Commentary on 2 Thessalonians, Commentary on 2 Thessalonians · Summary – Chapter 1
¶A commentary vponupon the ſeconde Epiſtle of S Paul to the Theſſaloniās. In ye which beſydes the ſumme of oure faythe, ther is ſyncerelye handled & ſet forth at large, not onelyonly ye fyrſt cōmyng vp & ryſyng with the full proſperyte & dominion, but alſo the fall and vtter confuſion of the kyngdome of Antichriſte: that is to ſay of Machomet & the Byſhop of Rome.
1538.
Academiae Cantubrigienſis Liber
The ſumme or ſubſtaunce of the ſeconde Epiſtle of S. Paule to the Theſſalonyans.
IT ſemeth that thys latter epiſtell of S. Paule to the Theſſolonyās, was wryttē ſtrayght way after the fyrſt, in the ſtede of a defenſe or bulworke to the ſame. For in that he handeleth certayne thynges at large, whiche in thys he touchyth more ſcarcely. And in the begynnynge he dothe yet ſtylle publyſhe and prayſe the fayth of the Theſſalonians becauſe that they had endured conſtantly in muche tentacyon and affliccion. For the whiche cauſe he promyſeth vntounto them, refreſhyng & eternall lyfe, and to theyr aduerſaryes, fyre & vtter confuſiō: to thentent that he myght ſtrengthen theyr myndes. Further more becauſe that in hys fyrſte Epiſtle, he had made mencion of the commynge of the LORDE, and the reſurreccyon of ye dead, ſome dyd vnderſtonde that they were euen then at hand: therfore he ſheweth in thys, that the LORDE ſhall not come, before that the chyld of perdycion be reueled, that is to ſaye Antichriſte, whoſe commynge and kyngdome, yee alſo ye deſtruccion, he doth connygly paynte forthe truely, euen that the world then to come beynge warned, myghte beware of that peſtilence. Laſt of all he dothe very often inculcate, that ſuche men oughte to be brought into an ordre, whiche with theyr ydelnes & curyoſyte dyd trouble the publyke or comen wealthe. For he had made mencion of ſuche in the fourthe chapter of hys fyrſt Epiſtle. Thys Epiſtle truely is ſhorte, but yet very profytable & learned. In the ſtyle it dyffereth nothynge frō the fyrſt, nother is it of any leſſe erudycion then that. They ſaye that thys alſo was wrytten by Paule at Athenes, and ſente by men of the ſame towne: Theophilactus thynketh that it was ſent by Titus and Oneſymus.
The fyrſte Chapter.
PAule and Siluanus and Timotheus, vntounto the cō gregacion of the Theſſalonians, vvhiche are in God oure father, and in the LORDE Ieſus Chriſte: Grace be vvith you and peace frō God our father, and frō the LORDD Ieſus Chriſt. Vve are bound to thanke God alvvayes for you brethren, as it is mete, becauſe that your fayth grovveth excedyngly, and eueryevery one of you ouerflovveth in louelove tovvard another betvven your ſelues, ſo that vve our ſelues reioyce of you in the cōgregacions of God, ouer your paciēce and fayth in all perſecucions and tribulaciōs that ye ſuffre: vvhyche is a token of the ryghteous iudgement of God, that ye are counted vvorthye of the kyngdom of God, for the vvhyche ye alſo ſuffre.
