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2
Thessalonians Chapter Two
I.
Content of the Chapter
Teachings in the Truth
A. Know the Day of the Lord ---- so as not to
be shaken by vain words (v.1-12);
1. Two great things of the Day of the Lord ----
the coming of Christ and the rapture of believers (v.1);
2. Believers should not be shaken by any
teaching concerning the Day of the Lord (v.2);
3. The Day shall not come unless the apostasy
have first come and the man of sin have been revealed (v.3);
4. The manifestation of the man of sin (v.4-5;
9
5. What restrains of the revelation of the man
of sin (v.6
6. The man of sin shall be annulled by the
appearing of Christ’s coming (v.8b);
7. The follower of the man of sin ---- the
reason why they follow and their end (v.10b-12);
B. Know one’s identity ---- so as to stand fast
in truth (v.13-15);
1. The origin of believers’ being saved ----
love, selection and calling (v.13-15);
2. The condition of believers’ being saved ----
the faith of the truth of the gospel (v.13b,
3. The goal of believers’ being saved ---- obtain of the glory of
Christ (v.14b);
4. The responsibility after believers have been
saved ---- stand
fast and hold the traditions which you were taught (v.15);
C. Know one’s strength ---- so as to be
established in word and work (v.16-17);
1. The origin of believers’ strength ---- the Lord Jesus Christ and God and Father (v.16);
2. The form of believers’ strength ---- give…by
grace (v.16);
3. The content of believers’ strength ---- everlasting consolation and
good hope (v.16b
4. The result of believers’ strength ---- establish you in every good
word and work (v.17b);
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
2Thess. 2:1 “Now, brethren, concerning
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask
you,”
YLT: “And we ask you,
brethren, in regard to the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our
gathering together unto him,”
Meaning of Words: “concerning”:
for, about; “coming”: presence, a being near; “gathering”: assembling together, a complete
collection;
Literal
Meaning: “brethren,
concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ”, “concerning”, in the original,
it meaning “for the truth that is mentioned”.
“The coming of Christ and our gathering to Him”,
according to the original, “coming” and “gathering” are under the same article,
which shows that both of them are relative to each other and are the chief
great events when the Lord comes ---- “the coming of the Lord (parousia)” and
“the rapture of believers” unto Him. According to the scriptures in other
places, both of them do not happen “once”, but occur step by step.
“Ask”, it in the original means beseeching and
entreating.
1)
The coming of the
Lord: it starts from the hidden presence of Christ from the throne of God in
the clouds in the air starting (1Thess. 4:16-17), and ends with the public
presence of Christ coming to the earth from the air (1Thess. 1:7-10). Both of
them shall keep a period of time.
2)
The rapture of
believers: Pre-tribulation Rapture (Rev. 12:5), Mid-tribulation Rapture (Rev.
15:2-4; 7:13-14) and Post-tribulation Rapture (Rev. 14:14-16);
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus Christ shall come again,
which shows that He has risen and He is living and true (1Thess. 1:9-10).
2) The first coming of the Lord Jesus makes us
gathered in His name and enjoy His invisible presence (Matt. 18:20). The second
coming of the Lord makes us gathered to Him and enjoy His tangible presence
(see 1Thess. 4:17).
2Thess. 2:2 “not 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.”
YLT: “that ye be not
quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled, neither through spirit, neither
through word, neither through letters as through us, as that the day of Christ
hath arrived;”
Literal Meaning: “either by spirit or by word
or by letter, as if from us”, “spirit”, it
means prophesying under the power of the Holy Spirit ---- it is a kind of
supernatural revelation; “word”: oral teachings and exhortations; “epistle”:
teachings and exhortations in written form; Paul here asks believers to watch
for falsehood. Therefore, “spirit” may refer to the evil spirit that pretends
to be the Spirit, and “word” relates to the teaching of false prophets, and
“epistle” is that which is written by men who as through Paul and his fellow-workers.
“As though the day of the Lord had come”, “the day
of the Lord” does not refer to a single day, but the period from the Lord’s
hidden coming in the air to His open judgment until the eternal world, during
which a series of great events shall happen (see “Controversial Clarification”
in verse three).
“Not
to be soon shaken in mind or troubled”, “shaken” in the original is used to describe the
boat that is waved by the stormy waves and blown away; “shaken in mind”, it
indicates that the mind and emotion of a man are stirred up and thus lose
balance and repose with great wonder and astonishment; “troubled”: a kind of
continual anxiety and disturbance.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) There is the spirit of God, or not of God,
e.g. the Spirit of the truth, the spirit of error. Therefore, we shall not
believe every spirit, but prove them (1John 4:1-6).
