Homilies on Second Thessalonians 3

'Who shall suffer punishment, even everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that have believed.'

There are many among men who base their good hopes not on abstaining from sins, but on supposing that hell is not so severe as is said, but milder than has been threatened, and temporary, not eternal; and they philosophise much about this.

For my part, then, I can prove from many quarters not only that it is not milder than has been threatened, but that it is even far more severe; and this I can infer from the very words about hell.

Nevertheless, I raise no discussion about these matters now;

for the fear that arises even from the bare words suffices, even if we do not unfold their meaning.

But that it is not temporary, hear Paul now saying, concerning those who do not know God nor believe in the Gospel, that they shall suffer punishment, even everlasting destruction.

How, then, is the everlasting temporary? 'From the presence of the Lord,' he says.

What is this? What easy thing does he mean here? For since they were then greatly puffed up, being rich, there is no need, he says, of much toil, but it suffices only that God should appear and be seen, and all are cast into punishment and torment.

His coming will be, for some, light, but for others, torment.

'And from the glory of His power,' he says, 'when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at in all them that have believed.'

What do you say? Is God glorified? Yes, he says, 'In all His saints.'

How so? For when those who puff themselves up mightily behold those whom they scourged, whom they despised, whom they mocked, now standing near to Him, this becomes His glory.

Or rather, this is the glory both of them and of Him:

of Him, because He did not forsake them, but showed them forth resplendent;

and of them, because they were counted worthy of so great an honor.

For just as it is His riches that there should be believers, so also it is His glory that there should be those who are destined to enjoy His good things.

It is the glory of the Good One to have those to whom He may impart His beneficence.

'And to be marveled at,' he says, 'in all them that have believed.'

That is, through those who have believed.

Behold, once again the word 'in' stands for 'through.'

For it is through those persons that He is shown to be marvelous.

For when He brings those who are pitiable and wretched, who have suffered countless dreadful things and yet have believed, into so great a splendor, then His power is displayed—that even though here they seem to have been forsaken, yet there they enjoy abundant glory.

Then most of all is displayed all the glory of God, and His power.

For he adds, 'Because our testimony among you was believed in that day.'

'To which end we also pray always for you.'

That is, when those who suffered countless dreadful things, so as to be shaken from the faith, are brought into the midst, and yet, not having yielded but having remained faithful, God is glorified;

then also is displayed the glory of these men.

Since, then, many feign the faith, count no one blessed before his end;

for indeed in that day those who have truly believed are made manifest.

'To which end,' he says, 'we also pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of the calling,'

'and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power.'

'That He may count you worthy,' he says, 'of the calling'—showing that many were also cast out.

For this reason he added, 'And fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness.'

Since he too who was clothed in the filthy garments had been called, but did not remain in his calling;

and for this very reason he became all the more cast out from the calling into the bridal chamber.

Since the five virgins also were called;

'Arise,' it says, 'the bridegroom comes';

and they made themselves ready, yet they did not enter in.

Making clear, therefore, what kind of calling he means, he added:

'And fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power.'

'It is this calling that we seek,' he says.

See how gently he calms them down.

For lest by the excess of praises they should grow slack, as though they had achieved great things, and become careless, he shows that something is still lacking to them, so long as they are in this present life;

which he said also when writing to the Hebrews:

'You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.'

'Unto all,' he says, 'good pleasure';

that is, satisfaction, full persuasion, full assurance;

as if he were saying, that the persuasion of God might come to pass, that nothing might be lacking to you, that you might be just as He wills.

'And the work of faith,' he says, 'with power.'

What is this? The endurance of persecutions, that we may not grow faint, he says.

'That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ.'

He spoke there of glory, and he speaks of it here too;

he said that they themselves are glorified, so as even to boast;

he said what was far greater, that they glorify God also;

he said that they shall receive that glory;

for when the Master is glorified, the servants also are glorified.

For those who glorify the Master are much more glorified themselves, both by this very thing and apart from it.

