istic wonder, that the spirit is given to an image of Antichrist, that
it speaks, and thus invites men to the adoration of it. On the rela-
tion of the lying, seeming wonders of Satan, to the genuine Divine
miracles of the Lord, as well as on the entrance of these phenomena
into the highest developments of evil as of good, and their object of
legitimizing the messengers of light as of darkness, and of serving
for marks to recognize them for what they are, we have treated suf-
ficiently at Matth. viii. 1, in the general remarks on the miracles,
and at Matth. xxiv. 24, to which we here wholly refer our reader. In
like manner, the difference between the appellatives dvvaiitg, o^slovj
repas, which terms are used likewise of the genuine miracles, has
also been already spoken of at Matth. viii. 1. The genitive ^evdovg
is of course to be referred to all three appellatives, for, as evil in
itself is incumbered with contradiction, so too all that proceeds
from it is intrinsically untrue ; its seeming strength is real want of
strength. In what follows (ver. 10) ical KV 770,013 d-n-dry rrjs ddiKi.a$ is
put parallel with ev ndcy 6wdpei. It may be said that the wonders
themselves that proceed from Antichrist and his ministers are
nothing but deceit ; still they are really astonishing, extraordinary
operations in nature, which only have their foundation in the appli-
cation of demoniac powers. From these, therefore, other not won-
drous forms of deception are distinguished, which altogether pro-
ceed from, and are rooted in the disposition of unrighteousness. To
draw men from God and to evil is to be imagined as the aim of these
deceptions, as of the wonders ; but this only succeeds with those
who perish (dTroAAvfteVot?), for God knows how to defend the



332 SECOND THESSALONIANS II. 11, 12.

rot through his grace ; according to Matth. xxiv. 24 with these de-
ception is impossible. This thought again exhibits Paul's theory of
predestination, but only as developed at Rom. ix. The d~oA.Avpevot
are not those lost through God's decree, through a decretum repro-
bationis, but through their own act, because they, as expressed in
the concluding words of ver. 10, receive not the love of the truth
(rffv dyaTTT/v TJ^ dhiflticu; OVK t-<5eavro). They, therefore, might also
have been saved through the truth in Christ, if they had appro-
priated it to themselves in repentance and faith ; but they loved
falsehood and darkness more than light, and continued, therefore,
excluded from salvation. On the other hand, the elect attain to sal-
vation not through their merit, their fidelity, their faith, their per-
severance unto the end, but fidelity, faith, perseverance, are God's
work in them ; there is a prcedestinatio sanctorum, but no repro-
batio impiorum. (In ver. 9 iv before roig oTroAAv/zevoif is wanting
in A.D.F.G., and Lachmann has therefore cancelled it. But wo
can scarcely doubt that its omission has its origin purely in the
twofold iv preceding, which seemed to the copyists an improper
repetition of the preposition. The common reading is the correct
one. The iv before dvvdfiet and d-nary is nota dativi, the iv before
oTro/Uv/ieVotc, = KV peeru>, the lost ones thus forming the circle in
which these Satanic proceedings take place. Ver. 10. On dvd" d>v,
= -ix nnn, see Luke i. 20, xix. 44 ; Acts xii. 23. The phrase rqv
dydiTTjv rijg dXrjdtiag det-aadai is significant. The natural man has no love
for truth ; the awakening of a love for truth must therefore precede
the reception of truth itself. Where the first advances of grace,
which attempt to stir up the love of truth, are repulsed, there
neither can truth itself be subsequently received.)

