Let no one deceive you

Context: What was the biggest concern for Thessalonians? 1 Thess 4:13-18, Rom 8:11

• Thessalonians were grieving because of people who died (fallen asleep)
  • Paul calls out that he doesn’t want them to be ignorant.  Meaning, they just didn’t know what happens next – second coming, death
  • It’s also possible that they may be focussed on second coming, so death was unexpected and shocking and they didn’t know what happens after death
• Paul explains that those who died are not lost.  In fact, they would be the first ones to be resurrected and will meet the Lord in the air, along with the ones who are still living
  • Why?
    • Because Jesus rose from the dead.
      • Those who believe in Him will also be brought back to life
    • If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells in us
      • He will also raise us from the dead
• This hope for life in Jesus and being with the Lord forever,  is unique to believers

What was troubling the Thessalonians now? v1-5, Ps 119:89, Num 23:19, Heb 13:8

• They somehow came to the conclusion that the day of Christ has already come
  • Either someone told them or someone wrote a fake letter in Paul’s name?
  • Or by spirit:
    • Like someone had a fake vision or a fake prophecy
• Implications of this conclusion:
  • If Christ has already come, they are left behind
    • There is no hope for those Thessalonian believers who are alive
      • And those who already died
• Dilemma: If there are fake letters and messages, how can they know what to believe?
  • Paul reminds them, that he already told them these things
    • The message is the same – hasn’t changed.
• Everything must be evaluated, in the light of Scripture

What are the events preceding the second coming? v3-9, Isaiah 14:12-13

• Rebellion first – the son of destruction – that is the antichrist
  • Opposes and exalts himself against God
  • He will take the seat of God, in the temple of God, setting himself up as god
  • He will have the power to perform signs and wonders
• This antichrist is the work of satan
  • Who also had the same thoughts of exalting himself
• Lord will destroy antichrist, when he comes

Who are the ones that will be judged and why? v10-12, John 3:16-18

• Those who don’t receive (welcome) the love of truth – which would have saved them
  • Therefore God allows them to believe a lie
• They will be judged because they didn’t believe the truth
  • But had pleasure in unrighteousness

Conclusion

• Scripture alone should be our ultimate source of truth. 
• God’s desire is that none should perish. (2 Peter 3:9)
  • However, we have the freewill to choose how we want to respond to His love

Main Passage 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 – World English Bible (WEB)

2 Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you 2 not to be quickly shaken in your mind, and not be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as if from us, saying that the day of Christ has already come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the rebellion[a] comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. 5 Don’t you remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things? 6 Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; 12 that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Footnotes

• 2:3 or, falling away, or, defection

Notes / Cross References

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 119:89 Yahweh, your word is settled in heaven forever.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent.  Has he said, and he won’t do it? Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good?

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Isaiah 14:12-13 12 How you have fallen from heaven, shining one, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north!

John 3:16-18 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:15-16 15 Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.