John Chrysostom, On 2 Thessalonians

for him to be present, and all these things are destroyed; he will stop the decep 62.487 tion by just appearing. Then, revealing who this is, Whose coming is according to the working of Satan; In all power, he says, and signs and wonders of falsehood. That is, he will display all power, but nothing true, but all things for deception. He said these things beforehand, so that those who are then alive might not be deceived. And wonders, he says, of falsehood; either feigned, or leading to falsehood. And in all deceit of unrighteousness in those who are perishing. Why then, he says, did God permit this to happen, and what is this dispensation? What is the gain of his coming, who comes for our ruin? Do not be afraid, beloved, but hear him saying: He has power among those who are perishing, who, even if he had not come, would not have been persuaded. What then is the gain, he says? That these very ones who are perishing will be silenced. How? Because even if he had not come, they would not have believed in Christ; he comes therefore to convict them. So that they might not be about to say, "Because Christ called himself God"—although he nowhere said this openly, but because those after him proclaimed it—"we did not believe;" "because we heard that there is one God from whom are all things, for this reason we did not believe;" the Antichrist will therefore take away this excuse of theirs. For when he comes, commanding nothing sound, but everything lawless, and is believed because of false signs alone, he will shut their mouths. For if you do not believe in Christ, much more should you not have believed in the Antichrist. For the former said that he was sent from the Father, but this one the opposite. For this reason Christ said, "I have come in my Father's name, and you have not received me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him." But we saw signs, he says. But in Christ's case also there were many and great ones. Therefore, you should have much rather believed him. And yet concerning this one many things were foretold, that he is the lawless one, that he is the son of perdition, that his coming is according to the working of Satan; but concerning the other, the opposite things, that he is the Savior, that he brings countless good things. Because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved, for this reason God will send them a strong delusion, so that they may believe the lie; that they may all be judged who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2. That they may be judged. He did not say, That they may be punished; for even without this they were going to be punished, but, That they may be judged, that is, be condemned at the fearful tribunal, so that they may be without excuse. Who are these? He himself explained by adding, Those who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. He calls Christ the love of the truth; for because, he says, they did not receive the love of the truth; for he was both, and for both he came, both loving men and for the sake of true things. But had pleasure, he says, in unrighteousness; for he came for the ruin of men, and to do them wrong. For what will he not do then? He will move all things, he will disturb all things, both on account of commandments and of fear. He will be terrible from every side, from his authority, from his cruelty, from his lawless commands. But do not be afraid; among those who are perishing, he says, he will have his power. For Elijah will also come then, securing the faithful. And Christ says this, "Elijah comes and will restore all things." For this reason it was said concerning John, In 62.488 the power and spirit of Elijah. For he neither worked signs, as Elijah did, nor wonders; For John, he says, did no sign; but all that John said about this one was true. How then, In the power and spirit of Elijah? That is, he will undertake the same ministry. Just as this one was the forerunner of the first coming, so also that one will be the forerunner of his second and glorious coming, and for this he is kept. Let us not therefore be afraid; he has shaken

