Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
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Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Tone of specific sentences
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The Day of the Lord & the Church (1-2)
Christ’s coming and His gathering of His people to Himself
must be informed by the truth (2)
should increase the church’s joy and hope (2)
The Prerequisites of the Day of the Lord (3-4)
The rebellion (3)
rebellion = apostacy
1 Timothy 4:1 (ESV)
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons...
b. the rebellion will be among people who once claimed to be and were regarded as followers of Christ.
2. The revealing of the man of lawlessness (3-4)
a.
His identity
a man: the text provides us with no good reason to conclude that Paul is referring to a spirit or mystical force of evil.
lawlessness: that he is lawless means that he will not consider himself to be subject to any law or lawgiver.
son of destruction: that he is the son of destruction references his ultimate destiny.
He and his father, Satan, share the same end.
b.
His behavior
opposes: he will be against anything and anyone that does not acknowledge his self-proclaimed rule over the universe.
Galatians 5:17 (ESV)
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other...
ii.
exalts himself: he will claim a higher status than any other object of worship from a position of rivalry.
Perhaps Paul had Daniel’s words in mind here:
iii.
takes his seat in the temple of God: it appears that he will establish his own cult and will appoint himself as god.
He will expect/demand that others will ascribe their divine recognition to him.
(see Ezek. 28:2-10) The temple mentioned here could refer to the temple in Jerusalem.
Some suggest however, that it could also refer to the imperial cult in Thessalonica, which would have been more familiar to Paul’s audience.
The bottom line here though is that this man will appoint himself as someone to be worshipped.
iv.
proclaiming himself to be God: all of his behavior, as outlined in v. 4 is fueled by his ambition to be recognized as God.
God above all other gods and worthy of all people’s worship.
In v. 5, Paul makes it clear that he has been over all of this (the return of Christ, the gathering of the church to Himself and all that relates to this event) before.
Paul’s reminder is his urging that they “contend for the faith that was once delivered to them.”
(Jude 3)
The Man of Lawlessness (6-12)
Under control (6-7)
What was true when Paul wrote this letter is true today: the man of lawlessness is being restrained and the mystery of lawless is already at work.
While Paul taught the Thessalonians who or what is retraining the man of lawlessness previously (and you know - v. 6), he does not go into detail here.
The suggestions are therefore myriad.
These include:
God
The preaching of the gospel
human government
the church
Satan
It appears that the power/force that is restraining the man of lawlessness (v. 6) and the mystery of lawlessness that is already at work (v.
7) are aligned.
If this is the case, then Satan could be the restraining force.
In his first epistle, John references the lawlessness that is already at work.
e.
It is not until this restraining power is withdrawn that the lawless one will be revealed.
For this restraint to be taken out of the way, that is, it is no longer an obstacle that will hold his revealing back.
Life expectancy (8)
The Lawless One will be be eliminated by Jesus.
His power will be stripped from him and he will no longer possess any influence.
Paul reflects what Isaiah prophesied:
b.
The end of the man of lawlessness will be effected by the appearing of Christ’s coming.
Behind the curtain (9-10)
The man of lawlessness is not Satan, but empowered and driven by Satan.
He will serve Satan’s purposes, but ultimately to no avail.
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan which displayed all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders.
This man will possess supernatural power.
We should no conclude that the false signs and wonders he will perform are not real.
These signs will be real, but will not be to the praise of God, but will instead lead people away from God to their destruction.
wicked deception (v.
10) literally reads deception of unrighteousness.
Those who refuse to love the truth and so be saved love unrighteousness instead.
Instrument of justice (11-12)
God sends all those who reject Him and the truth of His gospel His condemnation.
His condemnation is sent in the form of a strong delusion which will lead to their belief of what is false.
This is consistent with the way Paul described God’s judgement upon those who reject God:
b.
Satan’s deception leads to people finding pleasure in unrighteousness, and this is contrasted with believing the truth.
Those who are so deceived are condemned.
Paul introduces the contrast to those who refuse to love the truth in verses 13-15
The Church Loved (13-15)
Embedded in God’s love for the Thessalonians and for all His people is the fact that they are
chosen
sanctified
illumined
called
destined
purposed
Prayer for the Church (16-17)
Christology
Christ and the Father spoken of as equal.
Christ appearing before God the Father is unusual.
God the Father
loved us: perhaps an allusion to His election of the Thessalonians (see 1 Thess 1:4 & 2 Thess 2:13)
He gives His people a hope that transcends this life and carries with it the promise of everlasting life.
He provides internal encouragement that would lead to a life that reflects God’s work in them.
Timing
Consider the words of Jesus
Jesus foresaw a great deception and apostacy.
There may be many forerunners of the man of lawlessness, but Paul provides some distinctives about him that marks him as unique and yet to be seen.
2. Consider the distinctives of the Man of Lawlessness
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