The Great Apostasy

2 Now, brethren, ^(A)concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ^(B)and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ^2 (C)not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of ^[a]Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come ^(D)unless the falling away comes first, and ^(E)the man of ^[b]sin is revealed, ^(F)the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and ^(G)exalts himself ^(H)above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits ^[c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For ^(I)the ^[d]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[e]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, ^(J)whom the Lord will consume ^(K)with the breath of His mouth and destroy ^(L)with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is ^(M)according to the working of Satan, with all power, ^(N)signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among ^(O)those who perish, because they did not receive ^(P)the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And ^(Q)for this reason God will send them strong delusion, ^(R)that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but ^(S)had pleasure in unrighteousness.

God’s Promise Is Not Slack^(A)

3 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which ^(B)I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ² that you may be mindful of the words ^(C)which were spoken before by the holy prophets, ^(D)and of the commandment of ^[a]us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, ^(E)walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of ^(F)creation.” ⁵ For this they willfully forget: that ^(G)by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth ^(H)standing out of water and in the water, ^6 (I)by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷ But ^(J)the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for ^(K)fire until the day of judgment and ^[b]perdition of ungodly men.

⁸ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and ^(L)a thousand years as one day. ^9 (M)The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but ^(N)is longsuffering toward ^[c]us, ^(O)not willing that any should perish but ^(P)that all should come to repentance.

The Day of the Lord

¹⁰ But ^(Q)the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which ^(R)the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be ^[d]burned up. ¹¹ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be ^(S)in holy conduct and godliness, ^12 (T)looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will ^(U)be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will ^(V)melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for ^(W)new heavens and a ^(X)new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Be Steadfast

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent ^(Y)to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that ^(Z)the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his ^(AA)epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the ^(AB)rest of the Scriptures.

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, ^(AC)since you know this beforehand, ^(AD)beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; ^18 (AE)but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

^(AF)To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.