The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Thessalonians — Section 49

deluded fanRtics as well as of deliberate deceivers. 2. False apostoltcal tradititm. " By word" probably menns by repnrt,,d word of St. Paul, which word, however, never really came from him. Thus early were false traditions afloat. See the mistalten tradition about St. John (John xxi. 23). If these erroneous traditions were current during the lifetime of the apostles, how can we accept so-called "apostolic tradition" as an authority? 3. A forged Epistle. The mistake could scarcely have arisen from our First Epistle to the Thessalonians, since that Epistle referred to the great day as future, while the error made it present. It is important to ascertain the authenticity of the books of Scripture. III. THE DANGER OF THE DELUBION. St. Paul warns against it as something to be c:arefully avoided. Many evils attached to it. 1. Erroneow views. These are bad in themselves, as true Yiews are desirable on their own account. The soul suffers for want of truth as the body for want of light. 2. Dishonouring conceptions of the second advent. If the day were already come, where was the glory, the judgment, the rectifi- cation of all things? False doctrines dishonour Christ even when they are meant to glorify him. 3. ConfU$ion of conduct. Such a delusion as that which was creeping into the Tiies~r1lonian Church would disarrange all practical life. Delusions about the IICCOnd advent distract attention from sober Christian work. IV. THE WAR~'"ING AGAINST THE DELUSION. 1. Form no hasty opinion. "Be not quickly shaken," etc. Specious arguments should be examined at leisure before they are adopted. 2. Do ,a.ot permit novel teaching lo give distress. If the heart is well settled in Christian truth, though the mind should be open to receive new light, no distress or disturbance need be felt. 3. Beware of deception. "Let no man beguile you." Christians should be watchful and " wise as serpeats," each having his own independent convictions.-W. F. A. Ver. 3.-The man of sin. The man of sin and his awful character and career, here described by St. Paul, are subjects of such deep and dreadful mystery, that we may well take warning from the intricate confusion of the interpretations put forth by those people who profess to exponnd the fulfilment of prophecy, and content ourselves with accepting the prediction as it stands without attempting to identify it with particular historical events. Though some of its terms apply well to certain explanations, and others to different explanations, no explanation has yet been furnished which fairly and without any straining of words covers the whole of them. From Nero to the pope, from the days of the siege of Jerusalem to those of the yet future millennium, certain odioua persons and systems have been selected for a realization of the prophecy, Leaving these dubious identifications, let ns look at the main outlines of the picture. L THERE IS A HAN OF BIN. Whether he lived in the past or has yet to appear, a man to whom this awful name belongs is described in inspired Scripture. The Bible does not ignore the awful depths of human wickedness. It is dreadfully siguificant that this evil beina is a man, not a deviL Humanity, which was created in the image of God and intend~d to be a temple of God, may be degraded into the image of Sa.tan and become a haunt of iniquity. As good works through humau sympathies, so does evil. A bad man is more dangeroue than a fallen angel, because he is nearer to his fellow-men. II. THB llAl!l OF SIN FOLLOW~ All APOSTASY, 1. Spiritual apostasy leads a man to moral rm-ruption. The man who has forsaken Christ is tempted to fall into gross sin. Faith is the great preservative of morals. 2. .,tJ,postasy lays the Ohurch open to attacks from her 1memies. The "man of sin" could not arise before the Church had fallen, nor if he had ap1,eared could he have had any power against a faithful Church, IIL THE MAK OF SIN PRECEDES THE SECOND ADVENT OF CBBIST. It was a mistake on the part of the Thessalonian Church to suppose tLat "the day of the Lord" had arrived, because the dreadful appearance of the man of sin which was to precede that day had not yet been seen. St. Paul warns us that apostasy and the frightful life of thi.11 wicked man-whoever he may be--must come before Christ returns, He does not encourage ue to look for a gradual, unbroken progress of Christianity. The growth of the harvest fruit is arrested and delayed by frost and storm. Christ even wondered whether he should find any faith left on the earth at his return (Luke xviiL 8). The glorioua consummation of all things to which the Christian looks forward is not to be oe. 11. 1-17.) THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. f7