Commentary:
I. Salutation (1:1-2)
II. Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:3-12)
III. Second Coming of Christ (2:1-17)
A. False Claims about Second Coming (2:1-2)
B. False Claims Refuted (2:3-12)
C. Reassurance and Exhortation (2:13-15)
D. Prayer (2:16-17)
IV. Prayer for Evangelism and Deliverance (3:1-5)
VI. Conclusion (3:13-18)
The rebellion refers to the religious falling away (apostasy) which takes place in the latter days:
"Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray. Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved." (Mat 24:10-13).
"But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron, forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." (1 Tim 3:1-3).
"But know this: that in the last days, grievous times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding a form of godliness but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also. For some of these are people who creep into houses and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith are rejected." (2 Tim 3:1-8).
Many antichrists will continue to arise in the end times:
"Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us." (1 Jn 2:18-19).
"Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son." (1 Jn 2:22).
"and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already." (1 Jn 4:3).
"For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist." (2 Jn 7).
G. K. Beale and Benjamin L. Gladd comment, "Chapter 2 is split into two halves--the first section describes some of the precise details of Paul's corrective eschatology [2:1-12], and the second half reminds the church of the importance of sound doctrine, particularly as it pertains to eschatology [2:13-17]." (The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament, Downers Grove: IVP, 2020).
John Calvin comments, "Paul, however, does not speak of one individual, but of a kingdom, that was to be taken possession of by Satan, that he might set up a seat of abomination in the midst of God's temple--which we see accomplished in Popery. The revolt, it is true, has spread more widely, for Muhammad, as he was an apostate, turned away the Turks, his followers, from Christ. All heretics have broken the unity of the Church by their sects, and thus there have been a corresponding number of revolts from Christ." (Commentary).
John Squire comments, "Neither can any justly oppose, that argument from the opposition: Christ is one man, therefore Antichrist shall be one man. For Christ, the Head of the Church, liveth for ever himselfe: and therefore is one person. But Antichrist, the Head of Babel, is mortall and (continuing to the end of the world) must therfore be perpetuated by successiō: we haue instances in this kind. The High Priest, was the Type of Christ. The High Priest, that Type of Christ, was not one Person, but the succession. The Pope is (called) the Vicar of Christ, not one Person, but the succession. Quoad officium Papatus, omnes Papae, qui fuerunt, aut erunt, non sunt nisi Vnus Papa: All the Popes, which over were or shall be, in regard of the Function of the Papacy, are but one Pope, saith that Papist Augustine de Ancona. Even so, Antichrist is the Adversary of Christ: not one Person, but the succession. And all those Adversaries, that ever were, are, or shall bee, quoad officium, in regard of their function (to oppose Christ) they are all, but one Antichrist." (A Plain Exposition on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13, Proving the Pope to be Antichrist).
Matthew Henry comments, "By this apostasy we are not to understand a defection in the state, or from civil government, but in spiritual or religious matters, from sound doctrine, instituted worship and church government, and a holy life. The apostle speaks of some very great apostasy, not only of some converted Jews or Gentiles, but such as should be very general, though gradual, and should give occasion to the revelation of rise of antichrist, that man of sin... It was so in the Old-Testament church... for example, soon after men began to call upon the name of the Lord all flesh corrupted their way,--soon after the covenant with Noah the Babel-builders bade defiance to heaven,--soon after the covenant with Abraham his seed degenerated in Egypt,--soon after the Israelites were planted in Canaan, when the first generation was worn off, they forsook God and served Baal,--soon after God's covenant with David his seed revolted, and served other gods,--soon after the return out of captivity there was a general decay of piety, as appears by the story of Ezra and Nehemiah; and therefore it was no strange thing that after the planting of Christianity there should come a falling away." (Commentary).
Herman Bavinck writes, "Christ, therefore, is the true prophet, priest, and king; the true servant of the Lord, the true atonement (Rom. 3:25)... and his body of believers the true offspring of Abraham, the true Israel... the true temple of God (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph. 2:22; 2 Thes. 2:4; Heb. 8:2)... All Old Testament concepts shed their external, national-Israelitish meanings and become manifest in their spiritual and eternal sense." (Reformed Dogmatics: Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation, Vol 4., Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008, 661).
Francis Turretin writes, "A future universal apostasy is predicted (2 Thess. 2:3), not absolutely, but relatively because a few witnesses will survive (Rev. 11:3). And it is mentioned by the apostle for this purpose—that the believers of that time may diligently guard against being seduced." (Institutes Of Elenctic Theology, Vol. 3, translated by George M. Giger, Phillipsburg: P&RP, 1997, 18.8.19, 46).