Vers. 11, 12. God punishes sin by sin ; therefore he sends to
the lost ones, who through their fault did not allow the love for
truth to be stirred up in their hearts, a strong delusion, that they
may believe a lie. The energy of the el$ -6 } = tva, must not
be weakened here (see on Matth. xiii. 14, 15 ; John xii. 40); it is
precisely the judgment on obduracy which is described. (Soe on
Rorn. ix. 15.) In itself all obduracy need not be contemplated
as absolute ; it can be relative, and can be subsequently overcome
through a greater power of grace, and the obdurate one thus won for
God. But here, where the latter days are spoken of, the progressive
Iva Kpidtiac, with a reference back to okedpoc aiuvioq (i. 9), must be
understood of eternal damnation. Thus tcpiveaOcu is used by the
writer = KaraKpiveaQai, just as it is said in the parallel passage Rev.
xix. 20 : " all who had received the mark of the beast, and wor-
shipped the image of the beast, were thrown into the lake of fire."
Now in so far as in this passage the strong delusion (tvepyeia
at bottom denotes Antichrist himself, who accomplishes his



SECOND THESSALONIANS II. 13, 14. 333

deception in the ivepyeia rov aaravd (ver. 9), the nty-net represents
Antichrist as sent by God. The Lord God does not make Anti-
christ in so far as he is evil ; but he certainly makes him so
far as he appears in this form and shape, under these circum-
stances and relations, which is denoted in a popular mode of expres-
sion by the term " permission." But the energetical Scripture
language expressly brings forward even as to evil the positive aspect
of the Divine work. (See on this point also the remarks on Rom.
ix.) (The reading rr^mi is so well established by A.B.D.F.G. that
it is to be preferred to the future nfyipei. Paul gives, prophetic-
ally, the whole description of ver. 9 as present ; a copyist, to whom
this appeared unnatural, has, we may suppose, given its origin to
nepfai. To i/!edof does not refer to a definite single lie ; it rather
denotes the element of falsehood, in opposition to 77 dhrjdeta. [See
on John i. 14, viii. 44.] The p] mareveiv ry dkrjdeia is the conse-
quence of the contempt of love for truth (ver. 10), and the evdoKelv
KV ry dSmia is only the other side of non-belief. The craving nature
of man absolutely requires some supporting point ; if it does not
obtain it in truth, it turns to its contrary, falsehood, which, appre-
hended in its relation to the Divine will, i. e,, to the law, is unright-
eousness (dSuda). [See on Kom. iii. 21.] The iv before rq dditcia is
wanting in B.D.F.G.; yet not even Lachmann has ventured deci-
dedly to reject it. The analogy of the Hebrew a nsn seems to
favour its genuineness.)

Vers. 13, 14. After ending this prophetic communication, Paul
now returns to his readers, and once more declares his obligation to
give thanks to God (comp. i. 3) that he had chosen them unto salva-
tion in Christ, and had thus preserved them from the perdition of
those who allow themselves to be deceived by the ir^avrj of Anti-
christ (ver. 11). This election by God Paul represents, after his
manner, as an eternal one, which has proceeded dn' dpxrjg, i. e., "npb
KaTcQokrjs Koopnv (Eph. i. 4), dirb rtiv aluvuv (Eph. iii. 9, 11). That
this phrase asserts not a pre-existence of the soul, but only the
decree of election, as one independent of time, to be placed in God,
has already been fully proved at Eph. i. 4. On the formula ddeXtyol
j]yaTir\\Lzvoi cf. ibid. Alpeladat is here used as =t-/cAryeiv, see Phil. i.
22. On the Alexandrian form eUaro for etAero see Lobeck's Phry-
nichus, p. 183. The reading dnap^v for an' dpx-rjg has doubtless
arisen barely from a misapprehension. As Paul frequently talks
of the first-fruits of conversion [see on Kom. xvi. 5 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 15]
that idea was thought to be found here too. The concluding words
alone in ver. 13 cause difficulty, partly with regard to their con-
nexion with what preceds, partly with regard to the position of
the two clauses. If we consider that both dytaafj.6g and mans de-
note the subjective aspect, a connexion with eUaro seems unsuit-



