2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Expanded Bible
Evil Things Will Happen
2 Brothers and sisters, ·we have something to say about [L concerning] the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and ·the time when we will meet [our assembly/being gathered] together with him. 2 ·Do not [We ask/request that you don’t] become ·easily [quickly] ·upset [unsettled; shaken] in your thinking or ·afraid [disturbed; alarmed] if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come [C the time of Christ’s return and the judgments associated with it]. Someone may have said this ·in a prophecy [L by a spirit; or by the Spirit] or ·in a message [or by word of mouth] or in a letter as if it came from us [C a forged letter]. 3 Do not let anyone ·fool [deceive] you in any way. That day of the Lord [v. 2] will not come until the ·turning away from God [great rebellion; apostasy; Matt. 24:11–12; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1–5; 2 Pet. 2:3; Jude 18] happens and the Man of ·Evil[a] [Wickedness; L Lawlessness; C probably the Antichrist; 1 John 2:18; Rev. 13], ·who is on his way to hell [L the son of destruction; John 17:12], appears. 4 He will ·be against [defy; oppose] and ·put himself above [exalt himself against] any so-called god or ·anything that [any object that; or any place where] people worship [Is. 14:13–14; Ezek. 28:2–9; Dan. 11:36] ·and [or so that] he will even go into the Temple of God and sit there and ·say that he is [present himself as] God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I told you that all this would happen? 6 And ·now [so] you know what is ·stopping that Man of Evil [L restraining him; holding him back; 2:3] so he will ·appear [be revealed] at ·the right [the proper; L his own] time. 7 The ·secret power [or mystery] of ·evil [lawlessness; wickedness] is already ·working in the world [or at work], but there is one who is ·stopping that power [restraining it]. And ·he [or it] will continue to ·stop [restrain] it until ·he [or it] is taken out of the way [C this restrainer may be the Holy Spirit or human government, among other possibilities]. 8 Then that ·Man of Evil [L evil/lawless one; 2:3] will ·appear [be revealed], and the Lord Jesus[b] will ·kill [destroy] him with the breath that comes from his mouth [Is. 11:4] and will ·destroy [annihilate; put an end to] him with the ·glory [brightness; splendor; or appearance; manifestation] of his ·coming [arrival; presence]. 9 ·The Man of Evil [L …who; 2:3] will ·come [arrive] ·by the power [or at the instigation; L in accordance with the work/activity] of Satan ·and will have [or with; accompanied by] ·all kinds [or every kind] of ·false [counterfeit] ·miracles [powers], signs, and wonders. 10 He will use every ·kind of evil to trick [or wicked deception against/toward] those who are ·lost [perishing; heading toward destruction], because they refused to love the truth that would save them. 11 For this reason God sends them ·something powerful that leads them away from the truth [L a powerful/compelling/effective deception/error] so they will believe ·a lie [what is false]. 12 So all those will be ·judged guilty [condemned] who did not believe the truth, but ·enjoyed doing [delighted in; approved of] ·evil [wickedness; unrighteousness; injustice].
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Man of Evil Some Greek copies read “Man of Sin.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Jesus Some Greek copies do not have “Jesus.”
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Amplified Bible
Man of Lawlessness
2 Now in regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our [a]gathering together to meet Him, we ask you, [b]brothers and sisters,(A) 2 not to be quickly unsettled or alarmed either by a [so-called prophetic revelation of a] spirit or a message or a letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the [c]apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed],(B) 4 who opposes and exalts himself [so proudly and so insolently] above [d]every so-called god or object of worship, so that he [actually enters and] takes his seat in the temple of God, publicly proclaiming that he himself is God.(C) 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now [from being revealed]; it is so that he will be revealed at his own [appointed] time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way. 8 Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming.(D) 9 The coming of the [Antichrist, the lawless] one is through the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies], 10 and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not welcome the love of the truth [of the gospel] so as to be saved [they were spiritually blind, and rejected the truth that would have saved them]. 11 Because of this God will send upon them a misleading influence, [an activity of error and deception] so they will believe the lie, 12 in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe the truth [about their sin, and the need for salvation through Christ], but instead took pleasure in unrighteousness.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1 I.e. the rapture of believers.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Lit brethren.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Paul is referring to a specific, future event.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Or everyone who is called God.
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