2 Thessalonians 2 - Watch Out for Deceptive Teachers!

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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.

Like many people today, the Thessalonians were very concerned about Jesus' second coming. There were some false teachers who said that Jesus had already come. They even called it "prophecy. It is a very dangerous thing to say, "Thus sayeth the Lord", when you are ultimately wrong. No true prophet misquotes the Lord. 

“The teaching of the Apostles was, and of the Holy Spirit in all ages has been, that the day of the Lord is at hand. But these Thessalonians imagined it to be already come.” (Alford)

Paul says that one of the key indicators of the end times had not occured. There will be an unprecedented rebellion, perhaps referring to the desecration of the temple. Another translation for rebellion is "falling away", which is the word for "apostasy", which means to leave the faith. The man of lawlenssness has often been thought to be the anti-Christ, others think he comes into unusual national prominence who is very deceitful and cunning. 

However, there is no good reason to see this man of sin to be other than what the plainest meaning is here – an individual who will come to great prominence in the very last days. This was how it was understood in the earliest days of Christianity. “The fathers understood the Antichrist to be intended, but of this person they seemed to have formed no specific idea.” (Clarke)

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 them a 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.

Paul reminds them that he had taught on this subject before. This man would only be revealed at God's appointed time. Many times we try to predict different aspects of the end times, but it is always in God's timing, not our timing when these things will happen. However, there were aspects of the man's rule already at work in their culture. 

Ultimately the man of lawlenssness will be detroyed when Jesus returns. His working will be consistent with how Satan works, also a confirmation that this man is not Satan. 

The man of sin demands worship for himself that belongs to God only (Luke 4:8). This demand for worship is also described in Revelation 13:1-6. - Guzik

This man will have power and will use it to try and deceive people to make them think he is Jesus. Those who believe in this man, and the signs he will us deceive those who are unbelievers. They will die because they refused to believe the truth, which was revealed in Jesus Christ. God loves everyone and doesn't want to punish anyone, but he cannot save those who don't and won't believe. 

If someone has spiritual power, signs, or wonders, those are not enough to prove they are from God. Satan can perform his own powerful works, either through deception or through his own resources of power.

For now, Satan and the man of sin are being restrained. The principle of their working is now present (the mystery of lawlessness is already at work). But at the right time, the Holy Spirit (He who restrains) who restrains their full revelation will be taken out of the way. - Guzik

These people delight in wickedness so much that God sent them this powerful delusion. We see the man of lawlessness is ultimately controlled by God. After all, God could destroy this man whenever he wanted. 

If someone has spiritual power, signs, or wonders, those are not enough to prove they are from God. Satan can perform his own powerful works, either through deception or through his own resources of power. - Guzik

“They think that they are acting in defiance of Him. But in the end they find that those very acts in which they expressed their defiance were the vehicle of their punishment.” (Morris)

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 you to 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 teaching 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 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Unlike those who were perishing due to their unbelief, the Thessalonians were called by God to be saved through the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that set them apart and called them, so they could not take any credit. He called them so they could be ambassadors for him in this life and also share in the glory of Jesus when He returns. 

What does it mean that we will share in Jesus' glory when he returns? 

This is the same glory John wrote of in 1 John 3:2 – we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

While they waited for Jesus to return, they needed to stand firm through the teaching (doctrine) Paul had given them. Paul not only taught them in person, but he had already disseminated some of this letters to them. (I.e. 1 Thessalonians)

In the end, though Paul could encourage them in person and through his letter to them, it was ultimately God the Father and Jesus himself who would keep them in the faith. It is encouraging to know that God himself works with us to give us the hope of salvation and also helps us to stand firm in the faith. Though we need to do our part to stand firm, He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6)