2) There are many sayings and interpretations
concerning the coming of Christ in Christianity. We shall not believe
immediately, but shall prove and consider whether it is of the truth (see
1Thess. 5:20-21).
3) We shall not be shaken in mind by any sound
word, but come back to the light of the Scriptures and search them if these
words are so (see Acts 17:11).
4) Believers shall watch for any teaching
outside of the Scriptures so as not to be shaken in mind or troubled.
5) The Scriptures only give the description of
the sign of Christ’s coming again, but never predict the certain day of the
Lord’s coming. Therefore, any day that is predicted to be the Lord’s coming
must be of “men”, not the revelation of God.
6) God gives men “mind” to think clearly and
soberly so as to judge the verity of everything. If believers are unable to use
mind well, but shaken by various teachings and sayings, it is obviously not the
normal condition of Christians (see Eph. 4:14).
2Thess. 2:3 “Let no one deceive you by
any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and
the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,”
YLT: “let not any one
deceive you in any manner, because -- if the falling away may not come first,
and the man of sin be revealed -- the son of the destruction,”
Meaning of Words: “falling away”:
apostasy, defection from truth, forsake; “the man of sin”: the lawless one; “perdition”: ruin, loss, destruction;
Literal
Meaning: “by
any means”, “any means”
include spirit, word and letter (see v.2) and any other means.
“Let no one deceive you”, “deceive”: be seduced and misled into wrong
recognition and go astray;
“For that Day will not come unless the falling away comes
first”, “that Day” refers to the day of the Lord (see v.2).
According to the following context and the prophesies in the Book of Revelation, it may refer to the later period of the
Tribulation of three years and a half, the period before the public revelation
of the Lord (see Rev. chap. 13). “The falling away”, the word is originally
used to describe the political and military defection or revolt. Here it means
rebelling against God (see Jos. 22:22) and defect from the truth. Here it unveils
that men in the world under the control of Satan will increasingly defect from
and rebel against God before the Lord’s coming.
“And the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition”, “the man of sin” it is “lawless man” in the original, for sin is
the transgression of the law (1John 3:4). “The son of perdition”, the one who
is willing to be indulged in depravity and cut his own throat; it is used to
call Judas in the Scriptures (John 17:12). “Is revealed”, it suggests that he
exists before publicly revelation and before the set time he has not been
recognized as that man of sin.
Note that “the man of sin” is not Satan (see
v.9), but a man who is used by Satan to resist God. The Bible scholars often
call him “antichrist”. However, here the antichrist is different from those who
resist God and are against Christ in each generation (see 1John 2:18). “The man
of sin” is the one who resists God most seriously before the public presence of
the Lord in the last days.
There were many Christians who were
interested in the man of sin and inferred that some certain famous political or
religious character would be the man of sin that Scriptures prophesied
according to the number of “six hundred and sixty and six” (see Rev. 13:18).
This is really groundless assumption, for it only satisfies men’s curiosity and
avails common believers nothing.
Controversial
Clarification: concerning the period of the day of the Lord, Bible exegetes
present various interpretations of the series of events. And traditionally, it
is believed that the church will be caught before the Tribulation. Therefore,
Christians in the last days shall not witness “the revelation of the man of
sin”, but it runs counter to Paul’s purpose of mentioning it here. Therefore,
as far as the order is concerned, the great events that shall happen in “the
day of the Lord” are listed as below:
1) The gospel shall be preached in the whole
habitable earth, and then the end shall come (Matt.24:14);
2) “The covenant” is confirmed (Dan. 9:
3) The covenant is destroyed (Dan. 9:29b); the
Tribulation of the last three and a half years comes (Rev. 11:2; 13:5). The
revelation of the man of sin (2Thess. 2:3-4; Rev. 13:11-18); “those who are
clothed with white robes” are caught in the Tribulation (Rev. 7:13-14; 15:2-4);
4) The public presence of the Lord; the
majority of believers ---- “the ripe harvest” ---- are caught after the
Tribulation (Rev. 14:14-16); the judgment before the seat of Christ (2Cor.
