Page 53 - Pauline Epistles Student Textbook

the evil of the Antichrist.

Believers have the privilege of helping restrain the mystery of iniquity even as they look for their
blessed hope, the Savior, Jesus Christ. At His second coming, Jesus will reign as the King of kings and
the Lord of lords. By the breath of His mouth, He will destroy the works of the enemy. The Antichrist
will have “his power . . . taken away and completely destroyed forever” (Daniel 7:26)
(https://www.gotquestions.org/mystery-of-iniquity.html).

Strong Delusion
Paul emphasizes the fate of rejecters of the truth and adds more information about them. Already
Satan has gotten them to believe his lies and confused them with his deceitful measures. In doing
so, the lost have shown their refusal to believe the truth. It is like today, as scientists and scholars
view the mighty creation of God yet deny His existence and attempt to explain the creation by
impossible natural processes. Rejecting the light only leads to darkness and ignorance. And because
they deliberately reject God, God will send them a “powerful delusion so that they will believe the
lies” of Satan. The “powerful delusion” is another way of referring to “a lie.” Really, this is a lost
person’s only alternative because they have refused to love the truth (v. 10). They will be
completely defenseless against the false claims of the lawless one (v.4) and his perversion of the
Gospel. This person will become their “god” and they will believe his lying promises as absolute
truth to their destruction.

The ultimate consequence for these who are deceived will be condemnation. They will be held
responsible for their rejection of the Gospel and that they willingly choose wickedness instead. They
will see that their own desire for personal gratification will result in God’s adverse judgment against
the (cf. 1:9). This is a call for non-Christians to turn to God before the rebellion and delusion arrive
after the coming of the Lord.

Grounds for their Standing Firm (2 Thess. 2:13-17)

13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God
chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the
truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus
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Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by
our spoken word or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal
comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work
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and word. (ESV)

Thanksgiving to God; God’s Election and Means by which it is Received
Paul and his companions have been very thankful for the progressive spiritual growth of the
believers at Thessalonica. Initially, they were giving thanks to God on the behalf of the believers at
Thessalonica because of God’s election and spiritual growth demonstrated by their work produced
by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess.
1:3-4). Further, they were giving thanks to God on their behalf because of the manner they received
God’s Word which prompted them to become imitators of God’s churches in Judea which were in
Christ Jesus (1 Thess. 2:13-14). In addition, the apostles were giving thanks to God because of the
increase of their faith and love for one another (2 Thess. 2:3-4). In this section, we will learn that
Paul was giving thanks to God on their behalf because of God’s election of them as first fruits to be
saved.

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