Gr. enistēmi, “to stand near,” “to be impending,” or in the form here found “to have arrived,” “to have set in.” Enestōs is translated “present” in Gal. 1:4. Paul had emphasized in his first epistle, as had Lord in His teachings, that Christians should be living in a state of preparedness for the Lord‘s return (Matt. 24:42, 44; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:23). They are to watch and be ready, but they are never to be so imbued with a sense of the second advent‘s immediacy as to be in a state of unreasonable agitation.

 Textual evidence favors (cf. p. 10) the reading “the day of the Lord.” For comment on “the day of the Lord” see on Acts 2:20.

That is, a written communication.

That is, oral teaching.

 Here doubtless signifying the Spirit of prophecy (cf. on 1 Cor. 7:40; 12:10).

Gr. throeō, “to cry aloud,” “to frighten,” hence, “to trouble.” Here the word refers to a state of agitation or nervous excitement. The thought that the coming of the Lord was imminent had been keeping the Thessalonians in a state of continuous alarm.

 The Thessalonians were not to be driven from their anchorage of settled conviction, and “carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). Christians must be intellectually steadfast.

 This phrase may be understood as applying to all three types of communication, in which case all had allegedly come from Paul. Many interpreters consider that Paul is here referring to some communication forged in his name. It is possible that Paul had forged writings in mind, especially in the light of the precaution that he took to sign the letter with his own hand (see on ch. 3:17). Others believe that if such were the case, he would probably have dealt more forcefully with the question. They suggest that it is more likely that some actual utterance of Paul in teaching, or in formal address, or in the writing of his first epistle was being misconstrued (see on 1 Thess. 4:15, 17; 2 Thess. 2:1; cf. AA 264).