Deeper Reflection
PAUL DEVOTES TWO-THIRDS OF 2 THESSALONIANS (chapters 1 and 2) to the theme of Christ’s Second Coming: “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven” (1:7), “when He comes on that day” (1:10), “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2:1), “the day of the Lord” (2:2), “the appearance of His coming” (2:8). Before the Lord returns, His followers will face two ongoing discipleship challenges: affliction (chapter 1) and deception (chapter 2). In suffering affliction, we stand and rest with “steadfastness and faith” in the eschatological “righteous judgment of God” (1:4-8) and in the future sharing of Christ’s glory (1:10, 12). Christ will not return, unless the “man of lawlessness” appears “to deceive the church on a massive scale”²⁴ that will lead to “the apostasy” (2:3; cf. 1 Tim 4:1). But the antichrist is now being restrained from appearing; and meanwhile, “the mystery of lawlessness” – every form of deception – “is already at work” (2:6-7). So, we are now living in an “ambiguous situation, in which evil is both operative and held in check”²⁵.How then are we to live in this “ambiguous situation”? Paul “sees the present period before the parousia of Christ as the era of the word”²⁶. Thus, Paul’s emphasis in 2 Thessalonians 3 is the centrality of the Word²⁷, as indicated by “the word of the Lord” (v.1), the apostolic “command” (vv.4, 6, 10, 12), “tradition” (v.6) and “what we say” (v.14). Indeed, we “do well to pay attention” to “Scripture” “as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the Day dawns” (2 Pet 1:19-20).

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²⁴ G. K. Beale, 221 ²⁵ John R. W. Stott, 181 ²⁶ John R. W. Stott, 183 (emphasis mine) ²⁷ John R. W. Stott, 181