Commentary on the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. He writes to them with solemn words; for according to the usual manner of discourse the head is contained in the epistle: and these same three are they in whose name it is written, just as also in the first epistle. We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as is fitting; because your faith grows exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all towards each other abounds. They profess themselves debtors to God for the progress of these people in the giving of thanks; and that he might show that the debt was not of any ordinary kind: he says, as is fitting; that they might testify that great thanks ought to be rendered to God for so infinite a gift.

For after receiving the first epistle they persisted in being better than they had been; so that they seemed abundant and overflowing in this, that after devotion to the Lord and God we have the commandment that we love one another.

So that we ourselves glory of you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which you endure as an example of the just judgment of God, to this end that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer. He testifies that his glory lies in their manner of life and in the persecution endured, to such a degree that their examples are held forth among the other Churches; that by imitation of them the others may grow in devotion to sufferings for Christ, and may merit to obtain what has been promised to the saints, in the day of the just judgment of God, for love of whom they did not hesitate to spurn the world. For the very tribulations are examples of future rewards: in those who suffer, unto glory; but in those who persecute, unto perdition.

Seeing it is a just thing with God to repay tribulation to those who trouble you: and to you who are afflicted, rest with us in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power, in a flame of fire giving vengeance to those who know not God, and to those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Since he said that the example of the just judgment of God appears whether toward the good or toward the evil, he therefore continues, saying: Seeing it is a just thing with God, that he render to each according to his works.

What is so just as that those who in this age oppress the good, and make them exiles by persecutions, should in the future suffer the same things which they do: but that the others should be at rest with the rest of the saints, who, coming from great tribulation, shall receive an eternal kingdom at the coming of the Lord from heaven; when he shall begin to come with his heavenly army and with the ministering fire, to render vengeance on the pagans, who do not know that God is the Father of Jesus Christ; and on the Jews, who, saying that they know God, do not believe the Gospel of Christ, which God the Father gave to him, that he might deliver it to his servants? All of whom the presence of the Lord and the glory of his majesty shall burn as fire; that they may pay the due penalties of destruction forever, always suffering, yet never wholly perishing; so that the very punishment shall in a manner ever regenerate them, that they may be consumed.

When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be made wonderful in all who have believed

because our testimony was believed among you in that day of the coming of the Lord. This contains a double meaning; for he will come both to punish the wicked and to glorify the good. For he himself will appear glorious and wonderful in those who believe by the example and faith of the apostles, when they shall have been crowned, the Gospel bearing testimony for them in the day of the Lord: but he will appear severe toward unbelievers, when they shall begin to be constrained by eternal punishments. For the crown of the disciples is the glory of the Master, and his truth is the punishment of unbelievers; because what was preached was not believed.

Wherein also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of his calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To joy he adds prayers also, that, since they are devout, God may deign to help them, that they may perfect the work begun, unto the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; so that the perseverance of the disciples may be a testimony to the glory of the Master. For the authority of the Master lies in the confidence of the disciples, when by the grace received they render themselves the more worthy.

We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that you be not easily moved from your mind, nor be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as if sent by us, as though the day of the Lord were at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for unless the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself as if he were God.

He beseeches them not to lightly and easily receive an opinion concerning the coming of the Lord as though imminent: and he gives such commands that even if someone, as if a prophet, has spoken by the spirit, he ought not to be believed; nor, if it be by a treatise or by a letter perhaps written in the name of the apostles, should assent be given. For deceivers are accustomed, in order to mislead, to forge a letter under the name of some famous man; so that the authority of the name may commend what could not be received on its own account. This he says lest, being caught unprepared amid the very confusion, they should be led astray into worshipping the devil, who will boast of these things for this purpose, that appearing under the name of the Saviour, and deceiving the saints, he may wish to be worshipped, so as to deceive those who believe in Christ.

But that most shameless Satan may not have the place or occasion of deceiving which he thinks he has, he designated the time and signs of the coming of the Lord

because the Lord will not come before the falling away of the Roman kingdom takes place, and the antichrist appears, who will kill the saints, liberty having been restored to the Romans, yet under his own name. For knowing that the Lord is to come to crush him, he will usurp his name for himself: and that his kingdom may seem to be true, he will draw to himself those who will perish together with him; so that he shall sit in the house of the Lord in the seat of Christ, and shall assert himself to be God himself, not the Son of God. Whence in the Gospel the Lord says to the Jews: I came in the name of my Father, and you did not receive me; if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive.

For which reason it is to be expected that he will come of the circumcision, or being himself circumcised; that the Jews may have confidence to believe him. Therefore, when the Apostle writes to the Thessalonians, he teaches that all ought to be cautious in a matter of this kind.

