2 Thessalonians 2

9. whose coming--The same Greek as was used for the Lord's coming ( 2 Thessalonians 2:8 ) or personal "presence."
is--in its essential character.
after--according to the working ("energy") of Satan, as opposed to the energy or working of the Holy Spirit in the Church to Satan, his visible embodiment and manifestation: Satan works through him. Revelation 13:2 , "The dragon gave him (the beast) his power . . . seat . . . great authority."
lying wonders--literally, "wonders" or "prodigies of falsehood." His "power, signs, and wonders," all have falsehood for their base, essence, and aim ( John 8:44 ), [ALFORD]. In Matthew 24:24 Jesus implies that the miracles shall be real, though demoniac, such mysterious effects of the powers of darkness as we read of in the case of the Egyptian sorcerers, not such as Jesus performed in their character, power, or aim; for they are against the revealed Word, and therefore not to be accepted as evidences of truth; nay, on the authority of that sure Word of prophecy (here, and Matthew 24:24 ), to be known and rejected as wrought in support of falsehood ( Deuteronomy 13:1-3 Deuteronomy 13:5 , Galatians 1:8 Galatians 1:9 , Revelation 13:11-15 , 19:20 ). The same three Greek words occur for miracles of Jesus ( Acts 2:22 , Hebrews 2:4 ); showing that as the Egyptian magicians imitated Moses ( 2 Timothy 3:1-8 ), so Antichrist will try to imitate Christ's works as a "sign," or proof of divinity.

10. deceivableness--rather as Greek, "deceit of (to promote) unrighteousness" ( 2 Thessalonians 2:12 ).
in--The oldest manuscripts and versions omit "in." Translate, "unto them that are perishing" ( 2 Corinthians 2:15 2 Corinthians 2:16 , 4:3 ): the victims of him whose very name describes his perishing nature, "the son of perdition"; in contrast to you whom ( 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ) "God hath from the beginning chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."
because--literally, "in requital for"; in just retribution for their having no love for the truth which was within their reach (on account of its putting a check on their bad passions), and for their having "pleasure in unrighteousness" ( 2 Thessalonians 2:12 , Romans 1:18 ); they are lost because they loved not, but rejected, the truth which would have saved them.
received not--Greek, "welcomed not"; admitted it not cordially.
love of the truth--not merely love of truth, but love of THE truth (and of, Jesus who is the Truth, in opposition to Satan's "lie," 2 Thessalonians 2:9 2 Thessalonians 2:11 John 8:42-44 ), can save ( Ephesians 4:21 ). We are required not merely to assent to, but to love the truth ( Psalms 119:97 ). The Jews rejected Him who came in His divine Father's name; they will receive Antichrist coming in his own name ( John 5:43 ). Their pleasant sin shall prove their terrible scourge.

11. for this cause--because "they received not the love of the truth." The best safeguard against error is "the love of the truth."
shall send--Greek, "sends," or "is sending"; the "delusion" is already beginning. God judicially sends hardness of heart on those who have rejected the truth, and gives them up in righteous judgment to Satan's delusions ( Isaiah 6:9 Isaiah 6:10 Romans 1:24-26 Romans 1:28 ). They first cast off the love of the truth, then God gives them up to Satan's delusions, then they settle down into "believing the lie": an awful climax ( 1 Kings 22:22 1 Kings 22:23 , Ezekiel 14:9 , Job 12:16 , Matthew 24:5 Matthew 24:11 , 1 Timothy 4:1 ).
strong delusion--Greek, "the powerful working of error," answering to the energizing "working of Satan" ( 2 Thessalonians 2:9 ); the same expression as is applied to the Holy Ghost's operation in believers: "powerful" or "effectual (energizing) working" ( Ephesians 1:19 ).
believe a lie--rather, "the lie" which Antichrist tells them, appealing to his miracles as proofs of it . . . ( 2 Thessalonians 2:9 ).

12. they all . . . damned--rather as Greek, "that all," &c. He here states the general proposition which applies specially to Antichrist's adherents. Not all in the Church of Rome, or other anti-Christian systems, shall be damned, but only "all who believed not the truth," when offered to them, "but had pleasure in unrighteousness" ( Romans 1:32 , 2:8 ). Love of unrighteousness being the great obstacle to believing the truth.

13. But--In delightful contrast to the damnation of the lost ( 2 Thessalonians 2:12 ) stands the "salvation" of Paul's converts.
are bound--in duty ( 2 Thessalonians 1:3 ).
thanks . . . to God--not to ourselves, your ministers, nor to you, our converts.
beloved of the Lord--Jesus ( Romans 8:37 , Galatians 2:20 , Ephesians 5:2 Ephesians 5:25 ). Elsewhere God the Father is said to love us ( 2 Thessalonians 2:16 , John 3:16 , Ephesians 2:4 , Colossians 3:12 ). Therefore Jesus and the Father are one.
from the beginning--"before the foundation of the world" ( Ephesians 1:4 ; compare 1 Corinthians 2:7 , 2 Timothy 1:9 ); in contrast to those that shall "worship the beast, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" ( Revelation 13:8 ). Some of the oldest manuscripts read as English Version, but other oldest manuscripts and Vulgate read, "as first-fruits." The Thessalonians were among the first converts in Europe (compare Romans 16:5 , 1 Corinthians 16:15 ). In a more general sense, it occurs in 1:18 , Revelation 14:4 ; so I understand it here including the more restricted sense.
chosen you--The Greek, is not the ordinary word for "elected," implying His eternal selection; but taken for Himself, implying His having adopted them in His eternal purpose. It is found in the Septuagint ( Deuteronomy 7:7 , 10:15 ).
through--rather as Greek, "in sanctification" as the element in which the choice to salvation had place (compare 1 Peter 1:2 ), standing in contrast to the "unrighteousness," the element in which Antichrist's followers are given over by God to damnation ( 2 Thessalonians 2:12 ).
of the Spirit--wrought by the Spirit who sanctifies all the elect people of God, first by eternally consecrating them to perfect holiness in Christ, once for all, next by progressively imparting it.
belief of the truth--contrasted with "believed not the truth" ( 2 Thessalonians 2:12 ).