5:10; 1Cor. 3:13-15); “the war of Armagedon” (Rev. 14:19-20; 16:12-16;
19:17-21) and the man of sin is annulled (2Thess. 2:8); the judgment before the
glorious throne of Christ (Matt.25:31-46);
5) The kingdom of one thousand years (Rev.
20:4-6);
6) The war after the kingdom of one thousand
years (Rev. 20:7-10);
7) The judgment before the white throne in the
last day (Rev. 20:11-15);
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus tells the disciples that many
false Christs and false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many
(Matt.24:11, 24) at the end of the world. Therefore, we believer should watch,
lest we should be deceived in the last time (Matt.24:4);
2) The greatest sign is that many false Christs
and false prophets arise and say that Christ is here and Christ is there before
the Lord’s coming (Matt.24:11, 23-26).
3) Believers may be deceived to believe the day
of the Lord will come soon so as to regard false Christ as Christ. Today, such
heretical teachings have prevailed all over the world (e.g. the “Eastern
Lightning” in
2Thess. 2:4 “who opposes and exalts
himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as
God in the
YLT: “who is opposing and
is raising himself up above all called God or worshipped, so that he in the
sanctuary of God as God hath sat down, shewing himself off that he is God -- .”
Literal Meaning: “who opposes”, according to the original, “oppose” is
synonymous with “devil”. It means that the man of sin is exactly the same with
the devil and likes to resist the Lord.
“And
exalts himself”, puff oneself up
or overrate oneself;
“Above
all that is called God”, here it indicates
that all those who call themselves or who are called God, including true God
and false gods. The man of sin considers him greater than God.
“Or
that is worshiped”, here it indicates that
all things that are worshipped, e.g.
images, idols, shrines etc.
“So
that he sits as God in the
1) Symbolic interpretation: “the
2) “The
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The trail of the falling of Satan is
“exalting himself” even above
all that is called God (see Is. 14:13-14;
Ezek. 28:2, 16-17). All those exalt themselves and like to be adorned by
believers are unconsciously used by the devil and are usurping the position of
God in men’s heart.
2) The man of sin likes to “call himself God”.
Therefore, we can recognize that all those who to call themselves “God” or
“Christ” must be the heretics of the devil. We shall not be deceived by them.
3) A normal Christian often emphasizes that he
is a “man” (see Acts 10:25-26; 14:13-15), and never dares to compare him with
“God”. Therefore, anyone or any sect that preaches “man becomes God” has gone
to extremes and is unbelievable.
4) Christians are the sons of God (Gal. 3:26).
The divine life and nature of God (2Pet. 1:3-4) will sufficiently enable us to
be sanctified (1John 5:18). There is no need of the high-sounding concept that
“man becomes God”.
2Thess. 2:5 “Do you not remember that
when I was still with you I told you these things”
YLT: “Do ye not remember
that, being yet with you, these things I said to you?”
Literal Meaning: it indicates that
Paul had ever taught believers in the church in Thessalonica things of the
Lord’s coming again before he was forced to leave Thessalonica. Now he merely
mentions it again and helps them to have knowledge about it.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The apostle Paul taught believers in
Thessalonica things about the Lord’s second coming, though they had believed
the Lord less than one year and were still young in spirit. Therefore, the
Lord’s second coming is greatly connected with the conversation of believers on
the earth.
2) Today, some of the Christians who have
believed the Lord for many years have never heard the teaching of the Lord’s
coming again. Though some have heard the truth, they are indifferent to the
Lord’s coming. No wonder that they have neither testimony in life nor growth in
spirit.
2Thess. 2:6 “And now you know what is
restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.”
YLT: “and now, what is
keeping down ye have known, for his being revealed in his own time,”
Meaning of Words: “restrain”: hold down, keep
(in memory), seize on, withhold;
Literal
Meaning: “and now you know”,
“know”, they know … because of Paul’s teaching (see v.5).
“What
is restraining”, it is restraining him from working his power according to his
own will. Here it suggests that he has early begun to stir and yet has been
restrained, so he will be poised for its revelation.
“That he may be revealed in
his own time”, here it indicates
that the purpose of “restraining” is not making him unable to reveal, but that
he is unable to reveal until the set time; “time”: the time ordained by God to
let him reveal;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) To everything and everyone in the world, and
even everything that everyone shall meet in his life, there is a season (Eccl.
3:1; 8:6). And they are of the will of God and are connected with God’s
appointment.
