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2 Thessalonians 2
New Catholic Bible

The Day of the Lord[a]

Chapter 2

Has the Day of the Lord Already Come?[b] 1 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we beg you, brethren: 2 do not become too easily thrown into confusion or alarmed, either by something spiritual or by a statement or by a letter claiming to come from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord is already here.[c] 3 Let no one deceive you in any way.

The Adversary and the Obstacle.[d] That Day cannot come[e] before the final rebellion occurs and the lawless one is revealed, the son of destruction. 4 He is the adversary who sets himself in opposition to, and exalts himself above, every so-called god or object of worship, and who even seats himself in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.

5 Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? 6 And you also know what is now restraining him,[f] so that he may not be revealed before his time comes. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who restrains it will continue to do so until he is removed.

The Two Comings.[g] 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him by the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

9 His coming will be the work of Satan made manifest in all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, 10 and in every wicked deception designed for those who are perishing because they refused to accept the love of the truth[h] and thereby gain salvation.

11 For this reason, God imposes on them a powerful delusion. They believe what is false, 12 so that all who have not believed the truth but instead have taken pleasure in wickedness will be condemned.

Never Weary of Doing Good[i]

Call To Remain Steadfast.[j]However, we must always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.[k] 14 It was for this purpose that he called you through our gospel so that you might come to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 Therefore, stand firm, brethren, and hold fast to the traditions[l] that you have been taught, whether by word of mouth or by a letter of ours. 16 And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through his grace gave us unending encouragement and a sure hope,[m] 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Paul uses the style and manner of apocalypses, but he speaks first and foremost as an apostle. He employs images and symbols to express where he is going and where he is leading the faithful. From the very beginning of Biblical history, God and Satan (i.e., the forces of evil) are involved in an implacable combat in which human beings are at the same time the terrain and the stakes. Christ is the conqueror of these evil forces. His victory, obtained on the cross, will be manifested on the great Day of his majestic return. We must prepare for this Coming.
  2. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Paul indicates that a problem has arisen concerning the circumstances surrounding the Day of the Lord. In times of crisis, there are always falsehood-mongers to whom the faithful give willing ear—but whom they should avoid altogether. So the Apostle intends to set forth certain features of the Day in order to correct what is being falsely claimed.
  3. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 Is already here: Paul insists that the Day of the Lord has not already come, for the final days have not begun and their completion is not imminent.
  4. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Making use of images borrowed from the Prophets and from the authors of apocalypses, Paul brings on stage the forces of evil and the true witnesses of God: they constitute respectively the adversary and the obstacle. The portrait of the adversary gathers together in one personage all the doers of evil who are based on the historical enemies of God’s people in the Old Testament—especially Antiochus IV Epiphanes (see Dan 11:36) who in his supreme folly wanted to make himself a god.
    The obstacle, which was doubtlessly well known to the Thessalonians, stands for a more obscure reality for us; it could refer to the ensemble of believers who work to bring about the Kingdom of God (see also note on 2:6 below). Even though their victory is to be awaited, it is no less assured. This victory is based upon the Paschal Mystery with its twofold aspect of Death and Resurrection. Throughout the centuries, the forces of death and the People of God never cease to confront one another in the life of the world, in the heart of each person.
  5. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 That Day cannot come: these words have been supplied in the text in order to bring out more clearly Paul’s meaning; the original sentence is incomplete. The lawless one . . . the son of destruction . . . the adversary: the leader of the rebellion, who will also come to be called “the Antichrist” (1 Jn 2:18; 4:3; 2 Jn 7).
  6. 2 Thessalonians 2:6 What is now restraining him: some suggestions about the identity of this obstacle (in addition to the one mentioned in note 2:3b-12 above) are: the Roman State and its emperor; the principle of law embodied in the state; the Holy Spirit through the Church; and the preaching of the Gospel (possibly by Paul himself), for the end could not come until the Gospel was preached to all nations (see Mk 13:10).
  7. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Paul describes what will precede the Lord’s coming. He glimpses, toward the end of human history, a spectacular offensive launched by the forces of evil under the instigation of Satan. A great apostasy will follow (see Mt 24:10-12; Lk 18:8; 21:12-19; 1 Tim 4:1). The lawless one is both anti-God and anti-Christ, but he will not have the last word. On the day, when he thinks he has conquered, he will be confronted with the dazzling manifestation of Christ and completely overcome.
  8. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 Love of the truth: one of Paul’s most felicitous expressions, it refers to love of the Gospel, the acceptance of this unprecedented gift that comes from the Father, Christ, and the Spirit. To refuse it is to exclude oneself from love forever.
  9. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Paul is thankful that he and his coworkers can look forward to salvation for themselves and for their converts. The beneficiaries of God’s saving work cannot rest on their laurels, however. They must be ever active in good works and keep the teachings (traditions) of the Church. The Apostle goes on to ask the converts to pray for him and his coworkers and calls down God’s grace on them.