John Gill comments, "but [the rebellion] is to be understood of a more general defection in the times of the Papacy; when not only the eastern churches were perverted and corrupted by Muhammad, and drawn off to his religion, but the western churches were most sadly depraved by the man of sin, by bringing in errors of all sorts in doctrine, making innovations in every ordinance, and appointing new ones, and introducing both Judaism and Paganism into the churches; which general defection continued until the times of the reformation, and is what the apostle has respect to in 1 Timothy 4:1 where he manifestly points out some of the Popish tenets, as forbidding marriage to priests, and ordering abstinence from meats on certain days, and at certain times of the year: this was one thing that was to precede the coming of Christ" (Commentary).
Charles Spurgeon comments, "I believe that, to a large extent, this has already happened, and that this 'man of sin' has been revealed. This 'son of perdition' has had a long, dark, and terrible reign over myriads of men, and still he sits on the seven hills of Rome, and rules over multitudes of his fellow sinners. But Paul held that it was consistent to expect the Lord to come quickly, and yet to know that certain events must occur before He did come. That is just the condition, I think, to which a man’s mind will come if he diligently and impartially reads the Scriptures, especially the prophetic parts of them. The Lord will come in such an hour as we think not, yet there are clear indications of certain things which are to happen before He does come." (Exposition).
Charles A. Wanamaker comments, "In the apocalyptic context of 2 Thessalonians 2, the rebellion referred to is a religious one [as opposed to a political rebellion]" (NIGTC, Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 1990).
Gary Shogren comments, "We need not restrict 'lawlessness' (ἀνομία) to a meaning such as 'without the Mosaic law.' Rather, it refers more broadly to the refusal to submit to the authority of God as creator, the refusal to acknowledge God as God." (1 & 2 Thessalonians, ZECNT: Grand Rapids, 2012).
Ben Witherington III comments, "So the Lawless One is some sort of rival savior or ruler figure" and "'Lawlessness' is said to be characteristic of the influence of pagans" (A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 2006).
G. K. Beale writes, "This objection [that it was too early for Paul to conceive of widespread apostacy] is deflected, however, by recalling that Paul understood the Christian community as the continuation of true Israel in the midst of which pseudo-covenant keepers could exist. This is why Paul can apply prophecies about Israel to the church throughout his writings, including the Daniel 11 prophecy about Israel’s eschatological falling away." (The Temple and the Church’s Mission, Downers Grove: IVP, 2004, 275).
Benjamin L. Gladd and Matthew S. Harmon write, "In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 Paul claims that even now the false teachers that have been prophesied by Daniel and Jesus [cf. Matt. 24:4-5, 23-24, etc.] are operating within the church... Now that the church is aware that the 'latter days' or the 'last hour' has begun, they are to remain sober minded and be on heightened alert for deceivers in the church" (Making All Things New: Inaugurated Eschatology for the Life of the Church, Grand Rapids: Baker, 2016, 88-89).
Kim Riddlebarger writes, "the appearance of this final Antichrist (Paul’s man of sin) is the culmination of that series of antichrists described by John who have plagued the church from the beginning." (A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013, 269).
James M. Hamilton Jr. writes, "The warning that the man of lawlessness will 'take his seat in the temple of God'... probably indicates that this figure will be a wolf in sheep's clothing who has infiltrated the church... The church enjoys the presense of God through the indwelling Spirit, and the church administers forgiveness of sins through the gospel, experiencing a foretaste of the age to come, having been made a regenerated (Matt 19:28; Titus 3:5) new creation (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15) by the life-giving Spirit." (Typology: Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2022, 250-251).
Haimo of Auxerre commments, "Or also, he will sit in the temple of God, that is, the Church, displaying himself as if he were a god." (Exposition of the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, translated by Kevin L. Hughes).
Christopher Carlile comments, "He sits in the Church of God, as God, he shall persecute the godly, change the Laws of God, and exalt himself above GOD, and compel all men, all Laws, all Regions to be subject to his authority. He shall feigne chastity, and continence, to deceive men too." (An Interpretation of 2 Thess 2 which describes the Antichrist, I mean the Pope, language updated by me).
