εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς μηδὲ θροεῖσθαι μήτε διὰ πνεύματος μήτε διὰ λόγου μήτε δι’ ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δι’ ἡμῶν, ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Infinitive Purpose Clause: εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς
– εἰς τὸ: Preposition εἰς followed by an articular infinitive construction, indicating purpose—”in order that.”
– μὴ: Negative particle used with the infinitive—”not.”
– ταχέως: Adverb—”quickly,” “hastily.”
– σαλευθῆναι: Aorist passive infinitive of σαλεύω, “to be shaken,” “to be disturbed.”
– Passive voice suggests an external cause of destabilization.
– ὑμᾶς: Accusative plural 2nd person pronoun—”you.”
– Translation: “that you not be quickly shaken…”
Prepositional Phrase: ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς
– ἀπὸ: Preposition with genitive—”from.”
– τοῦ νοὸς: Genitive singular of νοῦς, “mind” or “understanding.”
– Indicates separation: “shaken from your mind” or “mental composure.”
Coordinated Infinitive Clause: μηδὲ θροεῖσθαι
– μηδὲ: Coordinating negative particle—”nor.”
– θροεῖσθαι: Present passive infinitive of θροέω, “to be troubled,” “to be alarmed.”
– Passive indicates inward agitation from outward claims or fears.
– Continues the purpose clause: “nor be alarmed.”
Instrumental Clauses: μήτε διὰ πνεύματος μήτε διὰ λόγου μήτε δι’ ἐπιστολῆς
– μήτε … μήτε … μήτε: Triple negation coordinating construction—”neither… nor… nor.”
– διὰ: Preposition with genitive, expressing means or agency.
– πνεύματος: Genitive singular of πνεῦμα, “spirit.”
– Possibly a false prophecy or ecstatic utterance.
– λόγου: Genitive singular of λόγος, “word,” “message,” or “report.”
– ἐπιστολῆς: Genitive singular of ἐπιστολή, “letter.”
– All three represent possible sources of confusion or misinformation.
Clarification of Agency: ὡς δι’ ἡμῶν
– ὡς: Comparative particle—”as if,” or “supposedly.”
– δι’ ἡμῶν: Preposition διά + genitive plural pronoun—”through us.”
– Suggests forged apostolic authority or misattributed teaching.
– Translation: “as though through us.”
Causal Assertion: ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ
– ὡς ὅτι: Double expression of alleged assertion—”as that,” or “as though… that.”
– Used to introduce the false claim that follows.
– ἐνέστηκεν: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular of ἐνίστημι, “to be present,” “to have arrived.”
– Perfect tense denotes present state resulting from a past action.
– ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ: Nominative subject phrase.
– Refers to the eschatological “day of Christ,” likely the Parousia.
– Translation: “as though the day of Christ has arrived.”
Apostolic Correction of Eschatological Panic
This verse forms the heart of Paul’s correction of eschatological anxiety. The Greek articular infinitive construction εἰς τὸ μὴ… outlines the entire purpose: to stabilize the Thessalonian believers both intellectually and emotionally. The passive infinitives σαλευθῆναι and θροεῖσθαι depict believers as vulnerable to external disturbance, while the triple negation (μήτε … μήτε … μήτε) names the exact channels through which doctrinal disorientation is arriving—spirit, spoken word, or forged letter.
Paul is especially concerned that such misinformation may appear to be apostolically authorized (ὡς δι’ ἡμῶν). The alleged claim (ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ) misrepresents Christian eschatology. The perfect verb ἐνέστηκεν makes the claim more dangerous—it implies the day is already present and believers have missed something or are living in the wrong stage of redemptive history.
Paul’s precise Greek counters this confusion not with vague reassurance, but through structured syntax, layered negation, and careful causal logic. The grammatical tension between panic and peace, deception and doctrine, is resolved in the clarity of apostolic truth.
