主再来的先兆

弟兄姊妹,关于主耶稣基督再来和我们到祂那里相聚的事情, 我们现在奉劝你们:无论是什么灵,或是传闻,或是冒充我们写的信,说主的日子已经到了,你们都不要轻易动摇,也不要惊慌。 不管别人用什么诡计,你们都不要上当。因为那日子来临之前,必有离经叛道的事发生,而那不法之徒,就是那注定灭亡的人也要出现。 他会抵挡主,高抬自己超过一切所谓的神明和人们崇拜的对象,甚至坐在上帝的殿中以上帝自居!

我还在你们那里的时候,曾告诉过你们这些事,你们忘记了吗? 现在,你们知道是什么拦阻他,使他等到特定的时间才出现。 其实那不法之徒的阴谋已经在酝酿中,然而现在有一位在拦阻他。等到拦阻他的那位一离开, 他就会出现,但主耶稣会用自己口中的气毁灭他,用从天降临的荣光废掉他。

他来要按照撒旦的伎俩行各样虚假的异能、神迹和奇事, 10 用尽各样诡计欺骗那些将要灭亡的人,因为他们不喜欢接受那能拯救他们的真理。 11 上帝就让他们是非不辨,去相信那些虚假的谎言, 12 使一切不相信真理、反喜爱不义的人都被定罪。

要坚定不移

13 主所爱的弟兄姊妹,我们应该时常为你们感谢上帝,因为上帝一开始就拣选了你们,为了使你们借着圣灵得以圣洁,并且相信真理,从而得救。 14 上帝借着我们所传的福音呼召了你们,使你们可以得到我们主耶稣基督的荣耀。 15 所以,各位弟兄姊妹,务要坚定不移,无论是我们信上的教导还是口头的教导,你们都要坚守。

16 愿主耶稣基督和爱我们、开恩将永远的安慰和美好的盼望赐给我们的父上帝, 17 安慰你们的心,使你们在一切善行善言上刚强。

不法的人必要显露

弟兄们,关于我们主耶稣基督的再来,和我们到他那里聚集的事,我们求你们: 无论有灵、有话、有冒我们的名的书信,说主的日子现在到了,你们都不要轻易动心,也不要惊慌。 不要让人用任何方法迷惑了你们,因为主的日子来到以前,必定有背道的事,并且那不法的人,就是那沉沦之子,必定显露出来。 他抵挡 神,抬举自己,高过一切称为神或受人敬拜的,甚至坐在 神的殿中,自称为 神。 我还在你们那里的时候,曾经把这些事告诉你们,你们不记得吗? 现在你们也知道,那箝制他,使他到了时候才可以显露出来的是甚么。 因为那不法的潜力已经发动,只是现在有一个箝制他的在那里,直等到那箝制解除了, 那时,这不法的人必要显露出来。主耶稣要用自己口中的气除掉他,以自己再来所显现的光辉消灭他。 这不法的人来到,是照着撒但的行动,行各样的异能奇迹和荒诞的事, 10 并且在那些沉沦的人身上,行各样不义的欺诈,因为他们不领受爱真理的心,使他们得救。 11 因此, 神就使错谬的思想运行在他们当中,让他们相信虚谎, 12 叫所有不信真理倒喜爱不义的人,都被定罪。

站立得稳持守信仰

13 主所爱的弟兄们,我们应该常常为你们感谢 神,因为他从起初就拣选了你们,借着圣灵成圣的工作,和你们对真道的信心,使你们可以得救。 14 因此, 神借着我们所传的福音呼召你们,使你们得着我们主耶稣基督的荣耀。 15 所以弟兄们,你们要站立得稳;你们所领受的教训,无论是我们口传的,或是信上写的,都要持守。 16 愿我们的主耶稣基督自己,和那爱我们、开恩把永远的安慰和美好的盼望赐给我们的父 神, 17 安慰你们的心,并且在一切善行善言上,坚定你们。

The Wicked One

(A)Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to be with him: I beg you, my friends, not to be so easily confused in your thinking or upset by the claim that the Day of the Lord has come. Perhaps it is thought that we said this while prophesying or preaching, or that we wrote it in a letter. Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until the final Rebellion takes place and the Wicked One appears, who is destined to hell. (B)He will oppose every so-called god or object of worship and will put himself above them all. He will even go in and sit down in God's Temple and claim to be God.

Don't you remember? I told you all this while I was with you. Yet there is something that keeps this from happening now, and you know what it is. At the proper time, then, the Wicked One will appear. The Mysterious Wickedness is already at work, but what is going to happen will not happen until the one who holds it back is taken out of the way. (C)Then the Wicked One will be revealed, but when the Lord Jesus comes, he will kill him with the breath from his mouth and destroy him with his dazzling presence. (D)The Wicked One will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders, 10 and use every kind of wicked deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved. 11 And so God sends the power of error to work in them so that they believe what is false. 12 The result is that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in sin, will be condemned.

You Are Chosen for Salvation

13 We must thank God at all times for you, friends, you whom the Lord loves. For God chose you as the first[a] to be saved by the Spirit's power to make you his holy people and by your faith in the truth. 14 God called you to this through the Good News we preached to you; he called you to possess your share of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, our friends, stand firm and hold on to those truths which we taught you, both in our preaching and in our letter.

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us unfailing courage and a firm hope, 17 encourage you and strengthen you to always do and say what is good.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 as the first; some manuscripts have from the beginning.

Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming

Now, dear brothers and sisters,[a] let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed—the one who brings destruction.[c] He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

Believers Should Stand Firm

13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first[d] to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:13, 15.
  2. 2:3a Some manuscripts read the man of sin.
  3. 2:3b Greek the son of destruction.
  4. 2:13 Some manuscripts read chose you from the very beginning.