Context

Paul had written and sent his first letter to the Thessalonians shortly after he took up his ministerial labors in Corinth. The immediate effect of the letter had been to strengthen the bond of affection between the apostle and the Christians of Thessalonica. According to reports that reached him, the brethren remained firm in spite of various afflictions and persecutions. For the same reason, however, they had been imbued with the idea and were now frankly obsessed with the notion that the last day was at hand, that the Lord’s coming to Judgment would take place immediately. “Mistaken and enthusiastic men had also nourished this deception by appealing to visions and to the traditionary sayings of the apostle; and it would even appear that an epistle had been forged in the name of the apostle. The church was thrown into a state of wild excitement; an impatient and fanatical longing for the instant when Christ would come seized upon one portion. … The consequence was that many of the Thessalonians were neglecting their secular business and living idle and useless lives, conceiving that there was no use of working in a world which was so soon to be destroyed.” ^■861 . Cp. 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3; 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12. This state of affairs caused the apostle to send a second epistle, written within a few months after the first, also from Corinth.

Contents

The contents of the letter may be briefly given as follows. After the opening salutation Paul addresses to the afflicted congregation a comforting exhortation with reference to the punishment of God upon the evil-doers on the last day. He follows this up with a reminder and further instruction concerning the second advent of Christ, which would be preceded by the rise and exposure of Antichrist. A thought which is closely connected with this is that of a warning against disorderly conduct and shiftlessness. The letter closes with a line written by Paul’s own hand and with the apostolic benediction.

Overview

In the First Epistle, Paul had solved for the Thessalonians the question of the Last Day, telling them that it would come quickly, as a thief in the night. Now it is wont to happen that one question always gives birth to another, because of misunderstanding; and so the Thessalonians understood that the Last Day was already close at hand. Thereupon, Paul writes this epistle and explains himself.

In chapter 1, he comforts them with the eternal reward that will come to their faith and their patience in afflictions of every kind, and with the punishment that will come to their persecutors in eternal pain.

In chapter 2, he teaches that before the Last Day, the Roman Empire must pass away and Antichrist rise up before God in the Church, and seduce the unbelieving world with false doctrines and signs until Christ shall come and destroy him by His glorious advent, first slaying him with spiritual preaching.

In chapter 3, he gives some admonitions, especially that they shall rebuke the idlers, who will not support themselves by their own labor, and if they will not reform, that they shall avoid them; and this is a hard rebuke to the clergy of today.

Verses 1-2

Introductrory salutation

This opening greeting agrees almost exactly with that of the first letter. Paul again names Silvanus and Timothy, not as coauthors, but as companions and fellow-laborers, with whose persons and work the Thessalonians were familiar from their labor in their own city. To the church, or congregation, of the Thessalonians in God he addresses himself, calling Him our Father and placing Jesus Christ the Lord on a level with Him. All believers are united by faith in Christ through the mercy of God; in Christ they are all children of the heavenly Father. But they incidentally recognize Christ as their Lord, under whom they have enlisted, under whose banners they are fighting. The apostle’s salutation names the greatest gifts, the highest spiritual benefits which may ever fall to the lot of sinful men: grace, the free and unrestricted kindness and mercy of God which was earned for all men through the vicarious work of Christ; peace from God the Father, since the payment of all our guilt through the blood of Jesus has removed the cause of God’s displeasure toward us and given us a perfect reconciliation. Again, Jesus Christ the Lord is placed on the same level with the Father: He is true God from eternity with the Father, in every way the Father’s equal in majesty and power.

---

Verses 3-12

Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving and intercession

A prayer of thanksgiving for steadfastness in the midst of afflictions:

Luther summarizes the thoughts of this passage as follows: “In the first place, Paul here praises his church at Thessalonica, which was one of the finest and best on account of its faith and love, which had remained steadfast under the cross and persecutions and had increased through patience, in order to stimulate them to continue, that he might present also to others an example and picture of the fruits which preaching and the knowledge of the Gospel should work; he shows also wherein edification and growth of the true Church of Christ consists. He furthermore comforts them with regard to their suffering and patience by a reference to the glorious coming of the Lord Christ for their deliverance and for rewarding them for their tribulations with quietness and joys and for eternal vengeance upon their persecutors.” ^■862 . The apostle’s language throughout is full of cheerfulness and exaltation: We feel obliged always to give thanks to God in your behalf, brethren, as it is worthy of the matter, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you all toward one another abounds. Paul rejoices that the unpleasant and dangerous situation of the Thessalonians serves only to bring out all the more prominently and brilliantly their excellent bearing under the circumstances. He feels it his duty, therefore, to express his gratitude to God, not only in an occasional prayer of thanksgiving, but in a continual hymn of praise, the only way in which he can hope to approach the proper discharge of his duties in this respect. The conduct of the Thessalonian Christians, in the face of all the difficulties with which they were obliged to contend, was so obviously the work of God alone that the state of the case required such behavior on the part of Paul. Their faith was growing exceedingly, beyond expectation, the storms of affliction which were striking the young congregation were causing their faith to strike roots ever more deeply into the heart of their Savior. At the same time, their love, not only that of one or two or a number of them, but that of each and every one of them all, was increasing, as its manifestations toward one another evidenced. The tribulation, by the gracious guidance of God, was teaching them unselfish consideration for others, their suffering was drawing the Thessalonian Christians more closely together and binding them more firmly to the Lord.

