15. Against Heresies 4.33.11.
16. Marshall, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 258.
17. The noun “penalty” (dikē) appears often in the †Septuagint (e.g., Deut 32:41).
18. For a discussion of some of the shifts leading to modern discomfort with hell, see Charles Taylor, A Secular Age (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007), esp. 221–69, on “Providential Deism.”
19. In the ancient Church some, such as St. Gregory of Nyssa, argued that God uses postmortem suffering to cleanse sinners so that eventually all will be saved. See, e.g., On the Soul and the Resurrection 15.75–76.
20. Homiliae in epistulam ii ad Thessalonicenses (PG 62:477 [my translation]).
21. Introduction to Christianity, trans. J. R. Foster (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004), 325.
22. The judgment of “the living and the dead” is perhaps best known from the creeds, but see Acts 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.
23. LSJ; BDAG; Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. BDAG specifically notes that the translation “make worthy” lacks lexical support. The NRSV and some commentators make the same error with the related verb kataxioō in 2 Thess 1:5.
24. E.g., Fee, First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians, 265.
25. Werner Foerster (“ἄξιος, ἀνάξιος, ἀξιόω, καταξιόω,” TDNT 1:379–80) cites Epistle of Diognetus 9.1 as a parallel, but Diognetus has no more claim to a special definition than 2 Thess 1:11.
26. Homiliae (PG 62:481 [my translation]).
27. MM. On this use of plēroō in Paul’s Letters, see Nathan Eubank, “Justice Endures Forever: Paul’s Grammar of Generosity,” JSPHL 5, no. 2 (2015): 169–87, esp. 177–78.
28. See also Isa 66 in the sidebar, “Biblical Traditions in 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10,” p. 149.
29. Jeffrey A. D. Weima, 1–2 Thessalonians, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014), 486.
30. The liturgy draws on a deep well of tradition and the entirety of Scripture. I am not suggesting that these prayers were necessarily composed in conscious imitation of 2 Thess 1:11–12. But it is noteworthy that 2 Thess 1:11–12 is the only such prayer in the Bible. Other biblical passages speak of the need to be found worthy of the next age (Luke 20:35), but this passage records the only prayer that it would be so.
31. F. E. Brightman, ed., Liturgies: Eastern and Western (Oxford: Clarendon, 1896), 312 (my translation).
32. Brightman, Liturgies, 32 (my translation).
33. Brightman, Liturgies, 498 (my translation).
34. Brightman, Liturgies, 112 (my translation).
35. The Roman Missal: Renewed by Decree of the Most Holy Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, Promulgated by Authority of Pope Paul VI and Revised at the Direction of Pope John Paul II, 3rd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), 139.
36. Roman Missal, 144.
37. Roman Missal, 141.
38. Roman Missal, 642.
39. Roman Missal, 751.
40. Roman Missal, 337. See Matt 8:8.
Events Presaging the Day of the Lord
2 Thessalonians 2:1–17
The Thessalonian Christians seem to have worried that the day of the Lord had already come. One of the main reasons Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians was to address this confusion, and his response presents some of the most puzzling and fascinating material in all his letters. He assures them that certain events must take place prior to the Lord’s return: a great apostasy, and the revelation of “the lawless one,” a figure opposed to God who deceives many. After these events have played out according to the preordained timetable, Jesus will return.
Confusion about the Day of the Lord (2:1–2)
1We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, 2not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
NT: 1 Thess 4:13–5:11; 2 Tim 2:14–19
[2:1–2]
This section continues the discussion of the Lord’s return, which Paul refers to here as Jesus’s parousia (coming) and as the day of the Lord (see commentary on 1 Thess 5:1–2). As in 1 Thessalonians, Paul links Jesus’s return to the faithful being gathered to him (1 Thess 4:17; 5:10), which he describes here as our assembling (episynagōgē) with him. For Paul, the hope of the Lord gathering his people would have recalled the traditional belief that God would someday reunite the scattered people of God (2 Macc 2:7; Mark 13:27), but he does not elaborate on this point here.