334 SECOND THESSALONIANS II. 15-17.

able, and iv dyiaofiti, K. r. A., seems to aim at a closer definiteness of
the ouTTjpia. But, as salvation is the ultimate aim, on the attaining
of which faith passes into vision, and sanctification into sanctity,
this connexion seems surely nowise admissible. The connexion of
the words with etAaro can, accordingly, be only taken thus : u God
has chosen you unto salvation, in the design, or on the condition,
that ye walk in sanctification of the Spirit and in belief of the
truth." It follows of course that -rvevjua here is not the human
spirit, which is sanctified, but the Divine one, which sanctifies, so
that it is parallel with the Divine truth. But with regard, secondly,
to the collocation, it seems that belief in the truth of the gospel
must precede sanctification by the Holy Ghost, as the cause precedes
the effect. The interpreters pass over this difficulty, which, how-
ever, is not a slight one. We may suppose that Paul understood
by the marts dXrjddag here the faith that is perfected in judgment
also (see on 1 Thess. iii. 10), which presupposes sanctification, and not
the entirely general faith, which is given with the very first elements.
In ver. 14 the el$ 5 cannot be joined with what immediately pre-
cedes, as it is usually taken ; for Paul cannot intend to say, " for
that reason, because men are to walk in sanclification and faith,
God has called them by means of the gospel." If Paul designed
this connexion, he would have said, " in order that they may be
able to walk," etc. The e/f 8 t/caAeae can only refer to etAaro, in
this sense, " therefore, because God conceived the decree of elec-
tion from all eternity, he has also called the elect by means of the
gospel ;" thus dg TTe-pnToirjoiv dofyq comes to stand parallel with elg
acj-T/pmv, and defines more exactly this general expression. It
(1 Thess. v. 9) defines it, namely, to the purport that it is partici-
pation in the glory of Christ in the kingdom of God. (See 1 Thess.
ii. 12.)

Ver. 15. Paul now calls upon his readers, for the attainment of
this end, not to let themselves be led astray (with reference to ii. 2),
and to hold fast the doctrines which had been delivered to them.
For the genuine apostolical Trapadoaeu; define the true nature of the
gospel, which was just now designated as the means of calling men.
If the gospel is changed (Gal. i. 6, 7) it must lose its efficacy.
Paul now mentions a double form in which the -napadoaeis have been
communicated to them ; by word of mouth and by writing they
have been taught by him. But as he says 6C f.moro^ there exists
no reason for thinking here of any other written compositions than
the first Epistle to the Thcssalonians. (Kparelv stands here = KO.TK-
"Xtv, which also occurs 1 Cor. xi. 2, in reference to the TTapadoaetr.
Compare Mark vii. 3, seq.)

Vers. 16, 17. As God must give the success to every good thing,
Paul prays in conclusion that he may afford to the Thessalonians



SECOND THESSALONIANS III. 1, 2. 335

also support for their life of faith, and the approving of it in word
and work. But it is quite unusual that in ver. 16, in the juxtapo-
sition of Father and Son, the name of the Father follows that of
the Son, whereas it everywhere else precedes it. As to the rest,
the designations of God are so chosen as to justify by their pur-
port the prayer for comfort and strengthening from God. For in
the " who loved us" (dyamjaag f^ag) is couched, as the aorist shews,
the allusion to the work of redemption, as the greatest proof of
the love of God towards man. If God has established the atone-
ment out of love, he will, surely, be also inclined to wjn men for it,
and to preserve those won by his Spirit. In the second epithet,
"who gave eternal consolation and good hope through grace" (Sovg
TrapaK^mv aluviav KCU corrida dyadijv ev %dpiri) God is depicted as
the source of comfort in the distresses of the present, and of good
hope for the future, through the operation of his grace. The -na^d-
Kkriais is here called aluviog, only in opposition to the transitory
and deceitful comfort from the earth, especially as hope is named
besides. Comfort in general can find no application to eternity, as
the sufferings which are presupposed by the application of it cannot
have any place there. (In ver. 17 v[j,ag is wanting in A.B.D.E.F.G.,
and is, with Lachmann and Schott, to be expunged from the
text. Further, the collocation pyoj nal A6y on the authority of
A.B.D.E. seems to deserve the preference over the inverted collo-
cation.)



3. CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS.
(iii. 1-18.)

Vers. 1, 2. In conclusion Paul calls on the Thessalonians also
to pray for Mm; not to the end, however, that God may strengthen
him and keep him in the faith, but only that God may be pleased
to bless his labours. Paul supposes his own personal position in
the faith as incapable of being lost ; he was so conscious of his
election by grace that with him a falling away was out of the ques-
tion. Besides, it would have been against decorum for Paul to beg
his disciples to offer up supplication to God for his preservation
in the faith. The apostles were completely secured against every
falling away from the faith with the possession of the Holy Ghost.
See on Eph. vi. 19. r O Aoyo^ rov icvpiov, is here = efayy&wv rov
Qeov. But rptxeiv involves the contrast with being bound [2 Tim. ii.
9]. A reference to Ps. cxlvii. 15 is certainly comprised in the term.
M%d&(j6ai here expresses the recognition of the gospel in its glory.
Now, in order to be able there too, where he is now, in Corinth, to



SECOND THESSALONIANS III. 3.

labour effectually for the gospel, as had been done among them in
Thessalonica, he utters a wish to be delivered from all adversaries
who hinder him. But whether these dro-ot real irovrjpol dvOpw^ot
(oYoTrof is, according to Hesychius = KKOsapog, a/cr^po^-) are to be
looked for within or without the church depends on the meaning of
the following, ov yap -rravruv ^ TUCTT^, and on the mode of connect-
ing those words with what precedes. As marie; has the article
here, it can only mean the Christian faith, and not, for instance,
" fidelity," as one might think from the Triarb? 6 nvpiog, which follows.
But the idea " not all have the faith" is too trivial to be ad-
mitted, especially as Paul had only just uttered the wish that
the gospel might spread. Accordingly, the clause can only im-
ply that all are not ready to receive the faith, that they strive
against the Spirit who wishes to effectuate the faith in thorn, as
Paul calls them at 2 Tim. iii. 8, dvdpwrroi KarrfOapnevot rbv vovv,
ddofufiot Kepi rqv m<jTiv. Still, this incapacity must not certainly be
thought absolute, or even derived from a Divine decree, but from
personal unfaithfulness and impurity. Now, if wo ask after the
connexion formed by yap between this clause and whnt precedes
the language, " that we may be delivered from wicked men, for
all are not capable of faith," might mean, " that God may t ilce
them away from the earth, as there is certainly no prospect of their
conversion." But, if we reflect that Paul himself in the first Epis-
tle to the Corinthians does not imprecate death on the incestuous
man, but will only have him given over unto Satan for the saving of
his soul, we must also here declare such a view entirely inad-
missible. As long as a man is in the life of this body there is also for
him the possihility of conversion. Even incapability of faith and
moral impotence can be removed through grace. 'PveoOai, therefore,
can be understood here only of a deliverance by change of place and
other circumstances, and not of death. Thus, then, it follows
that the dvOQu-noi drorroi and novrjpoi must not be supposed members
of the church, but persons out of the church, and, indeed, probably
the Jews in Corinth, who had set so many persecutions on foot
against Paul. (See Acts xviii. 12, seq.)