This praiseworthy conduct of the Christians of Thessalonica had its effect also upon the apostle: So that we ourselves boast in you in the churches of God on account of your patience and faith in all the persecutions and tribulations which you endure. Both from the Jews and from their own countrymen the believers of Thessalonica had suffered persecution, 1 Thessalonians 2:14, but being thoroughly grounded in the truth of the Gospel, they had remained firm. Their faith being founded upon Jesus Christ, outside of whom there is no salvation, and thus receiving strength for patient endurance, they had quit themselves as Christians should under such circumstances. But this fact had now also given Paul a reason for boasting about them in other congregations; he could point to the patience of the Thessalonians in the midst of all persecutions and tribulations, and thus stimulate and encourage others to do likewise. Note: It is altogether in accord with the will of God if the Christians in one country or section or city are provoked to greater zeal, to untiring patience, and, above all, to unwavering faith by the report of the steadfastness of others.

Of this patient endurance of the Thessalonian Christians the apostle now says: (Which is) a token of the just judgment of God, that you might be judged worthy of the kingdom of God, on whose account you also suffer. The brevity and compactness of the expressions used by the apostle somewhat obscure the meaning, but he seems to have two thoughts in mind. In the first place, the fact that the believers were so calmly patient in persecutions and afflictions was an evidence of the righteousness of God. Their firmness was, in a manner of speaking, a reward of God’s mercy; He thereby declared them to be, of His free mercy, worthy of entering into, and being members of, the kingdom of God. But the equity of God’s judgment will also eventually right the present apparent inequalities of the situation in life. Cp. Psalm 73. The sufferings of the just and the apparent triumph of the wicked in this life are a sure proof that there will be a future judgment, in which the wicked will receive their punishment and the righteous will be rewarded. It is a comforting assurance to the believers, therefore, that they are suffering in behalf of the Kingdom; for they thereby both serve the Kingdom and participate in its blessings.

The thought of future retribution upon the unbelievers is brought out still more emphatically: Since it is just with God to return tribulation to those that trouble you. The righteous and just God will not permit wickedness to triumph forever; of that the believers should rest assured. In many cases the children of the world are apparently having the better of the argument in this life; they manage in many ways to harm the believers by various forms of persecutions. But the time is coming, and sometimes comes already in this life, when they will receive their recompense, their reward, their return. It may be a negative comfort, but just the same the fact that there is a beneficent purpose connected even with the suffering of the Christians gives them moral support.

This comfort is brought out still more strongly in the next verse: And to you that are in tribulation, relief with us in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power. This is what the believers may expect as the reward of mercy from the God of grace. It is true indeed that they are now suffering tribulations, misery, affliction; that is a part of their calling at the present time, Romans 8:18. But the time of relaxation, rest, refreshment with God is coming, for there remaineth a rest to the people of God, Hebrews 4:8. Weeping may endure for the brief night of this life, but joy cometh in the morning, Psalm 30:5. The deliverance will come to all believers at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, when He will return visibly as He ascended, Acts 1:11, when He will be accompanied by the angels of His power, His servants, that execute His will on earth.

Of the events of the last day Paul writes: In flaming fire, rendering vengeance to those who do not know God and that do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. In flaming fire, in a fire of flame, the Lord, who Himself is a consuming fire, Hebrews 10:27, will be revealed, in the full glory of His divine majesty, before which all opposition must fall and be destroyed. Then will the judgment be held, with disastrous results for the unbelievers. For He will execute vengeance, He will inflict a just punishment upon those men that do not know God, whom the apostle further describes as those that do not obey the Gospel. It is criminal blindness of which the unbelievers are guilty; they will not seek God by virtue of the last remnant of natural knowledge, Acts 17:27; they repress the truth in unrighteousness, Romans 1:18, in angry defiance; though the Gospel is being preached throughout the world, they refuse to hear with an attentive, obedient mind. The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the wonderful tidings of their full and complete salvation through the merits of the Savior, is proclaimed also for them; but they will not accept its comforting assurance, its appealing cry. So their ignorance and disobedience is the cause of their punishment.

