S
E C O N D T H E S S A L O N I A N S
CHAP. II.
The
apostle is very careful to hinder the spreading of an error into which some
among them had fallen concerning the coming of Christ, as being very near,
ver. 1-3. Then he proceeds to confute the error he cautioned them against, by
telling them of two great events that were antecedent to the coming of
Christ--a general apostasy, and the revelation of antichrist, concerning whom
the apostle tells them many remarkable things, about his name, his character,
his rise, his fall, his reign, and the sin and ruin of his subjects, ver.
4-12. He then comforts them against the terror of this apostasy, and exhorts
them to stedfastness, ver. 13-15. And concludes with a prayer for them, ver.
16, 17.
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Cautions
against False Alarm.
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A. D. 52.
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1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor
by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means--
From these words it appears that some among the Thessalonians had mistaken the
apostle's meaning, in what he had written in his former epistle about the
coming of Christ, by thinking that it was near at hand,--that Christ was just
ready to appear and come to judgment. Or, it may be, some among them pretended
that they had the knowledge of this by particular revelation from the Spirit,
or from some words they had heard from the apostle, when he was with them, or
some letter he had written or they pretended he had written to them or some
other person: and hereupon the apostle is careful to rectify this mistake, and
to prevent the spreading of this error. Observe, If errors and mistakes arise
among Christians, we should take the first opportunity to rectify them, and
hinder the spreading thereof; and good men will be especially careful to
suppress errors that may arise from a mistake of their words and actions,
though that which was spoken or done was ever so innocent or well. We have a
subtle adversary, who watches all opportunities to do mischief, and will
sometimes promote errors even by means of the words of scripture. Observe,
I. How very earnest and solicitous this apostle was to prevent mistakes: We
beseech you, brethren, &c., v. 1. He entreats them as brethren
who might have charged them as a father charges his children: he shows great
kindness and condescension, and insinuates himself into their affections. And
this is the best way to deal with men when we would preserve or recover them
from errors, to deal gently and affectionately with them: rough and rigorous
treatment will but exasperate their spirits, and prejudice them against the
reasons we may offer. He obtests and even conjures them in the most solemn
manner: By the coming of Christ, &c. The words are in the form of
an oath; and his meaning is that if they believed Christ would come, and if
they desired he would come, and rejoiced in the hope of his coming, they
should be careful to avoid the error, and the evil consequences of it, against
which he was now cautioning them. From this form of obtestation used by the
apostle, we may observe,
1. It is most certain that the Lord Jesus Christ will come to judge the world,
that he will come in all the pomp and power of the upper world in the last
day, to execute judgment upon all. Whatever uncertainty we are at, or whatever
mistakes may arise about the time of his coming, his coming itself is certain.
This has been the faith and hope of all Christians in all ages of the church;
nay, it was the faith and hope of the Old-Testament saints, ever since Enoch
the seventh from Adam, who said, Behold, the Lord cometh, &c., Jude
14.
2. At the second coming of Christ all the saints will be gathered together to
him; and this mention of the gathering of the saints together unto Christ at
his coming shows that the apostle speaks of Christ's coming to judgment day,
and not of his coming to destroy Jerusalem. He speaks of a proper, and not a
metaphorical advent: and, as it will be part of Christ's honour in that day,
so it will be the completing of the happiness of his saints. (1.) That they
all shall be gathered together. There will then be a general meeting of all
the saints, and none but saints; all the Old-Testament saints, who got
acquaintance with Christ by the dark shadows of the law, and saw this day at a
distance; and all the New-Testament saints, to whom life and immortality were
brought to light by the gospel; they will all be gathered together. There will
then come from the four winds of heaven all that are, or ever were, or ever
shall be, from the beginning to the end of time. All shall be gathered
together. (2.) That they shall be gathered together to Christ. He will
be the great centre of their unity. They shall be gathered together to him, to
be attendants on him, to be assessors with him, to be presented by him to the
Father, to be with him for ever, and altogether happy in his presence to all
eternity. (3.) The doctrine of Christ's coming and our gathering together to
him is of a great moment and importance to Christians; otherwise it would not
be the proper matter of the apostle's obtestation. We ought therefore not only
to believe these things, but highly to account of them also, and look upon
them as things we are greatly concerned in and should be much affected with.
