Fragments on 2 Thessalonians
Fragmenta in epistulam ii ad Thessalonicenses
Severianus on 2 Thessalonians§1
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 a flame of fire. 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 perdition, 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...
Greek · §1
Fragmenta in epistulam ii ad Thessalonicenses (in catenis) 2 Thess: Prolog Πάλιν ἐπὶ τοῖς διωγμοῖς οἷς ὑπέμενον οἱ Θεσσαλονικεῖς παραμυθεῖται αὐτούς, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ προοιμίου μνημονεύσας τῆς δικαίας καὶ μεγάλης ἀνταποδόσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀμυνομένης, τοὺς δὲ ἁγίους στεφανούσης. εἶτα ἐπειδὴ πολλὴ ζήτησις ἦν περὶ τῆς δευτέρας τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας τὸ πότε ἐλεύσεται, καὶ περὶ τούτου διορθοῦται τὰς ὑπολήψεις, ὥστε μὴ προλαμβάνεσθαι ἢ παραφέρεσθαι ταῖς ξέναις διδασκαλίαις. ὑποτίθεται καὶ τὸν τρόπον καὶ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῆς παρουσίας Χριστοῦ τῆς πάλιν ἐσομένης μετὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου πλάνην. 2 Thess 1,3 Ἡ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης ἀγάπη τὸ μὴ μόνον ἀγαπᾶν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνταγαπᾶσθαι. 2 Thess 1,6®8 Οὐκ ἀμφιβολίας ἐστὶ τὸ εἴπερ δίκαιον, ἀλλ' ἐπιτάσεως καὶ ὁμολογίας· καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἤθει εἴρηται, ὡς πολλάκις φαμέν, ἡμέρας οὔσης· «εἴπερ ἡμέρα ἔστιν». ∆ιδόντος ἐκδίκησιν τοῖς μὴ εἰδόσι τὸν θεόν, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπάγοντος τιμωρίαν τοῖς ἀσεβοῦσιν. Μετ' ἀγγέλων δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ ἐν φλογὶ πυρός. τὸ φοβερὸν τῆς ἐνδόξου παρουσίας παρίστησι καὶ διὰ τούτων, καὶ δι' ὧν ἐπάγει τοὺς ἠδικημένους παραθαρρύνων· μεγάλη γὰρ παραμυθία οὐ μόνον ὁ μισθὸς ὁ ὑπὲρ τῶν παθῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ κατὰ τῶν ἠδικηκότων αὐτοὺς γενομένη τιμωρία. 2 Thess 1,10 Ὅτι ἐπιστεύθη τὸ μαρτύριον ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ· ἡ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα πίστις προευτρεπίζει τὸν μισθὸν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. ποίᾳ; ἐν ᾗ ἥξει ὁ Χριστός. 2 Thess 2,1®4 Παραινεῖ αὐτοὺς μὴ θορυβεῖσθαι ἀκαίρως πρὸ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ κυρίου, μήτε εἰ προφῆται λέγοιεν εἶναι ἐν οἷς πνεῦμα πλάνης ἐστίν, μήτε εἰ λόγοι καὶ φῆμαι περὶ τοῦ κυρίου κατασπείροιντο, μήτε εἰ ἐπιστολήν τινες πλασάμενοι κομίζοιεν ὡς ἡμετέραν. ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀποστασία πρῶτον καὶ ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας, ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ 333 ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα. μὴ προσδοκᾶτε, φησί, τὸν σωτῆρα πρὸ τοῦ πλάνου ὃν δεῖ πρότερον ἐλθεῖν, καθὼς ἔφην. ὑπὲρ πάντα θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα ὑπεραιρόμενον, οἷον ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν εἰδωλολατρείαν· ὥσπερ γὰρ αὐτὸς αὐτὴν συνεστήσατο, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνατρέψει αὐτὴν ἐλθών, καὶ πᾶσαν αἵρεσιν, ἣν ἀντέθηκε τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἵνα καὶ κατὰ
The Deception of Idolatry and Heresy§2
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.
