1 N ow we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,

Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. We will be gathered together to meet Him. But we ask you, Christian brothers,

2 t hat you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

do not be troubled in mind or worried by the talk you hear. Some say that the Lord has already come. People may say that I wrote this in a letter or that a spirit told them.

3 L et no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

Do not let anyone fool you. For the Lord will not come again until many people turn away from God. Then the leader of those who break the law will come. He is the man of sin.

4 w ho 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.

He works against and puts himself above every kind of god that is worshiped. He will take his seat in the house of God and say that he himself is God.

5 D o you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

Do you not remember that while I was with you, I told you this?

6 A nd you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.

You know the power that is keeping the man of sin back now. The man of sin will come only when his time is ready.

7 F or the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

For the secret power of breaking the law is already at work in the world. But that secret power can only do so much until the One Who keeps back the man of sin is taken out of the way.

8 T hen 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;

Then this man of sin will come. The Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of His mouth. The coming of Christ will put an end to him.

9 t hat is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,

Satan will use this man of sin. He will have Satan’s power. He will do strange things and many powerful works that will be false.

10 a nd 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.

Those who are lost in sin will be fooled by the things he can do. They are lost in sin because they did not love the truth that would save them.

11 F or this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,

For this reason, God will allow them to follow false teaching so they will believe a lie.

12 i n order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

They will all be guilty as they stand before God because they wanted to do what was wrong. You Belong to Those Who Believe the Truth

13 B ut we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Christian brothers, the Lord loves you. We always thank God for you. It is because God has chosen you from the beginning to save you from the punishment of sin. He chose to make you holy by the Holy Spirit and to give you faith to believe the truth.

14 I t was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It was by our preaching the Good News that you were chosen. He chose you to share the shining-greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 S o then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

So then, Christian brothers, keep a strong hold on what we have taught you by what we have said and by what we have written.

16 N ow may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,

Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loves us. Through His loving-favor He gives us comfort and hope that lasts forever.

17 c omfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

May He give your hearts comfort and strength to say and do every good thing.