2 THESSALONIANS

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2 THESSALONIANS 2:3

2 THESSALONIANS 2:3

"Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion [falling away, forsaking, apostasy] comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction," (2 Thessalonians 2:3 ESV)

According to the typical NEST interpretation of this passage, in the end times, there will be a great rebellion, (a falling away, an apostasy), as the sentence plainly states, but the NEST interpretation is taken one step further with the assertion that the rebellion is of saved people (New Covenant Christians) and so with that assertion, the interpretation goes on to state that this passage must mean that Christians can lose their eternal salvation.

The NEST is wrong. Therefore let us proceed to examine why the NEST is wrong.

The primary problem we must recognize with using this passage for a NEST interpretation is that Paul does not specifically say, in the passage, that anyone loses salvation that they already had beforehand. Actually, biblical scholars are divided on what Paul is talking about here in reference to the rebellion that is going to come, other than the fact that it is associated with the man of lawlessness. There are many theories that are shared that come from preterists, partial preterists, dispensational pre-millinialists, historicists, and so forth, concerning the rebellion and the man of lawlessness. They are all eschatological theories. Some of the eschatological theories are more plausible than others, but they are still eschatological theories. There are some that interpret this prophecy concerning the rebellion, to be the rebellion of the Israelites against Yahweh and His Messiah that culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem and the the remaining vestiges of the Old Covenant system, in AD 70. Other interpreters think this may mean those events, but that this is a double prophecy that has another future fulfillment to come. Nevertheless, one fact is clear, the man of lawlessness is a rebellious man. He is "the man of lawlessness." These facts show us that the man of lawlessness, who is the son of destruction, is part of, if not the leader of, the rebellion.

The Greek word Paul uses for the rebellion, is apostasia. It is rendered as "the rebellion" in the ESV, and NET. Apostasia also means "falling away," and "forsaking." It is merely assumed by those who hold to the NEST, that falling away from salvation, and forsaking salvation is what Paul means here. Using apostasia does not necessitate that the NEST assumption be the case, as we will soon see the scriptures clearly demonstrating. For example, the same word is also translated as "forsake" in Acts 21:21 in no sense of losing one's spiritual salvation;

"21 and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake [apostasia] Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs." (Acts 21:21)

We notice that the Greek word, apostasia in Acts 21:21 is not in any way associated with falling away from salvation. It is not in any way associated with forsaking Christ as one's Lord and Savior after having already trusted in Him by His grace through faith. Apostasia is associated with Jews forsaking Moses, which is rebelling against Moses by forsaking circumcision, and forsaking the customs. Therefore, apostasia does not necessarily mean that one who is spiritually saved, forsakes, or vacates Christ, and the Thessalonian context in no way indicates this either. The word's usage also does not necessitate that a saved person forsakes, or vacates spiritual salvation as a concept. Further, we know that apostasia-rebellion can not mean that one forsakes one's salvation that one has, because the purview of the rest of Scripture demonstrates that one can not lose eternal life in salvation, of which has been proven in this book. With these consideration in mind, we recognize that this verse does not mean that spiritually saved people will lose their spiritual salvation en-masse in something called, the end times. We recognize, though, concerning this passage that there is an expected rebellion, and the man of lawlessness will be revealed. As has been stated beforehand, this expected rebellion may be a reference to the apostate Jews that culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, or it may be a reference to that event, along with future events, in connection to the theory of double prophecies, or, according to partially fulfilled prophecies, where it is referencing some future events that are yet to come. With these things in mind, let us go through the rest of the passage, and see that Paul is not talking about Christians losing their salvation. Paul goes on;

"4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:4-10)

In the above section, we see a very important fact. We see that the people that are described around the events of the rebellion, never received the love of the truth so as to be saved. This is a key point concerning this event. What this means is that the people of the apostasy were not saved by the gospel to begin with. Further, the man of lawlessness was also not previously saved. What Paul is describing is "those who perish," and they are unsaved people who perish. The unsaved perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Not only are the unreceivers moved away from the hope of the gospel by the god (some interpret God, 2 Corinthians 4:4 as Yahweh) of this world, (as all who reject Christ are moved away from the hope of the gospel, cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4. Also see footnote 1 below) but they will be involved with the man of lawlessness in his opposition, (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:4), in the apostasia, (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3). Here it is important that we realize that those who do not perish, have eternal salvation, because they are once saved in eternal spiritual salvation; such people do not perish, as we see in John 3:16,

"For God loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish ..." (John 3:16)

To not perish demonstrates the reality of the existence of the saved. The unsaved will experience perishing. Paul goes on in the contextual flow, saying,

"11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, ..." (2 Thessalonians 2:11)

[Paul says "For this reason." The "reason" God will send the deluding influence is because these people of this apostasia already did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Paul goes on, saying that they did not believe the truth again, saying,]

"For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

It is important for us to recognize that there is no place in Scripture that even remotely confirms the bizarre notion that God sends a deluding influence upon people who are born again into the firstborn Heir, which is Christ. On the other hand, there are plenty of Scriptures that demonstrate that God does this to unsaved people; Romans 1:24, 26, 28; 11:8 are a few that demonstrate this well. Notice here that Paul is detailed, and he gives us the reason as to why God sends this deluding influence. God does it in order that all those apostasia people may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. The point is that this action is not described for anyone who was ever saved. It gets more enlightening the more we move through Paul's flow within the context of the whole passage. The next verse is the great distinction which demonstrates that Paul is talking about non-Christians as unsaved people in the prior verses, but now he starkly shows the difference between them and eternally saved Christians. We read Paul's assurance;

"13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning elected you for salvation through being set apart by the Spirit and belief [faith] in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Paul has just described the big distinction. Rather than the people of the time of rebellion; (people who receive all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the truth so as to be saved--people upon whom God sends a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness) Paul is saying that real authentic spiritually born again Christians are the reason to give God thanks because they are elected in God's predestination from the beginning for salvation through being set apart by the Spirit and faith in the truth. God called them through the gospel so that they would definitely obtain the future glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, where the mortal is put off and the immoral is put on in super-perfection. This is the big distinction between the lost people of the rebellion and authentic Christians.

Based upon all that we have covered in this section, it is clear that this verse is not a passage that proves that one can lose salvation. Further, this passage does not remotely teach that one must work to maintain keeping salvation secure, or work to be saved.
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FOOTNOTES:
(1) The phrase, "the god of this world" from 2 Corinthians 4:4, is interpreted by scholars as either Belial, Satan, or Yahweh. For a scholarly handling of the interpretive problems concerning this phrase, please refer to the book, "The Wisdom Background And Parabolic Implications of Isaiah 6: 9-10 in the Synoptics (Studies in Biblical Literature)" Dr. Donald E. Hartley, Peter Lang Publishing, June 24, 2006, ISBN: 0820486655