And we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together unto him:

“Now I am aware that your teachers, sirs, admit the whole of the words of this passage to refer to Christ; and I am likewise aware that they maintain He has not yet come; or if they say that He has come, they assert that it is not known who He is; but when He shall become manifest and glorious, then it shall be known who He is. And then, they say, the events mentioned in this passage shall happen, just as if there was no fruit as yet from the words of the prophecy. O unreasoning men! understanding not what has been proved by all these passages, that two advents of Christ have been announced: the one, in which He is set forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonoured, and crucified; but the other, in which He shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy, who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on the earth against us the Christians, who, having learned the true worship of God from the law, and the word which went forth from Jerusalem by means of the apostles of Jesus, have fled for safety to the God of Jacob and God of Israel; and we who were filled with war, and mutual slaughter, and every wickedness, have each through the whole earth changed our warlike weapons — our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into implements of tillage— and we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, and hope, which we have from the Father Himself through Him who was crucified; and sitting each under his vine, i.e., each man possessing his own married wife.”

“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now hinders must hinder, until he be taken out of the way." What obstacle is there but the Roman state, the falling away of which, by being scattered into ten kingdoms, shall introduce Antichrist upon (its own ruins)? "And then shall be revealed the wicked one, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.”

“And the blessed Apostle Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, says: "Now we beseech you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together at it, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letters as from us, as that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for (that day shall not come) except there come the falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth (will let), until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: (even him) whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." And Esaias says, "Let the wicked be cut off, that he behold not the glory of the Lord."”

“Now it is right and necessary, as in all divine Scripture, so here, faithfully to explain the time of which the apostle wrote, and the person and the point. This is so that the reader will not from ignorance miss either these or any similar particular and thus miss the true sense of the text. This was what the inquiring eunuch understood when he asked Philip, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet speak this? Of himself, or of someone else?" He feared lest, having explained the lesson unsuitably to the person, he should wander from the right sense. And the disciples, wishing to learn the time of what was predicted, implored the Lord: "Tell us," they said, "when shall these things be? And what is the sign of your coming?" And again, hearing from the Savior the events of the end, they desired to learn the time of it, that they might be kept from error themselves. They also wished to be able to teach others, just as, when they had learned, they set right the Thessalonians, who were going wrong. When, then, one understands these points properly, knows properly these points, his understanding of the faith is right and healthy. But if he fails to understand, he immediately falls into heresy. Thus, Hymenaeus and Alexander and their followers were beside the time when they said that the resurrection had already taken place. The Galatians, too, were after the time in continuing to think circumcision was an important issue.”

“For that he did not depart, we may conjecture from hence: for he says in this Epistle, "We beseech you by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." For in his first Epistle he said, "Concerning the times and the seasons ye have no need that aught be written unto you." So that if he had gone, there would have been no need of his writing. But since the question was deferred, on this account he adds this Epistle, as in his Epistle to Timothy he says, "They subvert the faith of some, saying that the Resurrection is already past"; that the faithful henceforth hoping for nothing great or splendid, might faint under their sufferings. For since that hope supported them, and did not allow them to yield to the present evils, the devil wishing to cut it off, as being a kind of anchor, when he was not able to persuade them that the things to come were false, went to work another way, and having suborned certain pestilential men, endeavored to deceive those who believed into a persuasion that those great and splendid things had received their fulfillment. Accordingly these men then said that the Resurrection was already past. But now they said that the Judgment and the coming of Christ were at hand, that they might involve even Christ in a falsehood, and having pointed out to them that there is hereafter no retribution, nor judgment-seat, nor punishment and vengeance for those who had done them evil, they might both render these more bold, and those more dispirited.”