Wherein this punishment consists, St. Paul also states: Who shall suffer punishment, everlasting destruction, from the face of the Lord and from the presence of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all believers on that day; for our testimony to you was believed. That is the fate of the unbelievers, of those that are disobedient to the Gospel of Christ: a punishment which consists in everlasting destruction. That is the penalty which they must pay, not annihilation, nor merely a temporary inconvenience, but an act of destruction on the part of God which shall last forever, with never a hope of relief or reprieve. The damned will be fully conscious of their punishment, they will feel its excruciating pain, Luke 16:24,28. But there will be neither rest nor surcease throughout eternity. Their worm will not die, neither will their fire be quenched, Mark 9:48. The essence of damnation will consist in this, that the damned will be banished from the face, from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might. As it is the highest bliss to be in the presence of God, to behold His face in righteousness, Psalm 17:15, so it is the acme of punishment and torture to be denied His presence throughout eternity, not to be able to see His marvelous glory and majesty. How striking the contrast offered in the fate of the believers! For when Christ returns in His glory, these people that believed in Him will receive the inestimable privilege of having Christ glorified in them, to become partakers of the glory which He has earned for them before His Father. In His saints Christ will be glorified, in those who accepted the perfect redemption merited through His blood, that are consecrated to Him ever since He wrought faith in their hearts. So great will this glory be that it will be a matter of marveling, of astonishment and admiration, in all those that believe. The very same men that now scoff at the faith of the believers will then stand in unwilling adoration, compelled to acknowledge the power of Christ in His believers, as it will be manifested before all creation on the Day of Judgment. And all this glory will be revealed in the believers, because the testimony of the apostle to them, upon them, concerning them, was believed. The everlasting bliss of heaven is not a reward of merit, given to such as have earned salvation by good works or any disposition toward good on their part; it is a free gift of God’s grace to those that have accepted the testimony of God’s grace in the Word through faith wrought by God. The great motto: All by grace, again stands out most prominently here.

Paul’s prayer of intercession:

The apostle never loses sight of the fact that his readers are still in the world, in the midst of the enmity and persecution of the world. He therefore adds his sincere intercession to his grateful prayer: To which end also tend our prayers concerning you always, that our God may consider you worthy of the calling, and fulfil every good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power. That is the end and object of the apostle’s cordial prayer for the Thessalonians, of which he here again states that he makes it without ceasing, that it has become a habit with him. He supplicates the Lord in behalf of his readers that God would deem them worthy of the calling which He has done in their case by bringing them to the knowledge of their salvation, of their vocation as Christians. After the Holy Ghost has called men by the Gospel, enlightened them with His gifts, and sanctified them by the transmission of the redemption won by the blood of Christ, it is He who must also keep them in the faith to the end. So Paul prays that God would do this very thing by fulfilling every good pleasure of goodness, that He would bring about so much in the heart of every Christian, every one without exception now taking pleasure in, being fully inclined to, all goodness. God must be not only the teacher, but also the power, supplying the strength to men who by nature are prone to evil only. He must perform the work of faith in power. Every work of every believer that springs from faith and is in accordance with faith is due to the power of the living God. Hence the believer puts all self-confidence far from him and confidently relies upon the power of God, which works in him with power.

If the sanctification of the Christians will but proceed along the lines as here laid down by the apostle, then the end will be: So that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. In the entire life of every Christian the name of the blessed Redeemer should be hallowed, praised, and glorified; His essence, His attributes, His holy will should receive honor and glory in consequence of our entire life. Where pure doctrine and holy life go hand in hand, there the lives of the Christians will be testimonies for the perfectness of Gospel-preaching, and men will, voluntarily or involuntarily, give credit to the Lord. And we, in turn, living in the Lord, are made partakers of His glory. All this, moreover, does not happen to us by our own work and merit, but by the grace, by the merciful favor of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, who are, as One, the Source of all the spiritual blessings which come to men through the Gospel. Human pride and self-righteousness are entirely excluded by the plain words of the apostle. Thus the Christians, adorned with the graces of the Spirit of God and of Christ, grow in grace and sanctification day by day, until, finally, at the great revelation of the glory of God, the name and honor of Christ will be praised and magnified, world without end.

Summary

After the opening salutation the apostle tells the Thessalonian Christians of his prayer of thanksgiving in their behalf, that their faith and patience have continued in spite of all tribulations; he adds an intercession for their further perfection in sanctification.

