: INTRODUCTION ΤΟ THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. We may confidently assert that this Epistle was written by St. Paul from Corinth during his residence there of a year and a half, within a few months of the First Epistle: that is, in the year 53. Not only are all its main features so like those of the First as to suggest a very close connection in time, but it is despatched by the same apostolic group-Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus; and, as we have remarked in the Introduction to the First Epistle, we have no reason to believe that Silvanus was in St. Paul's company later than the departure from Corinth in 54. It suits well with this date that the Apostle is in fear of certain "monstrous and depraved persons (chap. iii. 2), who may well be the Jews who brought him before Gallio. The circumstances which called forth the Letter were as follows. Since the First Epistle had been despatched St. Paul had been able to receive fresh tidings of the state of the Thessalonian Church, concerning which he was naturally anxious, as it was so young when he had been forced to leave it to itself and to God. The tidings were both good and bad. On the one hand, there was marked progress in some of the points which had before caused solicitude. St. Paul uses enthusiastic language (chap. i. 3) of the advance made in faith (comp. 1 Thess. iii. 10), and in individual brotherly charity (comp. 1 Thess. iv. 10), and also of their steadfastness in persecutions which were still afflicting them (chap. i. 4)—persecutions in which, apparently, both Jews and Gentiles joined. (See Note on chap. i. 8.) We may also gather, from the silence of the present Letter, that St. Paul's instructions on the state of the departed faithful had taken good effect: this being, perhaps, the special increase in faith mentioned above. We find, moreover, that there is no further need of warnings on the subject of purity or of submission to ecclesiastical authority. On the other hand, there were three great faults to find. (1) The tendency to disorders caution given in chap. iii. 17, they had actually written a letter, or letters, purporting to be from the Apostle, in which the doctrine was definitely taught. and idleness, which had been cen- | pretext for what they now taught. sured both directly and indirectly More probably still, from the prein the former letter, had become stronger instead of receding. Some considerable number of the little Church had become mere "busybodies"-had left off work, expecting maintenance at the public expense of the community while they indulged themselves, probably, in what seemed more religious pursuits. To all these three faults the writer opposes the authority of what they knew to have genuinely proceeded from himself. He has nothing to unsay. They are to (2) We can trace more clearly in "hold fast the traditions" (chap. this Epistle than in the former the ii. 15) which, written or unwritten, doctrinal ground on which such were his. (1) He reminds them disorders were justified by those not only of his example (as in the who were guilty of them. They First Letter), but of his teaching had been "shaken from their levelled at their dissipated religireason," and were still "in trepida-ousness: "Withdraw yourselves tion" (chap. ii. 2), from a belief that "the day of the Lord" was already upon them. Panic and exultation alike had the effect of making the Thessalonians think it not worth while to attend to the things of a doomed world. from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us" (chap. iii. 6); "Even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any has no mind to work, neither let him eat" (chap. (3) This belief had been, if not iii. 10). (2) He recalls the very created, yet confirmed by some definite instructions which showed audacious forgeries and fictions that the end was not by-and-by. (chap. ii. 2). Even in the First The Roman empire was still standEpistle St. Paul gives signs of un-ing, and therefore the Man of Sin easiness, as though he were not sure of the honesty of some of his correspondents in their use of his name and writings (1 Thess. v. 27). Now it is clear that, in more than one way, persons (who might be only half conscious of their fraud) had attempted to impose on their brethren. They had pretended to a direct inspiration or angelic visitation, which had revealed to them the immediate nearness of the Advent. They had misrepresented the oral teaching given by St. Paul during his stay at Thessalonica. They had, perhaps, wrested the words of his First Epistle, which had certainly given a colourable could not be revealed as yet, and The style of the Epistle (except in the studied obscurity of the prophetic passage) is clear and easy, like that of the First; and the structure is also very simple, as will be seen from the following analysis, and marked by the same characteristic feature as the First: i.e., the prayer