For more on 2 Thess. 2, see commentaries on 2 Thessalonians in New Testament Commentaries, Whole New Testament Commentaries and Whole Bible Commentaries.
Also see our page: Antichrist.
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Order of Contents
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Historicism: Roman Apostasy
Amillennial, Futurist
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Where to Start?
Silversides, David – The Antichrist: a Biblical & Confessional View Ref Buy (James Begg Society, 2002) 20 pp. Review
This is the best short introduction to the question of who the Antichrist is. Silversides exegetes 2 Thess. 2, 1 John 2:18, and other passages. He also defends why this doctrine is an important part of the 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith.
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Historicism: of the Roman Apostasy & the Papal Line Recommended, the view of the Westminster Confession, 1646
1500’s
Calvin, John – Commentary on 2 Thess. 2:3-10 (†1564) 14 pp.
Carlile, Christopher – An Interpretation of 2 Thess. 2 which describes the Antichrist, I mean the Pope in A Discourse wherein is Plainly Proved by the Order of Time & Place that Peter was Never at Rome… (1572), pp. 45-49
Carlile (ca. 1530-1588) was an Anglican clergyman, a student of Immanuel Tremellius and was a Hebrew scholar.
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1600’s
Du Moulin, Pierre – The 2nd Prophecy contained in 2 Thess. 2:3-11 ToC in The Accomplishment of the Prophecies… (Oxford: Barnes, 1613), pp. 73-190
Du Moulin (1568-1658)
Squire, John – A Plain Exposition on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13, Proving the Pope to be Antichrist, being [28] Lectures (London: Waterhouse, 1630) 768 pp. ToC
** “Squire works out the point of the Pope’s being Antichrist with very great cogency of reasoning. The exposition of the Epistle is lost in the point aimed at: but that point is of the utmost importance.” – Spurgeon
Guild, William – On 2 Thess. 2:3-9, Antichrist… the Popes of Rome Proven to be that Man of Sin… (1655) see chs. 3, 7, 9-11 & 16-18
Guild was a Scottish covenanter.
Hall (1619-1687) was a reformed Anglican.
Manton, Thomas – 18 Sermons on 2 Thess. 2 (d. 1677) 180 pp.
*** “Here Manton smites heavily at Popery. Richard Baxter wrote a commendatory preface to this valuable exposition.” – Spurgeon
Wilkinson, Henry – The Pope of Rome is Antichrist on 2 Thess. 2:3-10 in Puritan Sermons, 6:1-25
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Free Church of Scotland
Burns, William C. – Words of Warning on 2 Thess. 2:1-17 (1844) Also in Revival Sermons, pp. 144-54
Burns was a Free Church of Scotland minister and evangelist. He interprets the chapter of Rome.
Cunningham, William – The Apostacy of the Church of Rome & the identity of the Papal Power with the Man of Sin & Son of Perdition of St. Paul’s Prophecy in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, proved from the testimony of Scripture & History (1818)
This Cunningham (c.1775–1849) was not the Free Church of Scotland professor, but a congregationalist minister and writer on Biblical prophecy. He was a historic premillennial.
Fairbairn, Patrick – ‘The Antichrist as Represented by our Lord & his Apostles’, pp. 354-64 in Prophecy, viewed in Respect to its Distinctive Nature, Special Function & Proper Interpretation (NY: Carlton, 1866)
Fairbairn was a minister and professor in the Free Church of Scotland who makes a very sensible and strong argument that the developing antichristian spirit finds its primary, manifested rise in the papal, false-Christian system.
*** – “A standard work by one who is at home with the subject.” – Spurgeon
Hislop, Alexander – The Light of Prophecy let in on the Dark Places of the Papacy, being an Exposition of 2 Thess. 2:3-12, showing its exact fulfillment in the Church of Rome (Edinburgh: Whyte, 1846) 206 pp. ToC
Hislop was a minister in the Free Church of Scotland.
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Amillennial, Futurist
Eadie, John – Essay on the Man of Sin, 2 Thess. 2:3-10 in A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians (London: Macmillan, 1877), pp. 329-370
Eadie was a renowned minister, professor and scholar in the United Secession Church of Scotland, which merged to become the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. He gives a very good survey and critique of interpretations of the fulfillment of this chapter. He critiques numerous preterist positions (many of which held the Antichrist to be Nero, Titus or Claudius) on pp. 333-335. He gives a good survey of the majority, historic reformed view on p. 340 ff. but prefers to take the Antichrist as a future, atheistic individual.
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