Chapter Introduction
The Thessalonians had received a letter bearing Paul’s name. This letter was a forgery. It said that the Thessalonian Christians were living in the tribulation period and that the Day of the Lord was at hand. There they stood, with a letter from Paul in one hand along with the knowledge of what Paul previously taught them face to face, and on the other hand, this other letter they also thought was from Paul. What Paul taught and said fit nicely together, but this other letter didn't jibe. Yet, many believed it. You can speculate why they believed this, but no matter what you come up with, the underlying truth is that sometimes we are easily fooled. And we should take note of that.
Those who believed this odd source were soon shaken. They had the truth and held it but were quick to let go of it the first time it was challenged. Mankind, in general, is bad about this. Some people hop around all the time from house to house, job to job, marriage to marriage, church to church, and so on, always looking for that greener pasture. And every time they make a change, it is the greatest, as if they finally found perfection and everyone else should join them. Then, a short time later, they're ready to move on.
Paul is trying to keep the Thessalonians from jumping ship. They received the gospel message, and it changed them. There was no other truth, no other choices; there was only deception, distractions, and deviations, all designed to draw them away from the truth.
In the first chapter, we saw that Paul followed up on the first letter and news from Thessalonica by writing this second letter. The forged letter and the teachers who agreed with it and taught those bad teachings caused three problems that Paul is dealing with in this letter. Those problems are discouragement, deception, and disobedience.
Paul attempts to get rid of the doctrinal problem that brought deception in an effort to rid them of their discouragement. As we begin Chapter 2, we'll see Paul continue to make his case about these end times and events so they might give up the notion that they had missed the rapture and were in the tribulation period.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2
Paul turned his attention to the misunderstanding that caused the discouragement, deception, and disobedience in the first place, that is, the misunderstanding about the end times events. He had warned them in his first letter (1 Thess 5:1-11) not to worry about the timing but to worry about living right. However, some began to fret over the timing, believing they had missed His coming.
This is interesting because there are many different beliefs about the end times. There are many passionate beliefs about the Rapture. Then, there are different beliefs about the Second Coming. Most Christians believe Jesus comes at the end of tribulation, but others believe He comes after the millennium. Some believe He already came, that all the end times' events happened in A.D 70, and that what we see is what we get. They think this is it. This is the kingdom of God. (Isn't that sad and hopeless?)
We don't look at these end times beliefs as a test of faith. The Bible tells us all we need to know, but it doesn't tell us enough to be dogmatic about these things. I believe God did that purposefully so we would have to trust Him. If we had all the details, sinful men would abuse them, living like the devil til the last minute.
Besides the end-times prophecies, I believe these events are patterned throughout the Bible. Further study and maturity in the word will bring a deeper understanding, which will lead you to the truth. Yet, many men of God who've studied the Bible their entire lives still can't agree on these end-times events. What do you do with that? How is it that many men of God understand it differently?
We don't all have to agree with every detail. What we need to know is that there is one truth. We should never believe something that is clearly opposite of what the Bible says. Believing an untruth about the end times can lead to further problems. That's why the Thessalonians suffered the effects of discouragement, deception, and disobedience.
Paul felt it was important for the Thessalonians to get this right, even though they'd only been Christians for a very short time. There seems to be a responsibility to understand this, delve into it, and watch for it.
In Matthew 25, Jesus gave the parable of the wise and foolish virgins:
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
There is a responsibility to be diligent, prepared, and watchful. Yet, at the same time, it requires faith. In the case of the Thessalonians, just having the basic outline of the events would restore their hope. They would realize nothing had happened yet. This basic knowledge would keep them strong in their faith.
Verse 1 deals with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him. This is Jesus coming in the air and our gathering together to Him. This is the rapture, Jesus, the bridegroom, coming for His bride, the church. Paul had already written to them regarding this in his first letter. Here's what he said in the first letter.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)
This is the rapture of the church. The Thessalonians had been led astray into thinking they were living in the seven-year tribulation period. You can imagine the effect this had on them when they were living in this persecution and suffering. This had to have shaken them. It would shake anyone. Knowledge of being in the tribulation may very well be a fact that brings some people to repentance when those days actually happen. However, there was no reason for the Thessalonians to feel discouraged and lose hope.
Paul exhorted them, saying, don't be soon shaken in mind or troubled. To be shaken in mind was to be knocked off the foundation of your beliefs. Our faith forms our thinking, and our thinking is the framework of how we live our lives daily. Our thinking and faith determine how we act in any situation. The word “shaken” would have been used to describe an earthquake. Or it might have been used to describe a ship whose anchor has pulled free. The word “troubled” described the ongoing effects of operating without a foundation or mooring. To be shaken in mind or troubled was living in confusion because some untruth had messed up the structure or framework of your beliefs.
