Day 189 – Monday, September 22, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

2 Thessalonians 2

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

The Great Apostasy

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until ⁵He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

(2 Thessalonians 2:1–12, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul continued to discuss the coming of the Lord. He warned them not to be fooled by claims that the Lord had already come. He told them that a falling away must happen before the coming of the Lord. The coming of a son of perdition would precede the coming of the Lord as well.
• Hew reminded them that he had told them of this already. The Holy Spirit is holding back the rise of the antichrist. Once the Holy Spirit’s manifest presence and work is removed, then the antichrist can make his move.
• Those who remain after the coming of the Lord will be deluded by the antichrist without the Holy Spirit’s work. They will be condemned for their unbelief.

Stand Fast

¹³ But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, ¹⁴ to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. 

(2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul told of his promise to give thanks for the church, because they are the chosen of God. God called them by the gospel, and they responded to His glory. They were to stand fast in that faith.
• Paul then offered a prayer that the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father would comfort their hearts and establish them in word and action.
• Let us be ready for his coming by standing faith in the gospel we have heard. Let us declare Christ and live holy until He comes!

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.