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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12

In these words the apostle confutes the error against which he had cautioned them, and gives the reasons why they should not expect the coming of Christ as just at hand. There were several events previous to the second coming of Christ; in particular, he tells them there would be, I. A general apostasy, there would come a falling away first, 2 Thess. 2:3. By this apostasy we are not to understand a defection in the state, or from civil government, but in spiritual or religious matters, from... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

2:1-12 Brothers, in regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and in regard to our being gathered to him, we ask you not to be readily shaken in your mind and not to get into a state of nervous excitement because of any statement purporting to come from us either in the Spirit or by word of mouth or by a letter and alleging that the Day of the Lord is here. Let no one deceive you in any way. The Day of the Lord will not come unless there comes first The Rebellion against God, and unless... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:6

And now ye know what withholdeth ,.... Or hinders the revelation of the man of sin, or antichrist; by which is meant not the Apostle Paul, though he by his ministry was a very great hinderance of the growth of error, and the spread of evil practices in the churches, and so of the more open appearance of the man of sin in his forerunners; and after his departure from Ephesus, and imprisonment at Rome, and suffering death, there was a great falling off in the churches, and among professors of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Thessalonians 2:6

And now ye know what withholdeth - I told you this among other things; I informed you what it was that prevented this man of sin, this son of perdition, from revealing himself fully. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Thessalonians 2:6

Verse 6 6. And now what withholdeth Τὸ κατέχον means here properly an impediment or occasion of delay. Chrysostom, who thinks that this can only be understood as referring to the Spirit, or to the Roman Empire, prefers to lean to the latter opinion. He assigns a plausible reason — because Paul would not have spoken of the Spirit in enigmatical terms, (655) but in speaking of the Roman Empire wished to avoid exciting unpleasant feeling. He states also the reason why the state of the Roman... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

I. ERROR REGARDING THE COMING OF CHRIST . "Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by Epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is now present; let no man beguile you in any wise." The apostle beseeches the Thessalonians as brethren, in the interest of correct views of the coming of our Lord... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

When that restraining influence was removed, the man of sin would be revealed, accompanied with powers and signs and wonders of falsehood, and would succeed in deceiving those who were destitute of the love of the truth. Then would the Lord Jesus Christ come and destroy him by the breath of his mouth and the appearance of his presence. The apostle thanks God that the Thessalonians, on the contrary, were chosen to salvation and to a participation of the glory of the Lord; he exhorts them to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

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 2:6

And now. The particle "now" has been variously interpreted. Some connect it with the restraining influence: "And ye know what now withholdeth;" but if so, there would have been a different arrangement of the words in the original Others consider it as a mere particle of transition: "Now, to pass over to another subject;" but there is no transition, the apostle continues his description of the man of sin. It is rather to be considered as a particle of time: "Now ye know, because you have been... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Thessalonians 2:6

And now ye know what withholdeth - Margin, “holdeth.” The reference is, to something that then operated to constrain or hold back the obvious tendency of things, so that the “man of sin” should not at once appear, or so that things should not soon so develop themselves as to give rise to this anti-Christian power. There were causes at work even then, which would ultimately lead to this; but there was also something which checked the tendency of things, so that the revelation or development of... read more

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