Do you not remember that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

And now you know what withholds, that he may be revealed in his time. He says this remains, that he be revealed who is to come before the Lord; so that then the coming of the Lord also may be hoped for, which above he had, as it were, veiled, saying: Unless the falling away come first; which I have noted above is to be understood as the abolition of the Roman kingdom; so that when it shall have fallen and the antichrist shall have come, then the coming of the Lord is to be believed to be at hand.

For the mystery of iniquity already works, only that he who now holds, may hold, until he be taken out of the way. The mystery of iniquity began with Nero, who out of zeal for idols killed the apostles, at the instigation of his father the devil, down to Diocletian, and lastly Julian, who by a certain art and subtlety could not accomplish the persecution he had begun; because it had not been permitted from above. For Satan uses these ministers, that meanwhile, under the multitude of gods, he may mock the manifestation of the one true God for the purpose of deceiving men, as long as the Roman kingdom stands, that is, what he says: Until he be taken out of the way.

then that wicked one shall be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy by the brightness of his coming: whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders. He says that the antichrist will appear after the falling away of the Roman kingdom, as has been noted. For in the last time the devil, knowing his own destruction to be imminent, when the Roman kingdom shall have fallen, he too will be cast down from the heavens, thrown down onto the earth (as is said in the Apocalypse of John the apostle); he will suborn to himself one in whom and through whom he will do certain signs of power by the permission of the just God, in order to commend himself, that he may be worshipped as if he were God.

For he will imitate God, so that just as the Son of God, being born or made man, demonstrated his divinity by signs and powers; so also Satan will appear in a man, that by lying powers he may show himself God, as was said above. But this is the revelation of the mystery of iniquity: for when the antichrist shall have appeared, he himself will be recognized as, so to speak, the god of those whom before, at his nod, the common people worshipped as gods, of whom he himself will be either the first or the chief, which he will make credible by the powers of his signs. And he called them lying wonders because by these signs he wishes to be believed to be what he is not; that he may deceive those whom he means to circumvent: which has been foretold to the saints for this reason, that they may know what to beware of.

in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

He says that the deceit of iniquity of his wonders profits those who are to perish; because, having spurned the love of the truth, by which they could have been saved through the preaching of the apostles, they are handed over to the devil; for those unwilling to be saved are abandoned by God.

therefore God shall send them the operation of error, that they should believe a lie; that all may be judged who have not believed the truth, but have consented to iniquity. The operation of error is to give credit to false things, so that those who refused to agree that the brightness of light is day think that darkness ought to be called day; so that, having been made guilty by a more inclined offense, they may be condemned without contradiction, being enemies of the truth and supporters of iniquity.

But we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord

because God has taken you from the beginning unto salvation, in sanctification of the spirit, and faith of the truth, unto which he called you by our Gospel, unto the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this place the foreknowledge of God resounds, because he knows the minds of all before their birth; nor is it hidden from him who are to believe. Therefore from the beginning he knows that these are to be faithful, who by believing make an increase of faith, not a loss; for, being sanctified through faith of the truth of the Gospel of the Son of God, they are gained unto an increase of the glory of the body of Christ, just as also in another epistle he says: that all things, he says, may grow into the increase of God.

For whoever, having deserted the devil, take refuge in the faith of Christ, make an increase for God in the body of Christ, who had before caused a loss.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle. That the foreknowledge of God may remain unto their salvation, he therefore admonishes them to stand and persevere in the tradition of the Gospel; that they be careful, lest, growing sluggish through idleness and ease in the works of God, they fail to complete what they have begun. For thus he foreknows that they can believe and can remain, if urged by frequent admonition.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, who has loved us, and has given us everlasting consolation, and good hope in grace; comfort your hearts, and confirm you in every good work and word. Since the Father and the Son are one power, and one divinity and substance, therefore he did not hesitate to name our Lord Jesus Christ first, and then God our Father, by condescension of him, not by truth of nature: who so loved us that he gave his Son for us, God for men, the Lord for servants, the true Son for adopted sons; that his death might be our life, and his resurrection our justification, and his second coming the rest of our life, and glory forever; that this hope might be the consolation of present tribulations, by which, being grounded, they might grow in good works and doctrine.

For the rest, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified, even as among you: and that we may be delivered from importunate and evil men; for all men have not faith. As for the rest, he exhorts them to pray, that God may deign to guide his teaching in an untiring course, and pour it through the mouth of his Apostle into the ears of hearers, and that he might check and quiet the seditions of evil men, who distrust the truth, and that confidence of speech might grow for the Apostle to his fruit, and the conversion of many.

But God is faithful, who will strengthen you, and keep you from evil.

Since God has promised his help will not be lacking to faithful men and men of good life in time of need, for their confirmation, and these were rivals of the good both in faith and in work; therefore he calls God faithful in his promises, because his providence would be over them.

we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that the things which we command, you both do, and will do.