Ver. 3. From himself personally Paul turns back directly
to his readers, and utters the conviction that God would establish
them and preserve them from evil. This cannot in the connexion
imply every temptation, but such only as might proceed from the
influence of such hostile persons as were described in ver. 2. No re-
lation at all is to be supposed between the -nia-roq and the Tria-ig which
precedes. God's faithfulness refers purely to the calling of the
Thessalonians unto the kingdom of God, by which the decree of
election is pronounced, " and this," Paul means to say, " God will
also faithfully preserve unto you by the removal of everything which



SECOND THESSALONIANS III. 4-6. 337

can injure you in your life of faith." Considered in itself, the dnb
TOV Trovr)pov might assuredly be taken as neuter ; but, as Paul ac-
knowledges evil to be embodied in Satan, as he expressly teaches a
fight of the faithful with Satan (Eph. vi. 12), it is more conform-
able to the meaning of the author to keep to the masculine here
also. As to the rest the d-rrb TOV TTOVTJOOV refers only to 0t>/Ld, not
to arrjpi^si too. The context is rather to be taken thus : " the Lord
will establish you and, as being established, or after ye are estab-
lished, also guard you from the evil one." True, it might be said,
that (frvhdfri should then stand first ; for what is not yet established
requires preserving from the fight, but not what is already estab-
lished. But this objection disappears if we understand the Qvkda-
oetv diro not of the keeping entirely remote from every fight, but of
guarding in the fight. The being established, therefore, precedes,
in order to make fit for maintaining the fight.

Vers. 4, 5. The exhortation to obedience to his commands Paul
pronounces in the form of sure confidence in the Lord. He there-
fore expects fidelity, not from the Thessalonians as such, but from
the Lord who is efficient in them. It is unsuitable here to refer iv
Kvpi(f) to Paul himself and his fellow workers, with ovre$ supplied.
The prayer which follows (ver. 5) suggests the conduct adapted to
realize this obedience to the apostle's commands, viz., the directing
of their hearts to the love of God and the patience of Christ. The
combination " love and patience" does not allow us to understand the
love of God merely of universal love. It must rather be referred to
the manifestation of the love of God in Christ and his work of re-
demption. The imoiiovr) XOIOTOV is, accordingly, also to be taken in
a special sense of his patient surrender to death for the reconciliation
of men ; and the sense of ver. 5 is accordingly this, " may God be
pleased to direct your hearts to the centre from which all the strength
of the Christian proceeds, viz., to love God's love as it manifests
itself in the sufferings of Christ."

Ver. 6. After this Paul delivers a command, and that in his
apostolical authority in the name of Christ himself. This com-
munication which now follows enables us to perceive what moral
injury the errors of the Thessalonians had brought on the church.
What in 1 Thess. v. was but briefly hinted at, required now an open
and very severe denunciation. On account of the supposed proxim-
ity of the kingdom of God, working had been given up by many,
who now wandered about in fanatical idleness. However, there was
yet a number of quiet persons also in Thessalonica who had not per-
mitted themselves to be carried away. It is to be presumed these
were the elders. For this reason, Paul turns primarily to them,
and calls upon them to give up communion with the brethren that
walked in a disorderly manner. (For iv dvopan TOV nvpiov the par-
VOL. V. 22



SECOND THESSALONIANS III. 7-10.

allel dm TOV Kvpiov stands in ver. 12. In it both the command of
the Lord, and his power, which can effect the carrying out of that
command, are pointed to. SreXXeoOai d-rro TJVOC, or dTroa-eXXeaOai nvo^ )
denotes, like vfToaT&teaOai [which, however, has rather the subordi-
nate idea of clandestine, Gal. ii. 12], " to separate, draw back one's-
self from any one." [See Eurip. Suppl. v. 598.] Ver. 14 shews
more nearly how Paul would have this understood here. Ver.
11 further elucidates the import of the drdicr^ nepmaTelv. We
have no ground for supposing other causes of the disorderly life of
the Thessalonians than merely Apocalyptic errors ; the rrapddoms
which Paul here mentions refers also merely to that. It expresses
the obligation to await quietly the time and hour of the advent,
without neglecting one's earthly calling. The discrepancy of the
readings at the close of the verse is very great. The text. rec. reads
7ropeAa/3e, with a reference to adtA0o$- ; the codices waver between
^Aaf3o<rav, TrapeAa/Sodav, TrafttAajSov, 7rapeAo/3ere, which last reading
Lachmann has adopted on the authority of B.F.G. I, with Gries-
bach, take napekdftoaav for the original reading ; first, because the
more unusual form [See Winer's Gr. 13, 2], which, however, often
occurs in the New Testament, might easily be changed into the
more usual one ; then, because after the allocution dde/4>oi the
second person is expected rather than the third, or at least, with
reference to the brother walking disorderly, the third person sin-
gular.)

