_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;... [ Continue Reading ]
St. Augustine, writing to Hesychium, declareth that no one from the Scripture can be assured of the day, year, or age [century] when the second coming shall be. (ep. lxxx.) Let us attend to what St. Augustine declares he had learnt from the first Church authorities. At the last judgment, or about th... [ Continue Reading ]
First, &c.[2] What is meant by this falling away, (in the Greek this apostacy) is uncertain, and differently expounded. St. Jerome and others understand it of a falling off of other kingdoms, which before were subject to the Roman empire; as if St. Paul said to them: you need not fear that the day o... [ Continue Reading ]
The mystery of iniquity already worketh, [8] or is now wrought, by the precursors of antichrist; i.e. by infidels and heretics. For, as St. John says, there are many antichrists, precursors to the great antichrist, and enemies of Christ. (1 John chap. ii.) (Witham) --- That he who now holdeth, do ho... [ Continue Reading ]
_Spirit of his mouth, &c. St. Paul make use of this expression, to shew the ease with which God can put down the most powerful from his seat. He does it likewise to give the Thessalonians a right notion of the man of sin. For as he before told them, he would cause himself to be adored, they might ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_God shall send them the operation of error. [9] That is, says St. John Chrysostom and St. Cyril, he will permit them to be led away with illusions, by signs, and lying prodigies, which the devil shall work by antichrist, &c. (Witham) --- God shall suffer them to be deceived by lying wonders, and fa... [ Continue Reading ]
_That God hath chosen you first-fruits. Called you the first, or before many others, by his eternal decree, to the faith, whilst he hath left others in darkness and infidelity. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Traditions,...whether by word, [10] or by our epistle. Therefore, says St. John Chrysostom, the apostle did not deliver all things that were to be believed, by writing; (Witham) but many things by word of mouth only, which have been perpetuated by tradition, and these traditions, no less than the w... [ Continue Reading ]