Chapter Two

Explanation and instruction of the Apostle concerning the second coming of Christ on account of groundless confusions about this (1–2). The signs of this coming in its precursor the departure and revelation of the antichrist (3–12). The election of the Thessalonians to salvation, exhortation to them for steadfast firmness in apostolic traditions and invocation of gracious consolation from God for them in religious and moral growth (13–17).

2 Thessalonians 2:1. We ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, The Apostle here touches on the sorest point in the life of the church of Thessalonica—the disturbances and reeling that arose over the question of the parousia. He asks them not to be troubled, and not to be shaken in mind regarding the time of Christ’s coming. His day may be near, but He will not come until a series of events occurs which will prepare the revelation of the eternal kingdom of glory. “Our gathering together”—in Greek episunagoge—from the verb episunago, which is found in the Gospel Mark 13:27 and the Gospel Matt 24:31. The word episunagoge is found in the epistle to Heb 10:25, as well as in 2 Macc 2:7, where it also has an eschatological meaning. By gathering here is meant the uniting of the living and the dead, and their common meeting with Christ on the day of His parousia (cf. 1 Thess 4:16). The Apostle speaks of “our gathering”—hemon, apparently including himself in the number of possible participants in this great day before the end of life.

2 Thessalonians 2:2. Not to be hastily shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by epistle as if from us, as though the day of Christ has already come. “Not hastily” (in Slavic)—not in a temporal sense, but a qualitative one—hastily, eagerly. “To be shaken in mind”—to lose your head, to allow excitement to overwhelm reasoned judgment, to break away from it as a ship breaks away from its anchor under the pressure of storm and waves. “To be troubled” (in Slavic)—to be confused, but not losing one’s head. The end of the verse is explained above—see the introduction.

2 Thessalonians 2:3. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the departure comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, The Apostle does not deny that the day of the parousia may be near, but he says it has not yet come. Its revelation must be preceded by a series of events, and first of all a “departure,” he apostasia. The use of the article with the word apostasia shows that a definite fact is meant, well known to the Apostle and to the Thessalonians. Our position in this respect is entirely different. The key to understanding exactly the thoughts of Apostle Paul is lost to us. Hence the possibility of different interpretations, and the necessity of critical judgment. What then is this departure of which Apostle Paul speaks? In what does it consist? The word apostasia can be given two meanings—religious and political. The first meaning this word has in the LXX and in the New Testament (see 1 Macc 2:15 and Acts 21:21, where there is discussion of departure from the law of Moses). But if this word has a religious meaning, then where will this departure occur—among pagans, among Christians, or among Jews? Of course, every uprising against God is a departure, but one should think that pagans, as lawless ones, are hardly to be considered here. Departure is rather conceivable either among Christians or among Jews. But in the Apostle’s writings we find no data to suppose that great apostasy will occur in Christianity just before Christ’s coming, though partial apostasy is quite conceivable. Hence—departure is better sought in Israel, where it will have more a religious than a political character. The second event before the coming of the parousia is the revelation of “the man of sin, the son of destruction.” Both expressions are Hebraisms; Judas in the Gospel of John (John 17:12) is called “the son of destruction.” The first expression “man of sin” characterizes the very nature of the personality who will rise up against God, while the second “son of destruction” indicates the final fate of this personality. One should suppose that the Apostle means here not simply a tendency of evil acting in humanity, but rather a definite person in whom all evil should, so to speak, be embodied and concentrated, and stand against the true Messiah and Son of God. To identify the son of destruction with Satan himself is not permitted by 2 Thess 2:9.