2) What is most important for Christians is to
know the will of God and know how to work according to the time of God (John
7:6) and know that everything coming upon us is of the good will of God the
Father (see Matt. 11:25-26;
2Thess. 2:7 “For the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He
is taken out of the way.”
YLT: “for the secret of
the lawlessness doth already work, only he who is keeping down now -- till he
may be out of the way,”
Literal Meaning: “for the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work”, “lawlessness”: be
not controlled or restrained by the law and ignore the law; “mystery”: it
indicates that a kind of existing thing or truth is a mystery before it is
revealed. Once it is exposed, it will be no longer a mystery. “At work”: work
in secret;
The whole world lies in the
wicked (1John 5:19). Everyone has lawless thought in his flesh. Most of the
people are restrained by the external law and internal conscience (believers
are more restrained by the indwelling Christ, or the law of Christ) so as not
to act presumptuously. However, the lawless mind is at work.
“He
who now restrains”, what the
difference between “what is restraining” and “he who restrains” is. Why does
the apostle Paul use such vague expression? Or does he have scruples about it?
The Bible expositors throughout the past generations have different views upon
it, but satisfactory interpretations have still not been presented. Now the
present interpretations can be classified into the following points:
1) Which refer to the
2) Which refer to the allegoric (Rev. 17:16-17)
Roman Empire and the Roman emperors, namely, political and religious
3) Which refer to the regime of law and the
law-executors; it means that the man of sin is restrained by the national
politics and law and is unable to act presumptuously until he takes the power.
However, the law-executor shall be in the plural, and yet here “he now who
restrains” is in the singular.
4) Which refer to the evil power and Satan; “be
taken out of the way”, it indicates the devil is cast out into the earth from
the heaven (Rev. 12:7-12). And then the man of sin appears (Rev. 13:11-18).
5) Which refer to the ministry of the gospel
and the church; the gospel shall be preached in the whole world and then shall
come the end. “Be taken out of the way”, it indicates that the church is caught
before the Tribulation and then the man of sin appears. However, in fact there
are still believers (namely, the church) who are on the earth during the
Tribulation (Rev. 14:12-16).
6) Which refer to the appointment in the
council of God and the government of the Spirit over the world; “be taken out
of the way”, it indicates that the Spirit does not keep it any more.
7) Which refer to the supernatural power given
by God to control it and the designated angel who has received the power; “be
taken out of the way”, it means cancelling the task of the angel;
The complier thinks that it is better to regard “he
who restrains” as the “element” of restraint set by God than to “personalize”
him, e.g. God had commanded Satan not to hurt Job (see Job. 1:12; 2:6), so this
commandment had restrained Satan from doing whatever it wants.
“Until
He is taken out of the way”, in order to
fulfill this prophecy, God will remove the restraining elements until His set
time.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In the past generations, the works of
resisting God were always going on and became increasingly fierce and obvious.
The lawless thing has eroded every corner of the society and even the church.
2) Many times, “the mystery of lawlessness” is “working” in many people, but they hold
still because of the restraint of the law and conscience. Sometimes, Satan puts
the lawless thought into the mind of believers. At this time, we shall resist
it with firm faith (see 2Cor. 10:4-5; 1Pet.5:8-9).
3) May the Lord keep back us from presumptuous
(Ps. 19:13).
2Thess. 2:8 “And then the lawless one
will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and
destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
YLT: “and then shall be
revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation of his presence,”
Meaning of Words: “breath”: spirit; “consume”: destroy; “destroy”: bring to nothing, abolish, become of no effect;
Literal
Meaning: “and then the lawless one will be revealed”, “the lawless”, it refers to the man of sin (see v.3); “be revealed”, it does not mean he does not exist
previously and appears before the world suddenly, but that he exists before his
revelation. However, men in the world do not know he is that man of sin. Until
one day, when his true face is revealed, all is suddenly enlightened.
“Whom
the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth”,
“the breath of His mouth”, the spirit or power in his word (see John 6:63;
Luke 1:37), namely, “the sharp sword out of his mouth” prophesied in the Book
of Revelation (Rev. 19:15, 21).
“And
destroy with the brightness of His coming”, “brightness”
it is used to describe the revelation of God; when the Lord Jesus first came to
the earth, he had transiently appeared his brightness on the Mountain (Luke
9:32; 2Pet. 1:16-17). However, when he comes to the world again, he will
manifest His glory (1John 3:2). Such brightness of His coming has surpassing
power: 1) which is able to subdue all things to Himself (Phil. 3:21); 2) which
is able to transform the body of believers (Phil. 3:21; 1John 3:2); 3) which is
able to destroy the wicked one;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord’s word is greatly operative (Heb.