Paul said you can't let that happen:
- by spirit
- By spirit was the spirit of anti-Christ that was already in the world. This is the spirit that constantly challenges our Christianity. It's the spirit that says, "Where's your god now?" or "Where's your God while you suffer?" It's that spirit that is constantly trying to draw us away from Christ.
- by word
- The second way was by word. These were men, false teachers that spread destruction in the ungodly beliefs. These men weren't easily identified either. They were very religious. They sounded godly. They appeared very sincere. They may even hold bibles and stand in pulpits. Regardless, every teacher should be held against the word of God.
- by letter.
- And the final way was by letter, the written word. Isn't the timing of this forged letter curious? It came on the heels of sound teaching, to shake it, to keep it from taking root.
These were the three ways that the destruction or shaking of their faith would come. The church had to be discerning concerning the doctrine and beliefs that came from these sources. For us, Paul might add the Internet, TV, phones, texting, Twitter, and Facebook; the possibilities seem endless. Many of these things seem to be easily accessible to Satan for his use.
Paul said you can't be shaken when the spirit, word, or letter comes before you, as if from us. The Thessalonians didn't know a good source from a bad source yet. They assumed a letter that said it was from a reputable source was reputable. They assumed that teachers who said they loved Jesus had the right Jesus. They assumed there was no bad spirit among them. Christians today continue to make this same mistake.
Daily, false teachers pump out false teachings on the internet, radio, and TV. Our "Christian" bookstores are full of bad teachings. The “spirit” of the world is full of good intention that promotes a truth that makes us feel good about ourselves instead of the truth. Undiscerning Christians are exposed to these things and accept them as if from a legitimate and godly source. Sometimes, these teachings will mess up sound and biblical thinking without you realizing it. We have an advantage the Thessalonians didn't have in that we have the complete bible as our standard by which to measure all else. But very few people use the standard. Instead, they rely on what feels right to them.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Deception might come from any means. We are called to guard against it. Regardless of any deception, we are exposed to; God has forecast an order of events for the end times. The tribulation and the Day of the Lord had not passed. They didn't need to be alarmed by prophecies and predictions from false teachers. In the same way, we shouldn't be concerned with Mayan calendars, horoscopes, Nostradamus, or anyone else.
Remember Harold Camping? He made several predictions of the end of the world. Each day he predicted came and went without incident. He's already proven himself to be a false prophet by making false predictions, but probably more importantly, by making predictions at all. The Bible clearly states no one knows the hour or day. Yet thousands follow him. If he lived in the Old Testament, they would have stoned him the first time his prophecy didn't come about.
Harold Camping is one among many who have done this across the ages.
Paul’s point was that if they were in the tribulation, they would know it because there would be signs. If you missed the rapture, you would have seen:
- A great falling away.
This seems to be a very specific event. It's not 'a' falling away but “the” falling away. It's not a general falling away, like fewer people attending church this year than last. This is like a mass exodus from the faith or a great rebellion. It's a change of allegiance or abandonment of a formerly held position. The term falling away is a negative term closely associated with sin. You hear this referred to as “The Great Apostasy.”
There are a few explanations for this kind of mass apostasy. I believe persecution of the church will purify it. When the label “Christian” causes pain in our lives, the pretenders will part. The national or cultural Christian will run.
- The man of sin, son of perdition
Notably, this falling away is only separated from the “man of sin” in verse 3 by a comma. These two things go together in that they will happen before the Day of the Lord. The man of sin is the embodiment of sin. He is sin personified. In Revelation, John calls him the beast. We know he is the anti-Christ. When he is revealed, people will follow him.
Now, it wasn't that long ago we would have thought that wasn't possible; people would recognize this man because they knew God's word. But the world today, in general, is not concerned about sin and is getting further and further from God. So, when this man steps on the scene and has answers to fix the economy, fix Mother Earth, and make people feel good about themselves again, people will line up behind him. This unveiling of this man to the world wasn't always possible; the world used to be a very large place because of slow travel, language barriers, and slow or limited forms of communication. Now, it's a small world; all these obstacles are overcome, and a single world leader is very possible.
How can the entire world be fooled into following this man? There is much evidence in every election that people aren't interested in tough leadership or making tough decisions to lead our country. They want someone to hold our hand and make us feel better. They want to make sure no one takes anything away from us. This man will look like the one to solve the problems of mankind. He is the one who will bring peace and safety and unite the world. Mankind will embrace him.
