2 Thessalonians 2

2 Thessalonians 2
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Fragments showing First Epistle to the Thessalonians 5:8–10 on Papyrus 30, from the third century.
Book	Second Epistle to the Thessalonians
Category	Pauline epistles
Christian Bible part	New Testament
Order in the Christian part	14

2 Thessalonians 2 is the second chapter of the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle. Traditionally, it is believed to have been written for the church in Thessalonica by Apostle Paul, likely in Corinth shortly after the first epistle (which was written in about 50-51 CE ^[1] ), ^[2] although there were debatable claims that it is the work of a secondary imitator after Paul's death (in 70s to 100 CE). ^[3] This chapter contains the body of the letter, with dogmatical material ^[4] dealing with 'the End and the Man of Lawlessness' and offering encouragement to persevere. ^[5]

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 17 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

• Papyrus 30 (3rd century)
• Codex Vaticanus (325–350)
• Codex Sinaiticus (330–360)
• Codex Alexandrinus (400–440)
• Codex Freerianus (c. 450; extant verses 5–8, 14–17)
• Codex Claromontanus (c. 550)

The End and the Man of Lawlessnes (2:1—12)

Verses 1–2

¹Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ²not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ^[6]

The writer moves from what he prays for the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12) to "what he requires of them": ^[7] "not to be soon shaken in mind". Variants read: "That ye be not soon shaken in mind" (King James Version), "from your mind or sense" (Vulgate Latin version) or "from the solidity of sense" (Arabic version). ^[8] John Gill elaborates that they are not to become like "a wave of the sea, tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine", or shifted away from what they had embraced as articles of faith into their minds and become their sense and judgment, as well as the hope or fundamental article of the Gospel; especially about Christ's second coming, that they should not be easily swayed away from it (cf. Galatians 1:6). ^[8]

• "Troubled": or thrown into surprise and consternation, although the second coming of Christ will not be as terrible to the believers as to sinners, yet it has the sense of awfulness, solemness, and full of concern, so if not told beforehand it might be shocking. ^[8]

• "By spirit": by prophetic pretensions to a revelation from the Spirit, giving a fix time of Christ's coming, which should not be listened nor paid attention to, because this second coming will be 'as a thief in the night'. ^[8]

• "By word": by arguments or reason using probability or enticing words of wisdom using astronomical or arithmetical calculations, or by pretensions as if a word or tradition of Christ or his apostles was received "viva voce" (by word of mouth) from any of them. ^[8]

• "By letter, as if from us": The forging of apostles' letter and counterfeiting their writings began very early, as spurious epistles of the Apostle Paul were spread out, which obliged him to take a method to ensure his genuine letters ( 2 Thessalonians 3:17 ; 2 Thessalonians 3:18 ). ^[8] Also, his former epistle contains some things concerning Christ's coming, which could be either misrepresented, or not understood, that it may be interpreted as if the coming would happen while he and others were still alive and on the spot. ^[8] Therefore, Paul would not want them to pay attention to any enthusiastic spirits, or to any plausible reasoning of men, or oral traditions or to any epistles in his name, or in the name of any of the apostles. ^[8]

• "As though the day of Christ had come": "had come" (NKJV) or "is at hand" (KJV) or "is at this instant just now coming on", as if it would be within a certain year, in a certain month, and on a certain day. ^[8] The Alexandrian version, and some others, including the Vulgate Latin version, read, "the day of the Lord"; the Syriac and Ethiopian versions read, "the day of our Lord". ^[8] Paul would not want them to be tempted to disbelieve or be indifferent about the second coming, because if it did not come true, the people might be persuaded to conclude that there was nothing true in the Christian doctrine. ^[8] Moreover, the notion of a speedy coming of Christ may cause the disorderly and idle persons among them to be in laziness and negligence. ^[8] Therefore, in this and the next verse, Paul dissuades them from absorbing such a tenet. ^[8] Even though Christ's coming is sometimes said to be drawing nigh, or to be quickly, yet not at that instant, because such expressions are used with respect to God, for whom 1000 years are as 1 day, and 1 day as 1000 years; and because the times of Gospel or the Messiah, are the last days until the second coming of Christ, mainly used to keep up the faith and expectation of the saints. ^[8]

Encouragement to persevere (2:13–17)

Verse 13

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ^[9]

This second thanksgiving is given for the establishment of the church by God as a privileged group in the world, to obtain the exalted honor (Greek: δόξης, doxēs, from the root doxa) of Jesus Christ (verse 14). ^[10] "We" refers to Paul, Silvanus and Timothy (2 Thessalonians 1:1); "but we" contrasts these three with "those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth", who have been described in verses 10-12. ^{[4] [7]}

Verse 14

to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^[11]

• "To which": refers to the main idea of verse 13. ^[12]
• "For the obtaining of the glory or our Lord": translated from the Greek phrase εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν, eis peripoiēsin doxēs tou Kyriou hēmōn, which is 'an appositional resumption' of εἰς σωτηρίαν, eis sōtērian (to salvation), that is, to characterize the salvation as an "acquisition" (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:9) of the glory which Christ possesses. ^[7] For Paul, 'the ultimate stage of salvation is glorification' (Romans 8:30). ^[13]

See also

• Jesus Christ
• Second Coming
• Related Bible parts: Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 14, 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Thessalonians 5

References

1. Esler 2007a, p. 1199.
2. Best, E. (1972), A Commentary on the First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians, Black's New Testament Commentaries (London: Adam & Charles Black). p. 59; apud Esler 2007, p. 1213. Quote: 'to meet a new situation in respect of eschatology and a deteriorating situation in respect of idleness', although 'we do not know from where Paul received his information'.
3. Esler 2007b, pp. 1213–1214.
4. Alford, H., Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary - Alford on 2 Thessalonians 2, accessed 8 May 2022
5. Esler 2007b, pp. 1213, 1216–1217.
6. 2 Thessalonians 2:1–2 : NKJV
7. Meyer, H. A. W., Meyer's NT Commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2, accessed 6 May 2022
8. John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible – 2 Thessalonians 2:2
9. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV
10. Esler 2007b, p. 1217.
11. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 NKJV
12. Note [a] on 2 Thessalonians 2:14 in NET Bible
13. Note [b] on 2 Thessalonians 2:14 in NET Bible

Sources

• Esler, Philip F. (2007a). "71. 1 Thessalonians". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 1199. ISBN   978-0199277186 . Retrieved February 6, 2019.
• Esler, Philip F. (2007b). "72. 2 Thessalonians". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1213–1220. ISBN   978-0199277186 . Retrieved February 6, 2019.

External links

• 2 Thessalonians 2 King James Bible - Wikisource
• English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate
• Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
• Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)