξαζόμενοςἐνβουλῇἁγίων , μέγαςκαὶφοβερὸςἐπὶπάνταςτοὺςπερικύκλῳαὐτου , and of Ps. 67:35 : θαυμαστὸςὁθεὸςἐντοῖςἁγίοιςαὐτου ; cf. also Isaiah 49:3 and 66:5: εἴπατε , ἀδελφοὶἡμῶν , τοῖςμισοῦσινὑμᾶςκαὶβδελυσσομένοις , ἵνατὸὄνομακυρίουδοξασθῇ (cf. v. 12 of our chapter) καὶὀφθῆἐντῇεὐφροσύνηαὐτῶν , καὶἐκεῖνοιαἰσχυνθήσοντα Other words and phrases suggest the influence of non-canonical Jewish literature; e. g. ἀποκάλυψι (cf. Apoc.
Bar. 29:3 with the note of Charles), ἀγγέλωνδυνάμεωςαὐτου , ὅλεθροςαἰώνιο (4 Mac. 10:15 (A); cf. Eth. En. 84:5 Ps. Sol. 2:35 (cf. 3:13) ἀπώλειααἰώνιο or (Gebhardt) αἰῶνο ). On the other hand, τίνεινδίκη , a classic expression, is not found elsewhere in Gk. Bib. ; so also the construction διδόναιἐκδίκησίντιν (Lxx has, however, ἀποδιδόνα or ἀνταποδιδόνα ; cf.
Numbers 31:3, Sir. 12:6, 32:23). The aorist πιστεύσασι (v. 10) instead of the present is due to the situation. It happens that “ the gospel of our Lord Jesus” like “ the gospel of his Son” in Romans 1:9 is unique in Paul.
While McGiffert (EB 5054) throws out the hint that vv. 6-10 are a possible interpolation, Born (cf. Find. lvii and Moff. Introd. 80) suggests that in vv. 6-10a or vv. 7b-10c Paul is citing or alluding to a Christian hymn. It has also been conjectured (cf. Encyc. Brit.11 XXVI, 841) that in vv. 7b-10 Paul is adapting to his own purposes a fragment of a Jewish apocalypse or a psalm like one of the Psalms of Solomon.
The adaptation would consist in the insertion of Ἰησου (vv. 7, 8) and of the parenthesis ὅτ … ἐφ ʼ ὑμᾶ (v. 10); and in the substitution of εὐαγγελίῳ (v. 8) for, say, λόγῳ (cf. 2 Chronicles 11:4 A), and of πᾶσι and πιστεύσασι (v. 10) for, say, πιστεύουσι (Isaiah 28:16 B). The insertion of Ἰησου would occur to any Christian; but the change from λόγῳ to εὐαγγελίῳ betrays the hand of Paul, for ὑπακούειντῷεὐαγγελίῳ is found elsewhere in N.
T. only Romans 10:16 ; and the change from πιστεύουσι to πᾶσινπιστεύσασι is, as the inserted clause with ὅτ demonstrates, due to one of the two main purposes of the epistle, the encouragement of the faint-hearted. Attractive as the hypothesis is and accounting as it does excellently for the position of ἐντῇἡμέρᾳἐκείνῃ , it is unnecessary (cf. Clemen, Paulus, I, 119). For Paul himself, it must be remembered, is quite competent in the Spirit to produce a rhythmical psalm, apocalypse, or prophecy. The description is fragmentary; expected details such as the burning fire, the angels of punishment, the torture of the wicked in the fire of hell in the presence of the righteous are conspicuously absent. The external features of the revelation are few in number and are selected with a view to enhancing the dignity of the Judge.
The reason why he executes judgment is clearly stated; the sentence is pronounced simply as eternal separation from Christ, with no details as to the manner of executing the sentence or the nature of the separation. The reward of the righteous, the character of the future felicity is not dwelt upon; in fact, the reward is only intimated— in virtue of what the believers are, Christ receives glory and admiration.
The concentration upon the essential and the sole interest in values which signalise the description point rather to the free composition of Paul, influenced by O. T. and later Jewish literature, as is also the case in I 4:16-17.
7b. ἐντῇἀποκαλύψεικτλ . With this clause, the time of the ἀνταποδοῦνα (v. 6) is indicated, “ at the revelation of the Lord Jesus” = “ when the Lord Jesus is revealed” . “ The advent is here conceived of not as a Parousia , but as a revelation (so 1 Corinthians 1:7; cf. Luke 17:30) of the Messiah, just as in the first epistle of Peter” (Briggs, Messiah of the Apostles, 90 ff.; cf. 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Peter 1:13).
Of the twenty-two instances of ἀποκάλυψι in the Gk. Bib., thirteen are in Paul. In the Lxx the word is used literally of uncovering (1 Reg. 20:30) and metaphorically of disclosing works or secrets (Sir. 11:27, 22:22, 42:1). In Paul, it denotes regularly a prophetic revelation in the Spirit; here, however, and in 1 Corinthians 1:7, it is equivalent to παρουσί Underlying this use of ἀποκάλυψῖ may be the idea that the Son of Man is hidden before God and that the elect, though they know him in the Spirit, do not behold him visibly until he comes to function as Messiah (cf. Eth. En. 48:6, 62:7; also revelabitur of the Messiah in 4 Ezra 13:32 Apoc.
