Paul's Exhortations to the Thessalonian Church 2nd Letter Volume 11

Paul Explains the Great Apostasy Part 3

2 Thessalonians 2:5-6 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. KJV

Paul was never ever, during the course of his missionary work here on the earth as the Apostle of Christ and Christ Ambassador to all of the Gentile Nations, worried about people declaring him to be someone who would repeat over and over things that he had preached or taught concerning the truth of the Word of God or the Gospel of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. Repetitiveness (to Paul) was a necessity and not to be sacrificed. For Paul it was never about the amount of words he used in expressing the truth, but it was always about the content of the words he spoke and wrote to those non-believers and believers in Jesus Christ that mattered the most to him, so here we find him reminding again these believers in the Church @ Thessalonica of these facts concerning the 2nd Coming of the Lord Jesus even during the brief time he spent with them in person (Acts 17:1-9) as he writes these words, "Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?" (2 Thessalonians 2:5) (KJV).

Note: "Here is what Albert Barnes had to say concerning what Paul is speaking of regarding what he says here in verse 5, 'The whole subject of the second coming of the Saviour seems to have constituted an important part of the instructions of Paul when at Thessalonica. He now refers them to what he had told them respecting the great apostasy, to show that his views had not changed, and that he did not mean to have them understand that the world would soon come to an end. He had stated these things to them implying that a considerable interval must elapse before the Saviour would appear. Much of the obscurity of this prophecy arises from the fact, that the Apostle alludes to things which he had told them when with them, of which we have now no knowledge. Hence, what would be perfectly clear to them, on reading this letter, is now difficult to be understood.'" (Amen! to this assessment).

Paul appaerently told them some things during that brief time spent with them in person that they needed to remember or bring back to their recollection in order to prevent themselves from being disturbed by the false prophets and false teachers speaking and teaching that the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ had already occured or was about to happen right then, therefore, Paul writes these words to them to transport them back to what he taught them about the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth and he says, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time." (2 Thessalonians 2:6) (KJV). First, Paul reminds them of what they already knew from what he taught them earlier and the little English phrase 'you know' is translated by one Greek word eido a primary verb meaning properly to see (literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perfect only) to know: - be aware, behold, have knowledge, to understand. The little English phrase 'what withholdeth' is translated by one Greek word katecho meaning to hold down (fast), in various applications (literally or figuratively): to restrain.

In other words, what Paul told them before when he was with them is what holds back or keeps back the uncovering, unveiling, or unmasking of the man of sin. What did Paul reveal to them before that is not mentioned here specifically in his second letter to them? The correct answer is we don't know. However, that has not stopped people (since the time of this letter until today) from speculating, surmising, and supposing that they know what Paul told them, for example [Olshausen] said, "The power that has restrained the man of sin from his full and final development, is the moral and conservative influence of political states", next [Alford] said, "The fabric of human polity as a coercive power".

Here is what I say, "Just as a dog bred to fight must be retsrained by a leash to keep him from attacking with all his force, so is the devil restrained from bringing himself into humanity via the man of sin while God the Holy Spirit is at work in the invisible Church of Jesus Christ, that is, every true born again, born from above, or born of the Holy Spirit believer in the earth. Only when the true believers are caught up or raptured from this earth to forever be with our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) will the devil (through the man of sin) be allowed off his leash for a short 7 year period that is and will be the 'Great Tribulation' as our Lord Jesus spoke concerning those days with these words, "For then there will be great tribulation (affliction, distress, and oppression) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now--no, and never will be [again]. And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would endure {and} survive, but for the sake of the elect (God's chosen ones) those days will be shortened." (Matthew 24:21-22) (Amplified Bible).

"In several parts of this description of the man of sin, the Apostle alludes to a conversation which had taken place between him and the members of this Church when he was at Thessalonica; and this one circumstance will account for much of the obscurity that is in these verses. Besides, the Apostle appears to speak with great caution, and does not at all wish to publish what he had communicated to them; the hints which he drops were sufficient to call the whole to their remembrance." Adam Clarke

"Paul, though he by his ministry was a very great hinderance of the growth of error, and the spread of evil practices in the Churches, and so of the more open appearance of the man of sin in his forerunners; and after his departure from Ephesus, and imprisonment at Rome, and suffering death, there was a great falling off in the Churches, and among professors of religion, which made way for the manifestation of antichrist in due time: nor the preaching of the Gospel, in its power and purity, in the several parts of the world; though so long as this obtained, got ground, and gained success, the man of sin could not show his head; and therefore it must, as it did, decline, and was gradually taken away that he might appear: nor the Spirit of God, as the Spirit of truth and holiness, though as long as He continued in His gifts and operations of grace in the Churches, they were preserved from antichristian doctrine and worship; but when he removed from them, this enemy and adversary of Christ and his Gospel came in like a flood: nor the general defection in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 though that was to be previous to the revelation of antichrist, and was to be what would usher him in; nor could he appear until the wickedness of men was come to a pitch, that they would be ready to receive him, and pay homage and worship to him." Dr. John Gill

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…