(REFLECTIONS ON 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17)

Why do Paul, Silas, and Timothy encourage the Thessalonians to stand firm and hold to the traditions which they were taught? It is because there were forces at work that tried to turn the focus of their faith away from God, and replacing it with something other than God Himself.

At the time, there was confusion in the church. There were those that believed news that Jesus had already come. We will read in 2 Thessalonians 3, that there were also some believers that gave up on daily work, because they felt like Jesus’ return was near so why live life? Had Jesus already returned? Or was His return imminent? All this would impact the daily faith and life of believers at that time.

However, what Paul, Silas, and Timothy wanted was for the Thessalonians to not be deceived, rather to stand firm and hold to the traditions.

In today’s Scripture, we read about the “man of lawlessness,” the “son of destruction.” This is the one that comes in opposition to Jesus Christ. Yes, there is an opposing force pulling us away from Jesus and God. There is still a journey ahead for believers, and it isn’t just about believing and Jesus’ return, but about how we live a life of faith in a world that is constantly pulling us away from the truth as we want for the second coming.

3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy (falling away) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 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.

This team of Paul, Silas, and Timothy did not want the Thessalonians to be deceived by anything that was trying to replace God and God’s timing with the world’s. They warned the Thessalonians that many will fall away, many will be deceived, many will be tricked, because they do not stand firm and hold to the traditions that they were taught.

What traditions are they to hold to? It is the traditions of the prophets and the apostles, those that the Lord spoke to in the Old Testament, and the ones that Jesus walked with in New Testament. It is the traditions of the “I AM” and not just man made traditions, culture, preferences or habits that have come out in opposition. These focus on exalting oneself above all, taking the seat in the temple of God, and displaying self as being God.

Brothers and sisters, “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” There are those that will believe what is false, turning the traditions of the prophets and apostles into their own truth, and displaying this false truth as being God.

We also need to stand firm and hold to the traditions, not based on our own logic, man made traditions, culture, preferences or habits, but on the revelation through the Holy Spirit that we have been taught through the Word of God, that is His Holy Scripture, the Bible.

There are and will continue to be “power and signs and false wonders,” disguised as the truth, as the traditions, and as God. Let us not be deceived, turn our faith into what we culturally desire it to be, or stand firm and hold on to man’s traditions, but rather continue in God’s revealed truth.

May the Holy Spirit give us wisdom to discern, and the strength to stand firm and hold to the traditions from God.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: 2 Thessalonians 2