Verses 1-17

The man of sin and the mystery of iniquity

The coming of Antichrist before the end:

Paul had naturally included an instruction on the second coming of Christ in the doctrine which he taught at Thessalonica. But it seems that in the short interval since his departure from the city false opinions had gained a foothold in the Thessalonian congregation, particularly that of the immediate coming of the Lord’s second advent. The apostle therefore warns his readers not to lend their ears too readily to such ideas: We beg you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being mustered together before Him, that you do not get unsettled quickly from your mind nor terrified, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of the Lord is at hand. The apostle realizes fully the danger of the position; he is anxious about the faith of his Christians and the life of sanctification they should lead. His exhortation, for that reason, almost assumes the form of an adjuration. On account of the honor of that day and the events which would transpire in it; on account of the fact that the day of the Lord will surely come, and that the right preparation for this event is expected from all Christians; on account of the fact that we must all be mustered before Him on that day and that judgment will be held: for these reasons it was essential that the conduct of the believers at all times should express their appreciation of the situation. They should beware, then, of a rapid unsettling of the mind; they should not permit their minds to be taken from their conviction of the truths which they had been taught; they should hold fast the doctrines which the apostle had proclaimed in their midst. Nor should they permit themselves to become excited or terrified with nervous fear; they should not give way to panic. Whether this disturbing agency happened to be some spirit of prophecy which some unscrupulous person was using to strike terror to their hearts, or some preaching which errorists were introducing, or some letter which had been forged and was now being ascribed to Paul: they should pay absolutely no attention to it. For all such attempts, all such assertions as though the day of the Lord, the Day of Judgment, was at hand, that its coming was imminent, were false and spurious; they had no foundation in the Word of Truth, in the teaching of the apostle. Were they to listen to such deceivers, they would merely become subject to needless terror, which would result in disorganizing their entire work.

The apostle substantiates his warning: Let no man deceive you in any manner; for unless the apostasy first come and the man of lawlessness be revealed, the son of perdition. Neither spiritual drowsiness nor unwholesome excitement is the proper state for Christians to exhibit; for in either case they are subject to delusions, in either case they can readily be led astray. The thought of the coming of the last day must be supplied from the previous verse. The apostle assures his readers that the Day of Judgment would not come unless the apostasy had first come, the great rebellion against Christ and against the sum of the doctrines taught by Him. He is speaking of a specific event in the future history of the world, of which he had spoken to the Thessalonians, of which he knew by prophetic insight and on the basis of the prophets, Daniel 8:23; Daniel 9:27 ^■863 . A feature of this apostasy from the purity of Christian faith would be the revelation of the man of lawlessness, of some man of unusual ability and power, whose entire life and being would be characterized by opposition to God’s will and Law. According to his final destiny, the apostle designates this historical personage as the son of perdition. Because he is wholly devoted to sin, to lawlessness, therefore his end will be destruction. The thought seems also to be included that, as he goes down into condemnation under the judgment of God, he drags others with him into everlasting perdition.

The apostle continues his description of this human Antichrist: Who sets himself against, and vaunts himself above, all that is called God or an object of worship, so that he sets himself into the temple of God, showing himself forth that he is God. The man of lawlessness sets himself in opposition to God, to Christ, thereby revealing his nature as Antichrist. He wants his own doctrines and laws regarded just like those of Christ; in fact, he insists upon replacing Christ’s precepts with his own. At the same time he vaunts himself, exalts himself against all that is called God or an object of true worship. He acts as though he were not under, but over God’s will and Law; he treads all true religion under his feet, making the service of God a play and a farce. But the climax is reached by his final arrogance, by which he sets himself in the temple of God, showing himself forth that he is God. In the Church, in the midst of Christendom, in the midst of the baptized Christians, Antichrist had the audacity to place his throne. For he presumes to be the representative of God on earth and to be endued with divine power and authority. There can be no doubt that this prophecy finds its fulfilment in the Roman papacy, as a special article below will show. The insistence of the Roman See upon the tradition of the Church, its prohibition of Bible-reading, its doctrines of the immaculate conception of Mary, of Transubstantiation, of the sacrifice of the mass, of indulgences, of the veneration of saints, of purgatory, of the infallibility of the Pope, etc., the entire system of doctrine, in fact, with all its ramifications, mark the Pope of Rome as the Antichrist in the narrow or specific sense of the word.

The revelation of the mystery of iniquity:

This was not the first time that the apostle had given the Thessalonian Christians instruction concerning the great apostasy: Do you not remember that, while I was still with you, I told you this? He had made it a point to include this point in his oral instruction, not only once, but habitually. Surely it was merely necessary to remind them of the facts as they had learned them. Therefore also the apostle could continue: And now you know what withholds that he may be revealed in his own time. Before the writing of this letter, the contradicting and contradictory opinions which the Thessalonians heard might have tended to confuse them. But now that they recalled his oral instructions, they knew what he was referring to, they knew the reason for the delay, they knew what restrained Antichrist from being revealed before his appointed time. All that Paul had taught them, and a repetition at this time would be unnecessary; they would understand to what Paul was referring.

