Ambrosiaster : What is more just than for those who oppress the righteous in this world and make them suffer persecution, to suffer the same things in the future that they do: while they themselves rest with the other saints, who, coming out of great tribulation, will receive the eternal kingdom in the coming of the Lord from heaven; when he begins to come with his heavenly army and with fire to give vengeance to the pagans, who do not know that God the Father is Jesus Christ; and to the Jews, who, though claiming to know God, do not believe in the Gospel of Christ, which the Father God gave to them, in order to hand it down to his servants? — Commentary on 2 Thessalonians Andreas of Caesarea : by a flame of fire The fire is either a visible fire as happened to the two commanders of fifty men in the presence of Elijah (2 Kings 1:9-11) or the coming of Christ in glory will destroy them by the breath of his mouth (Isaiah 11:4), and the aforementioned nations, also devouring their general, the devil, and He (Christ) will deliver the devil to the lake of fire together with the Antichrist and the false prophet to be tortured forever and ever. Caesarius of Arles : by a flame of fire This refers to what was said about those assembled at Armageddon. Haimo of Auxerre : who are not obedient to the Gospel It also refers to the heretics and the false Christians John Chrysostom : "In flaming fire rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus." If they that have not obeyed the Gospel suffer vengeance, what will not they suffer who besides their disobedience also afflict you? And see his intelligence; he says not here those who afflict you, but those "who obey not." So that although not on your account, yet on His own it is necessary to punish them. This then is said in order to full assurance, that it is altogether necessary for them to be punished: but what was said before, was said that they also might be honored, because they suffer these things on your account. The one causes them to believe concerning the punishment; the other to be pleased, because for the sake of what has been done to them they suffer these things. — Homily on 2 Thessalonians 2 Tertullian : For as the apostle declares that the Lord will come "to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel, who," he says, "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" -it follows that, as He comes to inflict punishment, He must require "the flaming fire. — Against Marcion Book V Tertullian : Thus on this consideration too we must, notwithstanding Marcion's opposition, conclude that Christ belongs to a God who kindles the flames (of vengeance), and therefore to the Creator, inasmuch as He takes vengeance on such as know not the Lord, that is, on the heathen. For he has mentioned separately "those who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," whether they be sinners among Christians or among Jews. Now, to inflict punishment on the heathen, who very likely have never heard of the Gospel, is not the function of that God who is naturally unknown, and who is revealed nowhere else than in the Gospel, and therefore cannot be known by all men. — Against Marcion Book V Tertullian : To Him, therefore, does it appertain to punish such as know not God, for none ought to be ignorant of Him. In the (apostle's) phrase, "From the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power," he uses the words of Isaiah who for the express reason makes the self-same Lord "arise to shake terribly the earth. — Against Marcion Book V Thietland of Einsiedeln : by a flame of fire Perhaps it is about that which is read in the Apocalypse of John, "and fire came down from heaven and consumed them." (Revelation 20;9) who are not obedient to the Gospel And this even refers to evil Catholics who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord though they say they believe, but they do not live according to what they believe.