HE prayſeth and reioyceth at the Theſſalonians, & geueth thankes vntounto God for theyr conſtancye and encreaſe of vertue. Of the which we may fyrſte learne, yt yf we do any thynge well we ſhuld geue the thākes vntounto God, and not aſcrybe it vntounto our vertue, but to attrybute vntounto hym the pryncipall effectes of all thynges, and in no wyſe waxe prowde for any thynge that we do well, nor yet thynke our ſelues ſtrayghte waye perfayt, yf we ſeme oure ſelues ſomwhat to hauehave profyted in vertue and goodnes: but rather let vsus thynke to go forwarde eueryevery daye, and ſtudy to paſſe oure owne ſelues in all kynde of vertues. Secondlye we maye lerne hereof that we ſhuld not enuey at other mens vertues, but rather reioyce with them, yee and to geue thankes for the goynge forward & good example of oure brethren. Here are alſo recyted the chefe poyntes of oure relygiō, fayth, charyte and ſufferynge farre other maner of thynges, then thoſe whiche the Byſhop of Rome, and a many of monkes hauehave reherſed vntounto vsus. And in that he calleth the churches, not hys but Goddes, it cōmeth of humylite and fayth. For they are falſe deceauers whiche beyng but the ſeruaū … of God and myniſters of the churches, do requyre to be called Lordes, and to vſurpe vntounto them ſelues, any preemynence ouer other mens ſeruauntes. Thys place alſo doth teach, that ſayntes or holy men are appoynted to perſecucion, and to be exercyſed wyth contynuall affliccions: and that thoſe trybulacions are a token or demonſtracion of the ryghteouſe iudgemēt of God, that is, that wycked men peryſhe iuſtlye, but the godly are counted worthy of the kyngdome of God, for the whiche they hauehave ſuffred muche aduerſytye. For after thys maner dothe he comforte and lyft vp the ſayntes, ſettynge the paynes & rewardes before theyr eyes.The affliccions of thys lyfe, are not worthye of the glorye which ſhall be ſ…wed vpō vsus. …o. viii. But yf ony man thorow the helpe of thys place, wyll contende, that ſaluacion is dewe vntounto oure affliccyons, and not vntounto the paſſion and bloude of Chriſte onelyonly, let hym marke thys alſo, that the very ſame man ſayde vntounto to the Romayns, that we are iuſtifyed by the benefyte of faythe, & not by the meryte of oure workes. It is therfore of the fatherly liberalyte & good wyll of God, that it is here ſayd, that eternall lyfe is geuen vsus by ryghte, and we made worthye of the kyngdome of God thorow affliccyons: where as it is playne that all our apteneſſe is of God, and that we are made happy by the grace of God. But the goodnes of God, wold not diſcōforte our myndes, & as it were thorow our inabilite, prouoke vsus to ſlackneſſe or weerines. And therfore the ſcrypture ſpeaketh as though we deſerued ſomwhat, and were worthy of the kyngdom of God, that we ſhuld do all thynges with a glad and mery mynde.
It is verely a ryghteous thynge vvith God, to recōpence trybulacion to thē that trouble you, and to you vvhichwhich are troubled, reſte vvith vsus.
Thys is a cauſe wherby is ſhewed, how that trybulacion of ſayntes is a token of the ryghteouſe iudgement of God. Whervpon S. Ambroſe ſayeth very goodly: becauſe that ſaynt Paul ſayeth, that a token of the iuſt iudgement of God, doth apeare, whether vponupon the good or vponupon the badde, therfore he ſaythe afterwarde: It is verely a ryghteous thyng with god, to geue vntounto eueryevery man accordyng vntounto hys dedes. What is ſo ryghteous as that they whiche in thys worlde do ſuppreſſe good men, and banyſhe them out of theyr country thorowe perſecucions, ſhuld ſuffre ſuch lyke thynges in ye world to come, as they do them ſelues here: And that the other ſhuld be in reſt with other ſayntes, whyche commynge out of many trybulacions, ſhall receaue the euerlaſtyng kyngdom. For the Apoſtle doth ſet