Paul asks them not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly or alarmed by a certain false teaching. The word translated as “suddenly” (tacheōs) could refer to how quickly after his last letter the Thessalonians accepted false teaching (see Gal 1:6) or to their lack of careful deliberation in accepting this new idea. The NABRE renders Paul’s summary of this erroneous belief as the day of the Lord is at hand (enistēmi), which would mean the Lord is about to return. A translation that better reflects the grammar and Paul’s use of the word elsewhere would be “the day of the Lord has come” (see NRSV, NIV).1 In other words, the Thessalonians seem to have thought the †parousia had already occurred! When one considers the global spectacle of Jesus’s return as described in 1 Thess 4:16–17, one might wonder how they could fall for such a silly error. But the idea that the parousia had already come was not as ridiculous as it first sounds. Throughout Paul’s Letters †eschatology is characterized by both future hope and present realization. For Paul, Jesus’s death and resurrection mark God’s decisive victory and the beginning of the end of all things. Those who belong to Christ already taste the life of the world to come because they are united to their risen Lord. In some of Paul’s Letters this current sharing in Jesus’s victory is very strongly emphasized, while always affirming the future day of the Lord (e.g., Rom 6:1–14). In 1 Thessalonians, Paul says that the Thessalonians must live even now as “children of the day” (5:2–5).2 Similar affirmations that the resurrection is in some sense already present are well attested in early Christianity. John’s Gospel says that judgment and new life have already come (John 3:18; see 1 John 3:14), and in Luke, Jesus says, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20–21). Some pushed this idea even further and denied that there was any future coming. In the Gospel of Thomas (second century) the disciples ask, “When will the repose of the dead take place? And when will the new world come?” Jesus replies, “What you are looking for has come, but for your part you do not know it” (51).3 Second Timothy 2:18 warns against certain men who “deviated from the truth” by claiming that “[the] resurrection has already taken place.”4 It is not hard to imagine how a congregation still new to Paul’s theology could become confused about the timing of the parousia, even to the point of thinking that it had already occurred.5
Why is Paul so concerned that they might accept this teaching? In addition to the fact that he regarded it as false, there are some hints that he worried that the Thessalonians would despair if they lost hope in the coming day of the Lord. As John Chrysostom puts it, “The faithful, having lost hope for anything great or splendid, might give up because of their troubles.”6 According to 2 Thess 1:3–10, the Thessalonian converts were experiencing significant afflictions because of their faith. If they came to believe that there was nothing more to hope for, no “justice” (see commentary on 2 Thess 1:6–7), then they would have had good reason to be “alarmed.” To quote Chrysostom once more: those who teach that the day of the Lord has already come “might even catch Christ in a lie, and, having shown that there is to be no retribution, nor court of justice, nor punishment and vengeance for evildoers, they might make evildoers more brazen and their victims more dejected.”7
Paul doesn’t seem to be certain about who has been spreading the idea that the day of t
he Lord is already present, but he has suspicions. He warns them against becoming rattled by accepting this idea, whether delivered by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us. The “spirit” here probably refers to a spirit of prophecy. Early Christian prophets were sometimes said to speak by means of spirits (1 John 4:1). Whatever is meant by the NABRE’s quotation marks around the word “spirit”—they do not correspond to anything in the Greek—Paul did not doubt the reality of divinely aided prophecy in the Church (1 Cor 14). He encourages such activity, but he is anxious that it be done appropriately and subject to the discernment of the whole community (1 Cor 14:29). In 1 Thessalonians he says, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances,” but also, “Test everything; retain what is good” (5:19–21). Someone might claim to have a prophetic word, but it is necessary to test such messages to see if they are genuine. As 1 John puts it, “Do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (4:1). Paul also warns against being deceived by an “oral statement” (literally, a “word”), which refers to Christian teaching or preaching. Finally, Paul warns them against receiving this idea from a letter. Some take this to mean that Paul is aware of forgeries circulating in his name, but the vagueness of Paul’s warnings in verse 2 suggest that he is concerned about the possibility—perhaps he has even heard a rumor about letters written in his name—but not that he knows about a particular forgery.8
Events Presaging the End (2:3–12)
3Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one doomed to perdition, 4who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God, claiming that he is a god— 5do you not recall that while I was still with you I told you these things? 6And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. But the one who restrains is to do so only for the present, until he is removed from the scene. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord [Jesus] will kill with the breath of his mouth and render powerless by the manifestation of his coming, 9the one whose coming springs from the power of Satan in every mighty deed and in signs and wonders that lie, 10and in every wicked deceit for those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of truth so that they may be saved. 11Therefore, God is sending them a deceiving power so that they may believe the lie, 12that all who have not believed the truth but have approved wrongdoing may be condemned.
