2 Thessalonians 2:2

2 Thessalonians 2:2. That ye be not soon shaken out of your mind. Evidently Paul had heard that they had been excited by false impressions about the nearness of the Lord's coming, and had acted as men who had lost their senses, giving up their ordinary occupations and scandalizing sober-minded people. The word ‘shaken' ‘marks that agitated and disquieted state of mind, which, in the present case, was due to wild spiritual anticipations' (Ellicott). This state of mind had been ‘ soon' brought about, i.e. without due consideration, and as soon as any one said to them, ‘Lo, here is Christ,' or ‘Lo, there.' To prevent this instability and a disorder so prejudicial to the cause, Paul now again writes to them.

Nor yet be troubled. It is the Lord's own advice. ‘See that ye be not troubled,' or panic-stricken. Matthew 24:6.

Neither by spirit. The first Christian congregations were often left by their founders in a state of ignorance of all but the fundamental truths. Persecution or openings in other places quickly forced the apostles to pass on and leave the young churches to themselves. To compensate for their loss and for the want of our chief means of knowledge the New Testament canon a prophetic order was raised up among them. Apparently in every Christian congregation the descent of the Spirit of Christ was signalized by the supernatural endowment of a number of teachers. That it was so in Thessalonica we see from 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20; and that Paul refers to such teachers in the words ‘by Spirit' is probable, comp. 1 John 4:1.

Nor by word, nor by letter, as if by us. Word and letter, i.e. oral and written communications, comprise Paul's methods of instructing his churches. See 2 Thessalonians 2:15. The words ‘by letter as if by us' are generally, though not literally, rendered as in the English Version, ‘by letter as from us,' implying that a forged letter purporting to be from Paul, and affirming that the day of the Lord was already come or immediately imminent, had been circulated among the Thessalonians. The strongest argument in favour of this view is the circumstance that at the close of this Epistle Paul draws attention to his signature as the test by which the genuineness of any of his Epistles might be ascertained. The weight of authority is decidedly in favour of this interpretation. But the reasons on the other side seem more conclusive.

1. The words in question, when literally rendered ‘as if by us,' give a perfectly intelligible and strictly relevant meaning. ‘Be not troubled by letter, as if we had said that the day of the Lord,' etc.: Be not disturbed by anything I have said or written, as if in my teaching there were ground for the impression you have received. The whole remonstrance amounts to this: Let no spirit be quoted to uphold this disturbing idea, nor let word or letter of mine be quoted, as if I had given ground for your disturbance.

2. Had Paul meant ‘a letter purporting to be from us,' he would in all-probability have used another preposition more distinctly expressing the source from which anything emanates.

3. It is difficult to believe that he would have spoken so cursorily of so alarming a symptom in the church as a forged Epistle.

4. It is in itself an improbable thing, that while Paul was within easy reach and could be at once appealed to, so daring and profitless a forgery would be attempted.

5. It was natural that in this Second Epistle, which might seem to contradict what he had taught in the First, he should draw attention to his signature as evidence that both Epistles were from himself.

At hand. The word here used indicates the closest proximity or presence; but whether Paul means that the day of the Lord had been represented as having already begun or as being immediately imminent, it is difficult to say. The arguments Paul uses, and other general considerations, favour the latter view. From his former letter the Thessalonians had conceived the idea that the Lord's return was to be immediate. As the most effectual means of convincing them that this is an erroneous impression, he proceeds to recount what must first of all transpire.