2 Thessalonians 2:4. Who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. “Opponent”—antikeimendes—equal to the expression antichrist. “Who exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship”—the son of destruction will be the enemy not only of the true God, but also of the gods of the pagans (1 Cor 8:5), whether something personal or any object of worship at all. This will be a denial of all religion in general. “In the temple of God”—eis ton naon tou theou—naos—the inner part of the temple, the sanctuary. The use of two articles apparently points to the fact that here the temple of Jerusalem is meant. “Sits... as God”—this phrase and in general all the images that make up the content of this verse could easily have been suggested to Apostle Paul by the description of Antiochus Epiphanes in the prophet Daniel Dan 11:36 (compare Dan 7:25), and the mad attempt of the Roman emperor Caligula—to place his statue in the temple of Jerusalem for religious worship (Josephus, Antiquities, XVIII:8, 2). But how can such Satanic godlessness be manifested in the Jewish people? It is very difficult to answer this. But Apostle Paul apparently regarded Judaism as a sphere in which the most terrible Satanic struggle against God was to be manifested (see 1 Thess 2:14-16). Compare, however, Rom 9-11. See Zeine, P. Theologie des Neuen Testaments, pp. 465–74, 1911. This is a very difficult point in Paul’s teaching.

2 Thessalonians 2:5. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? From this verse it is clear that the Apostle, preaching to the Thessalonians, spoke at length and in detail about the parousia of Christ (see 1 Thess 5:1-2), and about the times and seasons in connection with it, which finds confirmation also in Acts 17:7.

2 Thessalonians 2:6. And now you know what is restraining him so that he may be revealed in his own time. What does Apostle Paul mean by to katerchon (“the restraining thing”—in Slavic)? Below in 2 Thess 2:7 he speaks regarding ho katerchon—“the one restraining,” in Slavic. Undoubtedly here the same thing is meant, and most probably—the Roman power, the Roman empire, which with its mighty hand was still holding back the godlessness of Israel. This interpretation, going back to the time of Tertullian (De Resurr. c. 24—quis nisi Romanus status), finds confirmation also in the facts of Apostle Paul’s life. The latter everywhere found that Roman power indeed played the role of “the restrainer” (see Acts 17:6 and ff. Acts 18:12-16), hence his view on power in Rom 13:1-3. If the Apostle writes here obscurely, then this stands in complete agreement with the mysterious character of apocalyptic writings and perhaps with considerations of caution, in view of what is said in the second half of the verse 2 Thess 2:7.

2 Thessalonians 2:7. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is removed. “The mystery of lawlessness”—this is the same as apostasia. The verse clarifies the preceding thought: the revelation of the lawless one will be only the full revelation, not the very arising of it, for the principle of evil, of which he will be the embodiment, is already at work, though in secret, and specifically until the one who now restrains the orgy of evil is removed.

2 Thessalonians 2:8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the brightness of His coming 2 Thessalonians 2:9. Whose coming is in accordance with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, 2 Thessalonians 2:10. And with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. But once “the restrainer” is taken from among them, the “lawless one” (“the man of sin” in 2 Thess 2:3) will be revealed, whose coming will be a Satanic parody of the coming of the true Messiah—Jesus; but his kingdom will not last long: the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth (compare Isa 11:4); one breath of God will be sufficient to wipe from the face of the earth the lawless one. “Destroy by the brightness of His coming”—here two terms are joined together—epiphaneia and parousia. The former is used in the New Testament only by Apostle Paul, and except for this place, chiefly in the pastoral epistles. This expression includes the idea of a striking and significant event, full of glory and majesty. The second term is found in Apostle Paul’s writings chiefly in 1 Thess 1 and 1 Cor 15:23. Besides this—it is found in the epistles of Apostle James, Peter II, and John 1. The expression “parousia”—appears to be strictly a Hebrew term, while “epiphaneia”—a term more understandable to pagans. “With all power and false signs and wonders”—the first refers to the cause of the wonders, the second and third characterize the impression on the witnesses of false wonders. These latter can either enlighten the minds of the witnesses (signs), or capture their moral feeling (false wonders. See Lightfoot). “With all wicked deception”—in Slavic: “with all the falsehood of unrighteousness”—a combination of words indicating the active, aggressive character of unrighteousness, operating, however, only on “those who are perishing”—spiritually akin to “the son of destruction.” “Love of the truth”—an intensifying expression. Those who are perishing not only will reject the truth, but they will not even wish to possess it.

