Standing Firm

2 Thessalonians 2:1–17 ESV

1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

According to this passage, what false information caused the Thessalonians to be “unsettled or alarmed”?

The Thessalonians had been in turmoil over the end of the age. It seems they had listened to people telling them that the Lord was coming and the day was there. Paul corrects this statement.

Even today some groups claim Jesus Christ has already come. How does Paul know for sure that Jesus has not yet come (vv. 3-5)?

The rebellion of satan has not occurred. We have not seen the evidence given us of the coming of the end of time. Paul tells the church at Thessolonica that they should not be in fear because the evidence has not been completed. The same can be said today. While the world is in a bad place it has not been relinquished upon yet.

Paul says that before the Lord returns the “man of lawlessness” will be revealed (v. 3). In what ways will this man be a counterfeit Christ (vv. 4-11)?

Paul says, “The secret power of lawlessness is already at work” (v. 7), the kind of power that will reach its climax with the Antichrist. In what ways do you see the power of lawlessness at work in the world around you? What world leaders, either in the present or in the past, seem to have been driven by the secret power of lawlessness?

What outward and inward reasons will cause people to be deceived by “the lawless one” (vv. 9-12)?

According to verses 10-12, how do our values and lifestyle influence our ability to perceive spiritual truth?

According to this passage, what is the ultimate fate of the man of lawlessness and those who follow the power of lawlessness?

What has God already done, and what does Paul ask him to do, to make our lives different both now and in the future (vv. 13-17)? How can we cooperate with God in this process?

Think of a spiritual conflict you are facing. How can you “stand firm” and hold to biblical truth (v. 15) in this situation?