Frameworks:
2 Thessalonians 2
v.1-12
The man of lawlessness
v.13-17
Stand firm
[Chapter
Synopsis: About the enemy activity that must precede
Christ's eventual return, encouragement to go on well and remain
strong and be encouraged.]
v.1-12
The man of lawlessness
[Passage
Synopsis: Christ has not yet returned and indeed the
representative of the enemy who will exhibit rebellion and lawlessness
must come first, only to be overthrown by Jesus when he does return.]
v.1,2
(be reassured that the
rumours that Christ has come, are false) Concerning
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to
him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 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.
v.3
(he won't come until
after a period of lawlessness) 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.
v.4
(where the enemy will
oppose God and set himself up in opposition in the temple)
He will oppose and will exalt himself
over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he
sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
v.5
(remember I have already
warned you about this) Don't
you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these
things?
v.6
(he is being held back
until God decides) And now you
know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the
proper time.
v.7
(but lawlessness is in
the world now but restrained) 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.
v.8
(but he will eventually
be revealed but overcome by Jesus when he returns) And
then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will
overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour
of his coming.
v.9,10
(in the meantime he will
deceive and lead many astray even by signs and wonders) 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, and all the ways that wickedness
deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused
to love the truth and so be saved.
v.11,12
(he will add to the hardness
of heart that stops so many believing) For
this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will
believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not
believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
v.13-17
Stand firm
[Passage
Synopsis: We are blessed by the way you are doing, so
keep on and be strengthened and encouraged.]
v.13
(but we can thank God
for you and the way you are working out your faith) But
we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved
by the Lord, because God chose you as first-fruits to be saved
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief
in the truth.
v.14
(you were called to share
in Christ's glory) He called
you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v.15
(so stand firm holding
fast to our teaching) 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.
v.16,17
(may the Lord encourage
and strengthen you even more) 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.
Continue
to Chapter 3