Greek · §2
τοῦτο κατακριθῶσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ὅτι τὰ εἴδωλα ἐφ' οἷς ἐπλανήθησαν, οὐκ αὐτοὶ καθεῖλον, ἀλλ' ὁ πλανήσας. τὰς δὲ πλάνας ταύτας ἐξ ἀρχῆς συνεστήσατο ὁ διάβολος, ἀφιστῶν τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ βραχὺ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἠρέμα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσκύνησιν ἀντεισάγων, ἵνα ὅταν μετὰ ταῦτα ἔλθῃ, πεπλανημένους αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκτὸς ὄντας τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ βοηθείας, εὐχερῶς ὑπαγάγηται ἑαυτῷ. περὶ δὲ τῆς ἐσομένης πλάνης τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ σωτὴρ προεῖπεν ὅτι δυσχερὲς ἐλθόντα αὐτὸν εὑρεῖν τὴν πίστιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τοῦτ' ἔστι ὁ ἀντίχριστος· ἥξει γὰρ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ὡς ἀνοικοδομήσων τὸν ναόν, καὶ στήσεται ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ τόπῳ θεὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀναγορεύων. ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ὑπὲρ πάντα μὲν λεγόμενον θεόν, ἀντὶ τοῦ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν εἰδωλολατρείαν· ὑπὲρ δὲ πᾶν σέβασμα, ἀντὶ τοῦ πᾶσαν 334 αἵρεσιν ἣν ἀντέθηκε τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας. ὥσπερ ὑποσκευὴ ἁψῖδος, οὕτως αἱ αἱρέσεις παρὰ τοῖς λεγομένοις καὶ Ἰουδαίοις καὶ Ἕλλησι προπαρασκευή εἰσι τῷ διαβόλῳ. καὶ ὥσπερ ἁψῖδος σφιγχθείσης καὶ λαβούσης τὴν οἰκείαν κατασκευὴν ἡ ὑποσκευὴ λύεται, καὶ μένει μόνη ἡ ἁψὶς στερεά, οὕτως ὁ διάβολος τὰς αἱρέσεις τὰς πολλὰς καὶ τὰς τῆς πλάνης ὁδοὺς ἀντὶ ὑποσκευῆς ὑπέθηκεν ὥσπερ ἁψῖδά τινα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσκύνησιν ἐπισκευάσας. 333, col 2 ∆ιὰ τούτου δείκνυσιν ὅτι τὴν εἰδωλολατρίαν ἣν ὁ διάβολος συνεστήσατο, αὐτὸς ἐλθὼν ἀνατρέπει. καὶ πᾶσαν αἵρεσιν ἣν ἀντέθηκεν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, αὐτὸς ἐλθὼν παραλύει, ἵνα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὸ κρίμα ἔχωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ὅτι τὰ ἐφ' οἷς ἐπλανήθησαν οὐκ αὐτοὶ καθεῖλον, ἀλλ' ὁ πλανῶν αὐτούς. ταύτας γὰρ τὰς πλάνας ἃς κατὰ μέρος συνερτήσατο ὁ διάβολος ἀφιστῶν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡρέμα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσκύνησιν ἀντεισάγων, ἵν' ὅταν μετὰ ταῦτα ἔλθῃ, προητοιμασμένα εὑρηκώς, καὶ πεπλανημένους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἐκτὸς ὄντας τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς βοηθείας, εὐχερῶς ἑαυτῷ δόξῃ κατορθοῦν τὸ σπουδαζόμενον, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ προσκυνηθῆναι αὐτὸν παρὰ
Heresies as a Snare for the Devil§3
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...
