2 Thessalonians 2
1Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; 2to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; 3let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, 4he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. 7For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether by word, or by epistle of ours.
16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
What is 2 Thessalonians 2 about?
Having steadied them with the promise of that coming, Paul turns to correct an alarm spreading among them, a claim by spirit or word or forged letter as though from him that the day of Christ was already present. He answers that the day cannot come until the great falling away arrives and the man of sin, the son of perdition, is revealed, who exalts himself above all that is called God and sits in the temple of God claiming to be God; that lawlessness already works in secret, restrained for now, until the restrainer is taken out of the way and the Lord Jesus consumes the Wicked one with the breath of His mouth and the brightness of His coming. Against those who perish for refusing the love of the truth and so are given over to strong delusion, Paul sets the Thessalonians, whom God chose from the beginning unto salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. He therefore charges them to stand fast and hold the traditions they were taught, and prays that the Lord Himself would comfort their hearts and establish them in every good word and work. The account guards the church against both panic and deception, keeping its hope fixed on Christ's certain triumph rather than on false announcements of His arrival.
Matthew Henry on 2 Thessalonians 2