Fragments on 2 Thessalonians

1Again, regarding the persecutions in which the Thessalonians remained, he comforts them. From his own prologue, he remembers the just and great retribution of Christ, who defends the wicked and crowns the saints.

Furthermore, because there was much inquiry concerning the second coming of Christ and when he will come, he corrects the opinions regarding this, so that they are not overtaken or led astray by foreign teachings. He also posits the manner and the sequence of the coming of Christ, which is to be again after the deception of the antichrist.

The love with righteousness is not only to love, but also to love in return. That which is said, if it is just, is not of doubt, but of exhortation and confession; for it is said in ethics, as we often say, of a day being: 'if it is a day.' He is giving vengeance to those who do not know God, instead of bringing punishment to the ungodly, with angels of his power in fiery flame. The terror of the glorious presence is presented also through these, and through which he brings punishment to the unrighteous, encouraging the faithful; for a great comfort is not only the reward for the sufferings, but also the punishment occurring against those who have done them wrong.

That our testimony was believed on that day; for the faith here prepares the reward on that day. What kind? In which Christ shall come. He exhorts them not to be disturbed unseasonably before the appearance of the Lord, whether if prophets should say to be, in whom the spirit of error is, or if words and rumors concerning the Lord should be scattered, or if having forged some letter they should bring it as ours. For unless the apostasy comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, the opponent and being lifted up above all, called god or object of reverence. Do not expect, he says, the savior before the plan which must come first, as I was saying. Above all god or object of reverence, like above all idolatry; for just as he himself established it, so also he himself will overthrow it coming, and every heresy, which opposed the word of truth, in order that also against...

2Let men be condemned because they did not themselves pull down the idols on which they were led astray, but the deceiver did. The devil established these errors from the beginning, briefly turning men away from God and opposing his own worship, so that when he comes after these things, having found them led astray and outside the help of God, they are easily led to him.

Concerning the coming error of men, the Savior himself foretold that it will be difficult to find faith on the earth when he comes. The man of sin, that is, the antichrist, will come to Jerusalem as one rebuilding the temple, and will stand in the holy place proclaiming himself as God. The adversary, being called God above all things instead of being above all idolatry, and above all reverence instead of being above all heresy, which he set against the word of truth.

Just as a hook's sheath is, so heresies are a preparation for the devil among those called Jews and Greeks. And just as when a hook is gripped and takes its own construction the sheath is released, leaving only the hard hook, so the devil placed many heresies and the paths of error as a sheath, having prepared his own worship like a hook.

Through this he shows that the idolatry which the devil established, he himself, coming, overthrows. And every heresy which he set against the word of truth, he himself, coming, dissolves, so that in this also men may have judgment, that they did not pull down the things on which they were led astray, but the one deceiving them. For these errors, which the devil established in parts, turning men from God and opposing his own worship, so that when he comes after these things, having found them prepared, and having found men led astray and outside the help of God, he may easily succeed in his desire, that is, to be worshipped by them.

3Just as a snare is a device, so the heresies—both those among the Greeks and those among the Christians—are to the devil. Just as a snare, when it tightens and captures its intended prey, causes the device to be taken away while only the hard snare remains, so the devil has set down many heresies and the paths of error in place of a device. He does this as preparing a great snare for his own worship, so that when he comes to avenge all heresies, he himself may destroy men by bringing them into his own naked worship. In imitation of the Savior, Satan comes in a complete human form.

The Holy Spirit restrains and prevents the presence of the lawless one. Therefore, he says, when this departs from the midst because of the wickedness of men, the lawless one will have much space to be revealed and to stand up with no one preventing him. He said this because the mystery of lawlessness has already taken hold, since schisms and heresies have come to be even during the apostolic ages, and from that time the devil has been practicing the unbelief of men. For the mystery is already being worked out in impiety. For the Manichaeans have already said that the devil is the god of the law, and Marcion said that it is not the Father who is Christ's, but the god of the law, and some say they revere him as greater than all. Mani says that he himself is Christ and that he himself is the Paraclete. Only that which restrains until it comes from the midst remains, and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Holy Spirit restrains and prevents the presence of the lawless one, just as he has already said. And now you know the one that restrains. He says the one restrains for the sake of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah also foretold this; for remembering the root of Jesse, he said that he will tread upon the earth by the word of...

4From his mouth, and in spirit through lips, he brings up the ungodly. He foretold that he would strike him upon the earth, and he has spoken this through the later prophets: a sun of righteousness rises for you who fear, with healing in his wings. And shortly after: behold, I will send to you Elijah the Tishbite; and he has spoken: if he does not come, I will strike the earth with drought. He will nullify all by the appearance of his presence. Our life is Christ; therefore, when Christ, our life, is revealed, he must necessarily nullify also the devil, the one who brings death. In imitation of the Savior, Satan appears as a complete man, whose presence is according to the energy of Satan with all power and signs, and the following. In imitation of the bodily epidemic of Christ, the dispensation for our sake, Satan comes and works in man, just as I have already said.

This is also what it means to bring up the ungodly in spirit through lips, as Isaiah says; for remembering the one from the root of Jesse, he has spoken: he will strike the earth by the word of his mouth, and in spirit through lips he brings up the ungodly. He foretold the striking of the earth also through the later prophets, for he has spoken: a sun of righteousness rises for you who fear me, and after a little: behold, I send to you Elijah the Tishbite; a final word he has spoken, that if he does not come, I will strike the earth with drought. And he will nullify all by the appearance of his presence. The apostle said that Christ is our life, and he has spoken: when your life is revealed. Therefore, when life is being revealed from heaven, it is impossible that the one who brings death, whose presence is according to the energy of Satan, not be nullified.

This ought to have persuaded the Apollinarians and the Arians, that the God-Logos took up a whole man. For in imitation of the righteousness and the dispensation for our sake, Satan comes and will work in man.