Just how serious the apostle thought the situation and its possible dangerous developments appears from his next words: For the mystery of lawlessness is active even now, only until he that withholds for the present is out of the way. He speaks of a mystery of lawlessness which was even then working and active; he sees before him the scattered, shapeless mass of ungodliness, which is first to gain form and personality in Antichrist. It was at that time still hidden and covered, one could not yet point out specific instances of its terrible power. But it was at work, it was influencing certain persons, for instance, Diotrephes, 3 John 9-10, and other unruly spirits, 1 John 2:18. Against a general development and manifestation of power, however, another force was opposing, a force or being that made it impossible for the lawlessness to have free rein until it should be removed. It is probable that Paul is referring to the fact that no bishop could attain to temporal power and honor as long as the Roman emperors could inaugurate persecutions.

When, however, this restriction would be removed, the hidden opposition to Christ, the lawlessness, would break forth: And then the Lawless One will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall consume with the breath of His mouth, and He shall make an end of him by the appearing of His coming. “Then,” some time after the removal of the restriction which kept the hidden lawlessness from being put into execution openly. According to the manner of prophecy, events that are centuries apart are spoken of as occurring in quick succession or about the same time. The revealing of Antichrist as such took place through the Reformation of Luther. When he brought forth the everlasting Gospel out of the darkness of centuries, it was an easy matter for every Bible Christian to recognize the antichristian character of the Roman papacy and to withdraw from its soul-destroying influence. But the end is not yet; for though Antichrist has now been revealed and exposed before all the world, and though the Lord Jesus, through the breath of His mouth, through the sword of the Spirit in the Word, is counteracting the work of Antichrist and destroying his work in many instances, the final destruction will come only at the appearance of His coming. When the Lord returns, visibly and with a full revelation of His divine glory, He will put an end to the arrogance of Antichrist forever and give him his punishment with all evil-doers.

The reason for this uncompromising attitude is given in the further description: Whose coming is after the working of Satan in all power and signs and lying miracles, and in all deceitfulness of unrighteousness to them that are lost, because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. Although Antichrist has been exposed and his doom is inevitable, he is making the best of his time and of his situation in the Christian Church. Although he has lost his temporal power, he does not think for a moment of giving up his ambition, but his evil advent continues. He has his inspiration from Satan, from whom he also receives the remarkable power which his errors still exert in the world, in signs and wonders which are the product of lie and fraud, as witness the many healings which are credited to relics of saints. With the same cool audacity which has always characterized Antichrist, he continues in all deceit of unrighteousness. He has a glittering show of righteousness and holiness; good works, show, and pomp are flaunted before the eyes of the world at all times by the henchmen of Antichrist, yet he is full of unrighteousness. Fortunately, however, he has this influence and power only among those that are perishing, because they refused to accept the love of the truth, the simple Gospel-message of salvation, which teaches them the way of salvation. By the grace of God there is many a person that clings to the way of salvation through the merits of Jesus Christ alone, although outwardly under the dominion of the Roman See. But for those that reject the Word of Salvation and actually place their trust in their own merit and in that of the many saints that have been canonized, their destruction with their acknowledged head is a well-merited reward of their disobedience.

Of this St. Paul writes: And for this reason God sends them working of delusion that they should believe the falsehood, that all might be judged who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. For this reason, because they would not accept the love of the truth, the Gospel-message of their salvation, God punishes the deliberately disobedient people by giving their minds up to the lie which they preferred. A strength of deception enters their hearts; they become so firmly convinced that their course is right that they absolutely refuse to turn back to the truth. They believe the lie, put all their faith and trust in falsehood, in conscious, wilful, God-defying untruth. A devilish perversion has taken hold of them, making them blind to all sound and true doctrine. The result, therefore, is that all those that will not believe the truth, but find their pleasure in unrighteousness, in a total lack of the righteousness which the Lord demands, will be subject to the condemnation of the Lord. In this way Antichrist serves as a tool in God’s hands for the punishment of such people as reject the truth of the Gospel, surely an earnest warning in our days when the glamor and the pomp of Rome is unfolded before our eyes more and more.

Paul commends, counsels, and comforts his readers:

After his extended description of Antichrist and its attendant warning, the apostle now turns back to his Thessalonian Christians with words of cheer and thanksgiving to God: But us it behooves to give thanks to God always in your behalf, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth, through which He also called you through our Gospel, to the attainment of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul felt the obligation resting upon him, he felt bound to give thanks to God for the election and salvation of his readers, whom he affectionately calls brethren that were beloved by the Lord, people that were enjoying His love, as they were indeed. He knew that God had lifted out, selected, chosen them from the beginning. The eternal decree of God concerning their salvation had begun to go into effect when Paul preached the Gospel among them. And it had resulted in their salvation, begun and guaranteed in the sanctification of the Spirit and in their firm belief in the truth of the Gospel-message. They were sure of their redemption in and through Jesus, and because this faith lived in their hearts, its Source and Author, the Holy Spirit, was able to continue His work of sanctification in them. At the same time they were being confirmed in their faith in the truth as they had learned it. All this was the result of the gracious call of God through the Gospel which Paul preached to them. Under these circumstances the final result could not be in doubt for as much as a moment, namely, the attainment, the acquisition, the taking possession of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ; they should be assured of their participation in the life of Christ’s glorification, Romans 5:2; Romans 8:17,29; Philippians 3:21; John 17:22.