    13 
    He also sets forth the proper solution for idlers. The Thessalonians must admonish idlers yet deal charitably with their mistakes. Such persons are not to be cast out of the community, but to be given frequent warnings.

  10. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Here we find the same advice as was given in the First Letter. Christian life unfolds in the love of the three divine Persons; fidelity to the authentic tradition that the apostles have transmitted in writing or by living word; prayer; and constancy of effort.
  11. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 These two verses show the harmonious working of all three Persons of the Trinity in the divine plan of salvation: God the Father chooses and calls his people; God the Son shares his glory with his own; and God the Holy Spirit imparts his sanctifying grace. From the beginning: another translation possible is: “as the firstfruits.”
  12. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Traditions: i.e., the teachings contained in tradition; they are both oral and written (see 2 Thes 2:5; 3:6; 1 Cor 11:2), just as was the case with rabbinic law (see note on Mt 15:2ff).
  13. 2 Thessalonians 2:16 Jesus is here named before the Father; despite the double subject, the verbs in the Greek text are in the singular number. Could the unity of Father and Son be better expressed?
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2 Thessalonians 2
New English Translation

The Day of the Lord

2 Now regarding the arrival[a] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him,[b] we ask you, brothers and sisters,[c] 2 not to be easily[d] shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us,[e] to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes[f] and the man of lawlessness[g] is revealed, the son of destruction.[h] 4 He[i] opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat[j] in God’s temple, displaying himself as God.[k] 5 Surely you recall[l] that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you. 6 And so[m] you know what holds him back,[n] so that he will be revealed in his own time. 7 For the hidden power of lawlessness[o] is already at work. However, the one who holds him back[p] will do so until he is taken out of the way, 8 and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord[q] will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the manifestation of his arrival. 9 The arrival of the lawless one[r] will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles[s] and signs and false wonders, 10 and with every kind of evil deception directed against[t] those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth[u] so as to be saved. 11 Consequently[v] God sends on them a deluding influence[w] so that they will believe what is false. 12 And so[x] all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned.[y]

