Lesson 11 - Comfort & Correction
Question 1: What is your understanding of the term apostasy? How does one apostatize? Can you be an apostate if you were never a believer? Note that in the Greek this is literally “the apostasy” not “an apostasy.”
Answer: What is apostasy? The word "apostasy" (Greek: apostasia) means "a falling away" or "a departure" from something. In biblical terms, it refers to someone who once professed faith in God but has turned away from that faith, abandoning what they once claimed to believe.
Can you be an apostate if you were never truly a believer? This is where things get complex. The Bible speaks of people who:
Profess faith but don't possess it (Matthew 7:21–23)
Begin well but fall away (Hebrews 6:4–6, 10:26–31)
"Go out from us" because they were never truly "of us" (1 John 2:19)
The difficult question: If someone falls away, were they ever truly saved? Scripture suggests some were never genuinely converted—they had an outward profession but no inward transformation. Others seem to have had genuine faith but abandoned it. Good Christians disagree on whether true believers can ultimately and finally apostatize. (For more on this thorny issue, check out our article about whether a genuine believer can “lose” their salvation, linked here.)
What is "THE apostasy"? Notice the definite article. Paul isn't talking about apostasy in general but "THE apostasy." This is most likely a specific, identifiable event or period. It suggests:
A particular, large-scale rebellion against God
A dramatic falling away from the faith
Something recognizable when it happens
An event that precedes Christ's return
We don't know exactly what this will look like. It could be:
A massive departure from Christian orthodoxy
A great persecution causing many to deny Christ
The revelation of the man of lawlessness within the Church
Something we can't yet imagine
Practical implications: Paul's point to the Thessalonians: these things haven't happened yet, so you haven't missed Christ's return. For us today, we should:
Guard against personal apostasy by abiding in Christ (John 15:4–6)
Watch for signs of large-scale departure from truth
Stand firm in the faith, not being "shaken" (2:2)
Remember that Christ's return comes after these events
The sobering truth: apostasy is real. Profession of faith must be backed by perseverance in faith. As Jesus warned, "the one who endures to the end, he will be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Examine your heart. Are you abiding in Christ? Then you need not fear falling away. God wants you to be saved—that is why He sent His Son to die for your sins and gave you the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. You have everything you need to abide in Christ and to endure faithfully until the end.
Question 2: To what is Paul referring when he writes of the temple of God? Is it a future rebuilt temple or believers (the Church) as the temple? How can you be certain of your interpretation?
Answer: This is another passage where honest Christians disagree, and humility is required. Let me lay out both views as fairly as I can.
View 1: A Rebuilt Physical Temple in Jerusalem Many believe Paul is referring to a literal temple that will be rebuilt in Jerusalem before Christ returns. They point out:
Jesus spoke of an "abomination of desolation" standing in "the holy place" (Matthew 24:15)
Daniel's prophecies speak of temple desecration (Daniel 9:27, 11:31)
The natural reading of "temple of God" in a letter written to Gentiles would be the Jerusalem temple
This fits with many Jewish expectations of temple restoration
Revelation seems to envision a physical temple (Revelation 11:1–2)
View 2: The Church as God's Temple Others believe Paul uses "temple of God" metaphorically here, as he often does elsewhere:
Paul repeatedly calls believers/the Church "the temple of God" (1 Corinthians 3:16–17, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19–22)
The man of lawlessness "opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god" (v. 4) - this could describe someone taking authority within the Church, claiming to be God's representative
After Christ, the physical temple was obsolete (Hebrews 9:1–10:18)
This interpretation sees a great apostasy within the Church itself
Can you be certain? No. And that's okay. Both interpretations have biblical support and are held by faithful believers.
What matters most: Paul's purpose isn't to give us a detailed end-times chart. He's correcting a lie ("the day of the Lord has already come") and comforting believers who were being deceived. His message to these worried believers is clear: don't be shaken. Certain things must happen first, and they haven't happened yet.
Whether the temple is physical or metaphorical, the truth remains: there will be a great deception, an opponent of God will be revealed, and Christ will destroy him at His coming. We wait, we watch, we stay faithful.
Rather than dividing over this question, let's unite in our common hope: "the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 8). That's what we're looking for, not the man of lawlessness.
Question 3: Based on this text, can you say with a high level of confidence who or what Paul meant when he wrote about “he who now restrains”? What does it mean that he will be “taken out of the way”?
Answer: Here's the honest truth: We don't know for certain. This is one of the most debated passages in all of Paul's letters, and godly scholars disagree. The reason is simple—Paul assumes his readers already know what he's talking about. He writes, "you know what restrains him now" (v. 6). They knew because he told them already. We don't know what he told them when Paul gave them the original instruction.