4:12). As long as there is a word of Him, the unclean spirit must be cast out (Matt.
8:16). And as long as there is a word of Him, man shall be healed (Matt. 8:8).
2) The word is the weapon for believers in war
(Eph. 6:17). Therefore, let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom
(Col. 3:16 the original) for a rainy day.
3) Where there is the presence of the Lord,
there is the brightness of the Lord (John 12:46). The more we enjoy the
presence of the Lord, the more will we imbibe and reflect the Lord’s glory
(2Cor. 3:18).
4) Though the power of darkness is rampant, it
must fail eventually. Just as a Chinese saying goes like this: “From time
immemorial, evil cannot conquer uprightness”. Christians cannot measure things
by sight, but by the impending end.
2Thess. 2:9 “The coming of the lawless
one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying
wonders,”
YLT: “whose presence is
according to the working of the Adversary, in all power, and signs, and lying
wonders,”
Literal Meaning: “the coming of the lawless
one is according to the working of Satan”, “working”: according to the original it is
works with power; therefore, “the working of Satan”, it indicates that he acts
according to the power given by Satan to him (see Rev. 13:11-15, see 1-5).
“With
all power, signs, and lying wonders”,
“power”, it refers to the special power manifested
from his works,
“signs”, it indicates that
his works reveal uncommon marks,
“wonders”, it means that his
works are difficult to be understood (John 8:44).
“Lying”, according to the original, it describes
not only wonders but also power and signs. “Lying”, it does not mean what he
has done is not true and just likes magic, but that the origin is not out of
the true God, but out of vanity ---- Satan (John 8:44). Therefore, what he has
done cannot bring true and profitable fruits to men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Some of the power and signs and wonders are
of God, and some of Satan. The problem is that Satan likes to be transformed
into an angel of light (2Cor. 11:14) to deceive men that the power and signs
and wonders are of God. Therefore, Christians should beware of not being
deceived by those supernatural phenomena.
2) The Charismatic Movement in Christianity
draws many people by various power and signs and wonders. Some of them are
false, but there even also many Christians who turn to follow them. What a
worry such condition is. We do not know how many Christians will become
apostates when the man of sin is revealed.
3) The power and signs and wonders in the
Scriptures are manifested naturally when they are needed. And it is not appealing
men to visit the power and signs and wonders by trumpets or drums in the
Scriptures. Therefore, if we draw the people by power and signs and wonders, no
matter whether the purpose is right (e.g. the preachment of the gospel), there
are still problems with the verity.
2Thess. 2:10 “and with all unrighteous
deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the
truth, that they might be saved.”
YLT: “and in all
deceitfulness of the unrighteousness in those perishing, because the love of
the truth they did not receive for their being saved,”
Literal Meaning: “among those who perish”,
“those who perish”:
those who are not saved (see 1Cor. 1:18); the previous verse relates to what
the man of sin has done, and this verse mentions what he has done through all
those who do not believe;
“With all unrighteous deception”, “unrighteous”, it refers to all forms of sins ---- here it
describes the nature and characteristics of all things they have done;
“deception”, it describes the motivation and means of things they have done.
“Because
they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved”, “they”: those who do not believe; this
verse points out the reason why they are deceived by the man of sin and are not
saved ---- they “refuse the love of truth”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is the only way for men to be saved of
accepting the truth and receiving the truth of the gospel. God has already put
the truth of salvation before men, so those who perish have only themselves to
blame.
2) If man does not love “reality”, he will seek
“vanity” (see v.9) and be cheated by the power and signs and wonders worked by
those who are lawless.
3) The Lord Himself is the truth (John 14:6).
If man receives truth and loves truth, he has just received Him and loved Him
and will thus have truthful righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:21, 24). This is
salvation.
4) We believers are those who love the truth,
so we shall detest the vain power, signs and wonders. If we still seek vanity
with curiosity, it points that our love of the truth goes wrong.
2Thess. 2:11 “And for this reason God
will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,”
YLT: “and because of this
shall God send to them a working of delusion, for their believing the lie,”
Literal Meaning: “and for this reason God will
send them strong delusion”, “therefore”, it is because that they refuse the
truth (see v.10); “send them strong delusion”, it is the power that works in
men to give them up to error (Judas v.11). This is not God’s active giving, but
passive reaction. When men purposefully refuse the truth of God, God will give
them up to the pursuit of vanity (see Rom. 1:24-28).