With this wonderful goal before their eyes, the Christians of all times will heed all the more gladly the exhortation of the apostle: So, then, brethren, stand firm, and keep a strong hold on the instructions which you were taught, whether through word or through our epistle. Commendation and exhortation always should be related. The apostle wants his readers to stand up in the midst of the general falling away, to be firm in spite of all attacks on the part of their enemies, and to keep a firm hold on the statutes and instructions which he had delivered to them, which he had taught them, both by word of mouth and by means of the first letter addressed to them. This Word, the inspired Word of Truth, is the only reliable foundation of faith and hope; all doctrines of men, and especially those of Antichrist, are untruths and lies, which tend to lead men into everlasting destruction.

Since, however, the success of the exhortation depends entirely upon the power of God as it is manifested in the believers, the apostle finally says: But He Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, and God, our Father, who loved us and gave us everlasting consolation and good hope in grace, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. It is from God that every good gift and every perfect gift comes down. Our Lord Jesus and our heavenly Father, being one in divine essence, are continually busy in our behalf, in the interest of our salvation. But the work of the Father is particularly emphasized in this connection. He loved us with an everlasting love, with a love so great that He did not spare His own Son, but gave Him for us all. In His grace, through His Word, He gives us everlasting comfort and consolation, namely, the certainty of our salvation through the merits of our Redeemer. And by reason of this same grace we now have a good, a certain hope; we know that our souls, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, are secure in His hands, not only to the last great day, but beyond that day throughout eternity, Titus 2:13; Colossians 1:5. With this certainty before our eyes, the prayerful wish of the apostle cannot fail, namely, that our hearts will be comforted in the midst of all troubles and afflictions of this life, and that this comfort of faith will find its expression in every good work and word, that our entire life will be an expression of the love which follows upon faith in our hearts. The happiness which lives in the minds of the Christians is bound to find its manifestation in word and deed, both of which thereby become witnesses for the truth and power of the Gospel in the hearts of all men that believe.

Summary

The apostle describes the coming of Antichrist and the revelation of the mystery of iniquity, which nevertheless is to continue to the end; in a prayerful commendation he counsels and comforts his readers in their steadfast faith.

---

Related Kretzmann Article

Verses 1-18

Concluding exhortations and greeting

The apostle asks his readers to intercede for him with the faithful Lord:

The points of doctrine concerning which the apostle had felt uneasiness with regard to the Thessalonian Christians the apostle had now touched upon. But there still remained the necessity of speaking also of the daily life and conduct of his readers, since their false ideas had reacted upon their entire manner of living. Paul introduces this section with fine pastoral tact: As for the rest, pray, brethren, in our behalf, that the Word of the Lord may run and be glorified, as also with you. After the leading instruction on the topic of the last things the apostle might have turned abruptly to the admonitions which must of necessity accompany all doctrinal teaching. But, instead, he pleads with the Christians of Thessalonica to make intercession for him before the Lord. Without a trace of selfishness, however, he asks that their prayer be made in the interest of the Word of God, since all his anxiety was for its rapid propagation. As he expresses it, he wants the Word of the Lord to run, to be spread, without hindrance, as quickly as possible, everywhere. And that his plan did not include a mere external Christianizing, a mere veneer of Christianity, which so many of the modern schemes have in view, is shown by the fact that he also desires the glorifying of the Gospel, that he wants the Word of the Lord glorified by its fruit, by the actual demonstration of its divine power and truth. So much had been accomplished in the case of the Thessalonians, and so much the apostle desired to see accomplished throughout the world, for such was his zeal for the Master whom he was serving with such whole-souled eagerness.

To this most important petition Paul now adds a second, whose connection with the first is obvious: And that we may be delivered from the perverse and wicked men, for not all have faith. Paul wishes that he and his fellow-laborers might be delivered, literally, torn from the grasp of perverse, ill-disposed, and wicked men, whose one object is to resist and hinder all divine and human order. Whether these men are false brethren, heretics, or enemies outside of the Church, their influence is always for evil; the harm which they do to the cause of Christ cannot be readily computed. It is a sad fact, and one that often causes sincere Christians much anxiety, that not all men have faith, that a great many of them will deliberately resist the glorious message of their redemption through the blood of Jesus and prefer the way of everlasting damnation to that of eternal joy and happiness.