The man of sin is the son of perdition. Perdition means destruction. He is the son of Satan himself. He will come to power, and it will be an ultimate power. There will be no room for other thoughts or ideas. All else will be crushed. He will exalt himself as God and demand to be worshiped as god. He will sit in the holy place in the temple as if he were a god. This is the abomination of desolation written about in Daniel 9, and Jesus referred to Daniel 9 when he spoke of this (Matthew 24):
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
- The anti-christ exalts himself
When the anti-Christ demands to be worshiped in the holy place, things will be getting real serious, real fast. That's when the great tribulation gets serious. Those who come to Christ during the tribulation period will endure these things. Jesus said when they see that, it's time to flee. But those things have not happened yet. That's why Paul offers these things as proof to the Thessalonians that they weren't in the tribulation. They had seen none of this.
It's interesting that Jesus said, "When you see these things." In those days, only a few would see it if it happened. But today, there might be a “holy of holies” webcam. We can watch live news and internet feeds all over the world. Everyone could watch a news conference from the temple when this man says that he is the answer to their prayers. He will claim to be the savior and hope of the world and that the whole world should worship him.
The man of sin will be in the world for many years before he is revealed as he grows up, goes to school, and begins his career. Think about that. He may already be alive.” Maybe he is getting ready to be revealed.
2 Thessalonians 2:5-12
Paul reaffirmed what he had already told them. He tried to confirm his old teaching to get them to disregard the phony letter and bad teaching. He must have talked to them about this restraining force in place. This restraint is keeping evil in check. Satan is ready to bring the man of sin to power in the world. Satan would like to reveal this man on his schedule. But he will only be revealed when God allows it, on God's timeline.
What is this restraining force? The only right answer is that nobody knows for sure. There are good arguments for the Holy Spirit being this restraint. Then, when His presence and work are removed, and the church is raptured, the restraint is lifted. There can also be the idea that a restraint is in place until the gospel is preached to everyone. This might even be valid in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. The traditional belief was that the Roman Empire and the governments of man were in power, restraining this force. This empire, though, has come and gone, and the man of perdition has not been seen.
The mystery of lawlessness is already at work. We know that lawlessness has been at work from the beginning. But what’s the mystery? There certainly won’t be any new sin in the world. The mystery may be the wholesale acceptance and following after this lawless one. The world is so divided: liberal, conservative, right, left, believer, unbeliever, gay, straight, young, old, male, female, have, have-nots, and it goes on and on. Everyone has an agenda. What could possibly join the world together? What could focus them on one goal where everyone set aside their own cares and agendas?
The man of sin will bring an intense and prideful approach to sin as there has never been. While sin would normally bring the conviction of the Holy Spirit that might lead to repentance, this man will make people feel good about their sin, no shame, no conviction, no feeling bad. He certainly won't call it sin and won't be very patient with those who do.
The joining of the world, all languages, cultures, politics, and religions, will be like the Tower of Babel all over again. There won’t be any boundaries to sin. There won’t be any sin they won’t accomplish under the leadership of the anti-Christ as the world follows faithfully.
We have no capacity to imagine how much evil lurks around us because that evil is kept in check by this restraining force. I think we get a glimpse every once in a while when we see a Ted Bundy or Charles Manson make the news, and we think, "How could any human ever do such things." When this restraining force is lifted, all manner of evil will be unleashed in the world. With no restraint, this man, the antichrist, will be revealed. This man is the embodiment of evil, the absence of all morality. This man will come with miracles, signs, wonders, and every sort of evil that deceives. He is a counterfeit messiah that the world will embrace as their own. He will fool many with his miracles and his signs.
This lawless one will be revealed, not as a lawless one but as a savior. He'll offer a false sense of hope. But, Paul quickly adds, his destiny is already determined. This lawless one will be destroyed by a word from the mouth of Jesus Christ and in the brightness of His coming.
This guy will come for a time as allowed by God. He will do his work at the bidding of Satan. He will show his power and signs and lying wonders. He will do miracles that will leave people in awe. This man will be full of unrighteous deception. And, Paul said, much of mankind will fall before him because they did not receive the love of truth so they might be saved. These are the folks who don't want the truth; they deny it because they know the truth will bring change. They know the truth will take away their sin. They embrace their sin and deny the truth. For that reason, God will give them what they desire. He will send them a strong delusion, and they'll believe the lie.
God doesn't force this delusion on any man. But those who deny the truth will embrace the delusion, this big lie, that God allows and Satan brings before them. This will be their final act of rebellion against God. The people will perish because they refused the free gift and refused to love the truth. They will then be condemned because they didn't believe the truth and took pleasure in unrighteousness. They will embrace the lie. This isn’t a lie; it is ‘the lie’. What is the lie? We don’t know, but it will be big enough to deceive worldwide.
