2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 – The danger of false teachings

Paul had urged the Thessalonians to stand firm in the Lord through their tough times. He praised them for their perseverance and told them that it was the grace of God which kept them going. He was confident that everything they went through would come to an end ultimately and they will be justified by the righteous and just God.

Facing persecutions was already tough, but they had to confront a problem of another kind – false teachings. This was a different sort of attack on the church in Thessalonica. In persecution they had shown physical endurance, now what was required of them would be mental resilient. Comparing the two difficulties, we know that mental assault is usually more vicious. To confront it, Paul knew that it would require mental toughness and God’s appropriate truth. While Paul wrote to deal with this vicious challenge, he would very ably exposed the antichrist.

According to verse 1, the two issues confronting the Thessalonians were concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the gathering of the saints to Him. The problem that Paul had to deal with here was very unlike that of 1 Thessalonians. The issue in his first letter was the delay of Christ’s return. They supposed the Lord did not come soon enough and they became confused when their loved ones passed away before the Lord’s return. They wondered if their deaths would cause them to be severely disadvantaged.

Now, it appeared that rumors were going around that the day of the Lord had already come (v.2). This false report was circulating and unsettling the believers. Moreover, the rumors were purported to have come from a spirit, a message or a letter supposed to be from Paul. They borrowed Paul’s name to lend authenticity to what they were propagating.

Here, we see Paul denying connection with any of the purported sources of the rumors. He evidently said that he did not endorse any one of them. However, Paul’s primary concern was not about where the rumors had originated. His prime concern was that the Thessalonians had been taken in by the rumors. In fact, many had already been “shaken from their composure” and “were disturbed.” Paul was concerned that they had lost their convictions and become unduly anxious.

Just like in Paul’s day, false teachings are also proliferating today. There is a flurry of them - in printed pages, through seeming prophetic and teaching conferences, through internet, and etc.  There is not a more critical time than now, where the gift of discernment is more needed. Beloved, we are called to test all teachings we have heard. And this we must do if we don’t want to be distracted, hook-winked and be led down a path that leads to destruction. Let’s take time to examine the Word to ensure that we are truly living the truth.