Ii. The Second Issue: The “When” Of The Day Of The Lord (2:1-17)
II. THE SECOND ISSUE: THE “WHEN” OF THE DAY OF THE LORD (2:1-17)
Following his thanksgiving, which evolved into an expression of reassurance for the suffering believers in Thessalonica, Paul launches immediately into the first of the two presenting issues that have called forth this letter. In this case both the language and the way the concern is expressed indicate that some matters addressed in the first letter have gone awry. This first passage is at once the most crucial and the most problematic in the letter. It is the most crucial because Paul now articulates for his and their sakes his understanding of what has been recently reported to him about the situation in Thessalonica; thus it serves as the primary occasion for the letter. Indeed, the other concerns — their unjust suffering (ch. 1) and the continuing difficulty with the unruly-idle (ch. 3) — are best understood as related to this one. Whatever was circulating among them about “the day of the Lord” (see 1 Thess 5:1-11) had resulted in some of them being shaken regarding their present sufferings and had allowed others to continue to take a dim view toward “working with their own hands.”
The present argument itself is relatively straightforward, with easily identifiable parts. Our difficulties in understanding are the result of two further matters. First, Paul himself is not sure of the source of their misinformation, and especially as to how it could have been laid at his feet in some way. Second, his response is full of reminders of matters about which he had previously informed them while among them. These two realities together account for the major part of our challenges in understanding. To put that another way, when two parties are in conversation about something fairly well known to both of them, the eavesdropping outsider is left with a rather large amount of guesswork as to what is going on.807 When this observation is applied to the present passage, what we are especially in the dark about is how much of this takes the form of reminders and how much is new information, in the sense that former information is being configured in a new way. The net result is that the reader/interpreter has an especially high information deficit at this point,808 and must do the best he or she can to make sense of it all, affirming what seems to be certain and showing due caution elsewhere.
At the same time this passage is also the most problematic in the letter because, crucial as it is, what it finally means is far from certain. The difficulty is twofold: (1) What has been communicated to them? What did it mean for them to have been told that (somehow) “the day of the Lord had (already) come”? (2) How has this been communicated to them, and how was that communication related to Paul? For the purposes of this commentary the first matter need not detain us, since to discover what they had come to believe, although it would be helpful, is not ultimately essential to our overall understanding. Nonetheless, since it is crucial to the whole letter but especially to how verse 2 is to be understood, we begin with a summary of conclusions.
First, it seems nearly impossible not to see this as related to some kind of misunderstanding of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, with its repeated mention of the day of the Lord (vv. 2, 4) and subsequent play on the themes of “day” and “night.”
Second, in all probability the content of the misunderstanding has to do with someone’s teaching that the day of the Lord is already present, or, perhaps more likely in light of the emphases in chapter 1, that it had already begun in some way. This alone seems to make sense of the argument that follows, in which Paul insists that, just as he had previously taught them, particular observable events must transpire before that day comes. The Day809 not only will be preceded by certain events, but also the events surrounding it will simply be too visible for any of them to miss it when it does come.
Third, such erroneous teaching that the Day has in some way already come helps to explain the emphases in chapters 1 and 3. In light of what Paul had said in the earlier letter, the increase — and unjust nature — of their sufferings gives them considerable reason for anxiety, if the Day has already appeared. This also accounts for Paul’s assurance in chapter 1 both of their own (future) vindication and of the just judgment of their adversaries. But the same reality would also support the reasoning of the unruly-idle. Since the day of the Lord has already arrived, and since they apparently took a dim view of work in any case,810 why should they bother with work at all?
In any case, the interpreter must do the best one can, and have the integrity to note when one is guessing, or in some cases to present a variety of viable options. The one place where a degree of certainty can be had is in the attempt to describe the flow of the argument, even if many of the details remain uncertain. In this case, the passage itself can be set forth as to its various parts simply by describing Paul’s own sentences.
The issue is presented in our verses 1-2; it has to do with the day of the Lord. But exactly what has gone wrong is less certain. Apparently some(one?) have/has declared in an authoritative way that the Day has already come (begun?), which has given rise to considerable consternation within the community. Paul’s response is in three (relatively clear) parts. In verses 3-4 he reminds them why the Day cannot have come yet — because certain events about which he had previously advised them will precede that day. In verses 5-7 he goes on to outline for them what is currently holding back the Day; and since this is for them repeated information, much of this material remains as something of a mystery to later readers. In verses 8-12, he reiterates for them what will happen when the Day actually does come. Since the issue has been raised in a way that has caused some to be “shaken,” Paul concludes in verses 13-17 with a thanksgiving, an exhortation, and prayer, all of which have their steadfastness in view. Thus, whether intentionally so or not, the concern addressed in 2:1-12 is framed by thanksgiving and prayer (1:3-10/11-12 and 2:13-14/16-17).