Why the mystery? Paul had taught them about this in person (v. 5), so he's just reminding them. Whatever "the restrainer" is, it was clear to them but remains unclear to us because we're missing that original context.
The main interpretations: Christians have proposed several possibilities:
The Holy Spirit - Some believe the restrainer is the Holy Spirit working through the Church. When the Church is removed (raptured), the restrainer is "taken out of the way." Potential issue: How can the Holy Spirit be removed if God is omnipresent?
Human Government - Based on Romans 13, some see governmental authority as what restrains lawlessness. When human government collapses, the man of lawlessness appears. Potential issue: Governments have collapsed before.
The Preaching of the Gospel - The proclamation of truth restrains evil. Potential issue: Seems less personal than "he who restrains."
An Angelic Being - Michael or another angel restraining evil, as in Daniel 10. Potential issue: No clear biblical precedent.
The Roman Empire specifically - Was restraining chaos in Paul's day. Potential issue: Rome fell, and the man of lawlessness didn't appear.
What we can know:
Something or someone is currently restraining the full manifestation of evil
This restraint is temporary
When removed, the man of lawlessness will be revealed
Christ will destroy the man of lawlessness when He returns
The Thessalonians hadn't missed Jesus' return (that's Paul's main point)
Practical takeaway: Don't build your theology on speculations. Paul's point isn't to satisfy our curiosity about end-times details. His point is pastoral: "Don't be shaken or disturbed" (v. 2). Jesus hasn't returned yet, and when He does, you won't miss it. Until then, stand firm and hold to the truth (v. 15).
We can disagree about the restrainer's identity and still be unified in our hope of Christ's return.
Question 4: Compare Paul's statement in v. 11 with what he wrote in Romans 1:18–32. Is he talking about the same thing? What can we learn about God's hardening?
Answer: Yes, these passages describe the same sobering reality: God's judicial hardening of those who reject His truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:10–12: "They perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them 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."
Romans 1:18–32: Those who suppress the truth receive progressive judgment:
God "gave them over" to impurity (v. 24)
God "gave them over" to degrading passions (v. 26)
God "gave them over" to a depraved mind (v. 28)
What's the pattern?
People first reject God - They don't receive the love of truth (2 Thess 2:10). They suppress the truth (Rom 1:18).
God then hardens them - He sends a deluding influence (2 Thess 2:11). He gives them over (Rom 1:24, 26, 28).
They sink deeper into deception - They believe lies (2 Thess 2:11). They do things that are not proper (Rom 1:28).
They face judgment - They are judged (2 Thess 2:12). They are worthy of death (Rom 1:32).
Key insights:
God's hardening is judicial, not arbitrary: God doesn't randomly harden people. He hardens those who have first hardened themselves against Him. It's a judgment on persistent rejection of truth.
It's progressive: Notice in Romans 1 that God "gave them over" three times. Hardening happens in stages. Each time people reject truth, their hearts grow harder, and God eventually confirms them in their chosen path.
It makes them believe their own lies: The "deluding influence" doesn't just mean God sends false teaching (though He may use false teachers). It means He removes His restraint and allows people to be consumed by the lies they've chosen to believe. They wanted falsehood; God gives them over to it.
It's a form of judgment: This isn't God arbitrarily picking some people to damn—notice that in Romans they end up reprobate (cf. Romans 1:28, KJV), they didn’t start that way. This process is God judicially responding to persistent rejection of truth. They "took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thess 2:12) and "did not see fit to acknowledge God" (Rom 1:28).
Practical lessons:
Truth rejected leads to truth withheld. If you persistently refuse God's truth, He may eventually give you what you want: life without truth. This is terrifying.
Love the truth. Paul emphasizes they perished because "they did not receive the love of the truth." It's not enough to know truth; you must love it. Do you?
Beware of persistent sin. Habitual rejection of God's commands can lead to a hardened heart. Each "no" to God makes the next "no" easier.
God's patience has limits. He doesn't harden immediately. There's a pattern of rebellion first. But eventually, persistent rejection meets judicial hardening.
If you're concerned, there's hope. The very fact that you're worried about this suggests your heart isn't yet fully hardened. Those who are completely hardened don't care. Respond to conviction while you still can.
The solution? "Receive the love of the truth." Not just intellectual assent, but genuine love for God's truth. Treasure it. Obey it. Build your life on it. This is what protects us from deception and hardening. Let the kindness and patience of God lead you to genuine, heartfelt repentance and faithfulness to His word.