which leads on from one section of the Letter to another : I. THE SALUTATION (chap. i. 1, 2). II. THE RETROSPECTIVE PORTION (chap. i. 3—12). (a) Thanksgiving for progress (c) Prayer for continuance in (d) Prayer for tranquillity (chap. iii. 16). (e) Final benediction, with attention drawn to the autograph (chap. iii. 17, 18). The genuineness of this Letter, like that of the First, is practically uncontroverted. We seem to have very early testimony to its useSt. Polycarp appearing in two places to quote it, though anonymously, according to his custom; and St. Justin, speaking of the Man of Sin in a manner which might indeed be explained by saying that that doctrine was common III. THE INSTRUCTIVE AND HORTA-to the Catholic Church, not special TORY PORTION (chaps. ii. 1— iii. 18). (1) On the date of the Advent. (a) Caution against believing the Advent close at hand (chap. ii. 1-3). (b) What must happen first (chap. ii. 3-10). (c) Terrible fate of the apos tates (chap. ii. 11, 12). (d) Thanksgiving that the Thessalonians' fate is so different (chap. ii. 13, 14). (e) Exhortation and prayer (chap. ii. 15-17). (2) On the necessity of work. (a) Request for prayers for himself, which skilfully serves to predispose the readers to obey the ensuing commands (chap. iii. 1 -4). (6) Prayer for the same pur- to St. Paul, but which is more simply referred to this Epistle. The objections of a few modern scholars (Baur, Schrader, &c.) are chiefly drawn from the prophecy in chap. ii., from supposed contradictions between this Epistle and the First-especially in regard to the date of the Advent; from fancied allusions to the persecution of Nero; from a mistaken notion that the doctrine of an Antichrist (which was in reality pre-Christian) was only invented by the Montanists. Doubts have been entertained by a few critics, who acknowledged the genuineness of both, which of these Letters is the earlier in date. Ewald, the greatest of these critics, placed the Second Epistle first. It was, he thought, placed second in the Canon because, as a rule, the shorter letters in the Canon follow the longer. The arguments, however, which he adduces are scarcely worth considering, in face of the fact that in 2 Thess. ii. 15 we have an allusion to a former Epistle. All the historical portion of the First Epistle (especially 1 Thess. ii. 17; iii. 11) bears evident tokens of being the earliest communication that had passed between St. Paul and his spiritual children since he had left them. Hammond, Lünemann, Ellicott, and others; and the posthumous edition (which appeared too late for use in annotating the First Epistle) by the Presbyterian Professor Eadie. His notes are, however, [In preparing the following Notes little but a reproduction of Bishop the chief books consulted have been Ellicott's, without their concentrathose already mentioned in 1 Thes- tion. In the Excursus on the Man salonians: the patristic commen- of Sin, I have stated my obligations taries, especially St. Chrysostom; | to Dr. Pusey's Lectures on Daniel.] THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. CHAPTER I.— Paul, | A.D. 54. and the Lord Jesus (1) Paul, and Silvanus, and obligation to give thanks for you; Timotheus. The company and, in point of fact, it is but meet which despatched the First Epistle that we should, because," &c. is not yet broken up. This proves Groweth exceedingly.-An that the Second Epistle was written enthusiastic word in the original : before the end of the second mis-"is out-growing all bounds." It sionary journey, for after that time is a metaphor from vegetable or we do not read of Silvanus being in the company of St. Paul. The salutation is precisely the same as in the First Epistle, save for the last clause of verse 2, which is wrongly added in that place, but stands rightly here. (3) We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren. The thanksgiving is regarded as a positive debt incurred, which it would be a dishonesty not to pay. animal growth. This was one of the very points about which St. Paul was anxious the last time that he had written: then there were deficiencies in their faith (1 Thess. iii. 10). Charity. Here, too, St. Paul remembers what he had said to them in the last Epistle, in which he had devoted a whole section to the love of the brethren "toward each other." "Of every one of you all" is a very noticeable exBecause. This assigns the pression, as showing the individual reason for saying that it was solicitude of the Apostles for their "meet," and does not merely follow converts. Just as the apostolic after "thank God:" in which case, instructions were given to each the words "as it is meet" would Christian privately (1 Thess. ii. have been rather weak, as contain- 11), so news had been brought ing no more than is involved in how each several Christian is pro"we are bound." The best para-gressing. The differences which phrase would be: "We feel the had called forth such passages as |