“He who is Apostle above showed things to come, as regards the punishments of the wicked and the rewards of the good; here he announces things to come as regards the dangers of the Church, which will be in the time of Antichrist. And first he announces the truth about the future dangers; second he warns them to remain in the truth, at the place therefore, brothers. Concerning the first he does two things: first he excludes falsity; second he instructs concerning the truth, at the place unless. Again the first is divided into three: first he recalls that from which they ought to be induced; second he shows to what they ought to be induced, at the place that you be not quickly; third he removes that which could move them, at the place nor by spirit. Now he induces from three things, namely from his own prayers, at we beg, not from precepts. Philem. 8: having much confidence in Christ Jesus to command you what pertains to the matter, for charity's sake I rather beseech. Second, from the coming of Christ, desirable to the good, though terrible to the wicked. Amos 5:18: woe to them that desire the day of the Lord, et cetera. 2 Tim. 4:8: and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming, et cetera. Apoc., last chapter: come, Lord Jesus, et cetera. Third, from the desire and love of the whole congregation of the saints, unto the same, namely where Christ is, because Matt. 24:28: where the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together. Or unto the same, that is, into the same, because all the saints will be in the same place and glory. Ps. 49:5: gather ye together his saints to him. But to what does he induce them? That you be not quickly moved from your sense. Now to be moved is one thing, to be terrified another. He is moved from his sense who abandons what he held; as if he were to say: do not quickly let go of my teaching. Ecclus. 19:4: he that is hasty to give credit is light of heart. But terror is a certain trepidation, with dread of what is contrary. And therefore he says: be not terrified. Job 15:21: the sound of dread is always in his ears. Likewise, if there is peace, they always suspect ambushes. Wis. 17:10: for whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness to its condemnation, et cetera. Then when he says nor by spirit, he removes what could move them, first in particular, second in general, at the place lest anyone. Now a person is seduced through a false revelation; hence he says nor by spirit, that is: if anyone should say that something contrary to my teaching has been revealed to him through the Holy Spirit, or by the Holy Spirit, do not be terrified. 1 John 4:1: believe not every spirit. Ezek. 13:3: woe to the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit, and see nothing. Sometimes too Satan transforms himself into an angel of light, as is said 2 Cor. 11:14; and 3 Kings, last chapter: I will go out, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Second, through reasoning, or a false exposition of Scripture; therefore he says nor by word. 2 Tim. 2:17: their speech spreadeth like a canker. Eph. 5:6: let no man deceive you with vain words. Third, through authority adduced in an evil sense. 2 Peter, last chapter: as also our most dear brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, hath written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as also the other Scriptures, et cetera. But concerning what were they being seduced? As though the day of the Lord were at hand. And he says nor by an epistle as if sent by us. Because in the first epistle, unless it be well understood, it seems to say that the Lord's coming is at hand, as that: then we who live, et cetera. Then when he says lest anyone, etc., he does the same in general. Luke 21:8: take heed you be not seduced, et cetera. 1 Cor. 15:33: be not seduced. Now the reason why the Apostle removes these things, namely concerning the Lord's coming, is that a prelate ought in no way to wish that any goods be procured through a lie. 1 Cor. 15:15: we are found also false witnesses, et cetera. Likewise, because the thing believed was dangerous, namely that the day of the Lord was at hand. First, because occasion would be given for greater seduction, because after the times of the apostles there were to be some who would say that they were Christ. Luke 21:8: many will say: I am, et cetera. And therefore the Apostle was unwilling. Likewise the Demon frequently pretends to be Christ, as is clear concerning blessed Martin. And therefore, lest they be seduced, he was unwilling. But Augustine gives another reason, that a danger to faith would threaten. Hence someone might say: the Lord will come late, and then I will prepare myself for him. Another would say: he will come soon, and therefore I will prepare myself now. Another would say: I do not know. And this one speaks better, because he agrees with Christ. But he errs more who says: soon; because, the term having elapsed, men would despair, and would believe that the things written are false. Then when he says unless the departure come first, etc., he establishes the truth; and first he shows what things are to come regarding the coming of Antichrist. And there are two things, one of which precedes the coming of Antichrist; the other is his coming itself. The first is the departure, which is explained in many ways in the Gloss. And first, a departure from the faith, because it was to be that the faith would be received by the whole world. Matt. 24:14: and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world. This therefore precedes, which according to Augustine has not yet been fulfilled, and afterward many will depart from the faith, et cetera. 