“That
they should believe the lie”, “lie”, it is not only all the lies but especially that
lie of the man of sin who calls him God (see v.4) and all lying works (see
v.9). If men do not believe the truth, they will turn to the lie.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) All those who purposefully shut up the door
of heart and refuse to receive the light of the truth (see v.10) will
inevitably fall into error and sank more deeply into it.
2) Once man’s heart is wrong, everything goes
wrong. If one believes a wrong object, what he does not believe will also be
wrong ---- for he believes the lie and does not believe the truth (v.12). And
if one loves a wrong object, what he does not love will also be wrong ---- for
he loves unrighteousness (v.12), and does not love the truth (v.10).
3) God reigns in the universe. When men are
hardened to refuse the grace of God, they will inevitably be rewarded by the
righteousness of God (see
4) Generally, we hear men say: “I believe
nothing”. Actually, it is not that he does not believe anything, but he does
not believe the truth (see v.12), but the lie.
2Thess. 2:12 “that they all may be
condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
YLT: “that they may be
judged -- all who did not believe the truth, but were well pleased in the
unrighteousness.”
Literal Meaning: “did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness”, “did not believe the truth” and “believe the lie” are opposite (see v.11). The belief of the
lie is the unbelief in the truth. “Had pleasure in unrighteousness”, it is the result of the unbelief in the truth.
If men regard lie as truth, they will naturally love unrighteousness.
“Be condemned”, “condemned”, it is “judgment”
according to the original. Man’s wrong “judgment” upon things will be under
God’s “judgment”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers love kindness (1:11). He who does
not love the truth loves righteousness.
2) Man’s attitude towards the truth will decide
what he shall reap ---- to those who receive the truth, the coming of Christ is
the ultimate deliverance
from sins (see v.13). Therefore, this is the
experience of victory. However, to those who refuse the truth, the coming of
Christ is judgment and condemnation and final perdition.
2Thess. 2:13 “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,”
YLT: “And we -- we ought
to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, that God
did choose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the
Spirit, and belief of the truth,”
Literal Meaning: “brethren beloved by the
Lord”, “the Lord” here refers to the Lord Jesus.
Once we believers have received Him, we have received His love.
“But
we are bound to give thanks to God always for you”, “give thanks to God”, for He is the origin of salvation. It is God
that created the redemption and chose men and then sent the Lord Jesus to
fulfill the redemption.
“Because
God from the beginning chose you”,
it indicates that God has chosen us before the foundation of the world (Eph.
1:4).
“Belief
in the truth”, “belief” it the
condition of man’s receiving the salvation of God; God reveals the way of
salvation to men through the truth of the gospel. Men can only be saved by the
belief of the truth of the gospel (Eph. 1:3).
“By
the Spirit”, the inspiration
of the Spirit makes us open our heart to receive the Savior and the
accomplished salvation by Him.
This verse mentions God, the Lord and the Spirit
---- the works of the holy Trinity ---- God is the origin of the salvation, and
the Lord comes to accomplish the salvation and the Spirit accomplishes the
salvation in us.
“Through
sanctification”, “sanctification”, it is through the working of the Spirit,
which can be divided into three different phases and steps: 1) the Spirit works
in man and brings demonstration of sin in man (John 16:8). This is the
sanctification of man’s mind that he is willing to receive the Lord Jesus
(1Pet. 1:2); 2) when the Spirit regenerates man, man is washed and sanctified
and justified ---- this is the positional sanctification (1Cor. 6:11); 3) after
the Spirit has reborn man, He will renew us continually (Titus 3:5) to sanctify
us in conversation (see 1Thess. 4:7-8) ---- this is the sanctification in
essence (or experience).
“For
salvation”, it does not say one can be saved only after he has
been sanctified, but that salvation is the combination of the provision of the
holy Trinity and man’s believing. Neither God’s provision without man’s
believing nor man’s believing without God’s provision can make man saved.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The salvation of believers does not start in
time, but from eternity, for God had chosen us in the beginning.
2) The election of God shows His love to us.
“From the
beginning”, it also indicates
that the love of God to us has never changed from the beginning.
3) In order to save us, the working of the holy
Trinity accomplishes the salvation in us. God cares about us so much and His
will is utterly manifested here.