This sad thought, however, leads, by contrast, to that other: But faithful is the Lord, who shall certainly confirm you and protect you from the evil (or, from the Wicked One). The fate of the adversaries of Christ is a sad one indeed, but Christians cannot afford to spend any time in brooding over their perversity. So far as the believers are concerned, they know that theirs is a faithful God, whose promises concerning their salvation are sure. There cannot be the slightest doubt in their minds that He most surely shall confirm and establish them in their faith and holy life until the end. This includes also that He will keep and protect them from all evil, so that the devil, the world, and their own flesh may not seduce them, nor lead them into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice. This powerful and constant help and protection belongs to the Christians by virtue of God’s promises and therefore cannot fail.

For that reason, Paul can write in all confidence: But we have confidence in the Lord about you that what we enjoin you are doing and will do. The apostle’s confidence is in the Lord, since he knows that the Lord’s strength is powerful enough to uphold His own at all times and to direct their feet into the paths of sanctification. He is sure that, with this power to inspire and to guide them, his readers will not only at the present time be found engaged in such works as are pleasing to the Lord, but will also in the future not disappoint the faithfulness of God and their great teacher’s belief in them. To this end, then, he prays: But the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and toward the patience of Christ. Not only the beginning of a Christian’s spiritual life, but also the progress and the end of it depends upon God’s power in the Word. And one of the strongest motives that may be urged upon Christians is that they consider the wonderful love of God toward them, in order to be filled with a similar love, that they ponder upon the patience of Christ under provocations which no other man could have endured, in order to pattern their own lives after His example. The Thessalonians particularly needed this admonition, though presented in the form of a prayer, because of their impatient desire for the speedy coming of the last day. But the value of God’s love and of Christ’s patience as examples to stimulate the love and the patience of the believers is just as great to-day as it ever was, and should find a marked reflection in their entire life.

A warning against disorderly conduct, with Paul’s example of right living:

The apostle has fully characterized the members of the Christian congregations as they should be. That he was not offering his own personal suggestions and opinions appears from the crisp sentence which he here inserts: But we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly and not according to the instruction which you received from us. It is a serious matter which Paul has broached and one which his tone brings out very sharply. The name, the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself demand this form of procedure. If there is any brother, any person that has joined the congregation and wishes to be considered a member, but nevertheless conducts himself without any regard to the order established by the will of the Lord, ignoring the plain rules of conduct which the instruction of Paul had conveyed to them all, then the faithful members should withdraw from him, they should signify to him that fellowship with him must cease unless he returns to his senses and signifies his intention of observing the rules of life which obtain in the Christian Church by the will of God. Church discipline, as prescribed in Matthew 18, must be applied in all cases of deliberate disorderly conduct, of wilful disregard of the plainly expressed will of God, especially in cases of flagrant sins and vices, 1 Corinthians 5:11. In this case the apostle had in mind chiefly the refusal to work, to perform the labor demanded by every man’s temporal calling, as the context shows.

This thought is brought out by the apostle’s reference to his own example: For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, for we did not walk disorderly among you, nor did we eat bread with any one for nothing, but in toil and misery, working night and day, that we might not be burdensome to any of you; not that we did not have the power, but that we might present ourselves a pattern to you to imitate us. Paul’s manner of life and conduct in the midst of the Thessalonians was a matter of common knowledge; he had hidden nothing from them, he had not loafed nor conducted himself disorderly in any manner. He had not sought free meals, he had not depended upon them for his subsistence. It was the special boast of St. Paul, for which he adduces a reason also in this instance, that he wanted to make his way, earn his own living, while preaching the Gospel in any city. He had therefore probably, in Thessalonica as he had done in other cities, practised his trade as tent-maker, working at such times as he could not reach the people with preaching. It was a hard life, as he himself says, one full of hard toil and misery, a life which kept him busy practically night and day. But his object was attained, he was not a burden to a single member of the congregation. But here the apostle is careful to meet a probable misunderstanding which might harm the work of other teachers that could not possibly follow his method of double work. He did all this, not because he would not have had authority and power to demand the means of subsistence, a decent livelihood, from them, but because he felt that their circumstances required just such an example and pattern as he was setting them. He could and did frankly and unhesitatingly ask the Thessalonians to imitate him in this respect. His conduct could serve as a lesson to them, which they would do well to heed; he wanted to train them by his own example. Cp. 1 Corinthians 9:7-15.