forthe reſte or refreſhyng, agaynſt the fyre of trybulacion, wherwith holy men withoute ceaſſyng are exerciſed in thys world. For whē they ſhalbe gone from hence, all laboure and ſorowe ſhall ceaſſe, and quyetnes and toye ſhall followe. But to the vngodlye ſhall happen contrary wyſe. Wherevpon we reade in the Goſpell, that to the ryche glutton it was ſayde: Sonne remembre that thou in thy lyfe tyme receauedeſte thy pleaſure, & contrarye wyſe Lazarus payne. Nowe therfore he is refreſhed, and thou arte tormēted. It differeth nothyng frome thys, that we reade in the fourthe chapter of the boke of Sapiēce. And theſe thynges truly are to be layd vp in the remembraunce of ye faythfull, to the intente that in tyme of aduerſyte we myght perſeuer in truth and ryghteouſnes,A true ſayenge. agaynſt the tentacions of the deuell. For the proſperyte of wycked men whiche they hauehave in thys world, and on the the other ſyde ye trouble of holy mē & theyr mooſt infortunate eſtate, do greatly vexe our myndes, for to caſte of the kyngdome of God, and embrace thys preſente worlde. Let vsus remembre therfore the ryghteous iudgemēt of God, and the chaunge of all thynges. Forſothe ther were in the tyme of the Prophetes, contemners of God and louers of thys worlde, which (after the maner of our men) commendynge the felicite of the wycked, and ſcornynge or condē nynge the perylles that ſayntes are in, ſayde: Men ſerue God in vayne, for ther commeth no profyte by that we hauehave kept hys commaundementes. And we ſe that prowde men and ſubtyll perſons are happy, and they that do wyckednes to ſpede well, and to be ſhorte, that ſuche are ſafe as do tēpte God. And what other thynge is it, that men nowe adayes do obiecte agaynſte the true worſhypers of God: what good hauehave ye gottē by your belefe? ſaye they. But what doth Malachie anſwere? The LORDE gaue hede and herde thys, and ther was a boke of remē braunce wrytten before ye LORDE, & ye ſhall ſe in tyme to cōme, that ther is great differēce betwene ye ryghteous & the wycked, betwene the ſeruaūte of God & the deſpyſer of hym. Malachie the .iii. chapter. Vvhan the LORDE Ieſus ſhall ſhevve hymſelfe from heauē, vvith his myghty angelles, in flamynge fyre, rendryng vengeaunce vntounto them that knovve not god, and to them that obey not vntounto the Goſpell of oure LORDE Ieſus Chriſte, vvhiche ſhalbe puniſhed vvith euerlaſtynge dāpnacyon, from the preſence of the LORDE, and from the glorye of hys povver, vvhā he ſhall come to be glorifyed in hys ſayntes, and to be made maruelous in all thē that beleue (becauſe our teſtimony that vve had vntounto you, vvas beleued) in that ſame daye.
He doth here paynt and wyth expreſſe and very notable wordes, ſette forthe before our eyes the commyng of the LORD Ieſus and the maner of the iudgemenete. The ſame cōmynge ſhalbe vntounto all ſayntes very acceptable and mooſt beſte welcome, and to the vngodly very ſowre and ſorowful. And eueryevery word hath his ſtrēgth and pythe. Nowe (ſaythe he) the matter goeth all by wordes. But whan the ende of all thynges ſhall come, thoſe thynges ſhall apeare manyfeſtly, of which all ſayntes hauehave diſputed ſo long & many yeares. For the LORDE Ieſus hymſelfe to whōe all power is geuen in heauen & in earth, and to whome all iudgement belongeth, ſhall apeare in a corporall fourme and lykenes, for to iudge all fleſhe. And nowe doth he deſcrybe the behaueour of thys myghtye Iudge, that vntounto all hys enemyes ſhalbe ſo terryble, and ſo deſyrous and longed for of hys frendes. He ſhall comme (I ſaye) frome heauen, not nowe (as once) crepynge vppon the earthe, nor yet lowe and deſpyſed as he appeared in hys fyrſte cōmyng: But cōpaſſed about wyth ye hooſt of angelles. For we reade in Daniell the .vii: A thouſande thouſandes myniſtred vntounto hym, & tenne