1 Tim. 4:1: in the last times some shall depart from the faith, et cetera. Matt. 24:12: the charity of many shall grow cold. Or a departure from the Roman empire, to which the whole world was subject. Now Augustine says that this is figured in Dan. 2:31 in the statue, where four kingdoms are named; and after those, the coming of Christ, and that this was a fitting sign, because the Roman empire was established for this, that under its power the faith might be preached throughout the whole world. But how is this, since the nations withdrew from the Roman empire long ago, and yet Antichrist has not yet come? It must be said that it has not yet ceased, but has been changed from temporal into spiritual, as Pope Leo says in a sermon on the apostles. And therefore it must be said that the departure from the Roman empire ought to be understood not only as regards the temporal, but as regards the spiritual, namely from the Catholic faith of the Roman Church. Now this is a fitting sign, that just as Christ came when the Roman empire ruled over all, so conversely the sign of Antichrist is a departure from it. Second, he foretells the second thing to come, namely Antichrist. And first as regards his guilt and punishment; second as regards his power, at the place whose coming. Again, first he touches on his guilt and punishment commonly and implicitly; second he explains both, at the place who opposes. He says therefore: the departure will come first, and then he will be revealed. Now he is called the man of sin and the son of perdition, according to the Gloss, because just as the fullness of virtue abounded in Christ, so in Antichrist a multitude of all sins abounds. And just as Christ is better than all the saints, so he is worse than all the wicked. And for this reason he is called the man of sin, because he will be totally given over to sins. But he is not called man of sin in such a way that he could not be worse, because evil never corrupts the whole good, although as regards act he will not be able to be worse. But no man could be better than Christ. Now he is called son of perdition, that is, appointed to utter perdition. Job 21:30: the wicked man is reserved to the day of destruction, and he shall be led to the day of wrath. Or of perdition, that is, of the Devil, not by nature, but by the completion of his malice, which will be completed in him. And he says he will be revealed, because just as all the goods and virtues of the saints who preceded Christ were a figure of Christ, so in all the persecutions of the Church the tyrants were, as it were, a figure of Antichrist, and Antichrist lay hidden there; and thus all that malice, which lies hidden in them, will be revealed at that time. Then when he says who opposes, he explains what he had said. And first he shows how he is the man of sin; second how he is the son of perdition, at the place and then shall be revealed. Again, first he foretells his future guilt; second he assigns its cause, at the place and then. Again, first he describes the guilt, second he says that he is not announcing a new teaching, at the place you remember not. Again, first he shows the guilt, second its sign, at the place so that, et cetera. Now his guilt is twofold, namely opposition to God; hence he says who is opposed to all good spirits. Job 15:26: he ran against God with neck erect, and with fat neck he is armed, as also are his members. Isa. 3:8: their tongue and their devices are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his majesty. The second is that he prefers himself to Christ; therefore he says he is lifted up, et cetera. Now God is spoken of in three ways. First, naturally. Deut. 6:4: hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one God. Second, by opinion. Ps. 95:5: all the gods of the Gentiles are devils. Third, by participation. Ps. 81:6: I have said: you are gods. But Antichrist will set himself above all these. Dan. 11:36: he shall be lifted up, and magnified against every god, and shall speak great things against the God of gods. Now the sign of the guilt is when he says so that in the temple, et cetera. For the pride of Antichrist is greater than the pride of all who preceded him. Hence just as it is read of Caius Caesar, that while he was still living he wished to be worshipped, setting up his statue in every temple, and Ezek. 28:2 it is said of the king of Tyre: thou hast said, I am God, et cetera: so it is credible that Antichrist will do likewise to them, saying that he is God and man. And as a sign of this he will sit in the temple. But in which temple? Was it not destroyed by the Romans? And therefore some say that Antichrist is of the tribe of Dan, which tribe among the other twelve is not named in Apoc. 7:5. And therefore the Jews will first receive him, and will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and thus that will be fulfilled, Dan. 9:27: there shall be in the temple the abomination and the idol; Matt. 24:15: and when you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, he that readeth let him understand. But some say that neither Jerusalem nor the temple will ever be rebuilt, but the desolation will persist even to the consummation and the end. And this also some Jews believe. Therefore it is expounded in the temple of God, that is, in the Church, because many from the Church will receive him. Or according to Augustine, he sits in the temple of God, that is, he rules and dominates, as though he himself with his messengers were the temple of God, just as Christ is with his own. Then when he says do you not remember, he shows that he writes nothing new; as if he were to say: formerly, when I was with you, I said this. 2 John 5: I write not a new commandment to you, but the old commandment, which you had from the beginning. 2 Cor. 10:11: such as we were in word through letters when absent, such also when present in deed, et cetera.”