II. The thing itself against which the apostle cautions the Thessalonians is
that they should not be deceived about the time of Christ's coming, and so be
shaken in mind, or be troubled. Note, Errors in the mind tend greatly to
weaken our faith, and cause us trouble; and such as are weak in faith and of
troubled minds are oftentimes apt to be deceived, and fall a prey to seducers.
1. The apostle would not have them be deceived: Let no man deceive you by
any means, v. 3. There are many who lie in wait to deceive, and
they have many ways of deceiving; we have reason therefore to be cautious and
stand upon our guard. Some deceivers will pretend new revelations, others
misinterpret scripture, and others will be guilty of gross forgeries; divers
means and artifices of deceit men will use; but we must be careful that no man
deceive us by any means. The particular matter in which the apostle cautions
them not to be deceived is about the near approach of Christ's coming, as if
it was to have been in the apostle's days; and harmless as this error might
seem to many, yet, because it was indeed an error, it would have proved of bad
consequences to many persons. Therefore, 2. He gives them warning, and would
not have them be soon shaken in mind, nor be troubled. (1.) He would not have
their faith weakened. We should firmly believe the second coming of Christ,
and be settled and established in the faith of this; but there was danger lest
the Thessalonians, if they apprehended the coming of Christ was just at hand,
upon finding that they, or others whom they too much regarded, were mistaken
as to the time, should thereupon question the truth or certainty of the thing
itself; whereas they ought not to waver in their minds as to this great thing,
which is the faith and hope of all the saints. False doctrines are like winds,
that toss the water to and fro, and they are apt to unsettle the minds of men,
who are sometimes as unstable as water. Then, (2.) He would not have their
comforts lessened, that they should not be troubled nor affrighted with false
alarms. It is probable that the coming of Christ was represented in so much
terror as to trouble many serious Christians among them, though in itself it
should be matter of the believer's hope and joy; or else many might be
troubled with the thought how surprising this day would be, or with the fear
of their unpreparedness, or upon the reflection on their mistake about the
time of Christ's coming: we should always watch and pray, but must not be
discouraged nor uncomfortable at the thought of Christ's coming.
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Apostasy Foretold.
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A. D. 52.
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3 --For that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is
called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when
I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know
what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the
mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let,
until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him,
whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them
that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might
be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
In these words the apostle confutes the error against which he had cautioned
them, and gives the reasons why they should not expect the coming of Christ as
just at hand. There were several events previous to the second coming of
Christ; in particular, he tells them there would be,
I. A general apostasy, there would come a falling away first, v.
3. By this apostasy we are not to understand a defection in the state, or from
civil government, but in spiritual or religious matters, from sound doctrine,
instituted worship and church government, and a holy life. The apostle speaks
of some very great apostasy, not only of some converted Jews or Gentiles, but
such as should be very general, though gradual, and should give occasion to
the revelation of rise of antichrist, that man of sin. This, he
says (v. 5), he had told them of when he was with them, with design, no
doubt, that they should not take offence nor be stumbled at it. And let us
observe that no sooner was Christianity planted and rooted in the world than
there began to be a defection in the Christian church. It was so in the
Old-Testament church; presently after any considerable advance made in
religion there followed a defection: soon after the promise there was
revolting; for example, soon after men began to call upon the name of the Lord
all flesh corrupted their way,--soon after the covenant with Noah the
Babel-builders bade defiance to heaven,--soon after the covenant with Abraham
his seed degenerated in Egypt,--soon after the Israelites were planted in
Canaan, when the first generation was worn off, they forsook God and served
Baal,--soon after God's covenant with David his seed revolted, and served
other gods,--soon after the return out of captivity there was a general decay
of piety, as appears by the story of Ezra and Nehemiah; and therefore it was
no strange thing that after the planting of Christianity there should come a
falling away.