παρεῖναι αὐτὸν, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἀπόλωλε· στήσει τὴν ἀπά 62.487 την καὶ φανεὶς μόνον. Εἶτα δηλῶν τίς ἐστιν οὗτος, Οὗ ἡ παρουσία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ Σατανᾶ· Ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει, φησὶ, καὶ σημείοις καὶ τέρασι ψεύδους. Τουτέστι, πᾶσαν ἐπιδείξεται δύναμιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀληθὲς ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀπάτην τὰ πάντα. Ταῦτα προεῖπεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπατηθῶσιν οἱ τότε. Καὶ τέρασι, φησὶ, ψεύδους· ἤτοι διεψευσμένοις, ἢ εἰς ψεῦδος ἄγουσι. Καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἀπάτῃ τῆς ἀδικίας ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις. Τί οὖν συνεχώρησε, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτο γενέσθαι, καὶ ποία αὕτη οἰκονομία; τί δὲ τὸ κέρδος τῆς ἐκείνου παρουσίας ἐπὶ λύμῃ ἡμῶν παραγενομένου; Μὴ φοβηθῇς, ἀγαπητὲ, ἀλλ' ἄκουε λέγοντος αὐτοῦ· Ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἰσχύει, οἳ, εἰ καὶ μὴ παρεγένετο ἐκεῖνος, οὐκ ἂν ἐπείσθησαν. Τί οὖν τὸ κέρδος, φησίν; Ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὗτοι οἱ ἀπολλύμενοι ἐπιστομισθήσονται. Πῶς; Ὅτι εἰ καὶ μὴ ἦλθεν ἐκεῖνος, οὐκ ἂν ἐπίστευσαν τῷ Χριστῷ· ἔρχεται οὖν ἐλέγξων αὐτούς. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ μέλλωσι λέγειν, ὅτι Ἐπειδὴ Θεὸν ἔλεγεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ Χριστὸς, καίτοι γε οὐδαμοῦ εἶπε φανερῶς, πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκήρυξαν, οὐκ ἐπιστεύσαμεν· ἐπειδὴ ἠκούσαμεν ὅτι εἷς Θεὸς ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα, διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπιστεύσαμεν· ταύτην οὖν αὐτῶν τὴν πρόφασιν ὁ Ἀντίχριστος ἀναιρήσει. Ὅταν γὰρ ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐπιτάττων ὑγιὲς, ἀλλὰ πάντα παράνομα, ἀπὸ σημείων μόνων ψευδῶν πιστεύηται, ἀποῤῥάψει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῖς. Εἰ γὰρ τῷ Χριστῷ οὐ πιστεύεις, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὐκ ἐχρῆν τῷ Ἀντιχρίστῳ πιστεῦσαι· ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγε παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς πεπέμφθαι, οὗτος δὲ τοὐναντίον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστὸς, Ἐγὼ ἦλθον ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἐδέξασθέ με· ἐὰν ἄλλος ἔλθῃ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἰδίῳ, ἐκεῖνον λήψεσθε. Ἀλλὰ σημεῖα εἴδομεν, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέγονε πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα. Οὐκοῦν πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτῷ πιστεῦσαι ἐχρῆν. Καίτοι περὶ μὲν τούτου πολλὰ προεῤῥήθη, ὅτι ὁ ἄνομος, ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας, ὅτι παρουσία αὐτοῦ κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ Σατανᾶ· περὶ δὲ ἐκείνου τὰ ἐναντία, ὅτι Σωτὴρ, ὅτι μυρία ἀγαθὰ κομίζει. Ἀνθ' ὧν γὰρ τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἐδέξαντο εἰς τὸ σωθῆναι αὐτοὺς, διὰ τοῦτο πέμψει αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς ἐνέργειαν πλάνης, εἰς τὸ πιστεῦσαι αὐτοὺς τῷ ψεύδει· ἵνα κριθῶσι πάντες οἱ μὴ πιστεύσαντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἀλλ' εὐδοκήσαντες ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ. βʹ. Ἵνα κριθῶσιν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἵνα κολασθῶσι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ χωρὶς τούτου ἔμελλον κολάζεσθαι, ἀλλ', Ἵνα κριθῶσι, τουτέστι, κατακριθῶσιν ἐπὶ τοῦ δικαστηρίου τοῦ φοβεροῦ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους. Τίνες δέ εἰσιν οὗτοι; Αὐτὸς ἡρμήνευσεν ἐπάγων, Οἱ μὴ πιστεύσαντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἀλλ' εὐδοκήσαντες ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ. Ἀγάπην δὲ ἀληθείας τὸν Χριστὸν καλεῖ· ἀνθ' ὧν γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἐδέξαντο· ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἦν, καὶ δι' ἀμφότερα παρεγένετο, καὶ ἀγαπῶν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀληθῶν πραγμάτων. Ἀλλ' εὐδοκήσαντες, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ· ἐπὶ γὰρ λύμῃ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἦλθε, καὶ ἀδικήσων αὐτούς. Τί γὰρ οὐκ ἐργάσεται τότε; πάντα κινήσει, πάντα ταράξει, καὶ ἐπιταγμάτων ἕνεκεν καὶ φόβου. Φοβερὸς ἔσται πάντοθεν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας, ἀπὸ τῆς ὠμότητος, ἀπὸ τῶν παρανόμων ἐπιταγμάτων. Ἀλλὰ μὴ δείσῃς· ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, φησὶν, ἕξει τὴν ἰσχύν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἠλίας ἥξει τότε τοὺς πιστοὺς ἀσφαλιζόμενος. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Χριστός φησιν, Ἠλίας ἔρχεται καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει πάντα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἴρηται περὶ Ἰωάννου τὸ, Ἐν 62.488 δυνάμει καὶ πνεύματι Ἡλίου. Οὔτε γὰρ σημεῖα εἰργάσατο, καθάπερ Ἠλίας, οὔτε θαύματα· Ἰωάννης μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, σημεῖον ἐποίησεν οὐδέν· πάντα δὲ, ὅσα εἶπεν Ἰωάννης περὶ τούτου, ἀληθῆ ἦν. Πῶς οὖν Ἐν δυνάμει καὶ πνεύματι Ἠλίου; Τουτέστι, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀναλήψεται διακονίαν. Καθάπερ οὗτος πρόδρομος τῆς προτέρας παρουσίας, οὕτω κἀκεῖνος πρόδρομος τῆς δευτέρας καὶ ἐνδόξου αὐτοῦ παρουσίας, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο φυλάττεται. Μὴ τοίνυν δείσωμεν· κατέσεισε