Call to Stand Firm

13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters[z] loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning[aa] for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 He called you to this salvation[ab] through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.[ac] 15 Therefore, brothers and sisters,[ad] stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.[ae] 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you[af] in every good thing you do or say.[ag]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 tn Or perhaps “return” (cf. CEV).
  2. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 tn Grk “our gathering with him.”
  3. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.
  4. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 tn Or “quickly, soon.”
  5. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 tn Grk “as through us.”
  6. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 tn Grk “for unless the rebellion comes first.” The clause about “the day” is understood from v. 2.
  7. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 tc Most mss (A D F G Ψ 1175 1241 1505 M al lat sy) read ἁμαρτίας (hamartias, “of sin”) here, but several significant mss (א B 0278 6 81 1739 1881 2464 al co) read ἀνομίας (anomias, “of lawlessness”). Although external support for ἁμαρτίας is broader, the generally earlier and better witnesses are on the side of ἀνομίας. Internally, since ἁμαρτία (hamartia, “sin”) occurs nearly ten times as often as ἀνομία (anomia, “lawlessness”) in the corpus Paulinum, scribes would be expected to change the text to the more familiar term. At the same time, the mention of ἀνομία in v. 7 and ὁ ἄνομος (ho anomos, “the lawless one”) in v. 8, both of which look back to v. 3, may have prompted scribes to change the text toward ἀνομίας. The internal evidence is thus fairly evenly balanced. Although a decision is difficult, ἀνομίας has slightly greater probability of authenticity than ἁμαρτίας.
  8. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 tn Or “the one destined for destruction.”
  9. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 tn Grk “the one who opposes,” describing the figure in v. 3. A new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the personal pronoun (“he”) and translating the participle ἀντικείμενος (antikeimenos) as a finite verb.
  10. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 sn Allusions to Isa 14:13-14; Dan 11:36; Ezek 28:2-9 respectively.
  11. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 tn Grk “that he is God.”
  12. 2 Thessalonians 2:5 tn Grk “You do remember, don’t you?”
  13. 2 Thessalonians 2:6 tn Grk “and now,” but this shows the logical result of his previous teaching.
  14. 2 Thessalonians 2:6 tn Grk “the thing that restrains.”
  15. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 tn Grk “the mystery of lawlessness.” In Paul “mystery” often means “revealed truth, something formerly hidden but now made widely known,” but that does not make sense with the verb of this clause (“to be at work, to be active”).
  16. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 tn Grk “the one who restrains.” This gives a puzzling contrast to the impersonal phrase in v. 6 (“the thing that restrains”). The restraint can be spoken of as a force or as a person. Some have taken this to mean the Roman Empire in particular or human government in general, since these are forces that can also be seen embodied in a person, the emperor or governing head. But apocalyptic texts like Revelation and Daniel portray human government of the end times as under Satanic control, not holding back his influence. Also the power to hold back Satanic forces can only come from God. So others understand this restraint to be some force from God: the preaching of the gospel or the working of the Holy Spirit through God’s people.
  17. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 tc ‡ Several significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western traditions, as well as many other witnesses, read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Iēsous, “Jesus”) after κύριος (kurios, “Lord”; so א A D* F G Lc P Ψ 0278 33 81 104 365 1241 2464 latt sy co). But there is sufficient evidence in the Alexandrian tradition for the shorter reading (B 1739 1881), supported by the Byzantine text, Irenaeus, and other witnesses (D2vid 630 1175 1505). Although it is possible that scribes overlooked ᾿Ιησοῦς if the two nomina sacra occurred together (kMsiMs), since “the Lord Jesus” is a frequent enough appellation, it looks to be a motivated reading. NA28 places ᾿Ιησοῦς in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.
  18. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 tn Grk “whose coming,” referring to the lawless one. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek construction, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  19. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 tn Grk “every miracle.”
  20. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 tn Grk “deception for/toward.”
  21. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 tn Grk “they did not accept the love of the truth.”
  22. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 tn Grk “and for this reason.”
  23. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 tn Grk “a working of error.”
  24. 2 Thessalonians 2:12 tn Grk “that.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  25. 2 Thessalonians 2:12 tn Grk “be judged,” but in this context the term clearly refers to a judgment of condemnation (BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α; cf. KJV “that they all might be damned”). CEV views the condemnation as punishment (“will be punished”).
  26. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.
  27. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 tc ‡ Several mss (B F G P 0278 33 81 323 1505 1739 1881 al bo) read ἀπαρχήν (aparchēn, “as a firstfruit”; i.e., as the first converts) instead of ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς (ap’ archēs, “from the beginning,” found in א D K L Ψ 1175 1241 M it sa), but this seems more likely to be a change by scribes who thought of the early churches in general in this way. But Paul would not be likely to call the Thessalonians “the firstfruits” among his converts. Further, ἀπαρχή (aparchē, “firstfruit”) is a well-worn term in Paul’s letters (Rom 8:23; 11:16; 16:5; 1 Cor 15:20, 23; 16:15), while ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς occurs nowhere else in Paul. Scribes might be expected to change the text to the more familiar term. Nevertheless, a decision is difficult (see arguments for ἀπαρχήν in TCGNT 568), and ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς must be preferred only slightly.
  28. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 tn Grk “to which,” referring to the main idea of v. 13.
  29. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 sn That you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. For Paul the ultimate stage of salvation is glorification (Rom 8:30).
  30. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.
  31. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 tn Grk “that you were taught whether by word or by letter of ours.”
  32. 2 Thessalonians 2:17 tn Grk simply “strengthen,” with the object understood from the preceding.
  33. 2 Thessalonians 2:17 tn Grk “every good work and word.”
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2 Thessalonians 2
New International Version

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.

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
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