12. Might be damned (xpi@dow). More correctly, judged. See on damnation, 1 Tim. v. 12.*
*T attempt no interpretation of this passage as a whole, which I do not understand. The varieties of exposition are bewildering. Convenient sum- maries may be found in Liinemann’s Meyer, Dr. Gloag’s Introduction to the Pauline Epistles, and Bornemann’s Commentary. Generally, it may be said that Paul seems to predict a great moral and religious defection which is to precede the coming of the Lord, and which is to reach its consummation in the appearance of an evil power described as the Man of Sin, the personal incorporation and concentration of wickedness. His coming is denoted by the same word as the coming of Christ (zapovcla, ver. 9). He is represented as sitting in the temple of God, exhibiting himself as God, and performing miracles of falsehood according to the working of Satan. A restraining power is upon him, preventing his revelation before the proper time. The two knots of the passage are the identification of the man of sin, and of him that restraineth. The man of sin has been identified as Nero, the Pope of Rome, Luther, Mahomet, Caligula, Simon Magus, Titus. By others, as rep- resenting not an individual, but the succession of popes, the Jewish nation, and especially the Sanhedrim. The restraining power is explained as the Roman Empire ; the German Empire; the Roman Emperor Vitellius; the Apostles; the chiefs of the Jewish nation against Simon the son of Giora ; the Emperors Claudius and Vespasian; the pious Jews living at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem; James the Just. Opinions differ as to whether the man of sin is an individual or an organisation. Romanists dis- cover him in some representative enemy of Romanism; Protestants in the Ro- man church and hierarchy. Before any approach to a sound exegesis of the passage can be made, it will be necessary to define and settle the principles of apocalyptic interpretation, a matter which is still very much in the dark. About the only valuable thing that can be fairly extracted from the passage is Paul’s firm assurance that God’s hand is ever on the work of evil, and that in whatever form or with whatever power it may reveal itself, it will inev- itably be subdued and crushed by the power of Christ.
68 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. III.
18. Hath chosen (e/Aaro). The only case in N. T. in which this word is used of God’s election. LXX, Deut. xxvi. 18, of God’s choosing Israel to be his peculiar people. Comp. Philip. i. 22; Heb. xi. 25.
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From the beginning (a7 apyjs). Not elsewhere in Paul. His usual expressions are mpd T&v aiwvev before the ages (1 Cor. ii. 7): apd xataBorrjs Kocpov before the foundation of the world (Eph. i. 4): dé rev aiover from the ages (Eph. iii. 9). Before eternal times (apd xpevwv aiwviwr) is found 2S Litas d. Os Lite dees
14. Our gospel. See on 1 Th. i. 5.
.15. Traditions (wapaédces). See on 1 Cor. xi. 2. Not emphasising a distinction between written and oral tradition. Tradition, in the scriptural sense, may be either written or oral. It implies on the part of a teacher that he is not expressing his own ideas, but is delivering or handing over (rapadidwpe) a message received from some one else. See 1 Cor. xi. 23. The prominent idea of zrapadocrs is therefore that of an authority external to the teacher. Comp. by word nor by letter, ver. 2.
16. Through grace (év ydpitv). Better, in grace, as the element of God’s gift. Const. with hath given, not with hath loved and hath given.
CHAPTER LUI. 1. Finally (76 Xourov). See on 1 Th. iv. 1.
May have free course (tpéyy). More literally, simply, and better, may run. Have swift progress through the world. An O. T. idea. See Ps. cxlvii. 15, and comp. Isa. lv. 11 and Acts xii. 24.