2 Thess. 2 2 Thess. 2:1 Paul warneth the Thessalonians against the groundless surmise that the day of Christ was near at hand, 2 Thess. 2:3–12 showing that it would be preceded by a great apostacy, and that the man of sin would be first revealed, and by his wicked impostures draw many into…

The apostle now comes to refute the opinion that some at least of these Thessalonians had received, as if the day of Christ was near at hand. He having said, 1 Thess.

That ye be not soon shaken in mind; saleuyhnai it is an allusion to the waves of the sea that are tossed with the winds, as false doctrines tend to unsettle the mind, as Eph. 4:14, Heb. 13:9; and to be established in the truth is often commanded, 1 Cor. 16:13, Phil. 4:1, Col. 1:23;c.

Let no man deceive you: here the apostle urgeth again his charge against this error, though in other words, and begins his arguments to refute it. He had adjured them not to be shaken, and here he cautions them against being deceived, for the one makes way for the other; so also not to be troubled,…

A further description of this man of sin, by his opposition and exaltation. Who opposeth; or, ο αντικειμενος, the opposer; or rather, opposing, expressed in the participle of the present tense, denoting a continued act, or that which he bends himself strongly to.

The apostle tacitly upbraids them for their forgetfulness. To forget the things that have been taught us, is a great evil: Solomon often cautions against it, Prov. 3:1, Prov. 4:5; and it is often reproved, Heb. 12:5, James 1:24; and the contrary required, Mal. 4:4, John 16:4, Jude 17, Rev. 3:3.

And now ye know what withholdeth: the apostle it seems had told them, as of his coming, so of what at present withheld the revealing of him. And what this was is difficult to know now, though it seems these Thessalonians knew it: there are many conjectures about it. This I shall say in general: 1.

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; the way was prepared by degrees for the man of sin, before he came actually to be revealed, or constituted in his complete existence; and this was by the working of the mystery of iniquity.

And then shall that Wicked be revealed: this revealing I think differs from that mentioned before, 2 Thess. 2:3; he is first revealed, as I said: quoad existentiam, when he comes forth into being, and then quoad apparentiam, when he comes to be discovered.

The apostle still continues his discourse about this man of sin. He had declared whence he arose, and to what height of power, and the manner and place of his exercising it, and what opened him the way to it, and also his destruction, with the means of it.

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness; or, deceit of unrighteousness, unrighteous deceit, or deceitful unrighteousness. And it is universal, all.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion: we had account in the former verse of such as are deceived by the man of sin, of their sin, and here of their punishment. They were first deluded, which was their sin; and God sends them strong delusion, and that is their punishment.

That they all might be damned, or condemned. The Greek is, judged, but often translated as in the text; the simple verb being taken for the compound: so John 3:17, 1 Cor. 11:29, Jude 4.

The apostle here exempts these Thessalonians out of the number of those reprobates that he had before spoken of, and speaks of them as such as should be preserved from apostacy in faith or practice, and obtain salvation. And this he mentions for comfort to them, and with thanksgivings to God.

Whereunto he called you by our gospel: before, the apostle mentioned their election, now their calling; which are often in Scripture put together, Rom. 8:30, 2 Pet. 1:10; and are both applied to Christ himself, Isa. 42:1, Isa. 42:6.

The former verses contained consolation, this is an exhortation: the apostle had assured them of their being elected and called, yet exhorts them to their duty. Assurance of salvation doth not encourage negligence; the apostle takes his argument from thence to quicken them: Therefore, & c.

The apostle here addeth prayer to his exhortation: the word and prayer are to go together, whether it be written or preached; as the twelve told the disciples, Acts 6:4; We will give ourselves to the word and prayer. He had planted them a church, but he knew God gave the increase, 1 Cor. 3:6.

Next, we have the things prayed for: Comfort your hearts; though he said before, who hath given us everlasting consolation. The apostle means, either actual possession of what God had given title to, or a continued supply and increase of comfort already received.