What did Paul mean in 2 Thess. 2:1-3?

Answer 1

Back in Paul's day people thought the end was just around the corner. That's why many sold all that they had and gave to the church. It was insurance.

Answer 2

Paul describes the end of the world and Christ’s second coming. He says that great suffering and trouble lie ahead, but evil will not prevail, because Christ will return to judge all people. Although Paul presents a few signs of the end times, his emphasis, like Jesus’ (Mark 13), is the need for each person to prepare for Christ’s return by living rightly day by day. If we are ready, we won’t have to be concerned about the preceding events or the timing of Christ’s return. God controls all events. (See 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 for Paul’s earlier teaching on this subject.)
In the Bible, “the day of the Lord” is used in two ways: It can mean the end times (beginning with Christ’s birth and continuing until today), and it can mean the final judgment day (in the future). Because some false teachers were saying that judgment day had come, many believers were waiting expectantly for their vindication and for relief from suffering. But judgment day had not yet come; other events would have to happen first.
“A vision, a revelation, or a letter” could refer to the fact that false teaching had come from (1) someone claiming to have had a divine revelation, (2) someone passing on a teaching as though it were from Paul, or (3) someone distributing a letter supposedly written by Paul.
Throughout history there have been individuals who epitomized evil and who were hostile to everything Christ stands for (see 1 John 2:18; 4:3; 2 John 1:7). These antichrists have lived in every generation and will continue to work their evil. Then just before Christ’s second coming, “the man of lawlessness the one who brings destruction,” a completely evil man, will arise. He will be Satan’s tool, equipped with Satan’s power (2:9). This lawless man will be the Antichrist.
It is dangerous, however, to label any person as the Antichrist and to try to predict Christ’s coming based on that assumption. Paul mentions the Antichrist, not so we might identify him specifically, but so we might be ready for anything that threatens our faith. If our faith is strong, we don’t need to be afraid of what lies ahead, because we know that this lawless man has already been defeated by God, no matter how powerful he becomes or how terrible our situation seems. God is in control, and he will be victorious over the Antichrist. Our task is to be prepared for Christ’s return and to spread the Good News so that even more people will also be prepared.
When Paul first wrote to the Thessalonians, they were in danger of losing hope in the Second Coming. Then they shifted to the opposite extreme—some of them thought that Jesus would be coming at any minute. Paul tried to restore the balance by describing certain events that would happen before Christ’s return.

Answer 3

An apostasy among professed Christians was foretold by the apostle Paul at 2 Thessalonians 2:3. He specifically mentioned certain apostates, such as Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus. (1Timothy 1:19, 20; 2Timothy 2:16-19) Among the varied causes of apostasy set forth in apostolic warnings were: lack of faith (Hebrewa 3:12), lack of endurance in the face of persecution (Heb 10:32-39), abandonment of right moral standards (2Peter 2:15-22), the heeding of the “counterfeit words” of false teachers and “misleading inspired utterances” (2Peter 2:1-3; 1Timothy 4:1-3; 2Timothy 2:16-19; compare Proverbs 11:9), and trying “to be declared righteous by means of law” (Galatians 5:2-4). While still making profession of faith in God’s Word, apostates may forsake his service by treating lightly the preaching and teaching work that he assigned to followers of Jesus Christ. (Luke 6:46; Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) They may also claim to serve God but reject his representatives, his visible organization, and then turn to ‘beating’ their former associates to hinder their work. (Jude 8, 11; Numbers 16:19-21; Matthew 24:45-51) Apostates often seek to make others their followers. (Acts 20:30; 2Peter 2:1, 3) Such ones willfully abandoning the Christian congregation thereby become part of the “antichrist.” (1John 2:18, 19) As with the apostate Israelites, destruction is likewise foretold for apostates from the Christian congregation.—2Peter 2:1; Hebrews 6:4-8;

Answer 4

Thats a wake up call for all the churches who falsy teach revelations. Christians will be here for the first half of the tribulation. Thessalonians is talkin about the anti christ, since he only pops on the scene halfway though the tribulation, that shows that we will be here to see him come. Who would be here to try to save many if not?

And our rapture will be the chaos needed for him to take controll of the world as a whole when coountless peaople just vanish, chaos will reign and succumb to him and his rule untill his own end.

Why it says do not be deceived is simple toomany people think we are raptured then the tribulation begins so many will lose heart. But do NOT! Thessalonians shows the truth of things to come!

Answer 5

Over all. it means that none of God's people need to be troubled at what is taking place because the end times are here. We are not to let any false doctrines, false teachers and any methods of deceit by those outside of Christ to deceive us or to allow them to mislead or misguide us away from the truth of the gospel. The 'son of perdition' is Satan. The 'falling away' is those religions that go apostate, having abandoned God's word, going their own way and those who have accepted their false teachings. These are some of the signs of the end times: the 'falling away' (churches going apostate and abandoning the truth of the gospel) and false teachers (or antichrists) spreading their false doctrines (i.e. Koran, the Roman Catholic bible with 'the apocrypha', the book of Mormon, etc.). False teachers or antichrists are those who spread a false doctrine of deceit. A false doctrine is anything other than the bible!

Answer 6

It makes it sound like(I am saying this just from the verse and what it seems to be saying) during that time people were saying that Jesus had come back. Or that the apostles had been given some new prophecy about what would happen. They were just making sure they covering their bases to counter any new heresy. They were also informing us that the end is upon us at the coming of the anti-christ. That "man" they are referring to is Satan himself who will appear as Jesus. He will come down to earth and perform miracles and claim to be the fulfillment of prophecy. But he will lead many astray and order the persecution of the righteous.

Answer 7

Paul was telling us to watch out for false prophets, don't be deceived no matter what they say, for there are two things that must happen befor the Lord comes back...

1. There will be a time of great rebellion against God

2. The anti-Christ will come and reign and set himself up as God in the temple of God and claim to be God.

Answer 8

Paul is speaking of the second coming of Christ. It will not happen until the great apostasy, "the falling away of believers" and the Son of Perdition " the Antichrist" is revealed. So do not be decieve these things must occur first.

Answer 9

This is a tough verse.

It appears to be a man that appears in eschatological times.

The best way to study this is take the phrase "man of lawlessness" and write id on a piece of paper. Then read through the chapter and write down any description/attribute that is associated with this man. And you will get a better picture of what/who this is speaking of.

I am willing to do this with you simply IM me.

Answer 10

1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.


He meant that there would be people saying that "The End" times had already come. Probably like some of the denominations now that say Jesus' return was in 70 AD.

Answer 11

1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

It means that Jesus will come again, but do not believe false propaganda quoting their name. Note that he will not come until after humanities' Antichrist is vanquished who will come with jesus.