The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Thessalonians — Section 26

Whu11 th11t restraining inffnence was removed, of it might not be a 10uroe of disorder in the lhe mnn ofein would he revenled,nccompanied Chnroh" (Jowett); but such a eenee ie to" w i11, powers 11nd signs and wonders of false- artificial. H ie beet to render it "concern- hood, and would succeed in deceiving those ing," or, as in the R.V., "touching." The coming of our Lord lesus Christ. Some who were destitute of the love of tha truth. (Whithy, Hammond) suppose that by the Thon would the Lord Jesus Christ come "nd coming of the Lord Jesus was here mee.1Jt destroy him by the breath of his mouth and his coming in spirit at the destruction of tl ,e 11ppeo.rance of his presence. The npostle Jerusalem, and that the apo•le.sy we.s the revolt of the Jews from the Homans; the re- tlonnks God that the Tbessaloni11ns, on the str11ining power being di1f~rently interpreted. contrary, were chosen to salvation and to a Bot this is e. forced and extravagant in rerpre- plll'ticipation of the glory of the Lord; ho tation, and is completely overthrown by what exhorts them to stand fast in the instruc- the apostle says in the next verse, for the tions which be had delivered them; and he destructioll of Jerusalem waa imminent. concludes with a prayer for their consolation Besides, the Thessalonians, who were chietly llentile converts, were too distant from Jeru- and confirmation. salem t.o be much troubled by the destruc- This chapter is involved in difficulties; it t10n of that city. By the coming of our is the obscurest passage in the writings of Lord Jesus Christ, then, is here mmnt, as Paul; it is pre-eminently one of those thiugs is the uniform meaning of the phrase in in his Epistles which are hnrd to be uuder- the writings of Paul, the second advent. And by ( or, ctmee1'11ing) our gathering to- stood (2 Pet. iii. 16). But it is to be ob- gether unto him. The word translated served that the description of the man of "gathering together" occurs only once a<>ain sin, though obscure to us, was not 1,ecesslll'ily in the New Testament, where it is used ~ith obscure to the Thessalonians. They had reference t.o the assembling of Christi11ns for information on this point which we do not worship (Heh. x. 35). Here it is used with rel"ereuce to the e..ssembling of believers to possess. The apostle, when at Thessalonicn, Christ, when he shall be revealed from had instructed them in this subject, and heav,-n; it refers, not to the raising of the to these instructions he refers in the de- deud, but to the gathering togetl ,er of those scri ption which he here gives (vers. 5, 6). who are then alive (see l Thess. iv. 17). Nor was the information which he imparted Ver. 2.-The.t; to the end tho.t, the purpose to them indefinite and general. but definite fur which the apostle besought the Thes.,a- lonillns. Ye be not soon; quickly. This ht\s and precise. He had described the nnture been vo.rionsly interpreted. "so soon after my of the apostasy, the characteristics of the exhm-tation,' • or " so soon after my depurt ure man of sin, and the inHuences which retarded from Thessalonics," or" so soon after rnur re- his manifostation (vers. 3, 4); and if these ception of the gospl'!,'' or "so soon after this points were known to us, as they were to opinion of the imminence of Christ's coming was promulgated." Others refer it to mnn- the Thessalonians, most of the obscurity ner rather tlum to time--" soou and with which rests on this prediction would dis- smnll ree.snn" (Alford). She.ken; o.gitatecl itppear. At present we give the exposition like the waves by a storm, as the word •igni- of the po.ssage, reserving the discussion of fies. In mind; or rather, from your miitd; the various theories concerning its interpre- fr<nn your sobe1' reas<na. Or be troubled ; a still stronger expressiou; " terrified." tntion to an excursus at the end of the Neither by spirit; not a.ny fe.lsely under- chapter. stood prophecies of the Old Testament, nor Ver. 1.-Now; literally, buf; I\ pnrticle of any mist11ken revelations, whether by visions transition. We beseeoh you. Pnssing from or dree.ms; but prophetical discourses deli- what he besought God for them to what he vered by members of the Church in o. state of beseeches them. Brethren, by. Considered excitement, ann,mnciug the immediate com- by some, ns in the A. V., ns a form of n, ljurn- ing of Christ, and which were mistnken for tion. Thus Colvin: "He ndjures believers Divine communications. There does not by the ooming of Christ; for it is customary appear to have been e.ny intention t.o deceive; to o.dj ure by thnse things which 11re re- the Thessalonians erred in neglecting "to ~arded by us with reverence." But such a try the spirits" and to "prove the pro- construotion is unknown in the New Testa- phecies." Nor by word; not any tr11ditiunal ment, and is besides unnlltural. Others wor,I of Christ, nor 11ny misinterpretation render the preposition " in behnlf of" or" in of his prophecy ooncerning the destruction the interest of,"" 11s though he were plending, of Jerusalem, nor e. oalm discourse in distinc- in honour of that day, that the expcoL,!_ion tion from prophetic utte1·e.nces; but the  24 THE SEOOND EPISTLE TO THE 'l'HESSALONIANS. [oe. n. 1-17.