For the affliction that is for Christ's sake is glory, and everywhere he calls the matter glory;

and the more dishonorable the thing we suffer, so much the more do we become resplendent.

Then again, showing that this very thing also is of God, he says, 'According to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ';

that is, God Himself has given us this grace, that He may be glorified in us, and may glorify us in Him.

How is He glorified in us? Because we prefer nothing to Him.

How are we glorified in Him? Because we have received power from Him, so as not even to yield to the dreadful things brought upon us.

For at one and the same time, when a trial befalls, both God is glorified and we too;

for they glorify Him, because He has thus given us strength;

and they marvel at us, because we have made ourselves worthy.

But all these things come about from the grace of God.

'Now we beseech you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him, that you be not soon shaken from your mind.'

When the resurrection shall be, he has not said;

but that it will not be now, this he has said.

'And our gathering together,' he says, 'unto Him.'

Do you see how the exhortation again is joined with praise and encouragement, in that the Lord and all the saints are altogether shown to be with us? Here he discourses concerning the coming of Christ, and concerning our gathering together;

he lifts up their minds;

'that you be not soon shaken,' he says.

'Neither be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as though from us, as that the day of the Lord is at hand.'

Here he seems to me to be hinting that certain persons were going about, having forged as it were a letter from Paul, and displaying it, saying that the day of the Lord was at hand, so that from this they might lead many astray.

So then, that they might not be deceived, Paul secures them by the things he writes, saying:

'Be not troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word.'

Even if someone having a spirit of prophecy should say this, do not believe it.

For when I was with you, I told you these things.

You must be persuaded away from that which you were taught.

He thus calls the false prophets those who spoke by an unclean spirit the very things which they spoke.

For these men, wishing rather to be believed, did not attempt to deceive by plausible speech alone;

for he indicates this when he says, 'Neither by word';

but they even produced a forged letter, as though from Paul, declaring this very same thing.

For this reason, indicating this also, he added, 'Neither by letter, as from us.'

Having therefore secured them on every side, he thus sets forth his own judgment, and says:

Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits in the temple of God as God, proclaiming himself that he is God.

Here he discourses concerning the Antichrist, and reveals great mysteries.

What is 'the falling away'? He calls the Antichrist himself 'the falling away,' as one who is about to destroy many and lead them to fall away.

So that, he says, if it were possible, even the elect would be led astray.

And he calls him 'the man of sin';

for he will work countless evils, and will prepare others to work terrible deeds.

And he calls him 'the son of perdition' because he himself is also destined to perish.

But who is this? Is it perhaps Satan? By no means;

but a certain man who receives the whole of his working.

'And there be revealed the man,' he says, 'who exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped.'

For that one will not lead men into idolatry, but will be a kind of anti-god, and will abolish all the gods, and will command men to worship him instead of God, and will be seated in the temple of God—not only that in Jerusalem, but also in the churches everywhere.

'Proclaiming himself,' he says, 'to be God.'

He did not say 'claiming,' but 'attempting to demonstrate';

for indeed he will work great works, and will display marvellous signs.

Do you not remember that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? (3)

Do you see that it is necessary continually to say the same things, and to pour them out in the same words? For behold, they heard him saying these things even when he was present, and yet again they needed to be reminded.

For just as, when they had heard about the afflictions—'For even when we were with you,' he says, 'we told you beforehand that we were about to suffer affliction'—

nevertheless they forgot, and again he strengthens them by his letters;

so also, having heard about the coming of Christ, again they needed letters to set them in order.

At any rate he reminds them, and shows that he says nothing strange, but the very things which he always said.

For just as in the case of husbandmen the seeds are indeed cast in once, but do not remain forever, but need much further tending—and unless they turn up the earth and cover over what has been sown, they have sown for the birds that pick up seed;

so also we, unless by continual remembrance we cover over the things that have been sown, we have cast them all into the air.