Because they deserve this, that he might be confident it would be wholly granted by the defense of God; therefore he does not doubt that the things which he was commanding them in the name of the Lord are done by them, and will be done.

the Lord direct your hearts, in the charity of God, and the patience of Christ.

This he desires for them from God, which he does not doubt can be granted; that in the charity of God their heart may advance toward awaiting the coming of the Lord, so that, the world being condemned, his coming may be desired, who has conquered the world.

we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they received from us.

Since not all in every people are obedient to the word of the teaching, not of the law, but following their own pleasure and counsel; for this reason he commands that these be avoided, that they may know themselves to be in error.

For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us: for we were not disorderly among you; neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing, but in labor and toil we worked night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: not because we had not power, but that we might give ourselves a pattern unto you, to imitate us. He says that they are not ignorant of his own work and labor, which he carried on diligently in its outcome, that he might not lack another's bread, so that he might give them an example to imitate. For he would not have been open to reproach if he had received bread from these for the care of his body, he who supplied to their souls the spiritual food which also would procure for the body immortality with glory.

For then indeed can liberty be exercised, if someone does not subject himself to anyone for the sake of the belly or of money, content with his own bread; especially since this contributes more to praise, if, when it is lawful and the power of taking exists, he refrains: such a one can be of profit to those who hear him; for they will have reverence for this rigor, and the things commanded by him cannot be passed over.

For also when we were with you, this we declared to you, that if any man will not work, neither let him eat. He did not teach by words only, but exhorted also by deeds; for it is the mark of a fit teacher, if he fulfills by works what he teaches by words. For then learners know that what they hear is true, if they do not see it neglected by the teacher. For although it is not unknown that what is taught is manifestly true; yet if it begins to be neglected by the master, it profits the hearers with difficulty: for deeds persuade more than words. Wherefore they are to be rewarded with great prizes, who, though their teachers are negligent, profit both in work and in understanding from words alone. It was therefore a pattern for those who were of middling or slender means among the people; that they might learn how not to lose their liberty.

Whence also Solomon says: Withdraw your foot rarely from your friend's house, lest being filled he hate you.

For he who frequently comes to another's table, given to idleness, must flatter the one who feeds him; whereas our religion calls men to liberty. Therefore, he says, if anyone refuses to eat, let him cease from work; but since no one can live without food, let him take pains to labor; that living by his own resources he may have God propitious to him.

For we have heard there are some among you who walk disorderly, working not at all, but curiously meddling. Those who desire to be idle act in such a way that an occasion may arise by which they may make their entry into the houses of the wealthy desirable, walking about and subtly gathering deeds and opinions of words, knowing what they wish to hear about whom, so that being questioned they may be fed gladly. Which practice is greatly abhorrent to the Lord's discipline; for the belly of these is their god, who foully provide for necessary care.

Now them that are such, we charge and beseech in the Lord Jesus Christ, that, working with quietness, they eat their own bread.

That he might persuade them more easily, having interposed the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he exhorts them to obey what is useful to them.

But you, brethren, be not weary in well-doing.

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed by reverence: yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. For which reason he had said above that each ought to eat his own bread, lest perhaps some of them might take occasion of parsimony and inhumanity; therefore he immediately adds: But you, brethren, be not weary in well-doing. For he does not come under reproach who is kind and generous; but he who, though he can bear labor, wishes to spend his life in idleness. If the authority of the epistle does not correct such a one, he commands that he be noted, and that one not associate with him; that being ashamed, avoided by all, he might submit himself to the precepts of the Apostle.

Which, however, he wants done without boasting or insult, that he be patiently avoided by them; yet so, that if occasion arises to speak with him, one should give him confidence, that he may allow himself to be corrected, and that the precepts of the Apostle be not further despised: nor should familiarity be maintained with him for long, so long as he becomes obedient. For if he is provoked to anger by insults, he will become the aggressor; for he will be incited to contention, and will begin to wish to defend his error, and afterward be ashamed to correct himself; lest what he had before excused, he should seem afterward to confess.

Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means.

The Lord be with you all.

He always pursues them, as most beloved children, with what is properly his own good wish, hoping that peace may always remain with them, which is a guide to eternal life. For the Lord has promised to be with those who are peacemakers.

The salutation of me Paul, with mine own hand, which is the sign in every epistle: so I write.

On account of interpolators and adulterators of the Scriptures, he testifies that he always subscribes the salutation with his own hand in every one of his epistles; so that a letter bearing his name cannot be accepted as authentic unless it has been subscribed by his own hand.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

This salutation was written by the hand of the Apostle, by which he wishes the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be with them. Amen.