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2 Thessalonians
2:1Now, brothers and sisters, concerning the coming of our Master Jesus the Anointed and our gathering together with him:2:2Please do not be easily disturbed or alarmed in your minds or spirits, because no word or letter has come from us saying that the Day of the Master is already here.2:3Don’t let anyone fool you by any means, because that won’t happen until after the Departure, and then the Lawless One, the Destroyer, will be revealed.2:4He opposes everything and elevates himself over every god or object of worship, even to the point of seating himself in the Temple of God and proclaiming himself God.2:5You have forgotten that I told you these things when I was with you.
2:6And you know what is holding him back for now, so that he is only revealed in his time.2:7For although the secret of lawlessness is already in operation, it is only after the Restrainer is taken out of the way12:8that the Lawless One will be revealed. This is the one the Master Jesus will do away with by the breath of his mouth, and will neutralize when he appears at his arrival.2:9He will come when the Adversary is at the height of his power, which he held by means of signs and fake miracles and seduction.2:10This injustice will all have been done to those who are dying, because they would not love the truth that would save them.2:11As a result, God will send them in the wrong direction2 so they will believe the lie,2:12and in this way all who rejected the truth and celebrated injustice will be condemned.
2:13Now we should always thank God for you, sisters and brothers loved by the Master, because God favored you as the first harvest to come into salvation via the Holy Spirit, in true faith.2:14And he called you through our Gospel so you would obtain the favor of our Master Jesus the Anointed.2:15So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by word or letter from us.
2:16Now may our Master Jesus the Anointed himself, and our God and Father who loves us and graciously gives us eternal comfort and a good hope,2:17soothe your hearts and set you firmly in every good action and word.
- 1Lit. Greek, “Restrainer until out of the middle may appear”, a phrase meaning to stand out from among others. There is a technical discussion at Better Bibles Blog, and one scholar there holds that this matter of being out of the way must be understood as passive; that is, the Restrainer is taken out of the way, rather than stepping out of the way of its own volition.
- 2Trad. “a strong delusion,” but the Greek words are literally “action of diversion” (energeian planEs).