For indeed the devil snatches it away, and our own slothfulness destroys it, and the sun scorches it, and the rain floods it, and the thorns choke it.

So that it is not enough merely to have cast it in once and to be rid of the task, but he who is going to gather in the fruits needs much diligence and constant attention—driving off the birds, cutting out the thorns, filling the stony places with much earth, hindering and walling off and doing away with every harm.

But in the case of the earth the whole work belongs to the husbandman;

for it lies there without soul, being ready only to be acted upon;

but in the case of this spiritual soil it is by no means so;

the whole does not belong to the teachers, but, if not the greater part, at least the half belongs also to the disciples.

It is ours, then, to cast in the seed, but yours to do the things that are said, to display the fruits in your memory through your works, to pluck up the thorns by the roots.

For riches are truly a thorn, having no fruit, unsightly to behold, and unpleasant to make use of;

grieving those who touch it, not only itself having no fruit, but even hindering that which grows.

Such is wealth;

not only does it itself bear no eternal fruit, but it also holds back and hinders those who desire to bear such fruit.

Thorns are the food of irrational beasts, of camels;

they are the food and fuel of fire, useful for nothing.

Such also is wealth, useful for nothing except to heat a furnace, to kindle that day which burns like an oven, to nourish the irrational passions—rancour and wrath.

For such also is the camel that eats the thorns.

For it is said by those who know such matters that there is no animal so resentful and ill-tempered and remembering of injuries as the camel.

It nourishes the irrational passions of the soul, but pricks and wounds the rational ones, just as in the case of the thorns.

This plant is something hard and rough, and springs up of its own accord.

Let us see also where it grows, that we may cut it out;

in precipitous places of the fields, in stony places, in dry places, where there is no moisture.

So then, when someone is rough and precipitous—that is, unmerciful—the thorn grows up in him.

But when the husbandmen's children wish to cut them out, they do not do it with iron, but how? By applying fire, thus they draw out all the wickedness of the earth.

For since it does not suffice to cut it from above while the root remains below, nor even to pull out the root—for from the wickedness there remains something in the earth, and just as when some plague has fallen upon a body its traces still remain—the fire, drawing up from above all that moisture of the thorns like some poison, draws it out through its heat from the depths of the earth.

For just as the cupping-glass, when applied, draws all the evil humour to itself;

so also the fire draws up all the wickedness that comes from the thorns, and makes the earth clean.

For what purpose, then, have I said these things? Because we must cleanse away on every side our sympathy toward wealth.

There is a fire with us also, drawing this wickedness out of the soul—I mean the fire of the Spirit;

if we apply this, we shall be able to dry up not only the thorns, but also the moisture that comes from them;

for if they have become deeply rooted, all is done in vain.

Has a rich man entered here, or a wealthy woman? She takes no thought how she may hear the oracles of God, but how she may display herself, how she may sit with pomp, how with much glory, how she may surpass all the others in the costliness of her garments, and make herself more dignified in her posture and glance and gait; and her whole thought and care is: Did such-and-such a woman see me? Did she marvel? Am I well adorned? And she takes thought not for this only, but also that her garments may not rot, that they may not wear out, and her whole care is about this.

Likewise the wealthy man also enters to display himself to the poor man, and to strike fear through the array of his garments, through having many servants;

and they stand by, driving people off.

But he, out of great haughtiness, does not even deign to do this, but so regards the task as unworthy of a free man that, although exceedingly puffed up, he does not stoop to do it himself, but entrusts it to the slaves who attend him;

for to do this is truly the mark of slaves and of insolent characters.

Then, as soon as he is seated, straightway the cares of his household come rushing in, dragging him about in every direction; the haughtiness that possesses his soul flows all around him;

he thinks he is bestowing a favour even upon us, and upon the people, and perhaps even upon God, that he has entered into the house of God.

But he who is so inflamed, how shall he ever be able to be healed? (4)

Tell me now, if someone came to a physician's surgery, and did not ask a favour of the physician, but thought he was bestowing a favour upon him, and, neglecting to ask for a medicine for his wound, busied himself about his garments, would such a one go away having received any good? I think not.

