because--literally, "in requital for"; in just retribution for their having no love for the truth which was within their reach (on account of its putting a check on their bad passions), and for their having "pleasure in unrighteousness" ([2Th 2:12]; [Ro 1:18]); they are lost because they loved not, but rejected, the truth which would have saved them.
received not--Greek, "welcomed not"; admitted it not cordially.
love of the truth--not merely love of truth, but love of THE truth (and of, Jesus who is the Truth, in opposition to Satan's "lie," [2Th 2:9], ; [Joh 8:42-44]), can save ([Ep 4:21]). We are required not merely to assent to, but to love the truth ([Psa 119:97]). The Jews rejected Him who came in His divine Father's name; they will receive Antichrist coming in his own name ([Joh 5:43]). Their pleasant sin shall prove their terrible scourge.
11. for this cause--because "they received not the love of the truth." The best safeguard against error is "the love of the truth."
shall send--Greek, "sends," or "is sending"; the "delusion" is already beginning. God judicially sends hardness of heart on those who have rejected the truth, and gives them up in righteous judgment to Satan's delusions ([Is 6:9], ; Ro 1:24-26, 28). They first cast off the love of the truth, then God gives them up to Satan's delusions, then they settle down into "believing the lie": an awful climax ([1Ki 22:22], ; [Eze 14:9]; [Job 12:16]; [Mt 24:5], ; [1Ti 4:1]).
strong delusion--Greek, "the powerful working of error," answering to the energizing "working of Satan" ([2Th 2:9]); the same expression as is applied to the Holy Ghost's operation in believers: "powerful" or "effectual (energizing) working" ([Ep 1:19]).
believe a lie--rather, "the lie" which Antichrist tells them, appealing to his miracles as proofs of it ... ([2Th 2:9]).
12. they all ... damned--rather as Greek, "that all," &c. He here states the general proposition which applies specially to Antichrist's adherents. Not all in the Church of Rome, or other anti-Christian systems, shall be damned, but only "all who believed not the truth," when offered to them, "but had pleasure in unrighteousness" ([Ro 1:32]; 2:8). Love of unrighteousness being the great obstacle to believing the truth.
13. But--In delightful contrast to the damnation of the lost ([2Th 2:12]) stands the "salvation" of Paul's converts.
are bound--in duty ([2Th 1:3]).
thanks ... to God--not to ourselves, your ministers, nor to you, our converts.
beloved of the Lord--Jesus ([Ro 8:37]; [Ga 2:20]; [Ep 5:2], ). Elsewhere God the Father is said to love us ([2Th 2:16]; [Joh 3:16]; [Ep 2:4]; [Col 3:12]). Therefore Jesus and the Father are one.
from the beginning--"before the foundation of the world" ([Ep 1:4]; compare [1Co 2:7]; [2Ti 1:9]); in contrast to those that shall "worship the beast, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" ([Re 13:8]). Some of the oldest manuscripts read as English Version, but other oldest manuscripts and Vulgate read, "as first-fruits." The Thessalonians were among the first converts in Europe (compare [Ro 16:5]; [1Co 16:15]). In a more general sense, it occurs in [Jas 1:18]; [Re 14:4]; so I understand it here including the more restricted sense.
chosen you--The Greek, is not the ordinary word for "elected," implying His eternal selection; but taken for Himself, implying His having adopted them in His eternal purpose. It is found in the Septuagint ([De 7:7]; ).
through--rather as Greek, "in sanctification" as the element in which the choice to salvation had place (compare [1Pe 1:2]), standing in contrast to the "unrighteousness," the element in which Antichrist's followers are given over by God to damnation ([2Th 2:12]).
of the Spirit--wrought by the Spirit who sanctifies all the elect people of God, first by eternally consecrating them to perfect holiness in Christ, once for all, next by progressively imparting it.
belief of the truth--contrasted with "believed not the truth" ([2Th 2:12]).
