2 Thess 2:1-5 Hold Fast to the Truth
2 Thess 2:1-3a
1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, 2 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. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way…
Paul wrote to encourage them in their suffering and enlighten them in their confusion.
• They were taught about the coming of Christ and the need to be prepared and ready for His return. We read that in the first letter.
• But false teachers came and confused them, and they were “quickly shaken in mind and alarmed.”
• They thought, “Christ has already come. You are likely in the tribulation now because the rapture has taken place and they were not taken up.” One possible scenario.
Whatever it is, such deviations cause anxiety and alarm.
• Paul said they were confused by a spirit – prophets who claimed to know; a spoken word – hearsay or words from men, or a letter supposedly from Paul - fake news.
• Paul had to write back to get them back on track. 2:5 “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?”
• This was likely the main reason he wrote this letter.
The confusion has to do with the coming of Christ to receive His church and our being gathered with Him, which Paul mentioned in his first letter – 1 Thess 4:13-5:11.
• Some were concerned then about those who died before Christ’s return.
• Paul explained that whether we died early or are still alive then, the church shall be gathered with Jesus.
• But others were now alarmed that they might already be in the tribulation post-rapture because Christ had already come, as some have said.
• They were left to go through the suffering, and hence the persecutions.
It sounds odd that some would think that Christ has returned, but that’s the belief of Jehovah's Witnesses today.
• The cult believes that Jesus had returned in 1914 – invisibly, not physically – and now ruling His Kingdom from heaven, with authority over the earth.
• To them, the signs of wars, famines and earthquakes indicate that the final judgement is near.
The Bible did tell us how Jesus would return:
• Acts 1:9-11 9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
• Jesus ascended BODILY into heaven and VISIBLY in the clouds, and will turn IN THE SAME WAY - bodily, visible, glorious in the clouds, not in secret or any other form.
Jesus said in Matt 24:30-31 "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Paul says do not be shaken by any news that Christ has come – “either by a spirit (prophecy) or a spoken word (by someone) or a letter seeing to be from us.” (2:2)
BE DISCERNING. Don't swallow everything hook, line, and sinker.
• That’s the attitude we need to cultivate, then and now. More so now when the world is filled with scams of all kinds trying to con us.
• Stop and think. Pause and ponder. We don’t have to jump at it. We discern with wisdom and understanding.
"It is the same attitude we need to have today when we are bombarded by so many different kinds of “truth”, like scam calls, fake news, distortions and untruths.
• We do not need to jump at it. We pause and ponder. We discern and decide with wisdom and understanding.
Paul says, “Let no one deceive you in any way.” (2:3) And then goes on to explain.
2 Thess 2:3-5
3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
Two things must happen before the “Day of the Lord” comes:
• One is a certain event – the rebellion against God (falling away, apostasy).
• Two, the revealing of a certain person – the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction (same phrase used on Judas, destined for destruction).
• 2:4 – this figure opposes God, exalts himself, seeks to be worshipped above all gods and takes a seat in God’s temple proclaiming himself to be God.
Paul paints them a general timeline which was necessary in the confusion.
Such understanding did not originate with Paul. It would have come from Daniel & Jesus.
• Being a trained Pharisee, Paul would be familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures. He would have studied the Jewish prophetic writings from the Book of Daniel.
• Daniel prophesied a similar event if we read Daniel 7, 8 and 11 - a blasphemous ruler opposing God and persecuting the saints (7:25).
• Dan 11:36 "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god..."
Paul would have also learnt the oral traditions of the teachings of Jesus.
• Jesus taught on the Mount of Olives (Matt 24), referred to the writings of Daniel and spoke about the “abomination of desolation” standing in the holy place.
• Jesus warned about false prophets who would arise and the coming apostasy prior to His return.
Element OT/Apocalyptic Source Jesus’ Teaching Paul’s Description
Apostasy Daniel 8, 11 Matt 24:10 2 Thess 2:3
Lawless Figure Daniel 7, 11; Isaiah 14 Matt 24:15 2 Thess 2:3–4
Exalting Self in Temple Daniel 11:36; Isaiah 14 Matt 24:15 2 Thess 2:4
Deceptive Signs Daniel 8:24 Matt 24:24 2 Thess 2:9–10
God’s Restraint Daniel 10 Implied 2 Thess 2:6–7
This understanding did not change even after 35 years when John wrote his letters:
• 1 John 2:18 “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.”
• 1 John 4:1-3 “1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”
Paul says this “man of lawlessness” will be revealed in his time (2:6) and after the one restraining him is taken away (2:7).
• God has a timeline, as revealed by Daniel, Jesus, Paul and John.
• We do not have all the details but we do not need them. God has revealed enough for us to trust Him.
• The “falling away” will come, the church will be raptured, the restrainer will be removed at the proper time and the “man of lawlessness” revealed.
• But his fate is already determined by Christ when He steps in (2:8).
We do not need to be overly fascinated about the antichrist. We looking forward to Christ and not the antichrist.
• As the church of Jesus Christ, we shall be raptured and taken up to be with Him.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN TODAY?
1. BE DISCERNING
• Test every spirit, every word of men, every possible scam and fake news.
• Stop and think. Pause and ponder. Do your research and don’t overreact.
• Go back to the “ancient paths”. The truth that we need has already been revealed.
2. LOVE THE TRUTH (2:10)
• Paul says the perishing ones are those who “refused to love the truth and so be saved.” (2:10) Cultivate a desire and thirst for the truth of God.
• People are so quick to believe what social media tells them but not what God has said in His Word. Be fair. Give God some airtime.
• Listen and know what God says. Believe and hold fast to the truth.
3. CONTEND FOR THE FAITH (Jude 1:3)
• Jude 1:3 “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
• Jude wanted to expose the false teachers that had infiltrated the community and encourage Christians to stand firm in their faith and fight for the truth.
Put your faith in Jesus Christ today, if you have not done so. It’s not a blind faith.
• God has revealed everything we need to know for our salvation. Trust Him.
• Jesus Christ is our only Saviour and the One who can bring us back to the Father.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with grateful hearts, acknowledging that Your Word is truth—unchanging, living, and powerful. In a world full of shifting values and fading voices, we thank You for the solid foundation of Scripture, which anchors our faith and guides our lives.
Lord, help us to hold fast to Your truth. When doubts arise and temptations pull us away, remind us of Your promises. Plant Your Word deep in our hearts so that we may not be swayed by the lies of this world, but stand firm in the light of Your revelation.
Give us courage to speak Your truth with love, and wisdom to discern Your voice above all others. May we be people who not only hear Your Word but live it—faithfully, boldly, and humbly.
Strengthen our resolve when trials test our faith. Help us to cling to Your Word when it’s hard, to trust it when we don’t fully understand, and to obey it even when it costs us. Lord, make us a people of the Book—rooted in truth, growing in grace, and shining as lights in a dark world.
In Jesus’ Name, we pray, AMEN.