Bar. 39:7, etc.; see J. Weiss in Meyer on 1 Corinthians 1:7). Mill., however, who discusses carefully (141-151) ἀποκάλυψι in connection with ἐπιφἀνει (2:8) and παρουσί concludes that ἐπιφάνει or manifestation is also a “ revelation of the divine plan and purpose which has run through all the ages, to find its consummation at length in the ‘ one far-off divine event’ to which the whole creation is slowly moving.” On ὁκύριοςἸησοῦ , see I 2:15; L reads τοῦκυρίουἡμῶνἸ . Χ
ἀπ ʼ οὺρανοῦκτλ . With three prepositional phrases (cf. I 4:16), the revelation is described in reference to the place “ from heaven,” to the attendant retinue “ with his angels of power,” and to the manner “ in a fire of flame.” (1) The ἀπ ʼ οὑρανου seems to imply that the Messiah is hidden in heaven, concealed from the sight of men, though he operates in the souls of believers; hence he must be revealed “ from heaven” (cf. Romans 1:18), namely, by coming down from heaven (I 4:16) either toward the earth and within the range of human vision, or to the earth. (2) The ἄγγελοιδυνάμεωςαὐτου suggests the ἄγγελοςδυνάμεω (Test. xii, Jude 1:3:10) and “ all the angels of power and all the angels of principalities” (Eth. En. 61:10); and invites the translation “ his angels of power” (cf. αὐτου in Revelation 13:3, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:13). (3) The manner in which the revelation is pictured, ἐνπυρὶφλογί , is in keeping with the descriptions of theophanies in the O. T., for example, Exodus 3:2 where the ἄγγελοςκυρίο appears ἐνπυρὶφλογὸςἐκτοῦβάτο and Isaiah 66:15 κύριοςὡςπῦρἥξε (cf. Psalms 49:3, etc.).
Usually αὐτου is taken solely with δυνάμεω and the gen. is explained as possessive: “ which serves to mark that to which the ἄγγελο appertained and of which they were the ministers; exponents and instruments of his power” (Ell.). Dob. regards “ his power” as a periphrasis for “ his.” Calv. observes: angelos potentiae vocal in quibus sham potestatem exseret (cf. Bengel and Schmiedel). Some Gk. fathers (e. g. Theophylact and Œ cumenius) and some moderns (e. g. Piscator, Flatt, Jowett) interpret with A.
V. “ his mighty angels.” Still others (see Lillie, ad loc.), taking δύναμι = “ host” (cf. Psalms 32:6, Psalms 32:4 Reg. 21:5, etc.), translate “ the host of his angels” (cf. Pesh). Hofmann avoids the difficulty but spoils the rhythm by joining αὐτου with διδόντο Since the position of αὐτου allows it, it is simpler to take “ angels of power” as a class and αὐτου as a gen. poss. governing both ἄγγελο and δυνάμεω On ἄγγελο , see on I 4:16 and Charles’ s notes on Eth. En. 61:10 and Slav. En. 20:1.— The phrase ἐνπυπὶφλογό (א AKLP, etc.) is found also in Sir. 8:10, 45:19 Exodus 3:2 (B) Ps.
Sol. 12:5, Acts 7:30 (ACE); the easier reading ἐνφλογὶπυρὀ (BDEGF, et al.) occurs also in Isaiah 66:15, Exodus 3:2 (AF) Acts 7:30 (א DB, et al.); compare the rather frequent φλὸξπυρό (Isaiah 29:6, Daniel 7:9, Sir. 21:9, etc.). The reference is to the glorious brilliancy of the revelation. Some commentators however (see Lillie), because of the present connection with judgment, assume that the fire is a burning, purifying fire (cf. the ποταμὸςπυρό in Daniel 7:10) as in 1 Corinthians 3:13; and join the ἐ closely with διδόντο , thus specifying the manner or instrument of punishment. Still others (e. g. Lft., Dob.) are inclined to make the fire do double service. On the idea involved, see Bousset, Relig2 320.
- διδόντοςἐκδίκησινκτλ . The revelation of the Lord Jesus is further described by the loosely attached διδόντο as a revelation unto judgment, resuming the thought of v. 6 but putting it generally. The objects of the divine justice are defined in a unique parallelism as “ those who do not know (that is, respect and worship) God and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” Since ἔθνεσι does not appear in the first member (contrast I 4:5, Jeremiah 10:25, Psalms 78:6), and since the repetition of the article is not incompatible with synonymous parallelism (cf. Psalms 35:11), it is not certain, though the usage of Paul makes it probable, that the Gentiles are in mind in the first member (cf. I 4:3, Galatians 4:8, Romans 1:28, Ephesians 2:12) and the Jews in the second member (cf. especially Romans 10:16). Though the statement is general, Paul may have had in mind distinctly τοῖςθλίβουσινὑμᾶ (v. 6) who were both Gentiles, the official persecutors and Jews, the instigators of persecution.