14. you--The oldest manuscripts read, "us."
by our gospel--"through" the Gospel which we preach.
to ... glory--In [2Th 2:13] it was "salvation," that is, deliverance from all evil, of body and soul ([1Th 5:9]); here it is positive good, even "glory," and that "the glory of our Lord Jesus" Himself, which believers are privileged to share with Him ([Joh 17:22], ; [Ro 8:17], ; [2Ti 2:10]).
15. Therefore--God's sovereign choice of believers, so far from being a ground for inaction on their part, is the strongest incentive to action and perseverance in it. Compare the argument, [Php 2:12], , "Work out your own salvation, FOR it is God which worketh in you," &c. We cannot fully explain this in theory; but to the sincere and humble, the practical acting on the principle is plain. "Privilege first, duty afterwards" [Edmunds].
stand fast--so as not to be "shaken or troubled" ([2Th 2:2]).
hold--so as not to let go. Adding nothing, subtracting nothing [Bengel]. The Thessalonians had not held fast his oral instructions but had suffered themselves to be imposed upon by pretended spirit-revelations, and words and letters pretending to be from Paul ([2Th 2:2]), to the effect that "the day of the Lord was instantly imminent."
traditions--truths delivered and transmitted orally, or in writing ([2Th 3:6]; [1Co 11:2]; Greek, "traditions"). The Greek verb from which the noun comes, is used by Paul in [1Co 11:23]; . From the three passages in which "tradition" is used in a good sense, Rome has argued for her accumulation of uninspired traditions, virtually overriding God's Word, while put forward as of co-ordinate authority with it. She forgets the ten passages ([Mt 15:2], [3, 6]; [Mr 7:3], [5, 8], [9, 13]; [Ga 1:14]; [Col 2:8]) stigmatizing man's uninspired traditions. Not even the apostles' sayings were all inspired (for example, Peter's dissimulation, [Ga 2:11-14]), but only when they claimed to be so, as in their words afterwards embodied in their canonical writings. Oral inspiration was necessary in their case, until the canon of the written Word should be complete; they proved their possession of inspiration by miracles wrought in support of the new revelation, which revelation, moreover, accorded with the existing Old Testament revelation; an additional test needed besides miracles (compare [De 13:1-6]; [Ac 17:11]). When the canon was complete, the infallibility of the living men was transferred to the written Word, now the sole unerring guide, interpreted by the Holy Spirit. Little else has come down to us by the most ancient and universal tradition save this, the all-sufficiency of Scripture for salvation. Therefore, by tradition, we are constrained to cast off all tradition not contained in, or not provable by, Scripture. The Fathers are valuable witnesses to historical facts, which give force to the intimations of Scripture: such as the Christian Lord's day, the baptism of infants, and the genuineness of the canon of Scripture. Tradition (in the sense of human testimony) cannot establish a doctrine, but can authenticate a fact, such as the facts just mentioned. Inspired tradition, in Paul's sense, is not a supplementary oral tradition completing our written Word, but it is identical with the written Word now complete; then the latter not being complete, the tradition was necessarily in part oral, in part written, and continued so until, the latter being complete before the death of St. John, the last apostle, the former was no longer needed. Scripture is, according to Paul, the complete and sufficient rule in all that appertains to making "the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" ([2Ti 3:16], ). It is by leaving Paul's God-inspired tradition for human traditions that Rome has become the forerunner and parent of the Antichrist. It is striking that, from this very chapter denouncing Antichrist, she should draw an argument for her "traditions" by which she fosters anti-Christianity. Because the apostles' oral word was as trustworthy as their written word, it by no means follows that the oral word of those not apostles is as trustworthy as the written word of those who were apostles or inspired evangelists. No tradition of the apostles except their written word can be proved genuine on satisfactory evidence. We are no more bound to accept implicitly the Fathers' interpretations of Scripture, because we accept the Scripture canon on their testimony, than we are bound to accept the Jews' interpretation of the Old Testament, because we accept the Old Testament canon on their testimony.
our epistle--as distinguished from a "letter AS from us," [2Th 2:2], namely, that purports to be from us, but is not. He refers to his first Epistle to the Thessalonians.