thouſand tymes tenne thouſande ſtode before hym. And therfore euē as a myghty kyng, beynge apoynted with a choſen & ſtronge hooſte of men, doth ſett vponupon hys enemy, ſo ſhall the LORDE Ieſus vſe the myniſterye of angels in ſubduynge of ye wycked & mayntenaunce of the godly. Therfore doth he call them the myghty angels of God, as he wold ſaye: they, by whō god doth exercyſe hys power or myghte. Nother ſhall he thē come forth gently & pleaſaunte and for to heale ye vnruly, but be armed with horryble and flamynge fyre. The Apoſtle Peter beareth wytneſſe alſo, that the LORDE ſhall iudge the world by fyre .ii. Petri .iiii. And the Prophete Dauid deſcrybynge yt maner of Chriſtes cōmyng to iudgement, Pſal. xviii. ſayeth: Fyre ſhal go forth before him, he ſhall ſende forth hys arowes & ſkatter thē he ſhal caſt oute lyghtenynges & deſtroy thē. And Daniel: A fyry flowde brake forth (ſayeth he) & wēt out frō his ſyghte. Furthermore Paul doth in playne wordes declare whō ye LORD ſhal deſtroy at his cōmynge. He ſhall of his wrath rēdre vēgeaūce vntounto thē which knew not god, or at ye leſt wold not know god, which followynge ye world, regarded not hys preceptes, & obeyed not ye Goſpell of oure LORDE Ieſus Chriſte. Which thyng agreeth very well to ye matter that is now in hāde. For the Theſſaloniās obeyed ye Goſpell, & ſuffered perſecuciō for it. It was ſwete therfore to heare yt theyr obedience ſhuld be healthfull vntounto thē, & to theyr aduerſaries yt perſecuted thē damnable. For he repetyng agayn the ſame thyng, whiche he had ſayd euē now in other wordes: which ſhalbe punyſhed (ſayeth) wyth euerlaſtynge damncion. For euē ſo doth he rendre vengeaūce vntounto thē. For he punyſheth theſe contēpners, when he appoynteth them vntounto euerlaſtynge fyre. For ſo we reade in Daniell alſo the xii. chapter. Many that ſlepe in ye duſte of the earth ſhall waken: ſome to eternall lyfe, and ſome to ſhame and euerlaſtynge fyre. After the ſame maner alſo dothe the iudge geue ſentence, Math. xxv: Departe fro me ye curſed chyldren into euerlaſtynge fyre, which is prepared for the deuel and hys angels: & they ſhall go into euerlaſtynge payne. And S. Ambroſe ſayth excellently wel: The wycked ſhall hauehave the paynes whiche are due vntounto them, that is, they ſhall euermore fele eternall confuſyon, and yet ſhall neuer wholy fayle, that the payne it ſelfe myghte engendre & renew them after a certayn maner wherby they may euer from tyme to tyme, be as it were conſumed. Therfore they deceaue and are deceaued, as many as do promyſe themſelues delyueraunce out of hell, and do fayne that after the day of iudgemente, wycked men alſo ſhall be forgeuen. The whych thynge men ſaye ye Orygen thought, I wote nere how truly: but it is ſure ye certayne of the Anabaptyſtes hauehave taught this openlye. But out of thys place it apeareth howe falſely and wyckedly. For the vngodly ſhall peryſhe by euerlaſtyng death. From the preſence of the LORDE, that is whē the LORDE commeth, & from the glory of hys power: that is, when he ſhall come gloriouſly, for to ſhewe hys power & ſtrength vntounto good and euell. For wyth theſe wordes (ſayeth Theophylactus) he ſheweth howe eaſy it is for God to punyſhe, nether ſhall it be harde for hym to punyſhe: becauſe that rebellious and obſtynate people ſhalbe tormented euē wyth the very ſyghte of hym. And the diuine preſence ſhall bryng vntounto ſome bryghteneſſe wyth it, and to other punyſhement & payne. For he ſhall come wyth glory and power, ſo that nother hys glorye ſhall wante power, nor yet his preſence be without glorye. For it followeth that hys cōmyng ſhall not alonly be fearfull vntounto the wycked, but gladde alſo and gloryous to ye godly. He ſhall come (ſayeth he) to be glorifyed in hys ſayntes. As though he wolde ſaye: when he ſhall come for