Vers. 7.-10. In order to convince the Thessalonians that were
gone astray of their perverseness in giving up their handicrafts, Paul
sets himself forth as an example to them ; with all his spiritual
labours he had yet continually followed his handicraft too, and earned
his own livelihood. It is true, he insists here too, that the privilege
certainly belonged to him of allowing himself to be maintained by
the churches, but, for the sake of the good example, he had made
no use of the privilege. That this was not the only motive that
led Paul to this conduct has already been remarked at 1 Cor.
ix. 7, 8, at which passage consult the Comm. on the causes of this
mode of proceeding in Paul. Paul had also already declared him-
self upon this point (1 Thess. ii. 9), partly in the same words. (Ver.
7. 'Aro/crv is defined here by the context ; it denotes, " to give up
the regular earthly calling." As at that time, so even now also,
with the rousing of the soul to new life, a contempt of external ac-
tion is very apt to appear a tendency which he that has the cure
of souls cannot too powerfully counteract. Ver. 8. Acopv is here
" without labour," thus without having earned one's maintenance.
For the phrase aprov Qayelv = oriV VSN, and denotes here livelihood
in general, as todietv in ver. 10. On tmftapijaat see at 1 Thess. ii. 9.
On et-ovoia see at 1 Cor. ix. 4, 5. Ver. 10. In the axiom, el TIC ov



SECOND THESSALONIANS III. 11-15. 339



0/tet Kpyd&a9ai jtw/de eoQtEru, if any will not work, etc., is couched an
allusion to Gen. iii. 19. It is an universal law in the world, that
man should eat his bread in the sweat of his face ; he that has no
business allotted him must therefore choose for himself a useful
business.)

Vers. 11, 12. After this, what was merely intimated in ver. 6
is more particularly set forth. Whether Timothy had brought the
apostle the news of these disorders with him to Corinth, or whether
he had received information elsewhere, is unknown ; but the former
assumption is the more probable, because a short time only seems to
have elapsed between the composition of the two epistles. (Ver.
11. The expression Treptepyd&adat is significant ; it is found nowhere
in the New Testament but here. Hesychius explains it by npdoaeiv
-nepioad, to do superfluous, needless, things. It occurs so also at
Sirach iii. 22. In this passage it is to be referred to the spiritual
labours which were not enjoined on the Thessalonians [see on James
iii. 1]. In their fanatical excitement they sought, it may be pre-
sumed, through a busy but unprofitable activity, more and more to
inflame themselves and others by the idea of the proximity of
Christ's coming. Ver. 12. Mera rjavx'iag of course only refers to out-
ward quiet perseverance at their handicrafts. f O tavr&v dprog is
bread earned by one's own labour, the livelihood which the handi-
craft afforded, in opposition to allowing one's-self to be maintained
by others.)

Vers. 13-15. Instead of making the rebuke of the disobedient
the next topic, Paul first introduces an exhortation to those that
had continued firm, which is obscure in its connexion. Kahonotelv
can be taken in a perfectly general sense, like dyaOoirotelv 1 Pet. ii.
15, or it can be understood of almsgiving, of doing good in the nar-
rower sense. But trustworthy passages are wanting to prove this
latter meaning ; besides it will not well suit the context, for the ex-
hortation, not to grow weary in almsgiving, almost looks like a fa-
vouring of those lazy fanatics. But Koppe's opinion that Paul
meant to say, " they should not support the lazy indeed, but the