This feature of the Thessalonian character had struck the attention of the apostle even when he was laboring in their midst: For even when we were with you, this charge we gave to you, that if any one does not want to work, neither shall he eat. For we hear of some of you walking disorderly, in no way busy with work, but busybodies. But to such we give the charge and exhort them in the Lord Jesus Christ that, working with quietness, they should eat their own bread. God wants no idleness, He commands every man to eat his bread in the sweat of his face, Genesis 3:19. A man that is persistently idle, that refuses to work, should therefore also be excluded from the legitimate fruit of labor, the food necessary to sustain the body. In addition to this general principle, however, which the apostle had taught during his stay among them, the present situation, from the reports which reached him, made it necessary to repeat his charge with emphasis. The life of the idler, of the loafer, is disorderly. And let no man come with the feeble rejoinder that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy; for at the present time the underproduction of the necessities of life is largely due to the steadily diminishing number of working-hours, a number altogether out of proportion to the hours devoted to relaxation and recuperation. There is to-day, as it was in Thessalonica, too much idleness, and the devil finds work for idle hands to do. A little more thought for the welfare of the country as a whole and a little less thought of supposed personal convenience is very necessary at this time. Instead of being busily engaged in the work of their calling and devoting the energy of their thoughts to producing the best that is in them, too many people are busybodies, officious meddlers, fussy interferers. The charge of St. Paul therefore rings out to-day with the same force which characterized his earnestness in the first century. He is still charging and exhorting all men, especially all believers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to attend to their work with all quietness and earn their maintenance honestly. Faithful and diligent labor, under the blessing of God, will always bring the necessities of life. Note: In our days also busybodies, impertinent meddlers with other people’s business, newsmongers and telltales, are an abominable race, “the curse of every neighborhood where they live, and a pest to religious society.” ^■668 . The words of the apostle with regard to such may well be transcribed by stating that every person should keep two points in mind so far as temporal affairs are concerned: first, to mind his own business; secondly, not to interfere with that of the other person.

The apostle once more urges church discipline:

Instead of condoning the tendency toward loafing, toward disorderly conduct, which was evident in the Thessalonian congregation, the apostle urges: You, however, brethren, do not become weary in well-doing. They should not become dispirited, fatigued, in performing such deeds, in living such a life as agreed with all demands of honesty and charity. Their conduct should be unblamable, steady, loving, earnest, with a proper practise of due beneficence toward those actually in need. Instead of becoming objects of charity and depending upon the liberality of others, Christians will at all times conduct themselves in their work so as to have enough for their own needs and to spare for those of others.

The apostle now returns to the thought of 2 Thessalonians 3:6: But if any one will not yield obedience to our word through this epistle, mark that man, do not associate with him, in order to make him feel ashamed; and still do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him, put him under discipline, as a brother. Though the apostle does not speak with the fire which he uses in the case of frightful vices, 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, yet he writes with an unmistakable seriousness, which permits no misconstruing of his words. The people in the congregation that still, after the sending of this second epistle, persisted in disobeying the apostle and in continuing their disorderly conduct, must be disciplined. Every transgressor should be marked, distinctly set apart from the rest, as such. Paul’s command is that the members of the congregation do not mix themselves up with such a man, have no dealings with him, cultivate no fraternal intercourse with him. This course was intended to make the guilty one feel ashamed of himself, make him realize that his persistence in his transgression would eventually shut him out entirely from all brotherly intercourse with the members of the Christian congregation. At the same time they were not to treat him as an enemy of Christ and the Church as yet, but were still to use all power of persuasion and admonition. Their disapproval was therefore not to be tainted with personal hostility, which would make it lose its effect and object, but was to be directed against the sin for the purpose of gaining the sinner. The apostle therefore seems to be recommending a course, in itself a part of church discipline, which has in view this means of winning the erring brother before the final step must be taken, Matthew 18:17. Or the apostle assumes the third step to have been taken, and warns against the introduction of personal hostility into the intercourse with such a person, as the members met him in a social or in a business way.

Concluding benediction and salutation:

This closing prayer is the fourth solemn wish of the apostle in this letter. He desires that the Lord of peace, Jesus Christ, the Prince and Dispenser of peace, Isaiah 9:5-6; John 14:27; John 20:19, may grant to all his readers the true peace always, no matter what may happen, no matter in what circumstance they may find themselves. The believer, being assured of perfect reconciliation through the blood of Jesus, knows that he is the possessor of the peace with God, that he has perfect life and salvation. The enmity between God and man having been removed through the redemption of Christ, the believer no longer fears God with the constant dread of a sinner under sentence of everlasting punishment; he knows, rather, that God is with him, as the benediction of Paul here states, with the fulness of His mercy and goodness.

The close of the letter is very brief. Paul affixes his salutation with his own hand, the rest of the letter having been written at his dictation. This signature by the hand of Paul was added to authenticate the letter, and he indicates that he wanted to make this a rule for the future. His readers could therefore readily distinguish between true and spurious letters. His final salutation is: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all! He expressly mentions all his readers; he wants none excluded from this glorious blessing of the full and free grace of the Savior. It was earned and prepared for all men; would that they all accepted the gracious offering and be blessed throughout eternity!

Summary

The apostle commends himself to the intercession of his readers, addressed to the faithful Lord; he warns them against disorderly conduct, reminding them of his own good example; he urges church discipline in the right spirit; he closes with the apostolic salutation.