2 Thessalonians 2 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 2 Thess 2:1-4

1 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. 3 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 worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

A. Find Out:

1. To what do the apostles now refer? v.1
2. What did they ask the church? v.2a
3. What had supposedly happened? v.2b
4. What has actually got to happen first? v.3
5. What further will this person do? v.4

B. Think:

1. Read again 1 Thess 4:13 -5:3 What had they taught there?
2. What more were they adding to this subject now?
3. Why was all this necessary?

C. Comment:

     The church in Thessalonica seemed prone to confusion about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. In their first letter one of the main things the apostles had spoken about was this. They now feel they need to do it again. They have already referred to it in verses 7-10 of chapter 1 but feel they have to say more now. What we have in these verses is just the start of that.

     First of all then, why are they having to do this? Because, apparently, they have heard that a prophecy or report or letter, supposedly from them, had come to the church that Jesus had already returned a second time. This left the church worrying about their position ‘in Christ’. Have they been left behind? Does this mean they aren’t saved? Those might be the sort of questions that could have been in their minds.

    The apostles address this question by basically saying, Jesus can’t have returned yet because the rebelliousness that proceeds his coming hasn’t happened yet. Jesus himself has said this would happen (See Matthew 24) picking up on Daniel’s prophecy (Dan 9) about the last times. Whether it is a single man or mankind in general, only time will tell, but the characteristics of this man, or this people, will be rebellion, lawlessness, and godlessness, that results in this ‘man’ exalting himself and taking God’s place and bringing all honour to himself and not God. When that happens, watch out!   

D. Application:

1. God has a plan for history which includes Jesus returning in power.
2. In the ‘last days’ there will be lawlessness and godlessness in great measure.

Passage: 2 Thess 2:5-8

5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 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 splendour of his coming.

A. Find Out:

1. What does Paul now say about these things? v.5
2. What is happening to this lawless man? v.6
3. What is already happening? v.7a
4. Yet how is it being restrained? v.7b
5. Then what will happen finally? v.8

B. Think:

1. What, according to Paul is the present state?
2. What is going to happen?
3. What will finally happen?

C. Comment:

     There is some confusion in these verses and so we need to look carefully to just what they say. Let’s take it in the order of the three questions above. First, the present state. There is a “power of lawlessness” that is already at work (v.7a) but it is being retrained. The book of Revelation sheds light on these things. We know that Satan and his demons is the power at work behind the scenes, working through the sinfulness of mankind to promote lawlessness or rebellion against God. We see at various times in Revelation, that angels come from heaven under God’s bidding, who have the power to restrain or release. So we suggest that although there is lawlessness on earth at the present, it is being restrained by one of the powerful angelic messengers.

     The second stage, or future state, is the releasing of that restraint so that a being or a people will rise up at Satan prompting an exercise a measure of rebellion against God that is greater than anything yet seen. THIS will be one of the signs that Jesus is about to return, because he will not allow it to continue for long.

     The final stage is the return of Jesus in power, when he will simply speak a word and the activity of this one will be halted, and as Jesus’ glory is revealed this lawless one will fall before him. That is the end, and that is why the church need not be afraid or wondering. This is all yet to happen, and the end is guaranteed!

D. Application:

1. Whatever happens, God is still in control. He never ceases to be Lord.
2. We are called to be alert to the times in which we live.

Passage: 2 Thess 2:9-12

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.

A. Find Out:

1. What will the lawless one do? v.9
2. What effect will this have? v.10a
3. Why are people perishing? v.10b
4. What does God do? v.11
5. What will be their end? v.12a
6. Why? v.12b

B. Think:

1. What are we told here about this lawless one?
2. What are we told about the non-Christian world?
3. What are we told about God?

C. Comment:

     Note first the work of the lawless one. His lawlessness will be expressed in powerful ways that will be counterfeits of Jesus’ work – miracles, signs and wonders, yet it will be for evil purposes not good. Remember, this person is evil, is anti-God, is lawless, a rebel.

     Note second the effect of his activity – he will take in unbelievers, those who have refused the truth, and will reinforce them in their foolish unbelief. There will thus be no question of their outcome.

     Third, note that this is actually the work of God! How can this be? Are we saying that God will bring this evil person to lead people astray? Not quite. God will allow this evil person to confirm people in their sin. In Moses’ time Pharaoh hardened his heart against God, so God moved in such a way that that heart would be further hardened. God knew that pride would be provoked and would further establish itself and confirm Pharaoh’s condemnation.

     In Romans 1, Paul notes that when men practice impurity, God gives them up to the lusts of their hearts. It is as if He removes His hand of restraint so that the sin of these people can be seen even more clearly. Commenting on v.7 above, we suggested that there was an angelic being who was holding back evil, yet there will come a time when he will be recalled and this Satan-inspired individual will come to the fore to reveal more clearly sinners.

D. Application:

1. Where we are set in our sin, God confirms it before judging it.
2. Act now and repent of sin before it is too late.

Passage: 2 Thess 2:13-17

13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

A. Find Out:

1. Why ought they to thank God for this church? v.13a,b
2. How were they saved? v.13c
3. How did God call them and to do what? v.14
4. So what exhortation did they now bring? v.15
5. What has God done? v.16
6. What do they want God to now do? v.17

B. Think:

1. List the things the apostles say God has done.
2. List the things they speak of that are future.
3. What is left for the church to do?

C. Comment:

      The letter now turns away from the future events of Jesus’ return and focuses back here on the church itself in Thessalonica. Yet again the apostles speak of the clarity of their calling, rather like 1:4,5 in the first letter. They are loved by God and that love has been shown by the fact that the word of God came to them (v.13) and the Holy Spirit used it to separate them out of the world (sanctified them).

     But that love also has a future aspect to is, as well as a past aspect. What has happened in the past is that so in the future they can share (v.14) in the wonder of being “in Christ”, united to God. This means that their future is characterised by God’s encouragement (v.16) and hope of great things to come. It’s very easy, living in a negative world, hearing lots of bad things in the media, to feel negative about the future. For the Christian that is not to be so! For the Christian the future holds God’s constant encouragement and His hope (and assured conviction) that our eternity is secure. The future is good!

     If there is a past and future aspect to the Christian faith, there is certainly a present dimension. We are to take the past and future as means of encouraging us in the present to stand firm in what we’ve been taught, and to receive God’s love what will encourage and strengthen us to go on with all the good works He gives us to do (Eph 2:10).

D. Application:

1. Look to the past and rejoice. Let it strengthen your present.
2. Look to the future and praise Him in faith for what is coming.