2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
May 2, 2021
1Concerning 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 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.
***This is a very technical passage of scripture, and legitimate biblical scholars arrive at very different conclusions about the best way to interpret it. There is an important principle in biblical interpretation: don’t go beyond what is inherent in the text. For an example of that principle being applied to this text, you may want to look at
https://cbcalbany.com/blog/2020/12/28/lawlessness-then-christ-2-thessalonians-21-12
It is a longer read than many of us may be used to, but it provides a really healthy example of staying within the limits of the actual text rather than speculating beyond that. Our Life Group discussion will not be based on the article; we will stick with the questions below. Think of the article as bonus material for those who wish to investigate a little bit deeper.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2
- Based on what you read in these two verses, how would you describe the backstory that Paul is responding to in this letter.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Paul refers to “the Day of the Lord.” What do we know about “the Day of the Lord” from other passages in the Bible?
Paul describes two specific things that will occur prior to the Day of the Lord. What are they?
What do you think Paul means by “the rebellion”?
What do you think Paul means by “the man of lawlessness”? What other scriptures might help us understand this phrase?
Why is it significant that these two definable events precede the return of Jesus?
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:5-7
- Paul says that the “man of lawlessness” is currently being held back or restrained. Apparently Paul had already told the Thessalonians who was doing the restraining, and so he doesn’t reveal that person here. Have you ever heard any speculations about who is doing the restraining?
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
In addition to helping us understand what the man of lawlessness will do, this passage alludes to two ways that Satan works to accomplish his purposes. The first is “signs and wonders that serve the lie.” What do you think that would look like in today’s world?
The second way that Satan works is “all the ways wickedness deceives those who are perishing.” What are some of the ways that wickedness deceives people?