4) If there is only the will and works of God
without man’s faith, it still avails nothing. Therefore, what is most important
is to open one’s heart and receive all that God has done for us. This is the
way of enjoying the blessing of God.
5) The Spirit dwells and works always in
believers in order to renew and transform us, thus sanctifying us. This work of
sanctification needs our cooperation with and obedience to the Spirit so that
we shall bear the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 22-25).
6) We shall not be satisfied with “the salvation
of the Spirit” and the deliverance from the hell only, but shall continue to
seek “the salvation of soul” (1Pet. 1:9 the original) and “the salvation of
body” (Rom. 8:23) until when our spirit and soul and body are preserved
blameless (1Thess. 5:23).
2Thess. 2:14 “to which He called you by
our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
YLT: “to which He did
call you through our good news, to the acquiring of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ;”
Literal Meaning: “to which He called
you by our gospel”, “called”, it was the calling of believers obtained from God
when they were saved; “to which”: to the degree that believers are sanctified
(see v.13) in experience after they are saved.
“For the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”, “glory”: the manifestation of God; “the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ”, it means that God has fully manifested in the Lord
Jesus (1Tim. 3:16). “The obtaining of … the glory of the Lord”, it indicates
that believers have been sanctified to a degree that they are able to manifest
God like the Lord (see 1John 3:3).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God called us to let us be preserved
blamelessly in spirit and soul and body, thus fulfilling the full salvation
(see v.13) in us. Therefore, don’t think we have already obtained or are
already perfected but pursue (see Phil. 3:12-15).
2) If believers desire to obtain the glory of
the Lord in His second coming and enjoy the profits of the Lord’s glory, we
have to turn to the Lord today and look on the glory of the Lord with unveiled
face and are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory (2Cor.
3:16-18).
2Thess. 2:15 “Therefore, brethren,
stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or
our epistle.”
YLT: “so, then, brethren,
stand ye fast, and hold the deliverances that ye were taught, whether through
word, whether through our letter;”
Meaning of Words: “traditions”:
precept, ordinance;
Literal
Meaning: “therefore,
brethren, stand fast”, “stand fast”, the tense indicates that it is a continual
state; though believers in Thessalonica have stood fast in faith (1Thess. 3:8),
they shall still keep the state until the Lord comes again.
“The
traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle”, in the early
church time, since the New Testament had not been composed, the church lived
the church life according to the teaching of the apostle (see Acts 2:42). That
is to say, the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets
(Eph. 2:20). And the teachings of the apostles were mainly delivered in oral
and written form. Therefore, the “traditions” were the teachings of the
apostles and the prophets. Afterwards, the New Testament was mainly composed of
the epistles collected from the churches and the gospels written or dictated by
the apostles
“Hold”: seize closely;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Today, the revelation of God has been fully
recorded in the Holy Bible. Believers need not to seek any other oral or
dictated traditions outside of the Holy Bible (the Apocrypha and the
Pseudepigraph).
2) What is most important is that Christians
shall not teach as the doctrines the precepts of men, nor make void the
commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching (Matt. 15:2-8).
2Thess. 2:16 “Now may our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us
everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,”
YLT: “and may our Lord
Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father, who did love us, and did give
comfort age-during, and good hope in grace,”
Literal Meaning: “now may our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, and our God and Father”, it indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ and God the
Father work together on the things of comforting and strengthening believers
(see v.17).
“Who
has loved us and given us”, it suggests that all that God has done to believers
is out of love and through grace. Love is the origin and grace is the way.
“Everlasting
consolation and good hope by grace”, “consolation” is the motivating power, and “hope” is the
drawing power. Both of them provide strength to believers to run the race that
lies before us.
“Everlasting
consolation” shows that it is
not the transient, but continual and everlasting power; “and
good hope”, it is not vain
illusion, but glorious hope that can be seen (see Heb. 11:13) and appreciated
and truly seized (see Col. 1:27).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The help that men can afford us is always
short and imperfect. Only the Lord and God the Father that love us can provide
us unceasing and everlasting and good help.
2) All the experienced Christians know that
only consolation and hope can mostly strengthen us and help us to overcome
afflictions in difficult conditions (see 2Cor. 1:3-7; 4:16-18).
2Thess. 2:17 “comfort your hearts and
establish you in every good word and work.”
YLT: “comfort your
hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.”
Literal Meaning: “comfort your hearts”,
“comfort”: encourage,
strengthen; Paul prays for the believers in Thessalonica to be internally strengthened.
