2 Thessalonians 2:16

16. For Ιησους Χριστος, A 47 read Ιησους ο χριστος; and B, Χριστος Ιησους—an order of the names found seven times in B where no other MS. presents it.

BDK 17 omit ο before θεος—a letter easily overlooked in uncial writing before θ. Instead of ο πατηρ ημων A and the Syrian uncials, with latt and vg, read και πατηρ ημων, squaring with 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:13, &c.

16. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καὶ [ὁ] θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν—. But may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father—. For αὐτὸς δέ, and this form of prayer, cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and notes. This invocation corresponds in its position to that of 1 Thessalonians 3:11 ff., completing the Epistle in its first and main part, the sequel in each case being appended by (τὸ) λοιπόν (see 2 Thessalonians 3:1 below). But while the corresponding petition of Ep. I. bears on love and holiness as needed for the Church’s perfectness at Christ’s coming, this bears on strength and steadfastness of heart as needed for present duty; στηρίξαι (2 Thessalonians 2:17) is common to both passages. Here Christ’s name precedes the Father’s (as later in the benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:13), which leads Chrysostom to exclaim, ΙΙοῦ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ τὸν υἱὸν ἐλαττοῦντες; “Our Lord Jesus Christ” is foremost in the writers’ thoughts; He in whose “glory” the readers were “called” by God to take part at the “winning” of His kingdom, is invoked to help them toward this end. Christ and the Father are one in love to this Church (1 Thessalonians 1:4, and 2 Thessalonians 2:13 above), and in all saving action; so the singular predicate, παρακαλέσαι κ.τ.λ. (2 Thessalonians 2:17), is natural, as in 1 Thessalonians 3:11. There is a chiasmus, or crossing, in the arrangement of the parallel names, ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν balancing ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν, while ὁ θεός is set over against Ἰησοῦς Χριστός.

ὁ θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν is described as ὁ�, who has loved us and given (us) eternal encouragement and good hope, in grace. The readers have just been told that they are “beloved by the Lord” (Jesus: 2 Thessalonians 2:13); that reference is complemented by their inclusion, along with the Apostles, in the special love of God the Father. Now God’s love, in view of His “call” and its purpose stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, carries with it a παράκλησιν and ἐλπίδα which minister the very strengthening of heart the readers require. Ἀγαπήσας and δούς are bound in one by the single article, the second being, as the case stands, the necessary outcome of the first. For God’s loving and giving, cf. John 3:16; John 3:35; 1 John 4:10; also Matthew 7:11; Luke 12:32, for the fatherly regard which prompts God’s gifts; similarly of Christ, in Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:2; Ephesians 5:25. These parallels support Lightfoot’s observation, that “the aorist ἀγαπήσας (not ἀγαπῶν) refers to the act of God’s love in giving His Son to die for us”: this is borne out by ἐν χάριτι, qualifying δούς; for it is in this act above all that “God commends His own love to us,” and in it “the grace of God, and His gift in grace, overflowed” (Romans 5:8; Romans 5:15). From the supreme evidence of God’s love an “eternal comfort” is derived; see the way in which St Paul draws out this παράκλησις, and builds up this ἐλπίς, in Romans 8:31-39. Though the cross of Christ is never mentioned in the two Letters, and His death but twice (1 Thessalonians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:10) in cursory fashion, “the grace of God” therein displayed furnishes the basis and fulcrum of the entire system of doctrine and life implied in the Epp.; cf. the notes on 1 Thessalonians 5:9 f., to the same effect. In the passage just referred to the essential connexion is assumed, that is latent here, between God’s purpose of salvation for men and the death of Jesus Christ on their behalf.

For the term παράκλησις, see note on 1 Thessalonians 2:3. For God as ὁ παρακαλῶν, cf. Romans 15:4 f.; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Philippians 2:1; Hebrews 6:18; Hebrews 12:5; Acts 9:31. God’s παράκλησις follows up His κλῆσις (2 Thessalonians 2:14). The “comfort” is “eternal,” inasmuch as it continues unshaken by the losses and sorrows of life, rising above all temporal conditions and defying death: see Romans 8:35-39; 1 Corinthians 15:55-58; 2 Corinthians 4:16 to 2 Corinthians 5:8, for the scope of the Christian consolation. Here only and in Hebrews 9:12, in N.T., has αἰώνιος a distinct feminine ending; also in Numbers 25:13, and elsewhere in LXX; otherwise, according to rule for adjectives in -ιος, the -ος is common in gender.

The added καὶ ἐλπίδα� shows that the Divine cordial here held out lies in the prospect of faith: see the parallels above given; to which add 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11; Romans 5:2-5; Romans 5:17; Romans 5:21; Romans 8:17-25; Romans 15:13; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 6:17-20; Hebrews 7:19; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 1 Peter 5:4; 1 Peter 5:10, &c. A hope is “good” (ἀγαθήν; cf. note on 1 Thessalonians 5:15) as it is sound in itself and salutary in its effect—a hope which it is good to have. This is amongst the best of God’s “good gifts” (Luke 11:13; James 1:17). The same adjective is attached by St Paul to πίστις (Titus 2:10), and to συνείδησις (1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Timothy 1:19; Acts 23:1), as human faculties. For χάρις as the sphere and basis of God’s gifts in the Gospel (ἐν χάριτι qualifies δούς, not ἐλπίδα), see note on this word in 2 Thessalonians 1:12 : along with ἀγαπάω (see previous note), χάρις points to the work of Divine Redemption, on which Christian “hope” specifically rests; see Romans 5:2; Romans 5:15-21; Ephesians 1:7; Titus 2:11 ff; Titus 3:7; &c.