2 Thessalonians 2:2

“to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand”

“To the end”: The purpose of this exhortation. “Quickly shaken”: To waver, agitate, rock, topple or (by implication) destroy; figuratively, to disturb. “The verb suggests being tossed about in. stormy wind, and is used metaphorically of being so perturbed as to lose one's normal composure and good sense” (Marshall p. 186). “Always it would seem, there have been some Christians who have let their imagination rather than their reason dictate their understanding of the Parousia (Second Coming)” (Morris p. 214). The word "quickly" reveals that Christians who are not grounded in the faith (Colossians 1:23) can very quickly find themselves won over by false teaching, even false teaching that is blatant or ridiculous (2 Timothy 2:18). “From your mind”: The battle is for the hearts and minds of men. What we allow ourselves to believe is the most important decision that we will ever make (Proverbs 4:23).

“Troubled”: “The meaning is be unsettled or thrown into confusion” (Vincent p. 62). ‘Continually disturbed (present infinitive)” (Hendriksen p. 168). “It describes. state of ‘jumpiness', or of worry. Just as some are easily thrown off balance, so others can fall into. state of constant fretting” (Morris p. 215).

“Either by”: Three possible ways in which they might be negatively affected. “Spirit”: Probably someone claiming to be speaking by inspiration (1 John 4:1). “Any revelation” (TCNT). “By some message by the Spirit” (Wms). “By an alleged revelation of the Spirit” (Nor). This and other passages infers that people do lie and claim that God is speaking through them, when He is not (1 John 4:1). “Or by word”: Probably some claimed oral communication that Paul had given. “This could refer to many things, such as. misinterpretation of something Christ Himself or Paul had said” (Fields p. 189). “Or by rumor” (Con). “Some remark” (Nor). Robertson notes, “Oral statement of. conversation with Paul, to this effect an easy way to set aside Paul's first Epistle by report of. private remark from Paul” (p. 48). “Or by epistle”: Which reveals that Paul knew that it was not beneath various false teachers to forge letters and attach his name to them. The very fact that Paul closes this letter, “I Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is. distinguishing mark in every letter” (2 Thessalonians 3:17), demonstrates that Paul is taking every step possible to ensure that the Thessalonians can tell the difference between. genuine letter and. fake. “As from us”: Claiming to be from Paul and his assistants. In this verse Paul completely distances himself from the false report that has unsettled the Thessalonians.

We should be impressed that God knew that false teachers would arise and even infiltrate the church (Acts 20:28). Therefore, His revelation to mankind must be clear enough for the average member to distinguish truth from error. The Bible must be sufficient to refute any false doctrine that arises. God has even given us "tests" to detect various false doctrines (1 John 4:1 ff; 1 Timothy 4:1), and one of the greatest tests, is that previously recorded revelation is the standard to test all spiritual claims (Acts 17:11). This verse should also remind us that God knew some people might try to claim inspiration for. letter or document that God did not author, such as the supposed Lost Books of the Bible, and the Book of Mormon.

“As that”: The specific false doctrine that was disturbing some in Thessalonica. “The day of the Lord”: That is, the Second Coming (2 Thessalonians 2:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). “Is just at hand”: “Has come” (NASV). Various writers argue that the proper rendering of the above phrase, should be translated "is now present", that is, that the Lord has already come. Years later others will teach that the resurrection was already past (2 Timothy 2:18). Morris notes, “There is no word for ‘just' in the Greek. The verb does not really mean ‘to be at hand', but rather ‘to be present'” (p. 216). Times have not changed. Stott notes, “A modern version of the belief that Christ has already come is found among Jehovah's Witnesses. Their founder, Charles T. Russell, first taught that the world would end in 1874, and then revised his calculations to 1914. After this year passed, his successor Judge J.F. Rutherford asserted that Christ did in fact come on. October 1914, but invisibly. On that day He exchanged an ordinary seat at the Father's right hand for the throne of His kingdom. So no parousia of Christ is to be expected; it has already taken place” (p. 157).

“It seems to me some may well have been teaching those constant errors of the Second Coming, that it was silent, invisible, past and over with. Perhaps they were teaching it was underway, maybe even about to break out” (Denton Lectureship p. 249). The A.D. 70 Theory, states that all the promises and passages dealing with the Second Coming were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem, also fits this pattern of false teaching.