seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Thessalonians 2:1 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 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? 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.
Oh brother.... we better go to the commentary.We ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled: Apparently, a misunderstanding of Paul’s teaching (or an incorrect application of it) had caused the Thessalonians to be shaken in mind and troubled. Here Paul used a strong wording, speaking of both a sudden jolt (shaken in mind) and a continuing state of upset (troubled). Their fears centered on the idea that the day of Christ had [already] come.
As though the day of Christ had come: Some translations have that the day of Christ is at hand, such as the King James Version. But the translation in the New King James Version (and other modern translations) is preferred. The Thessalonians were not afraid that the day of Christ was coming, but that they were in it.
Among those who perish: However, the deception can only take root in those who do not receive the love of the truth. These people are ready for the deception of the Antichrist, because they want a lie, and God will send them a strong delusion.
God will send them: In the end, the Antichrist is only God’s messenger. God has judgment to bring, and He will send … a strong delusion through the Antichrist. God will not force this delusion on anyone, but those who do not receive the love of the truth will receive this strong delusion.
That they should believe the lie: Specifically, God sends them the lie. This isn’t just any lie, but the lie, the lie that has enthralled the human race since Adam. This is the lie that God is not God, and that we are or can be gods.
“His point is that the last pseudo-Messiah or anti-Christ will embody all that is profane and blasphemous, every conceivable element of impiety; and that, instead of being repudiated, he will be welcome by Jews as well as pagans.” (Moffatt)
Wow... Did Jesus explain all of this to Paul while Paul was knocked down laying on the ground, blinded? Did Paul hit his head, causing a concussion, leaving Paul with miraculous understanding? When did Paul learn the inner workings of God and His Plan?Paul was teaching that everything had to be put on hold because Jesus was returning.
Paul led them to believe they shouldn't even marry because the time was so short. In this letter, Paul seems to be backing off of that preaching. I wonder, did all the dads get angry with Paul... because women were "sold" for sheep or other necessary items by means of the dowery. If no one was marrying.... No doweries were paid. I wonder... did the financial troubles of the dads get back to Paul and cause him to change his tune? Worse yet... was Paul going to come back with "the groom needs to have his thingy cut", once the dowery is paid? After all, Paul was indeed backtracking what he told the Corinthians. What's to stop him from backtracking on circumcision?
When the time comes, God will let the non-believers think they are right. They will all gather in one place to worship whatever they decide to worship. They will go to one spot from all over the globe. The non-believers will be having a ball after proving man is god, and God will let them play. There will be no Believers in the huddle when God lets Satan call the play. They will all think they were right and they won.... And then Jesus will show them just how delusional they really are.
Paul backtracked... and he used two paragraphs to say he was wrong.
It wasn't time!