“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, etc., Th2 2:1. 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, etc. 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, etc., Jde 1:14. 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, Th2 2:3. 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.”

“Now we beseech you, brethren,.... The apostle having finished his first design in this epistle, which was to encourage the saints to patience under sufferings, proceeds to another view he had in writing it, and that is, to set the doctrine of Christ's coming, as to the time of it, in its proper light; and this is occasioned by what he had said concerning it in the former epistle, which was either misunderstood or misrepresented; and as he addresses the saints with a very affectionate appellation as his "brethren", so by way of entreaty "beseeching", and yet in a very solemn manner: by the coming of our Lord Jesus: which is to be understood not of the coming of Christ in the flesh, to procure the salvation of his people; nor of his coming in his kingdom and power to take vengeance on the Jewish nation, for their rejection of him as the Messiah; but of his coming to judge the quick and dead, than which nothing is more sure and certain, being affirmed by angels and men, by prophets and apostles, and by Christ himself, or more desirable by the saints; wherefore the apostle entreats them by it, that whereas they believed it, expected it, and wished for it, they would regard what he was about to say: so that the words, though an entreaty, are in the form of an adjuration; unless they should be rendered as in the Ethiopic version, as they may, "concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"; and so express subject matter of the discourse now entering upon, with what follows: and by our gathering together unto him; which regards not the great gatherings of the people to Christ the true Shiloh upon his first coming, and the preaching of the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, when there were not only great flockings to hear it, but multitudes were converted by it; nor the greater gatherings there will be in the latter day, at the time of the conversion of the Jews, and when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in; nor the conversion of particular persons, who are gathered in to Christ, and received by him one by one; nor the assembling of the saints together for public worship, in which sense the word is used in Heb 10:25 but the gathering together of all the saints at the last day, at the second coming of Christ; for he will come with ten thousand of his saints, yea, with all his saints, when their dead bodies shall be raised and reunited to their souls, and they with the living saints will be caught up into the air, to meet the Lord there and be ever with him; when they will make up, complete and perfect, the general assembly and church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven: this will be the gathering together of all the elect of God; and so the Arabic version reads, "the gathering of us all"; and which, as it is certain, is greatly to be desired; it will be a happy meeting and a glorious sight; by this the apostle entreats and adjures them to regard what follows.”

“We beseech you - by the coming of our Lord - It is evident that the Thessalonians, incited by deceived or false teachers, had taken a wrong meaning out of the words of the first epistle, Th1 4:15, etc., concerning the day of judgment; and were led then to conclude that that day was at hand; and this had produced great confusion in the Church: to correct this mistake, the apostle sent them this second letter, in which he shows that this day must be necessarily distant, because a great work is to be done previously to its appearing. Of the day of general judgment he had spoken before, and said that it should come as a thief in the night, i.e. when not expected; but he did not attempt to fix the time, nor did he insinuate that it was either near at hand, or far off. Now, however, he shows that it must necessarily be far off, because of the great transactions which must take place before it can come.”

“And we, &c. Some impostors had taken occasion from St. Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians, to teach that the day of judgment was at hand. The apostle here maintains that it certainly will come, but that it will come like a thief in the night. He says nothing of the time when it is to arrive; he merely refutes those who spoke of its taking place immediately. — By the coming, &c. Grotius and some others explain this coming, of the vengeance he took on the Jews by the arms of the Romans. It is true he speaks in many places of the destruction of Jerusalem, and of his coming at the last day, in terms exactly the same. But the context of the whole epistle demonstrates that he is here speaking of the last day. (Calmet) — And of our gathering together [1] unto him. Literally, of our congregation unto him. That is, that you be not moved by any pretended revelation, nor by any words or letter, as spoken or written by me. (Witham)”