OT: 1 Macc 1:41–61; Dan 8:9–11
NT: Mark 13:14–23; 1 John 2:18–23
Catechism: the Church’s ultimate trial, 675–77
Paul explains how the Thessalonians can be certain that the day of the Lord has not yet come: certain other events must take place first. Paul says that he already taught these things while in Thessalonica (2:5), and indeed he does not attempt to explain them clearly or systematically here. The sequence of events is out of order, and the bewildering names and events come thick and fast; the lawless one, the restrainer, the mystery of lawlessness, and the rebellion. Here are the events described in this section rearranged in chronological order. Those who find the verse-by-verse commentary disorienting may want to turn back to page 163 for clarification.
At present, someone or something is holding back an enemy of God called “the lawless one,” preventing him from doing evil. Though the lawless one is currently being restrained, the “mystery of lawlessness” is already at work in the world, and eventually the restraining power will be removed.
After the restraining power is removed, “the apostasy” will take place and the lawless one will be revealed. The lawless one will pretend to be God, taking his seat in the temple, and, aided by the power of Satan, he will do mighty deeds that deceive many people. God allows this deception to take place as a form of judgment for those who do not love the truth.
Finally, Jesus will return and destroy the lawless one.
[2:3–4]
The words Let no one deceive you in any way might indicate that Paul isn’t completely certain about the source of the error, but they also warn against any possible future confusion. Two events must occur before Jesus’s return: the apostasy and the revelation of the lawless one. The Greek word apostasia refers to rebellion against authority, whether human or divine. The use of the article (the apostasy) and the fact that Paul has already instructed them about this (v. 5) suggest that he is describing an event they are already expecting, an event not fully described here. Many ancient Jewish and Christian texts describe a penultimate period in history when people will rebel against God (e.g., 4 Ezra 5.1–13). In the Gospels, Jesus warns that prior to his return lawlessness will increase, with false prophets and messiahs appearing and deceiving many (e.g., Matt 24:3–13). We find similar warnings elsewhere in the Pauline Letters: 1 Timothy warns that “the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will turn away from the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and demonic instructions” (4:1), and 2 Timothy says that “there will be terrifying times in the last days” because of an increase in rebellion against God (3:1–5).9 Paul seems to have something similar in mind here. Prior to Jesus’s return he expects a widespread rebellion against God, including the defection of many to the lawless one because of the marvels he works (2 Thess 2:9–12).
