2 Thessalonians 2:16

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, HIMSELF - by His own might, contrasted with our feebleness; ensuring the efficacy of our prayer. Here our Lord Jesus stands first; in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 "God our Father." By Christ's grace we come to the Father's love (2 Corinthians 13:14). WHICH HATH LOVED US - in our redemption. Referring both to our Lord Jesus (Romans 8:37; Galatians 2:20) and God our Father ...

16_Now the Lord himself_. When he ascribes to Christ a work altogether Divine, and represents him, in common with the Father, as the Author of the choicest blessings, as we have in this a clear proof of the divinity of Christ, so we are admonished, that we cannot obtain anything from God unless we seek it in Christ himself: and when he asks that God may give him those things which he had enjoined, he shews clearly enough how little influence exhortations have, unless God inwardly move and affect our hearts. Unquestionably there will be but an empty sound striking upon the ear, if doctrine does not receive efficacy from the Spirit. What he afterwards adds,_who hath loved you, and hath given consolation_, _etc._, relates to confidence in asking; for he would have the Thessalonians feel persuaded that God will do what he prays for. And from what does he prove this? Because he once shewed th...

16,17 We may and should direct our prayers, not only to God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, but also to our Lord Jesus Christ himself. And we should pray in his name unto God, not only as his Father, but as our Father in and through him. The love of God in Christ Jesus, is the spring and fountain of all the good we have or hope for. There is good reason for strong consolations, because the saints have good hope through grace. The free grace and mercy of God are what they hope for, and what their hopes are founded on, and not any worth or merit of their own. The more pleasure we take in the word, and works, and ways of God, the more likely we shall be to persevere therein. But, if we are wavering in faith, and of a doubtful mind, halting and faltering in our duty, no wonder that we are strangers to the joys of religion....

Verse 16. _NOW OUR LORD JESUS_] As all your _grace_ came from God through Christ, so the _power_ that is necessary to strengthen and confirm you unto the end must come in the same way. _EVERLASTING CONSOLATION_] Παρακλησιν αιωνιαν· The _glad tidings_ of the Gospel, and the _comfort_ which ye have received through believing; a gift which God had in his _original_ purpose, in reference to the Gentiles; a purpose which has respected _all times_ and _places_, and which shall continue to the _conclusion_ of time; for the Gospel is _everlasting_, and shall not be superseded by any other dispensation. It is the _last_ and _best_ which God has provided for man; and it is _good tidings, everlasting_ _consolation_-a complete system of complete peace and happiness. The words may also refer to the happiness which the believing Thessalonians then possessed. And

NOW OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF - This expression is equivalent to this: “I pray our Lord Jesus, and our Father, to comfort you.” It is really a prayer offered to the Saviour - a recognition of Christ as the source of consolation as well as the Father, and a union of his name with that of the Father in invoking important blessings. It is such language as could be used only by one who regarded the Lord Jesus as divine. AND GOD EVEN OUR FATHER - Greek: “And God, _and_ (και kai) our Father;” though not incorrectly rendered “even our Father.” If it should be contended that the use of the word “and” - “our Lord Jesus Christ, and God,” proves that the Lord Jesus is a different being from God - the use of the same word “and” would prove that the “Father” is a different being from God. But the truth is, the apostle meant to speak of the Father and th

EXPOSITION CONTENTS.—The apostle now proceeds to the principal object which he had in view in writing this Epistle. The Thessalonians had adopted erroneous notions concerning the advent; they supposed that the day of the Lord was imminent, and, in consequence of this belief, they were thrown into a state of excitement and alarm. The apostle reminds them of his former instructions on this subject; how he bad told them that before the coming of the day of the Lord there should be a great apostasy, and the man of sin, whose nature and characteristics he had described to them, should be revealed; but that at present there was a restraining influence which prevented his appearance. When that restraining influence was removed, the man of sin would be revealed, accompanied with powers and signs and wonders of falsehood, and would succeed in deceiving those who were destitute of the love of the...

NOW OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF,.... The apostle having exhorted the saints to perseverance, closes this second part of his epistle, relating to the coming of Christ, with a prayer for the saints, that they might be comforted and established. The objects addressed are Christ and the Father. And in each of their characters are reasons contained, encouraging to believe the petitions will be regarded; for it is "our Lord Jesus Christ himself" who is prayed unto; who is our Lord, not by creation only, in which sense he is Lord of all, but by redemption, and through a marriage relation; and he is our Jesus, our Saviour, and Redeemer; and our Christ, the anointed prophet, priest, and King; even he himself, who stands in these relations and offices; and what may not be expected from him? AND GOD, EVEN OUR FATHER; not by creation, but by adoption; and as it is in his power, he has a heart to...

2 Thessalonians 2:1. _Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand._ In the Church of Christ, the teaching has always been that Christ is coming quickly, and that teaching must never be withdrawn, for he is coming quickly, as he said to John in the Revelation. At the same time, this teaching has given an opportunity to certain presumptuous people to prophesy that at such and such a time Christ will come. They know nothing about it, and their prophecies are not worth the breath they spend in uttering them, and we have today what the apostle wrote to the Thessalonians:...

THROUGH GRACE Grace (in salvation). (1 Timothy 1:14); (1 Timothy 1:15); (Romans 3:24). (_ See Scofield) - (John 1:17). _...

2 THESSALONIANS 2:16 @o`# qeo.j o` path,r Struck by the unusual expression o` qeo.j o` path.r h`mw/n, copyists have altered o` path,r (a* (om. o` ac) B Dgr* F G 33 431 442 1311 2143 itg vgms syrp copbo arm eth) to the more familiar Pauline expression kai. path,r (A Dc K L P Y 6 81 104 326 917 itd vg syrh goth). Since the article before qeo,j is lacking in B D* K L 33 _al,_ a majority of the Committee thought it wise to enclose it within square brackets, thus indicating doubt as t...