The distinction, assumed above as probable, is made among others by Ephr., Grot., Lü n., Lillie, Ell., Dob. On the other hand, since ἔθνεσι is omitted and the article repeated in the second member is unobjectionable, the parallelism may be synonymous , and non-Christians, irrespective of race, may be meant (e. g. Calv., Vincent, Mill.); in fact, Paul refers to the disobedience of the Gentiles (Romans 11:30); but does not, as the O. T. (e. g. Jeremiah 9:6) does, speak of the Jews as not knowing God. Still other interpreters, while distinguishing two classes, take the first member as referring to the Gentiles with a distinct allusion to Jeremiah 10:25, and the second as referring to both Jews and Gentiles (e. g.
Lft., Schmiedel, Born, Wohl.).— Though the first member of the parallelism may have been influenced unconsciously by Jeremiah 10:25 and the second by Isaiah 66:4, yet the parallelism as a whole is unique and the second member distinctly Pauline; for ὑπακούειντῷεὐαγγελίῳ is not found in Lxx, Ps. Sol., Test. xii, or Apost.
Fathers, and is found elsewhere in N. T. only Romans 10:16.— The exact phrase “ the gospel of our Lord Jesus” is, like “ the gospel of his Son” in Romans 1:9, unique in the N. T. The substitution of “ our Lord Jesus” for “ Christ” is natural in view of the divine name ὁκύριοςἡμῶνἸησοῦ (see on I 2:19); and in Romans 1:9 “ the gospel of his Son” is natural in view of Rom 1:3 τοῦυἱοῦαὐτου In our passage, א AGF add Χριστου to Ιηστου — On διδόναιἐκδίκησίντιν , cf. Numbers 31:3, Sir. 12:6 and Deuteronomy 32:43, Sir. 32:23 ; more frequent in Lxx is ποιεῖνἐκδίκησινἔντιν (Exodus 12:12, Numbers 33:4, Ezekiel 25:17, etc.). On ἐκδίκησι (Romans 12:19, 2 Corinthians 7:11), see ἔκδικο I 4:6.— GF insert και before ἐνπυρι ; DGF read διδού for διδόντο ; Stephanus begins v. 8 with in flamma ignis; PL insert τό before θεό conforming to I 4:5.— ὑπακούει (Romans 6:12 ff.) is common in Lxx and construed usually with gen., sometimes with dat. (2 Chronicles 11:4 (A) Jeremiah 3:25).
- οἵτινεςδίκηνκτλ . “ Men who shall pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord Jesus and from the glory of his strength.” With οἵτινε , designating a class, τοῖςμὴεἰδόδι … Ἰησου (v. 8) is resumed; similarly with δίκηντίσουσι , the διδόντοςἐκδίκησι (v. 8) is resumed. An advance over v. 8 is, however, made in that the penalty is announced as an eternal banishment from Christ.
ὄλεθροναἰώνιο . This phrase, in apposition with δίκη , occurs elsewhere in the Gk. Bib. only 4 Mac. 10:15 (A); it is equivalent (see I 5:3) to ἀπώλειααἰώνιο or αἰῶνο in Ps. Sol. 2:35 (cf. Eth. En. 84:5).
The destruction resulting from the supernatural conflict or as here from a forensic judgment involves for Paul not the annihilation of the wicked (for they exist after death even if they are not raised from the dead) but their separation from Christ, as the defining clause with ἀπο intimates. In the light of αἰώνιος , ὄλεθρο might mean the definitive supernatural act belonging to the age to come; but in view of ἀπόκτλ ., it must rather refer to the destruction whose consequences are age-long, that is, to Paul and to the N. T. in general, “ eternal” (Mark 3:29, Matthew 25:46; cf. Daniel 12:2). Beyond the statement of the fact of an eternal banishment and separation, Paul does not go; he says nothing of πῦραἰώνιο (Jude 1:7, Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:41).
ἀπὸπροσώπουκυρίονκτλ . The banishment from Christ is expressed in language drawn from the refrain of Isa 2:10, Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21: ἀπὸπροσώπουτοῦφόβουτοῦκυρίουκαὶἀπὸτῆςδόξηςτῆςἰσχύοςαὐτου . In citing this passage, however, Paul omits τοῦφόβο , leaving προσώπο (see I 2:17) to be explained as “ face,” “ presence,” and ἀπο as a preposition after an implied verb of separation. Then in the second member of the virtually synonymous parallelism, “ face” becomes “ glory,” the halo of majesty which lightens the face of the Lord; and “ the Lord” becomes “ his strength,” the fons et origo of the glory (ἰσχύο being a genitive of origin). Thus, with a concentration upon the essential, the θλίψι of v. 6 is defined as an eternal separation from the glorious presence of Christ, this penalty being the direct opposite of the reward of the believer (v. 10), namely, as I 4:17 states that reward, πάντοτεσὺνκυρίῳ .
