2 Thessalonians

1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church and called out assembly of the Thessalonians inside of God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ.

3 We are committed to thanking God and to speaking good grace always concerning you, brothers and sisters, according to your proportion and weight of value, because your faith is increasing beyond measure and the love of each one of you all is super-abounding into one another in a full back-and-forth reciprocity. 4 So for ourselves, we boast in you to the churches of God because of your steadfastness and bearing under for the sake of others, inside of all the persecutions against you and the pressures of travail within and without that you are enduring. 5 This is clear evidence of the right judgment of God as to your great value into the kingdom of God, for the sake of which you also suffer. 6 For indeed God is correct and just to give back to you against the pressures of travail you are faithfully enduring, 7 and to give you, as you are being pressured, rest with us inside of the unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ out from heaven with His mighty angels 8 inside of a flame of fire giving justice to those not knowing God and those not hearing the gospel of our Lord Jesus with submission. 9 They will pay fully and justly a season of loss and ruin away from the face of the Lord and away from the glory of His power 10 when He shall come in that day to be glorified inside of His saints and to be honored inside of all those having believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

11 For this purpose we also pray always concerning you, that you may be counted in the full value of the calling of our God, and that He may fulfill every good pleasure of goodness and work of faith inside of power 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus might be glorified inside of you and you inside of Him, down to the finest details of the grace of our God [God as the gift] and the Lord Jesus Christ.


2:1 We implore you now, brothers and sisters, for the sake of the presence of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him as assemblies of believers, 2 that you would not be hastily disturbed in mind nor alarmed, neither through spirit nor through word, nor through letter pretending to be from us, as if that particular day of the Lord is present. 3 No one should deceive you in any way, because it shall not have come before the departure first [a] and the man of lawlessness shall have been unveiled, the son of ruin and loss 4 the one opposing and lifting himself above every “called” god or object of worship so as to sit down himself into the temple of God [the Church], demonstrating by “proof” that he is “God.” [c]

a. Alluding to the fall into Roman darkness and the imposition of Nicene theology
b. Comparing back to Judas Iscariot, but forward to Constantine.
c. Clearly, to our hindsight, this is referencing Constantine as the image of the tiny and far away Nicene “super-Christ.”

5 Do you not remember that I was saying these things to you when I was with you? 6 And now you know that which is restraining until it is unveiled in its time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already energeoing; but is only presently restrained until it might become out of the midst. 8 And then lawlessness will be unveiled which the Lord Jesus will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and will render inoperative by His presence made visible and known. 9 That other is present according to the energeia of Satan inside of every fake power and signs and wonders 10 and inside of every deceit of injustice unto those perishing, for they have not welcomed the love of the truth in exchange for the purpose of their being saved. 11 And through this, God will permit them a wandering energia, into their believing what is false 12 so that all should be judged who have not believed the truth but have been well-pleased with injustice.

13 We, however, are committed to giving thanks to God always concerning you, brothers and sisters, beloved by the Lord, that God has chosen you from the beginning or source into salvation inside of being made holy of Spirit and faith of truth. 14 To this also He called you, through our gospel, into possessing the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and be strong in the traditions you were taught, whether through word or through letter from us.

16 Now our Lord Himself, Jesus Christ, and God our Father, the One having loved us and having given us age-unfolding encouragement and good hope inside of grace, 17 may He encourage your hearts, and may He strengthen you in every good work and word.


3:1 Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may develop speedily and may be glorified just as it is also towards you, 2 and that we may be rescued from out-of-place and evil men, for not all are of faith. 3 The Lord, however, is faithful, who will establish you inside of Himself and will protect you from evil. 4 Now, we are persuaded in the Lord as to you, that the things we share you are doing and will do. 5 And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness and certainty of Christ.

6 We share with you now, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you avoid every brother walking disorderly [in a way that hurts others] and not according to the tradition you received from us. 7 You yourselves know how you imitate us, because we were not disorderly among you 8 nor did we eat bread from anyone without payment, but in labor and toil we worked night and day not to put a burden on any of you. 9 Not that we don’t have the right to expect your assistance, but that we may offer ourselves as an example to you for you to imitate us.

10 Even when we were with you, we shared with you that if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat. 11 For we hear that some among you are walking disorderly, not working at all, but being meddlesome in other peoples’ labor. 12 We share and encourage those doing that inside of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, working with quietness, they may eat their own bread. 13 You, now, brothers and sisters, shall not become weary in well-doing.

14 If, then, anyone does not attend to our word through this letter, take note of such a one not to associate intimately with him, so that he might turn. 15 Yet do not suppose him as an enemy, but counsel him as a brother.

16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace through all inside of every way. The Lord be with all of you. 17 The greeting in my own hand—Paul—which is my signature in every letter. In this manner I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Let it be so – it is so.