2 Thessalonians 2
The Great Rebellion (2:1–12)
1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to meet him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be too easily shaken in mind or be troubled by any spirit or assertion or letter supposedly from us implying that the day of the Lord has happened. 3 Do not let anyone deceive you in any way because [that day will not come] unless the Apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness, even the son of perdition, is revealed. 4 He is the one who opposes and exalts himself over every so-called god or object of worship in order to sit down in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don’t you remember that when I was still with you, I kept telling you these things? 6 And you already know what holds him back so that he will be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the appearance of his glory, 9 whose coming is through Satan’s action with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders 10 and with every sort of unrighteous deception directed toward those who are perishing because they were not open to the love of truth that they might be saved. 11 For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe in the lie 12 so that all of them will be judged who did not believe the truth but found delight in unrighteousness.
Chosen for Salvation (2:13–17)
13 But we ought to always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through faith in truth, 14 to which he called you through our preaching of the gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions in which you have been instructed, either by word or by our letters. 16 And may our Lord himself, Jesus Christ, and God, our Father, who has loved us and by grace has given us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
