The Man of Lawlessness

2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ^(A) and our being gathered to him,^(B) 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^(C)—asserting that the day of the Lord^(D) has already come.^{(E) 3} Don’t let anyone deceive you^(F) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion^(G) occurs and the man of lawlessness^[a] is revealed,^(H) the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God^(I) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.^(J)

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?^{(K) 6} And now you know what is holding him back,^(L) 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^(M) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed,^(N) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth^(O) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.^{(P) 9} The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan^(Q) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders^(R) that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.^(S) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(T) 11} For this reason God sends them^(U) a powerful delusion^(V) so that they will believe the lie^{(W) 12} and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.^(X)

Stand Firm

¹³ But we ought always to thank God for you,^(Y) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^[b](Z) to be saved^(AA) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit^(AB) and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you^(AC) to this through our gospel,^(AD) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm^(AE) and hold fast to the teachings^[c] we passed on to you,^(AF) whether by word of mouth or by letter.

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

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle^(A) and set apart^(B) for the gospel of God^(C)— ² the gospel he promised beforehand^(D) through his prophets^(E) in the Holy Scriptures^{(F) 3} regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life^[a](G) was a descendant of David,^{(H) 4} and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power^[b](I) by his resurrection from the dead:^(J) Jesus Christ our Lord.^{(K) 5} Through him we received grace^(L) and apostleship to call all the Gentiles^(M) to the obedience that comes from^[c] faith^(N) for his name’s sake. ⁶ And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.^(O)

⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God^(P) and called to be his holy people:^(Q)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.^(R)

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,^(S) because your faith is being reported all over the world.^{(T) 9} God, whom I serve^(U) in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness^(V) how constantly I remember you ¹⁰ in my prayers at all times;^(W) and I pray that now at last by God’s will^(X) the way may be opened for me to come to you.^(Y)

¹¹ I long to see you^(Z) so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift^(AA) to make you strong— ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware,^(AB) brothers and sisters,^[d](AC) that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)^(AD) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

¹⁴ I am obligated^(AE) both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.^(AF)

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^(AG) because it is the power of God^(AH) that brings salvation to everyone who believes:^(AI) first to the Jew,^(AJ) then to the Gentile.^{(AK) 17} For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed^(AL)—a righteousness that is by faith^(AM) from first to last,^[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”^[f](AN)

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

¹⁸ The wrath of God^(AO) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.^{(AP) 20} For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,^(AQ) so that people are without excuse.^(AR)

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.^{(AS) 22} Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools^{(AT) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images^(AU) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over^(AV) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.^{(AW) 25} They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,^(AX) and worshiped and served created things^(AY) rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.^(AZ) Amen.^(BA)

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over^(BB) to shameful lusts.^(BC) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.^{(BD) 27} In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.^(BE)

²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over^(BF) to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,^{(BG) 30} slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;^{(BH) 31} they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,^(BI) no mercy. ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,^(BJ) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve^(BK) of those who practice them.