Read 2 Thessalonians 2
The Man of Lawlessness
2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends thema powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Stand Firm
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called youto this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourageyour hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Go Deeper
In the second chapter of this letter, we get to read about how Paul addresses the people of Thessalonica believing the misinformation being spread about Jesus’ second coming. It seems like he had to do this because people were teaching them that Paul said Christ had already come. Second Thessalonians 2:2 says“…by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.”
This is a big deal because if Jesus came back and the Thessalonians weren’t justified, then their faith wasn’t what they thought it was. They were facing persecution each and every day for what they believed and were counting on Jesus to come back and save them. Paul gently reassures them that they will know when Jesus comes and reminds them of two things that will have to happen before he does: the rebellion will occur and the man of lawlessness will be revealed.
But isn’t it interesting that they so easily forgot what Paul had already said in his first letter about the second coming? Let examine Paul and the Thessalonians and see what we can learn from them. First, Paul has to be so patient with the people he is discipling from afar. He already told them in his first letter (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11) about what it will be like when Jesus comes back. What a good reminder as we disciple younger Christians (or our own children) that things we say (or what the Bible says) can be so easily forgotten or watered down as time goes on. Always be ready to gently and confidently correct a misunderstanding.
Second, the Thessalonians were quick to forget what Paul said and believe false teaching. This could be because as they heard the false teaching, they didn’t go back to his letter to check what was said. We would never be that silly…right? Wrong. How easily do we give into anxious thoughts about what will happen in the future and if we’ll be alright and look at God’s word to remind ourselves what He says about the future (Matthew 6:34, James 4:13-15, Proverbs 16: 9, etc).
Whatever we struggle with or whatever lie we are believing, we can be reassured by God’s Word. There is truth to combat every lie from the enemy that can so easily trap us. If you are drowning in the enemy’s lies and don’t know what is true about you or the Lord’s character, call a trusted Christian friend and ask them to remind you!
Questions
- What lies from Satan, the prince of this world, are sending you into a tizzy lately?
- Take some time to search the scriptures and look for the truth to counter those lies. What does His word say? (Pro tip: you can always Google “What does God’s word say about anxious thoughts, insecurity, finances, lust, who I should marry, what His will is, etc.”)
- What emotions are stirred up in you when you think about Christ’s return? Do you get nervous? Excited? Confused? Write down how you feel about it. If you’re excited, write down what you’re excited about!
Keep Digging
Check out this GotQuestions article titled “Is it possible to know when Jesus is coming back?”
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3 thoughts on “2 Thessalonians 2”
We all struggle with doubts and misconceptions from time to time; however, we have holy scripture to guide us into all truth. We are reminded in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” It is the ultimate measuring stick we can bring every lie from Satan to discern truth. God has graciously revealed his heart and preserved his word so that we may know his ways. Accompanied by the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are guided into all truth. This is the “eternal encouragement and good hope” that will strengthen our weary hearts when questions and doubts assail us.
Paul is telling us and them in this chapter to be ready, stand firm in your faith, and stick to the Word of God. The evil one has been at work for a long time. He has ramped up his trickery, I believe, BUT GOD has given us tools to know and fight our fight. Be ready but dont dwell on him(the evil one). Stand firm on the Word of God and His instructions for abiding, walking, thinking, showing, loving, giving, understanding. It is all about God, His son Jesus Christ and our Holy Spirit within. We are to fulfill our purpose by doing His will. Yes, we get weary but that is when we need to sink our heads(heart) into God’s Word, put on some armour, discuss with life group peoples, listen to Godly music, tune into a Godly podcast, or read a Godly book (I highly suggest John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way. It is soo soo good!!!). “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” -2 Thessalonians 2:16,17
God thank You for Holy Spirit that can guide me. Thank You for listening ears for Your voice in the midst of this chaotic world. That my ears are for You and You only in guiding me. God thank You for Your Word that is sharper than any 2 edged sword, and all the armour I can put on to fight and protect myself. Thank You God for eternal encouragement and good hope, that encourages my heart and strengthens me in every good deed and word as Your Word says. God give me eyes to see others today through Your love goggles, ears to hear Your voice through Holy Spirit, wisdom to know it is You, and a voice to magnify You in all I say and do in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!
Be ready for anything that threatens our faith. Scripture is our armor, and we must always be ready to tell others the good news. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction. Pray for discernment. Don’t lose hope.