[127] Διὸ ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ψεῦδος. Despite the commentators, we must hold to it that the lie, the falsehood is objective and concrete; not lying, or falsehood as a subjective act, habit, or quality,—which would have been rather ψευδολογία (comp. μωρολογία, v. 4; and 1 Tim. iv. 2, ψευδολόγων), or τὸ ψευδές. So in Rom. i. 25, τὸ ψεῦδος is “the [one great] lie” which runs through all idolatry; and in 2 Thess. ii. 11 it denotes “the lie” which Antichrist imposes on those ready to believe it,—viz., that he himself is God. Accordingly, we take the participle ἀποθέμενοι to signify not what the readers are to do, but what they had done in renouncing heathenism. The apostle requires consistency: “Since you are now of the truth, be truth-speaking men.”
[128] 2 Cor. i. 18, 19, xi. 10.
[129] See ch. i. 13, 14, and 18 (last clause).
[130] Trench: N. T. Synonyms, § xxxiv.
CHAPTER XXII.
DOCTRINE AND ETHICS.
“We are members one of another....
“Let the thief labour ... that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need....