2 Thessalonians / Chapter 2

2 Thessalonians 2

17 verses • SBL Greek New Testament 1 tradition available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Paul corrects a misunderstanding that the day of the Lord has already come. He insists that two events must occur first: a great rebellion (apostasia) and the revelation of the 'man of lawlessness' who will exalt himself above every so-called god, even seating himself in the temple of God and claiming to be God. Something — or someone — is currently restraining this figure, and once the restrainer is removed, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth. Those who follow the lawless one do so because they refused to love the truth. Paul then thanks God for the Thessalonians' election and urges them to stand firm in the traditions they were taught.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

This passage is one of the most debated in the Pauline corpus. The identity of the 'man of lawlessness' (ho anthrōpos tēs anomias), the 'restrainer' (to katechon / ho katechōn), and the 'mystery of lawlessness' (to mystērion tēs anomias) have generated centuries of interpretation without scholarly consensus. Paul assumes the Thessalonians already know what he means ('Do you not remember?' v. 5), leaving modern readers without the key to his allusions.

Translation Friction

We render the Greek without identifying the man of lawlessness with any specific historical or future figure. The 'restrainer' is rendered with deliberate ambiguity matching Paul's own shift between neuter (to katechon, v. 6) and masculine (ho katechōn, v. 7). The phrase 'God sends them a strong delusion' (v. 11) raises difficult theological questions about divine agency in deception, which we note without resolving.

Connections

The man of lawlessness draws on Daniel 11:36 (the king who exalts himself), Ezekiel 28:2 (the prince of Tyre who claims to be God), and Isaiah 14:13-14. Jesus's warning about false messiahs and signs (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22) parallels the deceptive signs of the lawless one. The 'breath of his mouth' destruction echoes Isaiah 11:4. The 'mystery of lawlessness' contrasts with the 'mystery' revealed in Christ (Colossians 1:26-27, Ephesians 3:3-6). **Tradition comparisons:** JST footnote at 2 Thessalonians 2:2: Day of Christ warning — 'is at hand' timing qualified See the [JST notes](/jst/2-thessalonians).

2 Thessalonians 2:1

Ἐρωτῶμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, ὑπὲρ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν ἐπισυναγωγῆς ἐπ' αὐτόν,

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,

KJV Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

ἐπισυναγωγή episynagōgē
"being gathered together" — gathering together, assembling, the eschatological reunion

Used only here and Hebrews 10:25 in the New Testament. It presupposes the teaching of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and refers to the corporate reunion of all believers with Christ.

Translator Notes

  1. The noun episynagōgēs ('gathering together, assembling') is related to the synagōgē ('synagogue, assembly') and refers to the believers' reunion with Christ at the parousia, described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The preposition epi ('to, upon') indicates movement toward Christ as the gathering point.
2 Thessalonians 2:2

εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς μηδὲ θροεῖσθαι μήτε διὰ πνεύματος μήτε διὰ λόγου μήτε δι' ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δι' ἡμῶν, ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ κυρίου.

That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by message, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is drawing near.

KJV That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Three possible sources of the false teaching are identified: dia pneumatos ('through a spirit' — a prophetic utterance), dia logou ('through a word' — oral teaching), or di' epistolēs ('through a letter' — a written communication). The phrase hōs di' hēmōn ('as if from us') suggests someone may have forged or misrepresented a Pauline letter. The verb enestēken ('has come, is present, has arrived') is perfect tense, indicating a claim that the day of the Lord had already arrived — not merely that it was near.

Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)eschatological

Day of Christ warning — 'is at hand' timing qualified

The JST footnote revises the warning not to be 'shaken in mind' that the day of Christ 'is at hand,' adjusting the temporal language to address how the Thessalonian community should understand eschatological urgency without despair.

2 Thessalonians 2:3

μή τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσῃ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον, ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀποστασία πρῶτον καὶ ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας,

Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

KJV Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας anthrōpos tēs anomias
"man of lawlessness" — the lawless one, the one characterized by rebellion against God's law

A figure who embodies opposition to God's order. Anomia ('lawlessness') is broader than specific sins — it is the rejection of divine authority itself. The figure has been identified historically with various rulers, the papacy, the Antichrist, or a future eschatological opponent. Paul's original referent remains debated.

Translator Notes

  1. The noun apostasia ('rebellion, revolt, apostasy') denotes a decisive falling away — from what is debated (from God, from faith, from political order). In the Septuagint it describes political rebellion and religious unfaithfulness. The SBLGNT reads 'man of lawlessness' (anomias) rather than 'man of sin' (hamartias) found in some manuscripts. The title 'son of destruction' (ho huios tēs apōleias) is the same title applied to Judas in John 17:12 — a person defined by and destined for ruin.

Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)eschatological

Apostasy must come first — the falling away before the Day of the Lord clarified

The JST footnote at the famous apostasy-before-return verse adjusts the description of the 'falling away' (Greek: apostasia) and the 'man of sin,' providing additional clarity consistent with Restoration Great Apostasy theology.

2 Thessalonians 2:4

ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καθίσαι ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἔστιν θεός.

He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. He will even seat himself in God's temple, claiming to be God.

KJV Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The language closely parallels Daniel 11:36 ('the king shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god'). The phrase eis ton naon tou theou ('in the temple of God') could refer to the Jerusalem temple (either the historical one or a rebuilt future temple), to the church as God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16), or to a metaphorical enthronement in the sphere of divine authority. The verb apodeiknynta ('declaring, proclaiming, showing') implies an official claim — a public self-deification.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Daniel 11:36. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
2 Thessalonians 2:5

Οὐ μνημονεύετε ὅτι ἔτι ὢν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ταῦτα ἔλεγον ὑμῖν;

Do you not remember that when I was still with you I kept telling you these things?

KJV Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This verse is both informative and frustrating for modern interpreters — Paul had taught them orally about these matters, and the Thessalonians knew what he meant. We do not have that oral teaching. The imperfect elegon ('I kept telling') indicates repeated instruction, not a single conversation. Paul's rhetorical question implies mild rebuke: they should not have been shaken by false claims about the day of the Lord.
2 Thessalonians 2:6

καὶ νῦν τὸ κατέχον οἴδατε, εἰς τὸ ἀποκαλυφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ καιρῷ.

And you know what is restraining him now, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.

KJV And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The neuter participle to katechon ('the thing that restrains') is one of the great mysteries of Pauline interpretation. Proposed identifications include the Roman Empire, the rule of law, the Holy Spirit, the preaching of the gospel, an angelic power, or God's providential timing. Paul's 'you know' (oidate) assumes shared knowledge we no longer possess. The phrase en tō heautou kairō ('at his own time') indicates the lawless one has an appointed moment of revelation, which is currently being held back.
2 Thessalonians 2:7

τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀνομίας· μόνον ὁ κατέχων ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only the one who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

KJV For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

μυστήριον mystērion
"mystery" — mystery, secret, hidden reality now being revealed

In Paul's usage, a mystērion is not a puzzle to solve but a hidden divine purpose now being disclosed. The 'mystery of lawlessness' is the covert operation of rebellion against God that will eventually be unmasked.

Translator Notes

  1. Paul shifts from the neuter 'what restrains' (v. 6) to the masculine 'the one who restrains' (ho katechōn) — possibly indicating both a force and a person behind it. The 'mystery of lawlessness' (to mystērion tēs anomias) means lawlessness is already operative but in hidden form — it has not yet been publicly revealed. The KJV's 'letteth' meant 'restrains' in 1611 English but now means the opposite, making the KJV misleading here. The phrase ek mesou genētai ('removed from the midst') does not specify who removes the restrainer.
2 Thessalonians 2:8

καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος, ὃν ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἀνελεῖ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ,

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

KJV And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb anelei ('will destroy, will slay') combined with tō pneumati tou stomatos autou ('with the breath of his mouth') echoes Isaiah 11:4: 'He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.' The lawless one's destruction is effortless — a mere breath from Jesus suffices. The phrase tē epiphaneia tēs parousias ('the appearance of his coming') combines two technical terms for Christ's return: epiphaneia ('manifestation, appearing') and parousia ('coming, presence'). The combination emphasizes visible, overwhelming presence.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Isaiah 11:4: — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
2 Thessalonians 2:9

οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρουσία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ σατανᾶ ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει καὶ σημείοις καὶ τέρασιν ψεύδους

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,

KJV Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The lawless one has his own parousia — a satanic parody of Christ's coming. The triad dynamei kai sēmeiois kai terasin ('power and signs and wonders') mirrors the language used for apostolic authentication (Romans 15:19, 2 Corinthians 12:12), but qualified by pseudous ('of falsehood, false'). The deception is not in the supernatural character of the events but in the source and purpose — they serve to deceive, not to reveal truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:10

καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἀπάτῃ ἀδικίας τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, ἀνθ' ὧν τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἐδέξαντο εἰς τὸ σωθῆναι αὐτούς·

With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. On account of the fact that they received not the devotion of the what is genuine, that they might be saved.