The classic distinction between ὅ and ὅστι (found in every letter of Paul except I and Phile.) is apparently observed by Paul (Bl 50:1); hence quippe qui, “ men who” (Ell., Lft., Mill.; also SH. on Romans 1:25).— δίκ , a classic word, rare in N. T. (Jude 1:7, Acts 28:4) but common in Lxx, means either “ justice” (Sap. 1:8), “ suit at law” (Job 29:16) or “ punishment” (Sap. 18:11, 2 Mac. 8:11, 13, 4 Mac. 6:28, 9:32). τίνει is found elsewhere in Gk. Bib. only Proverbs 20:22, Proverbs 20:24:22, 44, Proverbs 20:27:12 ; the phrase τίνεινδίκη is classic, but is not found elsewhere in Gk. Bib.; it is equivalent to τίνεινζημία (Proverbs 27:12), or ζημιοῦ (1 Corinthians 3:15); cf. ἐκδικεῖνδίκη (Leviticus 26:25, Ezekiel 25:12); ἀποδιδόνα or ἀνταποδιδόναιδίκη (Deuteronomy 32:41, Deuteronomy 32:43).— With the phrase ὄλεθροςαἰώνιο (see Vincent, ad loc.) is to be compared ζωὴαἰώνιο (Romans 2:7, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22 f. Galatians 6:3), destruction being the opposite of life. The adjective or its equivalent αἰῶνο is common in the Lxx (e. g.
Sir. 15:6, 17:12, 45:15; Ps. Sol. 2:35); its meaning is to be determined not from Greek etymology but from the usage of ע ו ל ם , that is, long duration whether looking forward or backward, to futurity or antiquity (BDB).
The exact duration intended depends upon the writer; in Eth. En. 10:11 the ζωὴαἰώνιο is five hundred years; in Daniel as in the N. T. the age to come is of unlimited duration; hence αἰώνιο “ belonging to the age” means to Paul “ eternal” and “ everlasting.” A reads ὀλέθριο (cf. 3 Reg. 21:42 Sap. 18:15). On the duration of punishment in Jewish literature, see Bousset, Relig2 320, Volz, Eschat 286 ff., and Kennedy, Last Things, 316; on αἰώ , see Dalman, Worte Jesu, I, 120 ff.— That ἀπο is local, as in Galatians 5:4, Romans 9:3, 2 Corinthians 11:3, is generally admitted (Piscator, Riggenbach, Lü n., Ell., Lft., Born, Vincent, Mill., Dob. et al.). Grammatically possible, however, is (1) the causal sense of ἀπο , frequent in Lxx, but infrequent in N. T. (Bl 40:3), “ at the presence of,” the thought being that the very face of the Lord causes destruction.
In this interpretation, no hint is given that destruction consists in eternal separation. “ It is sufficient that God comes and is seen and all are involved in punishment and penalty” (Chrys. apud Ell.). (2) The ἀπο may indicate source,— “ the eternal destruction which proceeds from the face,” etc. (cf. Acts 3:19; so apparently Grot., Schmiedel, Find., Wohl.). (3) Possible also grammatically but “ pointless in sense” (Find.) is the explanation of ἀπο as temporal, “ from the time of the revelation of the Lord” (see Lillie for names).
Much simpler is it to take ἀπο of separation. That Paul says not ἀπο but ἀπὸπροσώπο (only here in Paul; cf. Acts 5:41, Acts 7:45, Revelation 6:16, Revelation 12:14, Revelation 20:11) κυρίο is due to the influence of Isa 2:10.— On δόξ , see I 2:6; on ἰσχύ (Ephesians 1:19, Ephesians 6:10), rare in N. T. but common in Lxx, see especially 1 Chronicles 16:28, Psalms 146:5.— DGF omit του before κυρίο — In his references to the destruction of the wicked (vv. 6 a, 8-9), Paul refrains from details, contenting himself with the fact of eternal separation. Furthermore, since ἐνπυρὶφλογό describes not the means of punishment but the manner of the Christophany, it is probable that “ his angels of power” are not the angels of punishment (Eth. En. 62:11 f.) but the attendant retinue of angels who accord to Christ glory and admiration by reason of his saving work manifested in the saints and believers who stand before the βῆμαΧριστου (v. 10).
- ὅτανἔλθῃκτλ . With this relative conditional sentence designating the time of δίκηντίσουσι , Paul resumes the point of vv. 5, 7a and indicates the beginning of the future salvation of the readers which is eternal fellowship with the Lord. This indication is put in a unique parallelism the language of which betrays the influence of the Lxx: “ when he comes (ὅτανἔλθῃ balancing ἐντῇἀποκαλύψειτοῦκυρίο v. 7) to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all who became believers … in that day.” Though the parallelism is synonymous, the presence in the second member of πᾶσι and of the aorist τοῖςπιστεύσασι ( instead of the expected present τοῖςπιστεύουσι ; cf. I 2:10, 13) indicates an advance from the general to the specific. Included in the number of the saints are particularly the faint-hearted Thessalonians who became believers when they welcomed the word (I 1:6 ff. 2:13 ff.); “ for,” as the parenthetical clause with ὅτ (separating “ in that day” from the infinitives to which it belongs) explains, “ our witness (= our gospel) which was directed to you was believed” .