16-17. himself--by His own might, as contrasted with our feebleness; ensuring the efficacy of our prayer. Here our Lord Jesus stands first; in [1Th 3:11], "God our Father."
which ... loved us--in the work of our redemption. Referring both to our Lord Jesus ([Ro 8:37]; [Ga 2:20]) and God our Father ([Joh 3:16]).
everlasting consolation--not transitory, as worldly consolations in trials ([Ro 8:38], ). This for all time present, and then "good hope" for the future [Alford].
through grace--rather as Greek "IN grace"; to be joined to "hath given." Grace is the element in which the gift was made.
Chapter 3
[2Th 3:1-18]. He Asks Their Prayers: His Confidence in Them: Prayer for Them: Charges against Disorderly Idle Conduct; His Own Example: Concluding Prayer and Salutation.
1. Finally--literally, "As to what remains."
may have free course--literally, "may run"; spread rapidly without a drag on the wheels of its course. That the new-creating word may "run," as "swiftly" as the creative word at the first ([Psa 147:15]). The opposite is the word of God being "bound" ([2Ti 2:9]).
glorified--by sinners accepting it ([Ac 13:48]; [Ga 1:23], ). Contrast "evil spoken of" ([1Pe 4:14]).
as it is with you--([1Th 1:6]; ; ).
2. that we ... be delivered from unreasonable ... men--literally, men out of place, inept, unseemly: out of the way bad: more than ordinarily bad. An undesigned coincidence with [Ac 18:5-9]. Paul was now at Corinth, where the Jews "opposed themselves" to his preaching: in answer to his prayers and those of his converts at Thessalonica and elsewhere, "the Lord, in vision," assured him of exemption from "the hurt," and of success in bringing in "much people." On the unreasonable, out-of-the way perversity of the Jews, as known to the Thessalonians, see [1Th 2:15], .
have not faith--or as Greek, "the faith" of the Christian: the only antidote to what is "unreasonable and wicked." The Thessalonians, from their ready acceptance of the Gospel ([1Th 1:5], ), might think "all" would similarly receive it; but the Jews were far from having such a readiness to believe the truth.
3. faithful--alluding to "faith" ([2Th 3:2]): though many will not believe, the Lord (other very old manuscripts read "God") is still to be believed in as faithful to His promises ([1Th 5:24]; [2Ti 2:13]). Faith on the part of man answers to faithfulness on the part of God.
stablish you--as he had prayed ([2Th 2:17]). Though it was on himself that wicked men were making their onset, he turns away from asking the Thessalonians' prayers for HIS deliverance ([2Th 3:2]: so unselfish was he, even in religion), to express his assurance of THEIR establishment in the faith, and preservation from evil. This assurance thus exactly answers to his prayer for them ([2Th 2:17]), "Our Lord ... stablish you in every good word and work." He has before his mind the Lord's Prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"; where, as here, the translation may be, "from the evil one"; the great hinderer of "every good word and work." Compare [Mt 13:19], "the wicked one."
4. we have confidence in the Lord--as "faithful" ([2Th 3:3]). Have confidence in no man when left to himself [Bengel].
that ye both do--Some of the oldest manuscripts insert a clause, "that ye both have done" before, "and are doing, and will do." He means the majority by "ye," not all of them (compare [2Th 3:11]; [2Th 1:3]; [1Th 3:6]).
5. If "the Lord" be here the Holy Ghost ([2Co 3:17]), the three Persons of the Trinity will occur in this verse.
love of God--love to God.
patient waiting for Christ--rather as Greek, "the patience (endurance) of Christ," namely, which Christ showed [Alford] ([2Th 2:4]; [1Th 1:3]). Estius, however, supports English Version (compare [Re 1:9]; ). At all events, this grace, "patience," or persevering endurance, is connected with the "hope" ([1Th 1:3], ) of Christ's coming. In Alford's translation we may compare [He 12:1], , "Run with patience (endurance) ... looking to Jesus ... who, for the joy that was before Him, endured the cross"; so WE are to endure, as looking for the hope to be realized at His coming ([He 10:36], ).
6. we command you--Hereby he puts to a particular test their obedience in general to his commands, which obedience he had recognized in [2Th 3:4].