KJV And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase tēn agapēn tēs alētheias ('the love of the truth') is distinctive — Paul does not say they rejected the truth but that they rejected the love of truth. The disposition toward truth matters as much as intellectual assent. The present participle apollymenois ('those who are perishing') describes a current state and trajectory, not a fixed category. The deception succeeds only against those who have already refused truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:11

καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πέμπει αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς ἐνέργειαν πλάνης εἰς τὸ πιστεῦσαι αὐτοὺς τῷ ψεύδει,

For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie,

KJV And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The statement that God sends (pempei) the delusion is theologically difficult. The logic follows the Old Testament pattern of judicial hardening: when people persistently refuse truth, God confirms their choice by giving them over to it (cf. Romans 1:24-28, 'God gave them over'). The 'lie' (tō pseudei) has the definite article — 'the lie,' a specific falsehood, perhaps the claim of the lawless one to be God (v. 4). This is not arbitrary divine cruelty but the consequence of refusing truth: one is left with what one chose.
2 Thessalonians 2:12

ἵνα κριθῶσιν πάντες οἱ μὴ πιστεύσαντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ἀλλὰ εὐδοκήσαντες τῇ ἀδικίᾳ.

so that all who refused to believe the truth and took pleasure in wickedness will be condemned.

KJV That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb eudokēsantes ('took pleasure in, delighted in') is the same word used for God's good pleasure (eudokia) — but here directed toward unrighteousness. The contrast is stark: they found delight in adikia ('unrighteousness') rather than in alētheia ('truth'). Condemnation follows not just intellectual rejection but moral complicity — they enjoyed what was wrong.
2 Thessalonians 2:13

Ἡμεῖς δὲ ὀφείλομεν εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ θεῷ πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοὶ ἠγαπημένοι ὑπὸ κυρίου, ὅτι εἵλατο ὑμᾶς ὁ θεὸς ἀπαρχὴν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος καὶ πίστει ἀληθείας,

But we are obligated to give thanks to God always for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

KJV But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The SBLGNT reads aparchēn ('firstfruits') rather than ap' archēs ('from the beginning') found in some manuscripts. 'Firstfruits' portrays the Thessalonians as the initial harvest of a greater ingathering. Two means of salvation are named: hagiasmos pneumatos ('sanctification by/of the Spirit') — the Spirit's transforming work — and pistei alētheias ('faith in the truth') — the human response. Together they describe God's initiative and human reception.
2 Thessalonians 2:14

εἰς ὃ ἐκάλεσεν ὑμᾶς διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἡμῶν, εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

He called you to this through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

KJV Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The noun peripoiēsis ('obtaining, possession') appeared in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 for 'obtaining salvation.' Here the object is even grander: the glory of Christ himself. The chain is: God chose (v. 13), God called (v. 14), and the instrument of the call was 'our gospel' (dia tou euangeliou hēmōn). The human proclamation is the means of the divine call.
2 Thessalonians 2:15

Ἄρα οὖν, ἀδελφοί, στήκετε καὶ κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις ἃς ἐδιδάχθητε εἴτε διὰ λόγου εἴτε δι' ἐπιστολῆς ἡμῶν.

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught, whether by our spoken word or by our letter.

KJV Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The noun paradoseis ('traditions, things handed down') is a technical term for authoritative teaching transmitted from teacher to student. Paul uses the same word that Jesus criticizes when applied to human traditions that override God's word (Mark 7:8), but here the traditions are apostolic and Spirit-guided. The two channels — dia logou ('through spoken word') and di' epistolēs ('through letter') — validate both oral and written apostolic teaching as authoritative.
2 Thessalonians 2:16

Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καὶ ὁ θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἀγαπήσας ἡμᾶς καὶ δοὺς παράκλησιν αἰωνίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα ἀγαθὴν ἐν χάριτι,

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,

KJV Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Unusually, Paul names Christ before the Father in the prayer, perhaps because the eschatological teaching has focused on Christ's parousia. The singular participles ('who loved... and gave') with a compound subject again suggests a unity of action between Christ and the Father (cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:11). 'Eternal comfort' (paraklēsin aiōnian) and 'good hope' (elpida agathēn) are the gifts that sustain believers through present affliction and eschatological uncertainty.
2 Thessalonians 2:17

παρακαλέσαι ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας καὶ στηρίξαι ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἀγαθῷ.

Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good message and work.

KJV Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The two optative verbs — parakalesai ('comfort, encourage') and stērixai ('establish, strengthen') — complete the prayer begun in verse 16. Paul reverses the expected order to 'work and word' (ergō kai logō) rather than 'word and work,' possibly emphasizing that action accompanies and sometimes precedes verbal expression. The prayer is for inner strengthening ('hearts') manifested in outward conduct ('every good work and word').
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