Pablo
The Man of Lawlessness and the Lord's Return
Paul describes the sequence of events before the day of the Lord: first comes the apostasy, and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. He exalts himself above everything called God and sets himself in God's temple. His coming is by Satan's power with signs and false wonders, but the Lord Jesus will destroy him by the brightness of his return. The chapter ends with comfort and an encouragement to the chosen to stand firm in the truth.
2 Tesalonicenses 2,1-17
1Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,
Ἐρωτῶμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, ὑπὲρ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν ἐπισυναγωγῆς ἐπʼ αὐτόν,
2do not be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed—whether by a spirit, or a word, or a letter supposedly from us—claiming that the day of the Lord has already come.
εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς ⸀μηδὲ θροεῖσθαι μήτε διὰ πνεύματος μήτε διὰ λόγου μήτε διʼ ἐπιστολῆς ὡς διʼ ἡμῶν, ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ ⸀κυρίου.
3Let no one deceive you in any way. That day will not come until the rebellion takes place and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
μή τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσῃ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον· ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀποστασία πρῶτον καὶ ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ⸀ἀνομίας, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας,
4who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, even seating himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ ⸀θεοῦ καθίσαι ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἔστιν θεός.
5Don't you remember that I told you these things while I was still with you?
οὐ μνημονεύετε ὅτι ἔτι ὢν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ταῦτα ἔλεγον ὑμῖν;
6And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at his proper time.
καὶ νῦν τὸ κατέχον οἴδατε, εἰς τὸ ἀποκαλυφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ⸀ἑαυτοῦ καιρῷ·
7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only the one who restrains it is holding it back for now, until he is taken out of the way.
τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀνομίας· μόνον ὁ κατέχων ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται.
8Then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and bring him to nothing by the splendor of his coming.
καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος, ὃν ὁ κύριος ⸀Ἰησοῦς ⸀ἀνελεῖ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ,
9The coming of the lawless one is by the working of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,
οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρουσία κατʼ ἐνέργειαν τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει καὶ σημείοις καὶ τέρασιν ψεύδους
10and with every kind of wicked deception aimed at those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἀπάτῃ ⸀ἀδικίας τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, ἀνθʼ ὧν τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἐδέξαντο εἰς τὸ σωθῆναι αὐτούς·
11For this reason God sends them a deluding power, so that they believe the lie,
καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ⸀πέμπει αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς ἐνέργειαν πλάνης εἰς τὸ πιστεῦσαι αὐτοὺς τῷ ψεύδει,
12and so all who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness will be condemned.
ἵνα κριθῶσιν ⸀πάντες οἱ μὴ πιστεύσαντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ἀλλὰ εὐδοκήσαντες ⸀τῇ ἀδικίᾳ.
13But we must always thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits for salvation, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and faith in the truth.
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,
14To this he called you through our gospel, that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
εἰς ⸀ὃ ἐκάλεσεν ὑμᾶς διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἡμῶν, εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
15So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions you were taught, whether by our spoken word or by our letter.
ἄρα οὖν, ἀδελφοί, στήκετε, καὶ κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις ἃς ἐδιδάχθητε εἴτε διὰ λόγου εἴτε διʼ ἐπιστολῆς ἡμῶν.
16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,
Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καὶ ⸀θεὸς ⸀ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἀγαπήσας ἡμᾶς καὶ δοὺς παράκλησιν αἰωνίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα ἀγαθὴν ἐν χάριτι,
17comfort your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.
παρακαλέσαι ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας καὶ ⸀στηρίξαι ἐν παντὶ ⸂ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ⸃ ἀγαθῷ.