Chronos 2 Thess 2 Series

This week we continue with the fourth oldest book in the New Testament as recorded in its publishing. We began with James on our year-long journey chronological study of the New Testament. Hence the reason we are calling this message series Chronos. It's a word that means “time.” We will be journeying through time back to the start of the early church. For the next month we will continue walking through the second book written to those in Thessalonica.

Today, we open to the first chapter of this amazing letter to the church plant in one of the main travel junctions in all the Roman empire. A city of around 300,000 with some upper class but a great deal more working class people. The city was made up of Romans, Greeks and a powerful group of Greek speaking Jews.

The leadership collective (paul, silas and timothy) were sending this letter to the new church plant in Greece as encouragement and to correct some issues that had arisen. Paul had only spent three to four weeks at this house church and as a result, everything he said and taught could be misconstrued. Let’s be real. I know everyone in this room is having their own experience as I share the weekly message. Sometimes people get distracted or their minds wander and as a result a phrase may or a statement may be misunderstood. The first few sentences of this section of scripture is what Paul is alluding to. Take a listen to 2 Thess 2:1-2

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

The error Paul was trying to correct was that “the day of the Lord has already come.” Paul didn’t want these new followers to think the Lord had already come to judge the living and the dead. This idea is radically different and could harm many. Paul then reminds them of what he did say.

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?

Paul was sharing Five things that are bound to happen before Christ returns.

There will be a rebellion against the church. The word rebellion means: “an act of violent and/or open resistance to an established government or ruler.” The word used in the area of scripture means abandonment (apostasy) so many will leave the Christian mission.

There will be a “man of lawlessness” who is in a position of power. Some will recognize him immediately as the antichrist

The person will be empowered by Satan to perform acts of power and signs of wonder. (2 Thess 2:9; Rev 13:13)

Many will believe this human may be Christ. (1 John 2:18)

Christ will come a short time later to defeat this beast (Rev 13:1) and judgment will begin. 2 Thess 2:8; rev 19:20)

With this information in hand, let’s read the final 7 verses.

6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

I think we can all agree the power of lawlessness is already at work. We only need to look around at the war in Ukraine and Syria. The insanity of mobs on michigan avenue. The corruption of our government officials. The systemic racism that still exists. The “woke” agenda to silence those living with traditional Christian morals. Lawlessness is increasing.