What would deceive the entire world into following the Antichrist? How about an ancient manuscript, newly discovered, that uncovers the hoax of Christianity? How about if the news comes on and says they've discovered the real tomb of Jesus, and there are bones in it? How about the big lie of a religion that claims to be peaceful yet isn't? How about the lie that there is no god, no hell, and therefore no hope? How about a world leader who says aliens have contacted him and performs miracles and signs as proof? We don't know what the lie is, but this big lie will be a whopper.
These things that might strike fear in some are balanced with the knowledge that Jesus will, with a word of His mouth, consume this evil, lawless one at his coming.
But with righteousness, He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist. (Isaiah 11:4-5)
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. (Revelation 19:13-15)
2 Thessalonians 2:13
”Bound to give thanks” is Paul’s way of stating the obligation to give all thanks to God because He remained sovereign over their life. They were children of God; he had chosen them from the beginning; this is their election in Christ. They were brought to salvation through sanctification, the preparation process that God brings us through. After salvation, it is easy to look back and see the many people, prayers, and situations God used to bring us to the place of decision, with an understanding of our sin and a heart that ached for redemption and salvation. This is God’s prevenient grace working in us prior to our belief. This doesn’t remove any of our free will. We are still responsible for our sins. We are still accountable to God and must repent and trust. Repentance and trust are the proof of election.
The gospel, though, was God’s initiated plan. They were chosen through sanctification, called by the gospel, to obtain the glory of Jesus. The glory of Jesus was to suffer in obedience to the plan of God that the Father may be glorified. The persecution of the Thessalonians was the reassurance of their position and standing before God.
Based on their election, Paul concludes, calling by the gospel, preparation by the Spirit, salvation by grace, and sure glorification on the horizon. Paul encouraged them to stand fast. This is one of Paul’s favorites, and he uses it six different times. It’s the picture of getting a good foothold, being prepared for the onslaught, and not losing ground. The ground you stand on (salvation) is holy ground that can’t be stolen. They don’t have to fear and wonder. God didn’t bring them through this process to abandon them.
The tradition Paul wanted them to stand on is the very truth he taught them. It’s gospel truth and the understanding of who Jesus is, what He did, what He promised, and what He will soon do. Traditions can be tricky. They can be habits of doing something without knowing why. This use of the word was to remember the long-standing practice of holding to the truth.
It’s fascinating to note that no false teachers came with these other gospels and various doctrines that lead believers astray until they actually become believers. The work of Satan followed the work of the gospel, attempting to sway and confuse and call into question the Word. This still goes on today. This is why we need to hold fast to the Bible, read it, search for it, and understand it. This is a daily and lifeline endeavor. This gives us the tools to keep from being deceived by false teachings and false prophets. Don't be soon shaken. Don't let Satan knock you away from the foundation established by the Lord for your life. Trust in the dark what you know to be true in the Light.
The Thessalonians were all living in tough circumstances. Their faith determined their response to those circumstances. Remember that faith forms their thinking and determines how they would respond to the world around them. With a restored understanding and faith, these people would be built up again, encouraged, and strengthened to continue. This correction of their understanding of the end times helped them deal with their discouragement and cleared up the deception.
Our faith must be real. It’s not just to make us feel better when we are down or charge our spiritual battery on Sunday morning. It is important that our faith and beliefs are well understood. They have to withstand the constant attacks. Then, in our circumstances, we will respond in faith, seeking God and yielding our lives to Him.
If we don’t know the Bible, how can we filter all that we see and all that tries to deceive us through the word of God? We need to hold on to biblical teaching in a world that says otherwise. There are many wolves out there who teach the Bible is no longer relevant, outdated, etc. We are open to incredible deception without the anchor of God’s word. We will be shaken because we have no foundation, anchor, or mooring.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Paul offers a benediction. Just reading it is encouraging to all believers. Our Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father comfort and establish us in every good word and work. By His grace, we have everlasting consolation and hope.
The word “established” means having a solid foundation, a solid system of beliefs. Being established isn't some high spiritual plane or arriving at someplace special. It's allowing your faith to form your thinking and your thinking to control your actions. Then, every aspect of your life is rooted in your faith. Your works reflect the God you serve.
The Bible says God will never leave you or forsake you, but that’s not easy to remember when Satan whispers in your ear, "Where is your God now?" The Bible says we can cast our cares on Him because He cares for us. But Satan whispers to us, "If he cared for you, life would be easier." And when we are hurting, we often are tempted to believe it. We could go right through the bible and see where the enemy has attacked the promises of God from beginning to end. We can each give testimony where we believed the lies instead of the promises of God simply because we were soon shaken. We are quickly prone to pity and discouragement, and Satan knows it. But so does God. That's why His word gives us these warnings, so we'll get better at hearing his voice and quicker at recognizing the attacks from the lawless one.
© 2018, 2024 Doug Ford
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