“And
establish you in every good word and work”, the purpose of Paul’s prayer is that there will
be effect in both work and word. Work and word are two important parts of the
testimony of Christian’s life (Titus 2:6-8), through which the faith of truth
shall be manifested vividly.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “The good word and work” of Christians may not be praised by men,
but caused hostile slander of men. Such frustration may easily make believers
discouraged. Only the consolation and encouragement will revive us and stand
firm unto the end.
2) Today, many Christians emphasize the defense
of the truth, but ignore the living manifestation of the truth in life.
Actually, the best way of defending the truth is to put the truth into
practice.
3) Concerning our bearing witness to the truth,
our “work” should be consonant with our “word”. “Good word” shall be
accompanied with “good work” (1John 3:18). And our “good work” shall be
supplemented with “good word” so that it is perfect.
4) The good word and work of Christians should
not be sought occasionally, but shall be established firmly and done
persistently.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
Know that Man of Sin ---- the Lawless One
A.
His nature (v.3-4):
1.
The falling away ---- the apostasy;
2.
The man of sin ---- lawlessness;
3.
Oppose the Lord ---- resist God;
4.
Show himself that he is God ---- exalt himself;
B. His danger (v.5) ---- since he relates to
the church crucially, the church should previously teach the things of him;
C.
His revelation (v.3,
6
1.
Be revealed before
the Day of the Lord;
2.
He shall be revealed
until the fixed time because of the restraint;
3.
Though he is not
manifested, the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.
4.
He will be revealed
until the one who restrains is taken out of the way.
D.
His end ---- perdition (v.3, 8b):
1.
Be consumed by the breath of the Lord’s mouth;
2.
Be destroyed by the brightness of the Lord’s coming;
E.
His works(v.9-10):
1.
According to the working of
Satan;
2.
With all power, signs;
3.
With lying wonders;
4.
With all unrighteous deception;
F.
His followers
(v.10-12):
1.
They shall perish;
2.
They not receive the love of the
truth;
3.
They believe the lie ---- not believe the truth;
4.
They have pleasure in unrighteousness;
5.
They are condemned;
The Comparisons Worthy of Observation
A. The coming of the Lord Jesus (v.1, 8) ----
the revelation of the man of sin (v.3, 6, 8);
B. The Day of the Lord (v.2) ---- the time when
the man of sin is revealed (v.6-8);
C. Spirit or word or letter as if from the apostles (v.2) ---- the traditions which the apostles taught, whether by word or our epistle (v.15);
D. Be shaken in mind or troubled (v.2) ----
stand fast, hold and establish (v.15, 17);
E. The falling away (v.3) ---- hold the
traditions (v.15);
F. Call himself God (v.4) ---- be consumed by
the breath of the Lord’s mouth (v.8);
G. Be destroyed by the brightness (v.8) ---- the obtaining of the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ (v.14);
H. According to the working of Satan (v.9) ---- by the Spirit (v.13);
I. With all unrighteous deception (v.10) ---- every good word and work (v.17);
J. Do not receive the love of the truth, not believe the truth (v.10, 12) ---- belief in the truth (v.13);
K. Perish, be condemned (v.10, 12) ---- salvation, the
obtaining of the glory (v.13, 14);
L. Believe the lie
(v.11) ----
belief in the truth (v.13);
M. Strong delusion
(v.11) ---- by
the Spirit (v.13);
N. Have pleasure in unrighteousness (v.12) ---- sanctification (v.13);
Know the Salvation of God
A.
The origin of the
salvation ---- the work of the holy Trinity (v.13-14):
1.
The love of the
Lord;
2.
The election and
calling of God;
3.
The inspiration of
the Spirit;
B.
The steps of the
salvation:
1.
Through the
preachment of the gospel (v
2.
Through the unbelief
in the truth (v.13b)
C.
The fulfillment of
the salvation ---- (v.13-14):
1.
Salvation;
2.
Sanctification;
3.
The obtaining of the glory
of our Lord
D.
The persistence of
the salvation ---- (v.15):
1.
Stand fast;
2.
Hold the traditions
E.
The provision of the
salvation ---- (v.16-17):
1.
The joint provision
of the Lord and God the Father
2.
Because of the love
and grace of God;
3.
Obtain the eternal
consolation of God;
4.
Obtain the good
hope;
5.
The establishment in every good word and work;
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou