The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Thessalonians — Section 6

opostles, the champions of the faith, and literally, ,hall pay ~ penalty; ,hall mjf~ still less with us Jews, the saints of Israel; pu11iahment (R.V.), With everlasting de- but with us, the writers of this Epistle, struotion; or rather, e'lten e'lterlasting dutnJe., namely, Paul and Silas and Timothy. When tum; the words being in apposition. "De- ,he Lord lesus shall be revealed; or, more strnction " here denotes ruin, death : the Ii terally, at the revelation or apocalyp8e of word is only need in Paul's Epistles (1 Cor. the Lord, Jesu8. The advent of Christ is v. 8: 1 These. v. 3; l Tim. vi. 9). The generally expressed by another word, par- Greek word translated "everlasting," from ou8ia, denoting "presence: " here the word dogmatic reasons, has given rise to much is apocalypse, bringing before ua in 11, more controversy. Here it appears to denote vivid manner the visible manifestation eternal-eternity to come. The eternal pun- of Christ. The advent of Christ is the ishment of the wicked seems here asserted; period when he who has hitherto been con- a terrible declarati0n, which the mind shud- cealed will he manifested as the supreme ders to contemplate. The observation of Ruler and Judge of the world. From heaven; Olshausen ia worthy of attention ; '' This is where now he is concealed from human the only passage in Paul's Epistles in which view,seated e.t the right l,and of God. With everlasting damnation ia openly declared, his mighty angels; not with his host of whereas not 11, few occur in which 11, bringing angels, but, as it is in the margin of our back of all the lost ones is apparently as- Bibles, "with the angels of his power"- sumed as possible ; " but he adds, " For the serving his power and proclaiming his might. supposition that Paul did indeed in the U ia the uniform declaration of Scripture earliest of his Epistles still teach everlasting that Christ will come to judgment attended damnation, but gave it np in later times, there by his holy angels (Matt. xvi. 27: xxiv. 31 ; exists no sufficient foun,lation, because the Jude 14). Ami these angels are" the angels bringing hack again is nowhere freely and of his power,"' sent forth to execute his com- openly declared." 1 From the presence (or, mands. By their instrumentality the dead face) of the Lord, This clause has received shall be calle, I from their graves, and the a threefold interpretation. Some (De Watte, wicked separated from among the just (l Hofmann) take the preposition "from·• in a These. iv. 16: Matt. xiii. 49). causal sense, denoting the efficient cause of Ver. 8.-In flaming fire; not the instru- the p1111ishment of the wicked-that they will mentofpunishm'ent-"in flaming fire taking be as it were bl,1sted by the face of the Lord. vengeance:•· but 11, further description of the Others (Chrysostom, Theophylact) take it glory of Christ's appearance-" revealed in in a temporal sense, denoting the swiftness flaming fire." In the Old Testament God of the punishment of the wicked-that their is represented as appearing in flaming fire, punishment will rise directly on the appeo.r- as when he manifested himself to Moses in ance of Christ (Lunemann, Alford). A.ad the burning bush (Exod. iii. 2: Acts vii. 31l): others to.ke it in a local sense, denoting and especially his coming to judgment is banishment or separation-that the wicked represented as coming in fire (l's. xcvii. 3). will he expelled from that joy and glory What is there o.sserted of God is here re- which reign in the presence of Christ: they ferred to Christ (comp. Rev. xix. 22). There shall he banished away from the presence of is also a probable refereuce to the Shechinah the Lord. This lo.st interpretation seems to or cloud of glory in which Christ will appt>ar be the oorrect meaning; it gives to the pre- for judgment (Rev. i. 7). Some also suppose position its full force. And from the glory of a reference to the fire of the universal con- his power; not n. Hebraism for " his mighty flag-rO:tion which shall usher in the Inst day glory" (Jowett), but from that glory which (2 Pet. iii. 10), and others to the fire which has its origin in his power-the wicked will shall consume the ungodly, but it is best to be hn.nished from the manifestation of his restrict the expression to the glory ofChriRt's power in the glorification of his sainis. The manifestation. Taking vengeance; liternlly, punishment of the wicked on its negative giving; that i1, awarding or allotting ven- side is here stated. .As the presence of the geance, representing the act, not of n. con• glorified Jesus will constitute the happiness queror or of an avenger, but of 11, righteous of heaven, so banishment from his presence Judge. On them that know not God-the ,viii constitute the misery of hell, beoouse the unbelieving Gentiles- and that; or mther, soul is then cut otl' from the source of all on them that; a second 0111S11 being here good and of ull holines•. denoted. Obey not the gospel of our Lord Ver.10.-When; defining the period when Jesus Christ; namely, the unbelievi11g Jews. this judgment of the wicked will ooou. He; The ignornnce of the one o.nd the disobedi- rnuuely, the Lord Jesus. Shall oome to be ence of the other were the causes of their glorified; the purpoije of his coming. In; punishment. not " through," or "among," but " in,·• as Ver. !J.-Who; namely, the unbelieving ( Gentiles and Jewa. Shall be punished; 1 OL.hu.Ulllll on Thessa.loDWlll, in locD.  , THE SECOND EPISTLK 'l'O THE THESSALO~IANS.. [CB, r. 1-12.