Both ὅτα and ἐντῆἡμέρᾳ (a phrase only here in Paul; cf. Luke 10:12, Luke 10:17:31, 2 Timothy 1:18, 2 Timothy 4:8) seem to have been influenced by Isaiah 2:10 ff.; on the other hand, the total phrase ἐνδοξασθῆνα … τοῖςπιστεύσασι , though it shows traces of resemblance to Psalms 88:8, 67:36 Isaiah 49:3, Isaiah 66:5, is unique. The verb ἐνδοξάζεσθα , here and v. 12 (cf. Isaiah 66:5), like ἐνκαυχᾶσθα (v. 4), is unclassic; it is found about thirteen times in the Lxx, usually with ἐ . This ἐ is in the Lxx to be explained either as (1) of place where θαυμαστὸςἐντοῖςἁγίοιςαὐτου ; cf. 1 Mal 3:14 א ); (2) of instrument (Isaiah 49:3 (B); cf. δοξάζεσθαιἐ Isaiah 5:16, etc.); or (3) of ground (Isaiah 45:25, Sir 38:6; cf. δοξάζεσθαιἐ Sir. 48:4; θαυμάζεσθαιἐ Isaiah 61:6 (B).
The ἐ is not δια (Sir. 10:30) or ὑπο (Sir. 3:20)). Were Paul distinctly quoting Psalms 88:8, 67:36, it would be natural to take ἐ of place where, “ among” (Michaelis, Van Ess., and others noted by Lillie; so also Dob.), in spite of the fact that the local sense does not fit v. 12 .
This theory, however, does not compel us to assume that the persons who accord the glory and admiration are not “ his angels of power” but Christians. On the other hand, since Paul is not quoting, and since his interest is not in the external features of the judgment but is in the character of the people (cf. v. 8) present, it is more probable that ἐ is to be understood not of place, or even of instrument (Chrys., Bengel; ἐ = δια with gen.), but of ground (Grot., Lü n., Ell., Lillie, Lft., Schmiedel, Born, Find., Wohl., Mill., et al.); cf. Pelagius: “ he himself is to be glorified in his members which shall shine with the brightness of the sun” (on this ἐ , see Galatians 1:24, 1 Corinthians 6:20). In virtue of what the saints and all believers are (by reason of the death and the indwelling of Christ), the attendant angels ascribe glory and admiration to Christ. This view of ἐ is also applicable to the ἐ of v. 12. There is no hint that the glory which proceeds from the Lord has already entered into the Christians.— On θαυμάζεσθαιἐ , cf.
Sap. 8:11 (ἐ of place), Sir. 33:4 (א ; ἐ of instrument), and Isaiah 61:6 (B; ἐ of ground).— οἱἅγιοιαὐτου is in synonymous parallelism with πάντεςοἱπιστεύσαντε ; both refer to Christians irrespective of race.— That ὅτ … ὑμᾶ is parenthetical was noted by Th. Mops., Zim. and Wohl. less naturally connect ὅτ with the preceding infinitives, “ to be glorified and admired in the fact that our witness,” etc.— τὸμαρτύριο (see I 1:5) = τὸεὐαγγέλιο (v. 8); τὸμαρτύριονἡμῶ (which is equivalent to τὸεὐαγγέλιονἡμῶ 2:14, I 1:5 and τὸκήρυγμαἡμῶ 1 Corinthians 15:14) is the witness, inspired by God (1 Corinthians 2:1) or Christ (1 Corinthians 1:6), which we preach.
It is the witness which is (not “ against” you; Luke 9:5, Numbers 35:30 A; but) “ over” you .— ἐπιστεύθ = “ was believed,” as πιστεύσασι suggests, the reference being to the welcome given to the gospel at the beginning. It is interesting that πιστεύεσθα in this sense is used with an impersonal subject elsewhere in the N. T. only Romans 10:10 (contrast 1 Timothy 3:16). Lft. joins ἐπιστεύθ with ἐπι and paraphrases thus: “ belief in our testimony directed itself to reach you.” Hort and Moff. accept Markland’ s conjecture ἐπιστώθ (which Cod. 104 reads). Hort explains in connection with vv. 4-5 that “ the Christian testimony had been confirmed and sealed upon the Thessalonians.” He compares 1 Corinthians 1:6, Psalms 92:4, Psalms 92:5 and πιστοῦσθαιἐπίτιν 1 Chronicles 17:23 (which is doubtful) and 2 Chronicles 1:9. The conjecture, however, is unnecessary.
11-12. Though the faint-hearted may thus be assured of their being deemed worthy of the kingdom, yet (cf. I 5:8 ff.) they must be blameless (cf. I 3:13) in order to enter into the same. Since blamelessness is possible only through the power of God, Paul adds a prayer: “ to which end (namely, the future salvation implied in v. 10; cf. ἄνεσι v. 8 and εἰςτὸκαταξιωθῆνα v. 5), we too as well as you pray always that our God may deem you worthy (that is, acquit you at the judgment) of the calling (of God mediated by the preaching of our witness; cf. 2:14) and (that the acquittal may follow) bring to completion every resolve after goodness and every work inspired by faith in power” (that is, of the Spirit). This prayer for moral perfection is to the eventual end “ that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you (that is, as in v. 10, in virtue of what you are) and you may be glorified in it” (that is, in virtue of what his name accomplishes). And this blessed consummation is “ in accordance with the divine favour of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
- εἰςὃκαὶπροσευχόμεθακτλ . Though εἰςο is loosely attached to the preceding and refers to the idea of salvation implied in v. 10, it is yet tempting (with Lft.) to connect it directly with εἰςτὸκαταξιωθῆνα (v. 5), the controlling idea of vv. 5-12 being that the faint-hearted may be assured of their being deemed worthy of the kingdom. In this case, εἰςο denotes purpose “ to which end,” and is resumed by ἴν (likewise telic) ἀξιώσῃ (cf. ἄξιο v. 3). The και before προσευχόμεθ is interesting. In the letter from Thessalonica to Paul it appeared that the fainthearted, though anxious about their salvation, were nevertheless praying constantly that God would equip them with the Spirit whose presence guaranteed a blameless life and the acquittal at the last day. This prayer Paul reciprocates, “ we too as well as you pray” (και as in I 2:13; cf. Colossians 1:9).
