Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Thessalonians 2:16

"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace," — 2 Thessalonians 2:16 (ASV)

Now—It is better translated as And, connecting the prayer closely with the exhortation, just as in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. "Again," says St. Chrysostom, "prayer after advice: this is to help in earnest." The word "Himself," as in the cited passage, contrasts the almighty power of our Lord with the partial instructions and feeble help that even Apostles could give, and with the powerlessness of the Thessalonian Christians to stand firm in their own strength.

Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father—The order of mention is unusual (see, for example, 2 Corinthians 13:3). It is not intentionally meant to show the equality of the blessed Persons of the Trinity, which is shown only incidentally by the fact that the same prayer is directed to both.

In fact, the names are likely arranged to form a climax. St. Paul first speaks of the Person whose work on the heart is more immediate, and then he carefully ensures that the eternal Father does not seem any less interested in our welfare than the Son is. All early Christian devotion and doctrine are clearly opposed to the tendency to rest in the Mediator without a real, living faith in the Father who sent Him.

Who has loved us—Love for us is especially the characteristic of the Father (so much of the popular language about the Atonement is profoundly wrong). (See, for instance, John 3:16; John 17:23; 2 Corinthians 13:3; Ephesians 2:4; 1 John 4:10.) It is in thinking of this tender love of God for us that the writer immediately adds the endearing title "Our Father."

This love is mentioned here as the ground on which the writer rests his hope for the fulfillment of his prayer. It should be translated literally as "who loved us and gave"—the moment referred to is apparently the moment of providing the Atonement for our sins.

Everlasting consolation—This means "an ever-present source of comfort" from which no persecution can rob us. This giving of comfort is the proof or explanation of the statement that He "loved us," and it refers to the same act. Our unfailing comfort lies in the thought of God’s love exemplified in the Incarnation of His Son.

Good hope through grace—These words must be closely joined. God gave us not only comfort in our present trials but also a blessed prospect for the future. However, this blessed prospect belongs to us only "in grace" (the literal translation). All our hope is based on the continuation of the spiritual strength given by the Father through the Son and the Spirit. The qualifying words "in grace" are added to "hope" in the same way that the words "in sanctification" are added to "salvation" in 2 Thessalonians 2:13.