Thoughts on 2nd Thessalonians 2

References:
• 2nd Thessalonians 2
• oανομια (anomia an-om-ee'-ah)
• αποστασια (apostasia ap-os-tas-ee’-ah)

Last week and this week, the Bible Study that I lead has been looking at 2nd Thessalonians. It is a short letter by Paul, but still very full of important, theological information. During the Bible Study, we talked about quite a few things. But, for the purposes of this blog entry, I will focus on some main themes of 2nd Thessalonians 2. As I have mentioned before, the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament (Joshua, Joel, Habakkuk, etc.) may be small as far as length of writing, but they are not short in theology! It is not unusual for those of us doing the study to spend a week or two on each chapter, due to their content. With that in mind, I will be just doing an overview.

In 1st Thessalonians, Paul writes the young church about several things, including Christ’s Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead. These two themes are actually repeated in Paul’s 2nd Letter to the churches in Thessalonica. When Paul received feedback as to how the members of the churches in Thessalonica were applying what he has instructed, he felt obligated to write them again. This was in order to emphasize and clarify things.

Paul writes in detail about the Second Coming of Christ and the rise of the antichrist (or ‘lawless one’). He needed to help the young church to understand what the future held. Though they were experiencing all sorts of persecution now, this will be small compared to the kind of persecution that believers will experience before Christ’s Second Coming.

Many theologians and scholars have argued over the centuries as to when Christ will return. And, we will continue to speculate on this. Some do so out of a sense of awe and excitement for being with Christ for all eternity. Others do so because of the influence, prestige, and attention making such claims gives them. The thing is, Christ has repeatedly warned that we will never know when His return will happen until it actually does happen. As Paul writes in 1st Thessalonians 5:1-3, Christ will come suddenly, when none of us expects it. In 2nd Thessalonians 2, he goes into a little more detail.

In 2 Thess. 2:3-6, Paul emphasizes that until the ‘man of lawlessness’ is reveal, Christ will not return. This ‘man of lawlessness’ has to come first. In reading Scripture as a whole, we see that Paul is referring to the antichrist. This is the one that, from what we read in Revelation, is the person that unites the whole world against God’s Children (the nation of Israel and the Body of Christ) and makes war against them. Upon the completion of this ‘time of lawlessness,’ Christ will return.

It is interesting that Paul uses the Greek word oανομια (anomia, an-om-ee'-ah). This Greek work means both to ‘to be ignorant’ of the law, as well as to be in contempt of it, violating it because of one’s wickedness. I believe that Paul is clearly indicating the second definition, violating or being in contempt of the law by choice. It is because of the antichrist’s lawless, wicked heart, that he (or possibly she) leads people away from God intentionally. This is related, I believe, to Paul’s use of the work ‘apostasy’ earlier in 2 Thess. 2:3. This Greek word, (αποστασια, ap-os-tas-ee’-ah) can either mean ‘a falling away’ or ‘defection.’ The ‘a falling away’ is more of a passive action. Like a car slowly coming to ruin because it was not properly maintained. Or, a relationship slowly dies because one or both people do not choose to invest in it on a regular basis. The other sense of the word, ‘defection,’ is a choice. It would be a conscious turning away from.

In verse 7, we see that this ‘spirit of lawlessness’ is already at work. This can be understood in two different ways. First of all, it is a reference to our sinful nature. Scripture teaches that we are all born sinners, that our very nature is in rebellion to God. Paul goes into depth on this in Romans 1-3, so I won’t go into depth here. Lawlessness is, by definition, a disregard or total absence of law. But, the ‘spirit of lawlessness’ is also demonic forces at work in this world that actively fight against God’s Laws, justice, and against His Followers. So, in one sense, it has been happening since Adam and Even were forced out of the Garden of Eden until today. And, it is also true that it is an event that is yet to come.

Over the years that I have been alive, I heard many people claim that they are the Messiah. From David Koresh (http://www.biography.com/people/david-koresh-9368416), to Jim Jones (http://www.biography.com/people/jim-jones-10367607), to many others. Each of these people have claimed to either be the ‘returning Messiah,’ or that he/she knows exactly when Jesus will return. With both World Wars I and II, as well as the coming of 2000, many people were saying that ‘the End Times’ are coming.
It is very easy to get sucked into the trap of believing them. Whether they have ‘fancy degrees,’ are very charismatic, or seem to be gifted in ‘reading the times,’ we must choose not to believe them. When Christ returns, we will all know of it happening. It will be blatantly obvious for everyone all over the world that Jesus has returned.

Now, God calls us all to prepare ourselves and to live our lives as if His return will happen soon. This challenges us to be more obedient now. It also is a stern reminder that we never know when we will die. In one sense of this theological concept, we knew know when ‘Christ’s Second Coming’ will happen for each of us. That is, we never knew when we will die. Even for those who are exceptionally healthy, live very careful lives, and take as many precautions as they can, any day can be it’s last. We all must choose to live in such a way as to be always prepared to ‘meet our maker.’

Paul’s letters are just as relevant now as at the time that they were written. We all experience things like persecution, the struggle with living a life of obedience, the constant knowledge that any day could be our last, the eager hope and expectation of one day being with Christ for all eternity, etc. Following Christ has never been, and never will be easy. It will always be fraught with dangers. We all need to prayerfully prepare ourselves and help others to be ready. We are at war with our own sinful nature, and we are at war with the spiritual forces of evil all around us. We all struggle against 'falling away' and turning our backs to God. We are all challenged with correcting others in love. Are you up for the challenge?