That εἰςο indicates purpose is recognised by De W., Riggenbach, Lillie, Lft., Born, Vincent, Find., Mill., and others. The objection that it is logically impossible (e. g. Lü n., Dob.) overlooks Paul’ s recognition of the facts of religious experience and his interest in righteousness as essential unto future salvation (cf. I 3:13, 5:8-9). To be sure salvation is assured to those who are in Christ, but the test of being in Christ is ethical. Those who deny the telic force of εἰςο take it of reference (Lü n., Ell., Schmiedel, Dob., et al.).
On εἰςτοῦτοἵν , cf. Romans 14:9, 2 Corinthians 2:9; on ἵν … εἰςὃκαι , cf. Colossians 1:28 f.; on εἰςο , see further 2:14, Philippians 3:16.— Bacon sees the force of και but interprets differently: “ it is clear that they had assured him of their prayers in his behalf, as requested I 5:25” (Introd. 72). Others see in και the intimation of a correspondence between prayer on the one hand and on the other hope (Ell.), witness (Find.), or thanksgiving (Riggenbach, Wohl., Dob., Moff.).— Influenced by I 5:25 D inserts a second και before περὶὑμῶ On πάντοτ , see I 1:2; on προσεύχεσθαιπερι , see I 5:25. For the prayer at this point, cf. Philippians 1:9, Colossians 1:9.
ἵναὑμᾶςἀξιώσῃκτλ . Since ἵν resumes εἰςο , it is to be taken not epexegetically as introducing the content of the prayer, but finally, “ to which end, namely, that.” The ὑμᾶ , emphatically placed, resumes the specific ὑμᾶ of vv. 10, 5. “ The calling” (1 Corinthians 7:20, Ephesians 4:1) is, in view of “ our God,” to be interpreted not as “ your calling” (1 Corinthians 1:26, Ephesians 4:4) but as “ God’ s calling” (Romans 11:29, Philippians 3:14; cf. Vulg vocatione sua), the reference being to God’ s act of calling in the past (I 2:12, 4:7, 5:24) mediated through the preaching of the gospel (2:14), i. e. “ our witness to you” (v. 10). ὁθεὸςἡμῶ , a characteristic phrase in our letters (see I 2:2), intimates that just as there is a common suffering of Paul and his readers (καὶπάσχετ v. 5), and a common relief (μεθ ʼ ὑμῶ v. 7), so also there is a common fellowship in God, the ultimate source of salvation.
Many interpreters find difficulty in referring κλῆσι to the past, on the ground, apparently, that the historical call of God of itself involves future salvation. Paul, however, while practically certain that all believers will be acquitted at the βῆμαΧριστου because of the presence in them of Christ or the Spirit as the power unto righteousness, reckons with the possibility that believers may fall out of the realm of grace and disregard the promptings of the Spirit (cf. I 3:13, 5:8 ff. Galatians 5:4, 2 Corinthians 6:1, and the implications of Php 2:12). To avoid the supposed difficulty, κλοῆσι , contrary to Paul’ s usage, is understood of the future glory and blessedness (Th. Mops. ut dignos vos bonorum illorum exhibeat deus, in quorum et vocati estis fruitionem; cf.
Calv., Riggenbach, Ell., Lft., Mill., et al.) either on the analogy of Php 3:14, of ἐλπί in Colossians 1:5, or of the Synoptic “ invitation” to the Messianic Supper (Matthew 22:3, Matthew 22:8; cf. Chrys., Schmiedel, Wohl. et al.). Others, contrary to usage, take ἀξιό to mean “ to make worthy” (Grot., Flatt, Dob. et al.). Better Pelagius: “ that ye may be found worthy of that to which you have been called” (cf. Ephr., Born, Find. et al.). G reads τῆςκλήσεωςὑμῶ ; KL ὁθεὸςὑμῶ Outside of Paul, κλῆσι occurs infrequently in the Gk.
Bib. (2 Timothy 1:9, Hebrews 3:1, 2 Peter 1:10, Judith 12:10 (A) Jeremiah 38:6, Jeremiah 38:3 Mac. 5:14).
καὶπληρώσῃκτλ . Since ἀξιώσῃ means not “ make worthy” but “ deem worthy,” πληρώσῃ is not synonymous with ἀξιώσῃ but rather, as Lillie remarks, “ regards the process by which alone the object of the Apostle’ s heart could be secured. Whom he counts worthy, he first makes worthy.” In order that God may acquit the believers at the judgment, he must by the power of the Spirit perfect in them every resolve after goodness and every work that faith inspires.