14. you--The oldest manuscripts read, "us."
by our gospel--"through" the Gospel which we preach.
to . . . glory--In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 it was "salvation," that is, deliverance from all evil, of body and soul ( 1 Thessalonians 5:9 ); here it is positive good, even "glory," and that "the glory of our Lord Jesus" Himself, which believers are privileged to share with Him ( John 17:22 John 17:24 , Romans 8:17 Romans 8:29 , 2 Timothy 2:10 ).

15. Therefore--God's sovereign choice of believers, so far from being a ground for inaction on their part, is the strongest incentive to action and perseverance in it. Compare the argument, Philippians 2:12 Philippians 2:13 , "Work out your own salvation, FOR it is God which worketh in you," &c. We cannot fully explain this in theory; but to the sincere and humble, the practical acting on the principle is plain. "Privilege first, duty afterwards" [EDMUNDS].
stand fast--so as not to be "shaken or troubled" ( 2 Thessalonians 2:2 ).
hold--so as not to let go. Adding nothing, subtracting nothing [BENGEL]. The Thessalonians had not held fast his oral instructions but had suffered themselves to be imposed upon by pretended spirit-revelations, and words and letters pretending to be from Paul ( 2 Thessalonians 2:2 ), to the effect that "the day of the Lord was instantly imminent."
traditions--truths delivered and transmitted orally, or in writing ( 2 Thessalonians 3:6 , 1 Corinthians 11:2 ; Greek, "traditions"). The Greek verb from which the noun comes, is used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:2 1 Corinthians 11:3 1 Corinthians 15:3 . From the three passages in which "tradition" is used in a good sense, Rome has argued for her accumulation of uninspired traditions, virtually overriding God's Word, while put forward as of co-ordinate authority with it. She forgets the ten passages ( Matthew 15:2 Matthew 15:3 Matthew 15:6 , Mark 7:3 Mark 7:5 Mark 7:8 Mark 7:9 Mark 7:13 , Galatians 1:14 , Colossians 2:8 ) stigmatizing man's uninspired traditions. Not even the apostles' sayings were all inspired (for example, Peter's dissimulation, Galatians 2:11-14 ), but only when they claimed to be so, as in their words afterwards embodied in their canonical writings. Oral inspiration was necessary in their case, until the canon of the written Word should be complete; they proved their possession of inspiration by miracles wrought in support of the new revelation, which revelation, moreover, accorded with the existing Old Testament revelation; an additional test needed besides miracles (compare Deuteronomy 13:1-6 , Acts 17:11 ). When the canon was complete, the infallibility of the living men was transferred to the written Word, now the sole unerring guide, interpreted by the Holy Spirit. Little else has come down to us by the most ancient and universal tradition save this, the all-sufficiency of Scripture for salvation. Therefore, by tradition, we are constrained to cast off all tradition not contained in, or not provable by, Scripture. The Fathers are valuable witnesses to historical facts, which give force to the intimations of Scripture: such as the Christian Lord's day, the baptism of infants, and the genuineness of the canon of Scripture. Tradition (in the sense of human testimony) cannot establish a doctrine, but can authenticate a fact, such as the facts just mentioned. Inspired tradition, in Paul's sense, is not a supplementary oral tradition completing our written Word, but it is identical with the written Word now complete; then the latter not being complete, the tradition was necessarily in part oral, in part written, and continued so until, the latter being complete before the death of St. John, the last apostle, the former was no longer needed. Scripture is, according to Paul, the complete and sufficient rule in all that appertains to making "the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" ( 2 Timothy 3:16 2 Timothy 3:17 ). It is by leaving Paul's God-inspired tradition for human traditions that Rome has become the forerunner and parent of the Antichrist. It is striking that, from this very chapter denouncing Antichrist. she should draw an argument for her "traditions" by which she fosters anti-Christianity. Because the apostles' oral word was as trustworthy as their written word, it by no means follows that the oral word of those not apostles is as trustworthy as the written word of those who were apostles or inspired evangelists. No tradition of the apostles except their written word can be proved genuine on satisfactory evidence. We are no more bound to accept implicitly the Fathers' interpretations of Scripture, because we accept the Scripture canon on their testimony, than we are bound to accept the Jews' interpretation of the Old Testament, because we accept the Old Testament canon on their testimony.
our epistle--as distinguished from a "letter AS from us," 2 Thessalonians 2:2 , namely, that purports to be from us, but is not. He refers to his first Epistle to the Thessalonians.

16, 17. himself--by His own might, as contrasted with our feebleness; ensuring the efficacy of our prayer. Here our Lord Jesus stands first; in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 , "God our Father."
which . . . loved us--in the work of our redemption. Referring both to our Lord Jesus ( Romans 8:37 , Galatians 2:20 ) and God our Father ( John 3:16 ).
everlasting consolation--not transitory, as worldly consolations in trials ( Romans 8:38 Romans 8:39 ). This for all time present, and then "good hope" for the future [ALFORD].
through grace--rather as Greek "IN grace"; to be joined to "hath given." Grace is the element in which the gift was made.

17. Comfort your hearts--unsettled as you have been through those who announced the immediate coming of the Lord.
good word and work--The oldest manuscripts invert the order, "work and word." Establishment in these were what the young converts at Thessalonica needed, not fanatical teaching (compare 1 Corinthians 15:58 ).