The other event that will occur before the Lord’s return is the revelation of the lawless one. It is not clear whether Paul expects the apostasy first and then this event, or if he expects them to happen together. The fact that this figure is to deceive many suggests that Paul sees these events happening at the same time prior to Jesus’s return. For the sake of clarity I will combine everything that Paul says about this figure in verses 3–4 and 9. This figure is called “the lawless one” and the one doomed to perdition. A more wooden translation would be “the man of lawlessness [anomia], the son of perdition [apōleia],” titles that echo biblical descriptions of evil. In Greek Isaiah, Isaiah excoriates the wickedness of the people, calling them “children of perdition [apōleia], lawless [anomos] offspring” (57:4). Daniel prophesies that in the last days many will be “lawless” (anomos) (12:10). The lawless one will be the culmination of human wickedness and opposition to God, a uniquely wicked person who leads others to wickedness (2 Thess 2:9). The title “son of perdition” indicates that he is destined to be destroyed, and perhaps also that he will bring about the destruction of others.10
The manner of the lawless one’s appearance suggests that he appears as an imitation or parody of Jesus, a sort of “antichrist,” though Paul never uses that word.11 Three times Paul describes this figure being revealed (apokalyptō [2:3, 6, 8]), just as he spoke of the revelation (apokalypsis) of Jesus in 1:7. It would be equally accurate to describe the lawless one as “anti-God” because he opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship (compare Dan 11:36–38). This figure exalts himself above all the gods of the nations and their shrines. Not content to stop there, he desires to take the place of the one true God, so he takes his seat in the temple of God, presenting himself as God.12 Many of the “low points” in Scripture describe attempts to usurp God, beginning with our first parents’ attempt to “be like God” (Gen 3:5 NRSV). The prophet Isaiah denounces the king of Babylon for saying, “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; / I will be like the Most High!” (14:14). The prophet taunts him for his punishment at God’s hands: “How you have fallen from the heavens, / O Morning Star, son of the dawn! / How you have been cut down to the earth, / you who conquered nations!” (14:12). Later Christians read this passage as a description of the fall of Satan and made the Latin translation of “morning star” (lucifer) into one of his names (see also Ezek 28:2–19). The Gospels portray the devil tempting Jesus to worship him (Matt 4:8–10; Luke 4:6–8), and the book of Acts portrays Herod being struck down by God for receiving
divine honors (12:20–23). For worshipers of the one true God, any attempt to take God’s place is the height of evil.
More directly relevant to this passage, there was a series of disasters in Jewish history involving rulers who interrupted or desecrated the temple in some way. In 167 BC the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, whose name suggested that he was a manifestation of the divine, sought to interrupt Jewish worship and caused a pagan altar to be erected on the altar of burnt offering (1 Macc 1:41–61). In 63 BC the Roman general Pompey entered the holy of holies, though he did not take anything or attempt to set up false worship.13 Perhaps the threat to Jewish worship that most closely resembles the lawless one came from the Roman emperor Caligula. Claiming to be divine, he sought to have his own image placed in the temple in Jerusalem in AD 40, not that long before 2 Thessalonians was written.14 Inasmuch as images of deities represented their presence, this would have been tantamount to “seating himself in the temple of God, claiming he is God.”
Figure 10. Sermon and Deeds of the Antichrist by Luca Signorelli. [Public domain / Wikimedia Commons]
These events as well as later ones, such as the destruction of the temple in AD 70, left a deep imprint on the Jewish and Christian imagination, often forming the template for consummate evil.15 Speaking of Antiochus Epiphanes, the book of Daniel describes a king desecrating the temple (8:11; 9:27; 12:11), “exalting himself and making himself greater than any god; he shall utter dreadful blasphemies against the God of gods” (11:36). The noncanonical Psalms of Solomon describes a certain Gentile ruler as a “lawless one” (anomos) who entered Jerusalem and perverted the people.16 The Gospels take up the prophecy from Daniel, warning of the day when “the desolating abomination spoken of through Daniel” would be seen standing “in the holy place” (Matt 24:15; see Mark 13:14). As a reader of Daniel and a recipient of oral traditions about Jesus, Paul would have had good reason to expect a final, definitive version of these attempts to usurp God. The recent attempt of Caligula to be worshiped in the Jerusalem temple would have been a terrifying reminder of these prophecies.
First and Second Thessalonians Page 21
