Man of Lawlessness

I) Shaken in mind

This was a new church, only a few months established by the time of this first letter, and perhaps only a few more months older by the time of the second letter –

1 Thessalonians 3:1–2 ESV

Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,

They were concerned about missing out on the coming of Jesus – – and the day of the Lord –

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–4 ESV

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

But since that time, there have been other messages that caused some to believe the day of the Lord had passed them by – – so Paul wants to address that worry

2 Thessalonians 2:1–2 ESV

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 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.

We should not be easily shaken by claims of men to hidden truths (such as DiVinci Code), but trust in the revealed truth that has been proven for millenia

II) False signs of Jesus’ coming

Spirit – many claim such, like Joseph Smith claim that Moroni spoke to him, Oral Roberts claim to have seen angel, children from Medjugore, Yugoslavia, and many purported visions of Mary

Message – inclusive of the above, like Smith, Roberts claim to raise money, Herbert W. Armstrong, Mary Baker Eddy, etc. –

Letter – many known forgeries of apostolic writings (perhaps even Paul’s letters – ) and modern-day “companions” to the Bible, like Book of Mormon, Watchtower literature

2 Thessalonians 3:17 ESV

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.

III) One sign of day of the Lord

Apostasy – revolt or rebellion, used of political rebels in secular writing – – term suggests a major revolt by some in the church

Man of lawlessness – son of (having quality of) destruction – who opposes all others and exalts himself above them – which describes many religious leaders such as the Roman pope, leadership of JW’s, Mormon’s, cults, etc. – ; – takes his seat, a throne (of authority), in the temple of God, the church – ;

Concl: Many think the man of lawlessness is the Roman pope, but it broadly describes the self-centered attitude of many who desire power among God’s people and perhaps a local event (person) in Thessalonica.