2 Thessalonians 2:17

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 ...

16,17 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 2 Thessalonians 2:17. _COMFORT YOUR HEARTS_] Keep your souls ever under the influence of his Holy Spirit: _and stablish you_-confirm and strengthen you in your _belief_ of every _good word_ or doctrine, which we have delivered unto you; and in the _practice_ of every _good work_, recommended and enjoined by the doctrines of the Gospel. It is not enough that we _believe_ the truth; we must _love_ the truth. Antinomianism says: "Believe the doctrines, and ye are safe." The testimony borne by the Gospel is: _Believe, love, obey_: none of these can subsist without the other. The faith of a devil may exist without loving obedience; but the faith of a true believer _worketh by love_; and this faith and love have not respect to some _one_ commandment, but to all; for God writes his _whole law_ on

COMFORT YOUR HEARTS; - see the notes, 1Th 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. The Thessalonians were in the midst of trials, and Paul prayed that they might have the full consolations of their religion. AND STABLISH YOU - Make you firm and steadfast; 1Th 3:2, 1 Thessalonians 3:13. IN EVERY GOOD WORD AND WORK - In every true doctrine, and in the practice of every virtue. This chapter is very important in reference to the rise of that great anti

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...

COMFORT YOUR HEARTS,.... That is, apply the comfort given, and cause it to be received, which unbelief is apt to refuse; and increase it, by shedding abroad the love of Christ, and of the Father; by the discoveries of pardoning grace; by the application of Gospel promises; by the word and ordinances, which are breasts of consolation; and by indulging with the gracious presence, and comfortable communion of Father, Son, and Spirit. The Arabic version reads, "comfort your hearts by his grace", joining the last clause of the preceding verse to this. This petition stands opposed to a being troubled and distressed about the sudden coming of Christ, as the following one does to a being shaken in mind on that account, 2 Thessalonians 2:2. AND STABLISH YOU IN EVERY GOOD WORD AND WORK; that is, in every good word of God, or truth of the Gospel, which contains good tidi

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:...

III. THANKSGIVING, PRAYER, EXHORTATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Chapter S 2:13-3:18 _ 1. Thanksgiving and prayer (2 Thessalonians 2:13)_ 2. Prayer for the Word and for deliverance (2 Thessalonians 3:1) 3. Exhortations (2 Thessalonians 3:6) 4. Conclusions (2 Thessalonians 3:16) 2 Thessalonians 2:13 What blessed reasons are stated here to give thanks to God for what He has done for us and for all who believe! Brethren, beloved of

FURTHER THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER. In contrast to the men mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:10, Paul thanks God for the Christians whom God chose for salvation. The paragraph concludes with a brief doxology. 2 THESSALONIANS 2:15. TRADITIONS: here refers to the actual teaching given by the apostle, whether oral or written....

THE LAWLESS ONE (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)...