2 Thessalonians 2:11. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 2 Thessalonians 2:12. So that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness. Here is described the further fate of “those who are perishing.” They first will rise up against “the love of truth” (2 Thess 2:10). For this God will send them “the working of error”—when they not only will passively listen to lies, but will become their active supporters and apostles. They will believe “the lie”—lie here is everything that negates the truth of the Gospel, the truth par excellence. Lie will become truth for those who are perishing; but this aberration will be permitted so that they may be condemned for consciously rejecting the word of truth, and found pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 2:13. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 2 Thessalonians 2:14. To which He also called you through our gospel, to gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having finished with the fate of those who are perishing, the Apostle turns to the fate of the “elect” of the Thessalonians, and says that he and his co-workers must always give thanks to God for the fact that the Thessalonians were from the beginning chosen by God to obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Beloved by the Lord”—that is, by Jesus Christ, since in Apostle Paul’s writings the name Kyrios is almost exclusively applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. “From the beginning” apo arches—the better reading, because it more distinctly emphasizes the Apostle’s thought about the difference between the eternal plan of God concerning salvation, and its fulfillment at a known historical moment (cf. 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:4; 2 Tim 1:9). On the other hand, Codex Vaticanus (B) reads aparchen—the first fruit (cf. 1 Cor 16:15; Rom 16:5)—in which case the Apostle’s thought turns to the Thessalonians as the first fruit, the first fruit of his evangelical service in Macedonia (Phil 4:15). But the first reading should be preferred for all considerations. Here then will be indicated three stages in the development of the plan of salvation—eternal election, calling, and obtaining of eternal glory. “Through sanctification of the Spirit”—that is, the Holy Spirit (compare 1 Pet 1:2 according to the Greek text). “Belief in the truth”—in Slavic: that is, belief in truth. “He called”—an indication of the historical moment of the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan concerning salvation. The instrument of calling was the “Gospel,” which Apostle Paul calls “our” (cf. Rom 2:16; 2 Cor 4:3; 2 Tim 2:8). “For obtaining”—in Slavic; according to Greek: eis peripoiesin doxes—“this can mean either 1) so that we may obtain glory, or 2) so that He may take us into His glory, or else clothe us with glory” (Lightfoot, op. cit. 121). The word peripoiesis can emphasize either our own effort to obtain glory, or indicate action on the part of God, taking us into His glory.

2 Thessalonians 2:15. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Now that such is the plan of salvation, as the Apostle continues, the Thessalonians should, for their part, show themselves worthy of this and firmly hold to what was taught to them—“traditions”—tas paradoseis—teachings communicated to them not merely as personal views, but as a “message” received from above, it being immaterial how these teachings reached them—“by word”—or by “letter.” Under the latter is undoubtedly meant our 1 Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 2:16. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God and our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 2 Thessalonians 2:17. Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. The end of the chapter contains a prayer of the Apostle, in which the name of the Lord Jesus Christ comes before the name of God. “This order perhaps was determined, writes G. Milligan, by the immediately preceding reference to ‘the glory of the Lord Jesus’ (2 Thess 2:14), or perhaps owes its appearance to the fact that Christ is precisely the mediator through whom God’s plan regarding His people was accomplished. In both cases we have another striking example of the equality of honor ascribed everywhere in these epistles to the Son together with God the Father” (op. cit. 108). “Who has loved us and given”—two participles with one article, and the aorist in parakalesa—point to a definite historical moment of the origin of the Gospel, and refer to “God and Father.” “Eternal comfort”—in contrast with fleeting earthly joys. “Good hope”—hope for the future. “By grace”—both are gifts from above, not our personal merit. “In every good word and deed”—not only in what you do, but also in what you say.