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。

The Man of Sin

Brothers and sisters, we want to ask you something. It has to do with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It concerns the time when we will go to be with him. What if you receive a message that is supposed to have come from us? What if it says that the day of the Lord has already come? If it does, we ask you not to become easily upset or alarmed. Don’t be upset whether that message is spoken or written or prophesied. Don’t let anyone trick you in any way. That day will not come until people rise up against God. It will not come until the man of sin appears. He is a marked man. He is headed for ruin. He will oppose everything that is called God. He will oppose everything that is worshiped. He will give himself power over everything. He will set himself up in God’s temple. He will announce that he himself is God.

Don’t you remember? When I was with you, I used to tell you these things. Now you know what is holding back the man of sin. He is held back so that he can make his appearance at the right time. The secret power of sin is already at work. But the one who now holds back that power will keep doing it until he is taken out of the way. Then the man of sin will appear. The Lord Jesus will overthrow him with the breath of his mouth. The glorious brightness of Jesus’ coming will destroy the man of sin. The coming of the man of sin will fit how Satan works. The man of sin will show his power through all kinds of signs and wonders. These signs and wonders will lead people astray. 10 So people who are dying will be fooled by this evil. These people are dying because they refuse to love the truth. The truth would save them. 11 So God will fool them completely. Then they will believe the lie. 12 Many will not believe the truth. They will take pleasure in evil. They will be judged.

Remain Strong in the Faith

13 Brothers and sisters, we should always thank God for you. The Lord loves you. That’s because God chose you as the first to be saved. Salvation comes through the Holy Spirit’s work. He makes people holy. It also comes through believing the truth. 14 He chose you to be saved by accepting the good news that we preach. And you will share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 Brothers and sisters, remain strong in the faith. Hold on to what we taught you. We passed our teachings on to you by what we preached and wrote.

16 Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loved us. By his grace God gave us comfort that will last forever. The hope he gave us is good. May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father 17 comfort your hearts. May they make you strong in every good thing you do and say.

The Man of Lawlessness

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ(A) and our being gathered to him,(B) we ask you, brothers and sisters, 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) 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. 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)

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?(K) And now you know what is holding him back,(L) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 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. 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) 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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some manuscripts sin
  2. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you
  3. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Or traditions