2Th 2 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Thess 2:1-12: 2:1-12 False teaching about the day of the Lord had disturbed the Thessalonian church (2:1-2 ). Paul reminds them (2:5 ) that two events will precede that day: a great apostasy and the unveiling of the man of lawlessness (2:3-12 ). Christ will destroy this man when he returns (2:3 , 8 ), and those who have been deceived will also be judged (2:9-12 ). 2:1 At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1:7-10 ; 1 Thes 2:19 ; 3:13 ; 4:15–5:2 ; 5:23 ), all of his people will be gathered to meet him . This will occur at the resurrection and rapture of the church (1 Thes 4:13-18 ).

Summary for 2Thess 2:1-12: 2:1-12 ^a False teaching about the day of the Lord had disturbed the Thessalonian church (2:1-2 ^b). Paul reminds them (2:5 ^c) that two events will precede that day: a great apostasy and the unveiling of the man of lawlessness (2:3-12 ^d). Christ will destroy this man when he returns (2:3 ^e, 8 ^f), and those who have been deceived will also be judged (2:9-12 ^g). 2:1 ^h At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1:7-10 ⁱ; 1 Thes 2:19 ^j; 3:13 ^k; 4:15–5:2 ^l; 5:23 ^m), all of his people will be gathered to meet him. This will occur at the resurrection and rapture of the church (1 Thes 4:13-18 ⁿ).
2:2 ^o The Thessalonian Christians previously asked Paul when the day of the Lord would come (1 Thes 5:1-11 ^p). Now a false teaching that this day had already begun (cp. 2 Tim 2:18 ^q) was causing them to waver in faith and become frightened.

• a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter: The source of the teaching might have been a false prophecy (cp. 1 Jn 4:1-2 ^r), an erroneous sermon, or a letter falsely attributed to Paul.
2:3 ^s Two events will precede that day of the Lord (2:2 ^t).

• Both Jewish and Christian theology predicted a great rebellion against God before the end (Matt 24:11-14 ^u; 1 Tim 4:1 ^v).

• The man of lawlessness is without or against law; his character is defined by sin.

• the one who brings destruction (or the one destined for destruction): The emphasis is on the lawless man’s own destruction (2 Thes 2:8 ^w) rather than on the destruction he brings.
2:4 ^x exalt himself: Like other Roman cities, Thessalonica constructed temples for the worship of the emperor. This cult was the prototype of the worship described here.

• He will even sit in the temple of God: The profaning of the Temple in Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC (see Dan 9:27 ^y; 11:31 ^z; 12:11 ^aa) may have prefigured the event predicted here (Matt 24:15 ^ab; Mark 13:14 ^ac). Or it may refer to the attempt of the emperor Caligula, called “the new god manifest,” to erect his own image in the Temple in AD 40. Alternatively, the temple may be an imperial temple (of God could be of the god) erected in honor of the lawless man and not necessarily a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.

• claiming that he himself is God (Ezek 28:2-10 ^ad): The ascription of divine titles to the emperor was common in the first century.
2:6 ^ae what is holding him back: This has been variously identified as God, the Holy Spirit, the church, the gospel, Paul, the emperor, the Roman Empire, or the government. Alternatively, the term may refer to something or someone who comes before the man of lawlessness, an agent of the lawlessness active at that time (2:7-8 ^af); in Greek literature, this expression could describe demonic possession. This figure would prepare the way for the man of lawlessness when his time comes (2:3 ^ag, 8 ^ah).
2:7 ^ai The power of the coming man of lawlessness (2:3-6 ^aj) is already at work secretly, like the antichrists of 1 Jn 2:18 ^ak.

• secretly (Greek mustērion): A descriptor commonly used of rituals in the mystery religions (see 2 Thes 2:6 ^al).

• at work: This connotes supernatural intervention, whether divine (1 Thes 2:13 ^am) or, as here, evil (2 Thes 2:9 ^an; Eph 2:2 ^ao).

• The one who is holding it back could refer to one who is in opposition to the man of lawlessness; to one who is possessed; or to Satan, the one who possesses (2 Thes 2:9 ^ap; see study note on 2:6).
2:8 ^aq Paul announces the doom of the man of lawlessness (cp. 2:3 ^ar). Although this figure claims to be divine, places his cult above all other worship (2:4 ^as), and receives power from Satan (2:9 ^at), the Lord Jesus will violently and utterly destroy him (Isa 11:4 ^au).

• splendor: A reference to Christ’s epiphany (1 Tim 6:14 ^av; 2 Tim 1:10 ^aw; 4:1 ^ax, 8 ^ay; Titus 2:13 ^az), an alternative description of Christ’s coming (2 Thes 2:1 ^ba; 1 Thes 2:19 ^bb; 3:13 ^bc; 4:15 ^bd; 5:23 ^be) or unveiling (2 Thes 1:7 ^bf). In ancient literature, an epiphany was the appearance of a deity or a demonstration of divine power that evoked worship.
2:9 ^bg As Christ will appear in royal and divine power (his parousia; 2:1 ^bh, 8 ^bi; 1 Thes 2:19 ^bj; 3:13 ^bk; 4:15 ^bl; 5:23 ^bm), this figure similarly will come (parousia) with a royal entrance.
2:11 ^bn As seen elsewhere in Scripture (Exod 9:12 ^bo; 2 Chr 18:22 ^bp), God sometimes hands people over to the power of the sin or deception they have desired in place of the truth (Rom 1:24 ^bq, 26 ^br, 28 ^bs; 11:8 ^bt).
2:12 ^bu They will be condemned (see 1:6-9 ^bv) by God’s judicial verdict for not believing the truth (2:10 ^bw), instead believing the lie of the man of lawlessness (2:9-10 ^bx).
2:14 ^by He called you to salvation: God calls his chosen ones to himself (1:11 ^bz; 1 Thes 2:12 ^ca; 4:7 ^cb; 5:24 ^cc) through the preaching of the Good News.

• Those who suffer because of their faith will ultimately share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:2 ^cd; 8:17-18 ^ce; Col 1:27 ^cf; 1 Thes 2:12 ^cg).
2:15 ^ch Ever since the founding of the Thessalonian church, Paul had been concerned for the stability of their faith (1 Thes 3:2 ^ci, 5 ^cj, 8 ^ck; 4:1-2 ^cl) and their adherence to his teaching (2 Thes 3:6 ^cm; 1 Cor 11:2 ^cn; 15:3 ^co; see Jude 1:3 ^cp).
2:16 ^cq Eternal comfort and ... hope transcend both death and uncertainty about the immediate future.
2:17 ^cr Paul’s prayer echoes the purpose of Timothy’s visit to the church—to strengthen and encourage the Thessalonian believers in their faith (1 Thes 3:2 ^cs).

• To comfort you does not merely mean to console, but to exhort or encourage them because of their fears and doubts (2 Thes 2:1-12 ^ct; 1 Thes 4:18 ^cu; 5:11 ^cv).