πῦσανεὐδοκίανἀγαθωσύνη . The first of the parallel objects of πληρώσῃ touches the inner purpose, “ every resolve (not ‘ desire,’ as if with Cod. 17 ἐπιθνμία were read) that they have after goodness” (the genitive is objective). The phrase εὐδοκίαἀγαθωσύνη does not appear elsewhere in the Gk. Bib. In εὐδοκί as in εὐδοκεῖ (I 2:8), the prominent thought is that of “ will,” “ resolve,” “ consent.” “ Goodness” (ἀγαθωσύν , elsewhere in N. T. only Galatians 5:22, Romans 15:14, Ephesians 5:9) is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) akin to χρηστότη ; over against κακί it denotes singleness of heart (Sap. 1:1; cf. Colossians 3:22, Ephesians 6:5).
καὶἔργονπίστεω . “ And every work of faith.” This second of the parallel objects of πληρώσῃ refers to the activity inspired by faith, that is, not specifically endurance in persecution (Chrys.), but generally, as the omission of the articles suggests, love (cf. I 1:3). Paul prays that God may perfect not only the resolve but the accomplishment of the same.
ἐνδυνάμε . “ In power,” that is, in the power of God (Ephr.). The phrase, which is to be construed with πληρώσῃ , puts the stress on the energy exercised by the divine (Romans 1:4, Colossians 1:29). The δύναμιςθεου is Christ (1 Corinthians 1:24) or the Spirit (I 1:5) without whose aid the resolve after goodness and the attainment of love would be impossible.
ἀλαθωσύν is quite frequent in Koheleth; cf. also Nehemiah 9:25, Nehemiah 9:35; εὐδοκί , apart from Luke 2:14, Luke 10:21, Matthew 11:26, is employed in N. T. only by Paul (of God Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:9; cf. Sir. 32:5, 41:4; of men Romans 10:1, Philippians 1:15); on its meaning, see SH or Zahn on Romans 10:1, also Kennedy, Sources, 131.— Since εὐδοκί need not refer to God’ s good will, “ goodness which is his good pleasure” (Grot.), “ his good pleasure proceeding from his goodness” (Calv.), or “ his good pleasure in the goodness of men” (Dob.), it is unnecessary, especially in a context in which moral excellence is in mind, to take ἔργονπίστεω = “ work which is faith” (gen. of apposition), that is, God’ s work of faith (Calv., Dob.). In fact most commentators rightly refer both εὐδοκί and ἔργο to the Thessalonians (De W., Lü n., Ell., Lillie, Lft., Mill. and especially Schmiedel and Wohl. who note the progress from will to deed ).
- ὅπωςἐνδοξασθῇκτλ . The clause with ὅπω (dependent on ἵν v. 11) states the ultimate purpose of the prayer in language reminiscent of Isa 66:5, and similar to but more specific than that of v. 10: “ that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,” that is, in virtue of (ἐ of ground as in v. 10) what you are at the last day, blameless in holiness. Following the usage of the O. T., ὄνομ signifies what is involved in the Christian estimate of Jesus, namely, his Lordship and Messiahship (κύριο and Χριστό , Acts 2:36, Philippians 2:9 ff.). Here, however (contrast Philippians 2:11, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 1:6:11, Ephesians 5:20), only the Lordship is mentioned ; the name is not simply Jesus, but “ our Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:4; cf. Colossians 3:17).
The idea underlying the clause with ὅπω seems to be that at the last judgment, at the beginning of the eternal fellowship with Christ, the name “ our Lord Jesus” is named with loud acclaims (perhaps by the attendant angelic hosts), in virtue of the goodness and love of the Thessalonians perfected by God through the Spirit. What was in God’ s purpose, “ that they be deemed worthy of the kingdom of God” (v. 5), will then be realised.
καὶὑμεῖςἐναὐτῷ . Advancing beyond v. 10, Paul here states explicitly that the relation in glory between the Lord Jesus and his servants is reciprocal; they too are accorded honour and glory in virtue of what the name of our Lord Jesus has done for them: “ and that you may be glorified in (ἐ of ground) it,” that is, the name.
κατὰτὴνχάρινκτλ . The glorification for which prayer is made is in accordance with the divine favour (I 1:1) of “ our God” (v. 11) and the Lord Jesus Christ, just as it is with the purpose of God (v. 5). The statement is put positively; a contrast with human effort is not here indicated (contrast with Lft. Romans 4:16, Romans 11:5 f, Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:8).
In view of v. 10 and of ὅπω after ἵν , it is all but certain that the reference here is not to the present (Dob.) but to the future glorification (so most). In Paul, ὅπω is much less frequent than ἵν ; for the sequence here, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:27 ff. 2 Corinthians 8:13 f.— On ὄνομ , cf. Psalms 85:9, Psalms 85:12, Isaiah 24:15, Isaiah 42:10, Malachi 1:11, Daniel 3:26, and see Deiss. BS 35 ff. 143 ff., NBS. 24 ff., and TLZ 1904, 199 ff. The parallelism makes probable that αὐτῷ refers to ὄνομ (Hofmann, Lü n., Schmiedel, Wohl., Dob.); the meaning would be the same were the reference to “ our Lord Jesus.” Neither here nor in v. 10 is there a clear hint of δόξ entering into the believer.— GF omit καὶὑμεῖ … Χριστου — In the salutations ἀπὸθεοῦπατρὸςκαὶκυρίουἸησοῦΧριστου , the article is omitted as the formulae are fixed. The presence of του here before θεου has led some scholars to think that one person alone is meant, “ Jesus Christ, our God and Lord.” Hofmann, Riggenbach, and Wohl. find the justification for Christ as God in Romans 9:5 (cf.