But the cause of all these things, if you wish, I will tell:

they think, when they enter, that they are coming in to us.

They imagine that they are hearing from us the very things they hear.

They give no heed, nor do they consider that they are entering into the presence of God, and that it is He Himself who is speaking to them.

For when the reader rises and says, 'Thus saith the Lord,' and the deacon standing by enjoins silence upon all, he says this not to do honour to the reader, but to Him who through him speaks to all.

If they knew that it was God who spoke these things through the prophet, they would cast away all their pride.

For if, when rulers address them, they do not endure to be attentive to anything outside, how much more when God speaks!

We are ministers, beloved;

we do not speak our own words, but the things of God;

letters that come every day from heaven are read aloud.

Tell me, I pray, if while we were all here present someone came in wearing a golden girdle, and holding himself erect and swaggering said that he had been sent by the earthly king, and was bringing a letter to the whole city concerning matters of urgency, would you not all have gathered together? Would you not, even without the deacon exhorting you, have kept deep silence? I certainly think so;

for indeed I have heard the letters of kings read aloud in this place.

Then, if someone comes from a king, you all give heed;

but when one comes from God, and the prophet speaks forth out of the heavens, is there no one who gives heed? Or do you not believe that these things which are spoken come from God? These are letters sent from God.

Let us therefore enter into the churches with fitting reverence, and let us listen with fear to the things that are spoken.

'Why should I come in,' he says, 'if I do not hear someone preaching?' This is what has ruined and corrupted everything.

For what need is there of a preacher? This need has arisen from our own sloth.

For why is there need of preaching? All things in the divine Scriptures are clear and straight; all that is necessary is plain.

But because you are hearers seeking pleasure, for this reason you seek these things also.

Tell me, with what pomp of speech did Paul speak? And yet he turned the whole world about.

And with what did Peter, the unlettered man, speak? 'But,' he says, 'I do not understand the things laid down in the divine Scriptures.'

Why do you not understand? Is it perhaps in Hebrew? Or in Latin? Or is it spoken in some foreign tongue? Is it not spoken in Greek? 'But obscurely,' he says.

What is obscure, tell me? Are they not narratives? For you understand the clear things, that you may ask about the obscure ones.

There are countless narratives in the Scriptures;

tell me one of them.

'Every day,' he says, 'one hears the same things.'

But what of it, tell me? In the theatres do you not hear the same things? In the horse-races do you not see the same things? Are not all affairs the same? Does not the sun always rise the same? Do we not use the same foods? I would like to inquire of you: since you say you hear the same things every day, tell me, of what prophet is the passage that was read, and of what apostle, or of what epistle? But you would not be able to say; rather, you seem to be hearing strange things.

So then, whenever you wish to be slothful, you say they are the same things;

but whenever you are questioned, you are as one who has never heard them.

If they are the same, you ought to have known them; but you are ignorant of them.

The present state of things is worthy of lamentation, of lamentation and mourning, that the silversmith beats his silver in vain.

For this very reason you ought especially to have given heed, that they are the same, that we impose no toil upon you, and that we speak nothing strange or novel.

What then? Since you say those things are the same, but our own are not the same—that we always speak strange things—do you give heed to these? By no means;

but if we say, 'Why do you not retain even these?' 'We hear them but once,' he says, 'and how is it possible to retain them?' And if we say,

'Why do you not give heed to those things?' you say, 'The same things are always being said.' And on every side your words are but excuses of sloth and pretence.

But these things will not go on forever; there will be a time when we shall lament in vain and to no purpose;

but may it be granted that, having repented here, and giving heed with understanding and reverence to the things that are spoken, we may press on toward the accomplishment of good works, and with all

diligence direct our own lives aright, that we may be able to attain the good things promised to those who love Him, by the grace and lovingkindness—and what follows.