He willeth them to continue steadfast in the truth received; sheweth that there will be a departure from the faith, and a discovery of Antichrist, before the day of the Lord come: and thereupon repeateth his former exhortation, and prayeth for them.
Anno Domini 52.
TO excite the attention of the Thessalonian brethren to the things which the apostle was going to write concerning the time of Christ's second coming, and to give them the greater weight, he began this chapter with beseeching them, in relation to the coming of Christ to judge the world, and their gathering together around him in the air, of which he had written in his former letter, 2 Thessalonians 2:1.—not to be soon shaken from any honest purpose which they had formed concerning their worldly affairs, nor thrown into confusion, either by any pretended revelation of the Spirit obtruded upon them by false teachers, or by any verbal message as from him, or by any letter forged in his name, importing that he believed the day of judgment was at hand, 2 Thessalonians 2:2.—And, to remove the impression which had been made on the minds of the Thessalonians by these base arts, the apostle assured them in the most express terms, that the day of the Lord shall not come, till there first happen a great apostacy in religion among the disciples of Christ, and the man of sin be revealed; that is, till a tyrannical power should arise in the church, which should exceedingly corrupt the doctrine of Christ, and grievously oppress his faithful servants, 2 Thessalonians 2:3.—Next, he described the character and actions of that tyrannical power, and insinuated, that it would continue a long time in the church, openly opposing God, 2 Thessalonians 2:4.—Then he asked them, if they did not remember that when he was with them, he told them these things? 2 Thessalonians 2:5.—and that there was a power then existing, which restrained the man of sin from revealing himself, 2 Thessalonians 2:6.—and would restrain him, till it was taken out of the way, 2 Thessalonians 2:7.—Which things, if they had recollected them, were proofs sufficient that he did not think the day of Christ was at hand. In the mean time, lest the prospect of such great evils arising in the church, might afflict the Thessalonians too much, the apostle added, that, after the man of sin is revealed in his season, and has continued during the season allotted to him, he shall be destroyed, 2 Thessalonians 2:8.—In the mean time, to enable the Thessalonians, and every one who might read this letter, to judge properly of the apostacy, the apostle described the manner in which it was to enter, and the vile arts bywhich it was to be established, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.—And to put the faithful upon their guard against the authors and abettors of the apostacy, he declared, that such as give heed to these impostors, will, at length, through the strong working of error, be seduced to believe the greatest and most pernicious lie that ever was devised, and shall on that account be condemned, 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12.—Then he expressed his charitable opinion, that the Thessalonians would never be involved in any apostacy, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14.—and exhorted them to hold fast the doctrines which he had delivered to them, whether by sermons or by letters, 2 Thessalonians 2:15.—And that they might be enabled to do so, he earnestly prayed that Christ himself and God the Father would comfort them, and establish them in every good doctrine and practice, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.