II. A revelation of that man of sin, that is (v. 3), antichrist would
take his rise from this general apostasy. The apostle afterwards speaks of the
revelation of that wicked one (v. 8), intimating the discovery which
should be made of his wickedness, in order to his ruin: here he seems to speak
of his rise, which should be occasioned by the general apostasy he had
mentioned, and to intimate that all sorts of false doctrines and corruptions
should centre in him. Great disputes have been as to who or what is intended
by this man of sin and son of perdition: and, if it be not certain that the
papal power and tyranny are principally or only intended, yet this is plain,
What is here said does very exactly agree thereto. For observe,
1. The names of this person, or rather the state and power here spoken of. He
is called the man of sin, to denote his egregious wickedness; not only is he
addicted to, and practises, wickedness himself, but he also promotes,
countenances, and commands sin and wickedness in others; and he is the son of
perdition, because he himself is devoted to certain destruction, and is the
instrument of destroying many others both in soul and body. These names may
properly be applied, for these reasons, to the papal state; and thereto agree
also,
2. The characters here given, v. 4. (1.) That he opposes and exalts
himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped; and thus have the
bishops of Rome not only opposed God's authority, and that of the civil
magistrates, who are called gods, but have exalted themselves above God and
earthly governors, in demanding greater regard to their commands than to the
commands of God or the magistrate. (2.) As God, he sits in the temple of
God, showing himself that he is God. As God was in the temple of old, and
worshipped there, and is in and with his church now, so the antichrist here
mentioned is some usurper of God's authority in the Christian church, who
claims divine honours; and to whom can this better apply than to the bishops
of Rome, to whom the most blasphemous titles have been given, as Dominus
Deus noster papa--Our Lord God the pope; Deus alter in terrâ--Another God on
earth; Idem est dominium Dei et papæ--The dominion of God and the pope is the
same?
3. His rise is mentioned, v. 6, 7. Concerning this we are to observe
two things:-- (1.) There was something that hindered or withheld, or let,
until it was taken away. This is supposed to be the power of the Roman
empire, which the apostle did not think fit to mention more plainly at that
time; and it is notorious that, while this power continued, it prevented the
advances of the bishops of Rome to that height of tyranny to which soon
afterwards they arrived. (2.) This mystery of iniquity was gradually to arrive
at its height; and so it was in effect that the universal corruption of
doctrine and worship in the Romish church came in by degrees, and the
usurpation of the bishops of Rome was gradual, not all at once; and thus the
mystery of iniquity did the more easily, and almost insensibly, prevail. The
apostle justly calls it a mystery of iniquity, because wicked designs
and actions were concealed under false shows and pretences, at least they were
concealed from the common view and observation. By pretended devotion,
superstition and idolatry were advanced; and, by a pretended zeal for God and
his glory, bigotry and persecution were promoted. And he tells us that this
mystery of iniquity did even then begin, or did already work. While the
apostles were yet living, the enemy came, and sowed tares; there were
then the deeds of the Nicolaitans, persons who pretended zeal for
Christ, but really opposed him. Pride, ambition, and worldly interest of
church-pastors and church-rulers, as in Diotrephes and others, were the early
working of the mystery of iniquity, which, by degrees, came to that prodigious
height which has been visible in the church of Rome.
4. The fall or ruin of the antichristian state is declared, v. 8. The
head of this antichristian kingdom is called that wicked one, or that
lawless person who sets up a human power in competition with, and
contradiction to, the divine dominion and power of the Lord Jesus Christ; but,
as he would thus manifest himself to be the man of sin, so the revelation or
discovery of this to the world would be the sure presage and the means of his
ruin. The apostle assures the Thessalonians that the Lord would consume and
destroy him; the consuming of him precedes his final destruction, and that is
by the Spirit of his mouth, by his word of command; the pure word of
God, accompanied with the Spirit of God, will discover this mystery of
iniquity, and make the power of antichrist to consume and waste away; and in
due time it will be totally and finally destroyed, and this will be by the
brightness of Christ's coming. Note, The coming of Christ to destroy the
wicked will be with peculiar glory and eminent lustre and brightness.
5. The apostle further describes the reign and rule of this man of sin. Here
we are to observe, (1.) The manner of his coming, or ruling, and working: in
general, that it is after the example of Satan, the grand enemy of souls, the
great adversary of God and man. He is the great patron of error and lies, the
sworn enemy of the truth as it is in Jesus and all the faithful followers of
Jesus. More particularly, it is with Satanical power and deceit. A divine
power is pretended for the support of this kingdom, but it is only after the
working of Satan. Signs and wonders, visions and miracles, are pretended; by
these the papal kingdom was first set up, and has all along been kept up, but
they have false signs to support false doctrines; and lying wonders, or only
pretended miracles that have served their cause, things false in fact, or
fraudulently managed, to impose upon the people: and the diabolical deceits
with which the antichristian state has been supported are notorious. The
apostle calls it all deceivableness of unrighteousness, v. 10.