Titus 2:13, John 20:28, 2 Peter 1:1, 2 Peter 1:11); Dob. would delete καὶκυρίουἸ . Χ as a gloss; Hilgenfeld sees in the phrase an evidence of the spuriousness of II. Inasmuch, however, as ὁθεὸςἡμῶ is characteristic of our letters (see I 2:2), and κύριοςἸησοῦςΧριστό , without the article, is a fixed formula, it is probable that we should, with most interpreters, distinguish between “ our God” and “ the Lord Jesus Christ.” K omits του ; the Latins naturally do not help.
א Ԡ א (e a p r). Cod. Sinaiticus, saec. iv, now at St. Petersburg. Edited by Tischendorf, its discoverer, in 1862. Photographic reproduction by H. and K. Lake, Oxford, 1911. Contains I and II complete.
A A (e a p r). Cod. Alexandrinus, saec. v, now in the British Museum. Edited by Woide in 1786. Facsimile by E. M. Thompson, 1879. Contains I and II complete.
B B (e a p r). Cod. Vaticanus, saec. iv, now in the Vatican Library. Photographic reproduction by Cozza-Luzi, Rome, 1889, and by the Milan firm of Hoepli, 1904. Contains I and II complete.
D D (p). Cod. Claromontanus, saec. vi, Graeco-Latin, now in the National library at Paris. Edited by Tischendorf in 1852. Contains I and II complete.
Bl F. Blass, Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Griechisch (1896, 19022).
Th. Theodore of Mopsuestia, in epistolas Pauli commentarii (ed. H. B. Swete, 1880-82).
Wohl Wohlenberg.
Born Bornemann.
Dob Ernst von Dobschü tz,
Lü n Lü nemann.
Chrys Chrysostom.
Grot Hugo de Groot (Grotius).
G G (p). Cod. Boernerianus, saec. ix, now in the Royal Library at Dresden. “ It is closely related to F, according to some the archetype of F” (Souter). Edited by Matthaei, 1791. Im Lichtdruck nachgebildet, Leipzig (Hiersemann), 1909. Contains I and II complete.
F F (p). Cod. Augiensis, saec. ix, Graeco-Latin, now in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. An exact transcript by Scrivener, 1859. Contains I and II complete.
K K (a p). Cod. Mosquensis, saec. ix, now at Moscow. Collated by Matthaei, 1782. Contains I and II complete.
L L (a p). Cod. Angelicus, saec. ix, now in the Angelican Library at Rome. Collated among others by Tischendorf (1843) and Tregelles (1845). Contains I and II complete.
P P (a p r). Cod. Porphyrianus, saec. ix, now at St. Petersburg. Edited by Tischendorf (1865). Contains I and II except I 3:5 μηκετι — ημειςοι 4:17.
E E Cod. Sangermanensis, saec. ix, now at St. Petersburg. A copy of D.
Ephr Ephraem Syrus.
Lft Lightfoot.
Mill George Milligan.
Weiss B. Weiss in TU. XIV, 3 (1896).
Zim F. Zimmer, Der Text der Thessalonicherbriefe (1893).
Calv Calvin.
De De Wette.
Lillie John Lillie, Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians, Translated from the Greek, with Notes (1856).
Ell Ellicott.
g g Latin of the bilingual G
Vulg Vulgate.
Ambst Ambrosiaster.
Arm Armenian version.
C C (e a p r). Cod. Ephraemi Rescriptus, saec. v, now in the National Library at Paris. The N. T. fragments were edited by Tischendorf in 1843. Contains I 1:2 ευχαριστουμεν — 2:8 εγενηθητε .
Vincent M. R. Vincent, Word Studies in the N. T., vol. IV, 1900.
BMT E. D. Burton, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in N. T. Greek (18983).
Lxx The Old Testament in Greek (ed. H. B. Swete, 1887-94).
SH Comm. on Romans in ICC. by W. Sanday an A. C. Headlam.
EB The Encyclopæ dia Biblica (London, 1899-1903; ed. J. S. Black and T. K. Cheyne).
Find G. G. Findlay.
Moff James Moffatt.
Meyer Kritisch-exegetischer Komm. ü ber das N. T.
Pesh Syriac Vulgate.
Bousset, W. Bousset, Die Religion des Judentums im neutestamentlichen Zeitalter (19062).
BDB Brown, Driver, Briggs, Heb.-Eng. Lexicon.
Volz, Paul Volz, Jü dische Eschatologie von Daniel bis Akiba (1903).
Kennedy, H. A. A. Kennedy, St. Paul’ s Conceptions of the Last Things (1904).
Kennedy, Sources of N. T. Greek (1895).
Deiss. A. Deissmann, Bibelstudien (1895).
TLZ Theologische Literaturzeitung.