2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

The apostle's main design in this Epistle is to correct a most disquieting error that had arisen upon this point. I. THE PANIC IN THE THESSALONIAN CHURCH . 1 . It was concerning the date of the second coming of Christ. "Touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto him." The facts of this august event had been prophetically described in the First Epistle. 2 . The misapprehension caused a sort of panic. "That ye be not soon shaken in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:3

Let no man deceive you by any means; in any way, not only in any of the foregoing methods, "by spirit, or word, or letter," but in any way whatever. For ( that day shall not come ) . The bracketed words are not in the original, but are correctly supplied for the completion of the sense. Except there come a falling away; or, the apostasy; namely, that apostasy about which the apostle, when in Thessalonica, had instructed his readers. The falling away here alluded to is evidently... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:4

Who opposeth; or, the opposer, taken substantively. The object of opposition is not so much believers, as Christ; he is antichrist, the opponent of Christ. And yet antichrist is not Satan, the great adversary ( 1 Peter 5:8 ; Revelation 12:10 ), for he is expressly distinguished from him ( 2 Thessalonians 2:9 ), but the instrument of Satan. As Satan entered into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of perdition, so does he take possession of the man of sin. And exalteth himself... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Thessalonians 2:3

Let no man deceive you by any means - That is, respecting the coming of the Lord Jesus. This implies that there were then attempts to deceive, and that it was of great importance for Christians to be on their guard. The result has shown that there is almost no subject on which caution is more proper, and on which men are more liable to delusion. The means then resorted to for deception appear from the previous verse to have been either an appeal to a pretended verbal message from the apostle,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Thessalonians 2:4

Who opposeth - That is, he is distinguished as an opposer of the great system which God has revealed for human salvation, and of those who would serve God in purity in the gospel of his Son. No Protestant will doubt that this has been the character of the papacy. The opposition of the general system to the gospel; the persecution of Wycliffe, of John Huss, of Jerome of Prague, of the Waldenses and the Reformers; the Inquisition, the cruelties in the reign of Mary (Queen of Scots), and the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Let no man deceive you by any means By any of these ways fore-mentioned, or any other; for that day shall not come, unless a falling away, η αποστασια , the apostacy, come first The article here is emphatical, denoting both that this was to be a great apostacy, the apostacy, by way of eminence, (the general, grand departure of the whole visible church into idolatrous worship,) and that the Thessalonians had been already apprized of its coming. Although the... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The day of the Lord (2:1-12)Some of the Thessalonians thought that the final day of the Lord had already come. Paul states firmly that they did not get such an idea from any prophecy, preaching or letter of his (2:1-2). That day will not come until there is open and widespread rebellion against God, led by one known as the man of lawlessness (RSV; NIV) or the wicked one (GNB). This person will recognize no authority, Christian or otherwise, apart from his own, and will put himself in the place... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Thessalonians 2:3

no man = not ( App-105 ) any one ( App-123 ) deceive . Greek. exaptao . See Romans 7:11 . by any means . Literally according to ( App-104 ) no (Greek. medeis) way. A double negative for emphasis. for = because. except = if ( App-118 ) . . . not ( App-105 ). a = the. falling away = apostasy. Greek. apostasia . Only here and Acts 21:21 . that = the. man . App-123 . sin . App-128 . Some texts read III. 4, as 2 Thessalonians 2:7 . be revealed . App-106 . son . App-108 . perdition .... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Thessalonians 2:4

opposeth . Greek. antikeimai. Genitive translation be an adversary to. exalteth himself . Greek. huperairomai. See 2 Corinthians 12:7 . God . App-98 . worshipped = an object of worship. Greek. sebasma. See Acts 17:23 . as God . The texts omit. Temple . Greek. naos . See Matthew 23:16 . shewing . Greek. apodeiknumi. See Acts 2:22 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 2 Thessalonians 2:3

let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,There is no hint here regarding the length of the time interval between the time Paul wrote and the actual coming of Christ in the Second Advent. In the light of intervening events, we now know that centuries and millenniums of time were to elapse before the final judgment; but as regards the actual date, we are no better off than were they. The event... read more