Others may call them pious frauds, but the apostle called them unrighteous and
wicked frauds; and, indeed, all fraud (which is contrary to truth) is an
impious thing. Many are the subtle artifices the man of sin has used, and
various are the plausible pretences by which he had beguiled unwary and
unstable souls to embrace false doctrines, and submit to his usurped dominion.
(2.) The persons are described who are his willing subjects, or most likely to
become such, v. 10. They are such as love not the truth that they
may be saved. They heard the truth (it may be), but they did not love it;
they could not bear sound doctrine, and therefore easily imbibed false
doctrines; they had some notional knowledge of what was true, but they
indulged some powerful prejudices, and so became a prey to seducers. Had they
loved the truth, they would have persevered in it, and been preserved by it;
but no wonder if they easily parted with what they never had any love to. And
of these persons it is said that they perish or are lost; they are in a lost
condition, and in danger to be lost for ever. For,
6. We have the sin and ruin of the subjects of antichrist's kingdom
declared, v. 11, 12. (1.) Their sin is this: They believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness: they did not love the truth,
and therefore they did not believe it; and, because they did not believe the
truth, therefore they had pleasure in unrighteousness, or in wicked actions,
and were pleased with false notions. Note, An erroneous mind and vicious life
often go together and help forward one another. (2.) Their ruin is thus
expressed: God shall send them strong delusions, to believe a lie. Thus
he will punish men for their unbelief, and for their dislike of the truth and
love to sin and wickedness; not that God is the author of sin, but in
righteousness he sometimes withdraws his grace from such sinners as are here
mentioned; he gives them over to Satan, or leaves them to be deluded by his
instruments; he gives them up to their own hearts' lusts, and leaves them to
themselves, and then sin will follow of course, yea, the worst of wickedness,
that shall end at last in eternal damnation. God is just when he inflicts
spiritual judgments here, and eternal punishments hereafter, upon those who
have no love to the truths of the gospel, who will not believe them, nor live
suitably to them, but indulge false doctrines in their minds, and wicked
practices in their lives and conversations.
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Apostasy
Foretold.
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A. D. 52.
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13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God
for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren,
stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by
word, or our epistle.
Here observe, I. The consolation the Thessalonians might take against the
terrors of this apostasy, v. 13, 14. For they were chosen to salvation,
and called to the obtaining of glory. Note, When we hear of the apostasy of
many, it is matter of great comfort and joy that there is a remnant according
to the election of grace which does and shall persevere; and especially we
should rejoice if we have reason to hope that we are of that number. The
apostle reckoned himself bound in duty to be thankful to God on this account: We
are bound to give thanks to God always for you. He had often given thanks
on their behalf, and he is still abounding in thanksgiving for them; and there
was good reason, because they were beloved by the Lord, as appeared in this
matter--their security from apostatizing. This preservation of the saints is
owing,
1. To the stability of the election of grace, v. 13. Therefore were
they beloved of the Lord, because God had chosen them from the beginning. He
had loved them with an everlasting love. Concerning this election of God we
may observe, (1.) The eternal date of it--it is from the beginning; not the
beginning of the gospel, but the beginning of the world, before the foundation
of the world, Eph. i. 4. Then, (2.) The end to which they were
chosen--salvation, complete and eternal salvation from sin and misery, and the
full fruition of all good. (3.) The means in order to obtaining this end--sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. The decree of election therefore
connects the end and the means, and these must not be separated. We are not
the elected of God because we were holy, but that we might be holy. Being
chosen of God, we must not live as we list; but, if we are chosen to salvation
as the end, we must be prepared for it by sanctification as the necessary
means to obtain that end, which sanctification is by the operation of the Holy
Spirit as the author and by faith on our part. There must be the belief of the
truth, without which there can be by true sanctification, nor perseverance in
grace, nor obtaining of salvation. Faith and holiness must be joined together,
as well as holiness and happiness; therefore our Saviour prayed for Peter that
his faith might not fail (Luke xxii. 32), and for his disciples (John xvii.
17), Sanctify them by thy truth; thy word is truth.
2. To the efficacy of the gospel call, v. 14. As they were chosen to
salvation, so they were called thereunto by the gospel. Whom he did
predestinate those he also called, Rom. viii. 30. The outward call of God is
by the gospel; and this is rendered effectual by the inward operation of the
Spirit. Note, Wherever the gospel comes it calls and invites men to the
obtaining of glory; it is a call to honour and happiness, even the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the glory he has purchased, and the glory he is
possessed of, to be communicated unto those who believe in him and obey his
gospel; such shall be with Christ, to behold his glory, and they shall be
glorified with Christ and partake of his glory. Hereupon there follows,
II. An exhortation to stedfastness and perseverance: Therefore, brethren,
stand fast, v. 15. Observe, He does not say, "You are chosen
to salvation, and therefore you may be careless and secure;" but therefore
stand fast. God's grace in our election and vocation is so far from
superseding our diligent care and endeavour that it should quicken and engage
us to the greatest resolution and diligence. So the apostle John having told
those to whom he wrote that they had received the anointing which should abide
in them, and that they should abide in him (in Christ), subjoins this
exhortation, Now abide in him, 1 John ii. 27, 28. The Thessalonians are
exhorted to stedfastness in their Christian profession, to hold fast the
traditions which they had been taught, or the doctrine of the gospel,
which had been delivered by the apostle, by word or epistle. As yet the canon
of scripture was not complete, and therefore some things were delivered by the
apostles in their preaching, under the guidance of the infallible Spirit,
which Christians were bound to observe as coming from God; other things were
afterwards by them committed to writing, as the apostle had written a former
epistle to these Thessalonians; and these epistles were written as the writers
were moved by the Holy Ghost. Note, There is no argument hence for regarding
oral traditions in our days, now that the canon of scripture is complete, as
of equal authority with the sacred writings. Such doctrines and duties as were
taught by the inspired apostles we must stedfastly adhere to; but we have no
certain evidence of any thing delivered by them more than what we find
contained in the holy scriptures.
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Apostolic Prayer.
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A. D. 52.
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16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God,
even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting
consolation and good hope through grace, 17 Comfort your hearts,
and stablish you in every good word and work.
In these words we have the apostle's earnest prayer for them, in which
observe,
I. To whom he prays: Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our
Father. We may and should direct our prayers, not only to God the Father,
through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also to our Lord Jesus
Christ himself; and should pray in his name unto God, not only as his
Father but as our Father in and through him.
II. From what he takes encouragement in his prayer--from the consideration of
what God had already done for him and them: Who hath loved us, and given us
everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, v. 16. Here
observe, 1. The love of God is the spring and fountain of all the good we have
or hope for; our election, vocation, justification, and salvation, are all
owing to the love of God in Christ Jesus. 2. From this fountain in particular
all our consolation flows. And the consolation of the saints is an everlasting
consolation. The comforts of the saints are not dying things; they shall not
die with them. The spiritual consolations God gives none shall deprive them
of; and God will not take them away: because he love them with an everlasting
love, therefore they shall have everlasting consolation. 3. Their consolation
is founded on the hope of eternal life. They rejoice in hope of the glory of
God, and are not only patient, but joyful, in tribulations; and there is good
reason for these strong consolations, because the saints have good hope: their
hope is grounded on the love of God, the promise of God, and the experience
they have had of the power, the goodness, and the faithfulness of God, and it
is good hope through grace; the free grace and mercy of God are what they hope
for, and what their hopes are founded on, and not on any worth or merit of
their own.
III. What it is that he asks of God for them--that he would comfort their
hearts, and establish them in every good word and work, v. 17. God
had given them consolations, and he prayed that they might have more abundant
consolation. There was good hope, through grace, that they would be preserved,
and he prayed that they might be established: it is observable how comfort and
establishment are here joined together. Note therefore, 1. Comfort is a means
of establishment; for the more pleasure we take in the word, and work, and
ways of God, the more likely we shall be to persevere therein. And, 2. Our
establishment in the ways of God is a likely means in order to comfort;
whereas, if we are wavering in faith, and of a doubtful mind, or if we are
halting and faltering in our duty, no wonder if we are strangers to the
pleasures and joys of religion. What is it that lies at the bottom of all our
uneasiness, but our unsteadiness in religion? We must be established in every
good word and work, in the word of truth and the work of righteousness: Christ
must be honoured by our good works and good words; and those who are sincere
will endeavour to do both, and in so doing they may hope for comfort and
establishment, till at length their holiness and happiness be completed.
Contents
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