marksman said:
When I read this it got me thinking again. if we look back on church history, we see very distinct phases for want of a better term.
It started with the apostolic age full of power, signs and wonders and virulent evangelism.
This was followed by dead formalism which brought about the roman catholic church or was it the case the RCC brought about the dead formalism?
The reformation brought us back to some of the truths of scripture and put us on the path of more vibrant expressions of faith although a lot of catholicism came with it i.e. pastor/priest; mass/communion. Same thing but expressed differently.
Then we had the revivalist period with the Wesleys, Finney, Edwards etc with an emphasis on holiness and purity.
1906 saw the introduction of the pentecostal expression of the church which has lasted to this day and which brought a re-emphasis of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but sad to say at least in the west, it has lost its power, so they seemed to be manufacturing it with personality worship.
Then in the late 50s and early 60s we saw the emergence of the charismatic, which was an opening up to the Holy Spirit's ministry in the historical churches.
Today we have what is know as the emergent church, which bases itself in the home mainly and has done away with formalism and paid leadership and reactivated the priesthood of all believers.
Christian doctrine was perverted very early on. We see this illustrated in Jude where it is written...
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The grace message was already being attacked when that was written. Paul wrote this...
Act 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
Act 20:27 For
I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that
after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Peter warned...
2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things,
be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
2Pe 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother
Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2Pe 3:16
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before,
beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
2Pe 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Jesus warned...
Mat 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them,
Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For
many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
I recommend reading the Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol 1-9 for in doing so you will see how various doctrinal positions began to develop within Christian orthodoxy.
http://www.holybooks.com/ante-nicene-fathers-vol-i-ix/
I notice an acceleration of change with the advent of the Latin Fathers which laid the ground work for the ecclesiatial system in which Augustine of Hippo found himself as a pivot of influence where the notion of the dual nature of man found acceptance. Thus it is easy to see how the Church Institution itself reigned over the souls of men and thus over time a system of sacraments was further developed.
While the Reformation threw off the tyranny of the church as a centralised ecclesiastial institution the Reformers erred in not going back to the early Apostles and the simple message that was taught by their followers (ie. Polycarp, Didache etc.). Instead they turned to Augustine and studied the scripture through the lense of Augustinian Theology.
Thus it was really the forsaking of one error only for it to be replaced with another.
Here is how I understand 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. I am always willing to be corrected but it seems pretty clear to me what Paul is saying. In a nutshell it is the REJECTION OF TRUTH which is the ROOT OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. Thus those who will perish REFUSE to come to the light whereby they may be saved.
Firstly Tis vs Anthropos
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The word Paul uses here is ANTHROPOS instead of TIS. "Anthropos" is not used to specify a "certain man" unless it is within the context of describing one as a "human being" like in Mat 9:9 where it says "a man (anthropos), named Matthew." In other words if one was to say "that man" the word "tis" would be used and not anthropos while if one is to say "that is a man" the word "anthropos" would be used.
Here is an example...
Act 9:33 And there he found a certain (TIS) man (ANTHROPOS) named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/gwview.cgi?n=444
Anthropos
Thayer's Definition
1. a human being, whether male or female
- generically, to include all human individuals
- to distinguish man from beings of a different order
of animals and plants
- of from God and Christ
- of the angels
[*]with the added notion of weakness, by which man is led into a mistake or prompted to sin
[*]with the adjunct notion of contempt or disdainful pity
[*]with reference to two fold nature of man, body and soul
[*]with reference to the two fold nature of man, the corrupt and the truly Christian man, conformed to the nature of God
[*]with reference to sex, a male
2. indefinitely, someone, a man, one
3. in the plural, people
4. joined with other words, merchantman
http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/gwview.cgi?n=5100
Tis
Thayer's Definition
- a certain, a certain one
- some, some time, a while
Thus "that man (ANTHROPOS) of sin" is a reference to MANKIND IN GENERAL and not some specific individual who would come upon the scene.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man (anthropos) of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
DECEPTION is what is going to happen. MASSIVE DECEPTION. A FALLING AWAY from the truth is going to occur and in its place is going to be DECEPTION. This is about Christianity folks! A FALSE CHRISTIANITY would rise up take the place of GENUINE CHRISTIANITY.
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Paul is speaking about the revelation of a certain KIND of man, the "man of sin." This certain kind of man is the FALSE CHRISTIAN who WORKS INIQUITY whilst PROFESSING LORD, LORD (Mat 7:22).
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
In Acts Paul warned of the WOLVES who would come in and draw people away after them (Act 20:26-31). No doubt Paul gave this warning to the Thessolonians as well.
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
Full blown iniquity was being withheld by the Spirit of Christ being wrought through His people. They preached a SOUND doctrine of righteousness and purity which served to counter that of unrighteousness and defilement. This doctrine was going to supplanted by something else and thus the influence of the genuine Gospel was going to be removed.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Yet the which was in opposition to the truth was already at work amd would come to fruition when that which was holding it back was to be removed (ie. the doctrine of Christ was going to be utterly perverted).
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Now the man (anthropos) of sin can be revealed in all its iniquity. Evil will wax worse and worse people deceiving and being deceived.
Paul warned this would happen very clearly. He warned that people will HEAP to themselves teachers who would tickle their ears. HEAPS means A LOT. Not just a few false teachers and ARMY OF FALSE TEACHERS.
2Ti 4:3 For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And
they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2Th 2:9 Even him
("Even him" is not in the Greek), whose coming
(a reference to "that wicked" which means LAWLESSNESS) is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
God Himself sends this delusion because they "received not a LOVE of the truth." We have to LOVE the truth which means we are DILIGENTLY SEEK IT OUT.
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
These people NEVER departed from iniquity. They loved their sin more than God and refused to forsake it and thus they did not receive the implanted word which would save their soul. They instead sought solace in the DECEPTION which tickles their ears.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Especially from religious people.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
The sound doctrine found in the Scripture is to make us WISE unto salvation.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That
the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
On a related note Anthropos is also used in this passage...
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a
man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
The Mark of the Beast is not what many think it is. There is a Mark of God
and a Mark of the Beast.
The Mark of God
Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Eze 9:4And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheadsof the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Eze 9:5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Eze 9:6Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Exo 13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
Deut 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deut 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Deut 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deut 6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
Luk 10:27
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 10:28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
Deut 11:18
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
Mat 6:22
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore
thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
The previous scriptures clearly show that those who are marked by God hold fast to the two greatest commandments and thus abhor sin.
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the secondislike unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
It is those who keep the commandments which shall inherit eternal life.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
The Mark of the Beast is the opposite of this single eyed devotion to God. The Mark of the Beast is believing one can sin and not surely die. It is the idea that one can walk according to the flesh and all will be ok.
The beast that dispenses the mark of the flesh by teaching that you don't have to put off the old man and its related conduct. That you can be saved IN sin. That you can be justified IN rebellion. That is what is being taught far and wide today.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld
another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. The same false church Paul warned about in 2Th 2
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Was the deadly wound perhaps Christ's victory over sin, death and the devil and it being healed it in the context of the methodology of this defeat being overthrown via false doctrine?
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
A false manifestion of the Holy Spirit perhaps? Thus people are led by signs and wonders into believing the false doctrine.
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Is the IMAGE a false Jesus? A false Jesus whose doctrine teaches that His death on the cross is a CLOAK for ongoing defilement within?
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Killed as in deprived of life whereby the true saints of God are not allowed to teach within the false church system? They cannot buy and sell so to speak?
Some food for thought me thinks. 