Greek · §3
πάντων ἀνθρώπων. 334, col 2 ὡς γὰρ ὑποσκευὴ ἁψῖδος, οὕτως αἱ αἱρέσεις αἵ τε παρ' Ἕλλησι καὶ αἱ παρὰ τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς τῷ διαβόλῳ. ὥσπερ δὲ ἁψῖδος σφιγγείσης καὶ λαβούσης τὴν οἰκείαν κατασκευὴν ἡ ὑποσκευὴ αἴρεται, μένει δὲ μόνη ἡ ἁψῖς στερρά, οὕτως ὁ διάβολος τὰς αἱρέσεις τὰς πολλὰς καὶ τὰς τῆς πλάνης ὁδοὺς ἀντὶ ὑποσκευῆς ὑπέθηκεν, ὥσπερ ἁψῖδα μεγίστην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσκύνησιν προκατασκευάζων, ἵν' ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐκδικῶν πάσας τὰς αἱρέσεις, καὶ αὐτὸς καταργῇ γυμνὴν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ προσκύνησιν εἰσάγων ἀνθρώπους. 2 Thess 2,4 Κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ὁλοκλήρῳ. 2 Thess 2,6®8a Κατέχει καὶ κωλύει τοῦ ἀνόμου τὴν παρουσίαν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. ἐπειδὰν οὖν, φησί, τοῦτο διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων κακίαν ἐκ μέσου γένηται καὶ ἀποστῇ, τὸ τηνικαῦτα χώραν ἕξει ὁ ἄνομος ἀποκαλυφθῆναι καὶ ἐπαναστῆναι μηδενὸς κωλύοντος. ἔφη δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ ἀρχὴν ἤδη εἴληφε τὸ μυστήριον τῆς ἀνομίας, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους τοὺς ἀποστολικοὺς καὶ σχίσματα καὶ αἱρέσεις γεγόνασιν, καὶ ἔκτοτε τὴν ἀπιστίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ διάβολος διεπράττετο. τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀσεβείας. καὶ γὰρ Μανιχαῖοι ἤδη εἶπον τὸν διάβολον θεὸν εἶναι τοῦ νόμου, καὶ Μαρκίων εἶπεν οὐ τὸν πατέρα εἶναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν θεὸν τοῦ νόμου καὶ τὸν πάντων μείζονα λέγουσί τινες 335 σέβειν. λέγει δὲ καὶ Χριστὸν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι ὁ Μάνης, καὶ τὸν παράκλητον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι. μόνον τὸ κατέχον ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται, καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος. καὶ κατέχει καὶ κωλύει τοῦ ἀνόμου τὴν παρουσίαν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὡς καὶ ἤδη εἶπεν. καὶ νῦν τὸ κατέχον οἴδατε. 334, col 2. Τὸ κατέχον φησὶ τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χάριν. 335 2 Thess 2,8b®9 Τοῦτο καὶ Ἡσαΐας προλαβὼν εἶπεν· μνημονεύσας γὰρ τοῦ ἐκ ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ ἐπήγαγεν· καὶ πατάξει τὴν γῆν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ
The Victory of Christ over the Devil§4
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 comes in 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.
Greek · §4
στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ τὸν ἀσεβῆ. τὸ δὲ πατάξειν αὐτὸν τὴν γῆν προεῖπε καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὑστέρου τῶν προφητῶν εἰρηκώς· ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φοβουμένοις ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἴασις ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτοῦ. καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· ἰδοὺ ἀποστελῶ ὑμῖν Ἡλίαν τὸν Θεσβίτην, καὶ ἐπήγαγε· μὴ ἐλθὼν πατάξω τὴν γῆν ἄρδην. Καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ. ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός· ὅταν οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καταργεῖ καὶ τὸν τοῦ θανάτου πρόξενον τὸν διάβολον. κατὰ μίμησιν δὲ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ὁλοκλήρῳ, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρου336 σία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ σατανᾶ πάσῃ δυνάμει, σημείοις καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. κατὰ μίμησιν τῆς σωματικῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ· Χριστοῦ, τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομίας ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς, καὶ ἐνεργεῖ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ, καθὼς καὶ ἤδη εἶπον. 335,col2 Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ καὶ πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ, ὅπερ Ἡσαΐας φησίν· μνημονεύσας γὰρ τοῦ ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ ἐπήγαγεν· καὶ πατάξει τὴν γῆν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ. τὸ δὲ πατάσσειν τὴν γῆν προεῖπεν καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὑστέρου τῶν προφητῶν· εἰρηκὼς γάρ· ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φοβουμένοις με ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω ὑμῖν Ἡλίαν τὸν Θεσβίτην, τελευταῖον ἐπήγαγεν λόγον τὸ μὴ ἐλθὼν πατάξω τὴν γῆν ἄρδην. Καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ. Ζωὴν ἡμῶν εἶπε τὸν Χριστὸν ὁ ἀπόστολος, καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· ὅταν ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν φανερωθῇ. ζωῆς οὖν οὐρανόθεν φανερουμένης ἀδύνατον μὴ καταργηθῆναι τὸν τοῦ θανάτου πρόξενον, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρουσία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ σατανᾶ. 336,ξολ2 τοῦτο ὤφειλεν πεῖσαι τοὺς Ἀπολιναρίδας καὶ τοὺς Ἀριανούς, ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ἀνέλαβεν ὁ θεὸς λόγος. κατὰ γὰρ μίμησιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομίας ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς καὶ ἐνεργήσει ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ.