1Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to him,2034 we ask you 2not to be quickly shaken in your mind. Do not be troubled by a prophecy, report, or letter allegedly from us, saying that the day of Christ has come. 3Let no one deceive you in any way! This will not take place unless the apostasy2035 comes first and the man of sin2036 is revealed, the son of destruction. 4He opposes and exalts himself over all that is called God or that is an object of religion to take his seat as God in the sanctuary of God, presenting2037 himself as a god! 5Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? 6Now you know2038 what is restraining him, so that he may be revealed in his own time. 7The mystery of lawlessness is already at work!2039 But now, there is one who restrains,2040 until he is taken out of the way. 8Then 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. 9The coming [of the lawless one] is according to Satan’s operation with all kinds of power, miracles and lying wonders,2041 10and with all deception of wickedness among those who are being lost, because they did not receive the love of the truth so that they might be saved. 11Because of this, God will send them a strong delusion so that they should believe a lie 12and those who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness shall all be judged.
13Nevertheless, we must always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning2042 for salvation through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief2043 in the truth. 14Indeed, he called you through our Good News to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15And so, brethren, stand firm and keep the traditions which we taught you, whether by word or by letter.
16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal consolation and good hope through grace, 17comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
Request for prayers—Against those who refuse to work
- See 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
- This word has the sense of “falling away” and occurs only here and in Acts 21:21 in the New Testament. It may also apply either to a political or to a religious revolt.
- CT reads “man of lawlessness”
- Or “proclaiming, claiming”
- This is an oral tradition known to the Thessalonians but about which we have no assured knowledge.
- Compare 1 John 2:18-22
- Two common possibilities for the identity of the restrainer are the Holy Spirit and the Roman Empire. This second view was favored by St. John Chrysostom; and Orthodox Christians note that the Roman Empire ended in 1453, and in an extended sense in 1917. Others have proposed James (of Jerusalem—this seems to be Eusebius’ interpretation when he writes “James himself the first bishop there, the one who is called the brother of the Lord, were still alive, and dwelling in Jerusalem itself, remained the surest bulwark of the place” in HE 3.7) or John (the Apostle) for this role. Another possibility worthy of consideration is that the restrainer was the then ruling Emperor Claudius (and Roman imperial law under his reign), and that the man of lawlessness was his successor Nero.
- Compare Revelation 13:13
- CT reads “as [the] first-fruits”
- Or “faith”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