to rendre vengeaūce vntounto the wycked, he ſhall ſhew him ſelfe gloryous vntounto the ſayntes alſo, and make theyr vyle bodyes lyke vntounto hys gloryous bodye, for ye which cauſe he ſhalbe maruaylous in al thē that beleue, who then ſhall prayſe and magnifye hys ſo great goodnes and power? And thys ſhalbe ſo (ſayeth he) becauſe that ye beleued our wytneſſe, that is our preachynge, whych I preached vntounto you, tellyng you that that ſhuld come to paſſe, whych God ſhall do in that day. Ther are which thynke that theſe wordes: becauſe that ye beleued oure teſtymony, are put in by a Parentheſis, and that to declare who be ye true beleuers, that is to ſaye, ſuch as geue credence to the Apoſtles wytneſſe. Saynt Ambroſe ſayeth that it may be expounded two wayes. For he ſhall come (ſayeth he) to punyſh the euell and glorifye the good. For he ſhall ſeme and ſhew hym ſelfe gloryous and maruelous, toward them that beleue, after the enſample and fayth of ye Apoſtles, at what tyme they ſhalbe crowned with glory, the Goſpell bearyng wytneſſe vntounto thē in the day of the LORDE. And he ſhall appeare to the vnfaythfull a ſore and heuy Iudge, at ſuchtyme as they ſhall begynne to fele the bytterneſſe of euerlaſtynge payne. For the glorye of the mayſter is a reioyce and in maner of a crowne vntounto the diſciples, and hys truthe the extreme payne and myſery of the vnbeleuers: becauſe they beleued not ye true preachers.
Vvherfore vve praye alvvayes for you, that oure God vvyll counte you vvorthy of thys callynge, and fulfyll eueryevery good purpoſe to goodnes, and the vvorke of fayth in povver, that the name of our LORD Ieſus Chriſt may be glorifyed by you and ye by hym, thorovve the grace of our God and LORDE Ieſus Chriſte.
To harde thynges he alwayes addeth prayer. For faythe it ſelfe and the reuerence that we owe vntounto God do teach vsus, that thorowe prayer we owghte to go aboute to optayne ye chefe gyftes of God. And we ſhuld praye wythoute ceaſſynge. For S. Paule ſayeth: We praye alwayes for you. And what we ſhulde praye or deſyre, it followeth: That oure God wyll counte you worthy of thys callyng. What callynge I pray you? The ſame no doubt, wherwyth he ſhall call ye bleſſed into hys kyngdome, ſayenge: Cōme ye bleſſed chyldren of my father, poſſeſſe the kyngdome that is prepared for you, from the begynnynge of the worlde. Math. xxv. Compare now thys place wyth that: Ye ſuffre, that ye myghte be counted worthy of the kyngdome of God, and ye ſhall perceaue that the fre grace of God maketh vsus worthy of the kyngdome of God. For yf oure merites make vsus worthy, what nede wer ther to praye the LORD yt he wolde coūte vsus worthy of hys callyng. That worthyneſſe therfore hangeth vponupon the fre liberalite of God. After thys we muſt praye, that God wyl fulfyll all oure good purpoſes to goodnes: That is, yt accordyng to hys goodneſſe, wherewt he loueth vsus, he wyll fortunatly perfourme that, which he hath begōne in vsus. For he that cōtinueth vntounto the ende ſhalbe ſafe. Math. xxiiii. It is not vnlike to this ye followeth: That he wyll fulfyll ye worke of fayth in power. That is: yt he wyll make oure fayth perfect thorow conſtaūcy & ſtrēgth of mynd: the which thinge once put into our myndes by God ouercōmeth all aduerſityes. Laſt of all we muſt praye, yt the name of oure Lorde, not oure name may be glorifyed through our hope, & that he may glorifye vsus in his cōmynge: that is, make vsus ſafe in ſoule & body. He addeth thorowe ye grace of oure God & Lorde Ieſus Chrſte: moniſhynge vsus, yt all theſe thynges do depēde vpō ye grace of god, & not of our own merite. Thys is alſo to be marked, yt in this place alſo, he doth in al thinges make ye ſōne equal to ye father: wherevpō it followeth, that ye vnite of God in the trinite is ryghtely defended of vsus.