John Squire comments, "From this Chapter also, it is evident that Antichrist is a secret adversary, foure wayes. First from the last verse, Antichrist is termed the Apostasie or the Apostate. Now Apostates are Heretikes, and Heretikes pretend open observance, and obedience unto Christ: Howsoever by their doctrine they oppose him secretly. Therfore since Antichrist is an Apostate, and an Heretike, hee is a secret adversary. Secondly, in this fourth verse... Antichrist shall sit in the Temple, that is, hee shall place his Throne in the Church. Antichrist therefore shall be a secret adversary in the Church: not an open adversary of the Church. Thirdly, in the 7 verse, the feates of Antichrist... blinde the Eyes, that they cannot see, and stop the mouth that they dare not say any thing concerning those secret mysteries... Finally in the 8 verse, Antichrist is sayd to be revealed. It is ridiculous to bring a Torch to behold him who doth shew himselfe in the streets, and in the sunshine. And as ridiculous it is to imagine a revelation of a manifest, professed and open adversary. But Antichrist must be revealed: therfore Antichrist can be no open, but a secret adversary." (A Plain Exposition on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13, Proving the Pope to be Antichrist).
Matthew Henry comments, "(1.) That he opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped; and thus have the bishops of Rome not only opposed God's authority, and that of the civil magistrates, who are called gods, but have exalted themselves above God and earthly governors, in demanding greater regard to their commands than to the commands of God or the magistrate. (2.) As God, he sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. As God was in the temple of old, and worshipped there, and is in and with his church now, so the antichrist here mentioned is some usurper of God's authority in the Christian church, who claims divine honours; and to whom can this better apply than to the bishops of Rome, to whom the most blasphemous titles have been given, as Dominus Deus noster papa--Our Lord God the pope; Deus alter in terrâ--Another God on earth; Idem est dominium Dei et papæ--The dominion of God and the pope is the same?" (Commentary).
James Coffman comments, "Sitteth… This is a most peculiar verb to be used in such a context; and this writer, who has seen the Pope borne into the Basilica of St. Peter, hoisted above the people and elevated above the high altar upon the shoulders of those who carry him (literally 'sitting') into the sanctuary cannot escape the deep impression that a prophecy of that very spectacle is imbedded in this remarkable verb. Who else, ever, in the history of humanity, always entered the church house 'sitting,' and even taking the Lord’s Supper 'sitting'? Luther was outraged by this, and said, 'Let the Pope stand up to take the Lord’s Supper, like any other stinking sinner.'" (Coffman's Commentaries, 1999).
F. F. Bruce comments, "few would have thought it necessary to think of a literal throne; it would simply have been regarded as a graphic way of saying that he plans to usurp the authority of God." (Word Biblical Commentary, Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 1982).
G. K. Beale comments, "Consequently, 2:3-4 teaches that the latter-day assailant will come into the midst of the church and cause it to become predominantly apostate and unbelieving... In essence, the antichrist pretends to be the ultimate Lawgiver, and the laws he gives contradict the God of the Bible's laws" (1-2 Thessalonians, IVP: Downers Grove, 2003).
Gareth L. Reese comments, "The veneration given to the Roman emperor thus serves as an ancient example of the self-exalting acclaim which the man of lawlessness will demand of all the world's inhabitants... The man of lawlessness promotes a worship worse than paganism." (1 & 2 Thessalonians, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary, SEB: Moberly, 2020).
Kim Riddlebarger writes, "Very likely, this means that Daniel foretells three different events—one associated with the coming of Antiochus Epiphanes and the profanation of the Jerusalem temple during the Maccabean wars in 167 BC, another tied to the dawn of the messianic age and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70, and then finally to an end-times profanation of the holy place by the archfoe of Israel’s Messiah." (The Man of Sin: Uncovering the Truth about the Antichrist, Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006, 127).
Ishodad of Merv comments, "Now Paul calls his being shown up a revelation, because Satan, since the coming of our Lord, has this project, how he is able to hurt men; nevertheless God hinders him; but when he is allowed, he shows his mind in action. For the mystery of iniquity has already begun; that is to say, although Satan does not complete the apostasy openly; but works many things even now as if through mysteries, and always studies by means of makers of error to turn men from the Truth." (Ishodad of Merv on 2 Thessalonians).
Matthew Henry comments, "The apostle afterwards speaks of the revelation of that wicked one, intimating the discovery which should be made of his wickedness, in order to his ruin: here he seems to speak of his rise, which should be occasioned by the general apostasy he had mentioned, and to intimate that all sorts of false doctrines and corruptions should centre in him. Great disputes have been as to who or what is intended by this man of sin and son of perdition: and, if it be not certain that the papal power and tyranny are principally or only intended, yet this is plain, What is here said does very exactly agree thereto." (Commentary).
Andy Johnson comments, "But lawlessness does stop working in a veiled way... Still, not even then will everyone recognize him... But that power of lawlessness will then have a singular public, human face that is essentially the reverse image of the singular, public human face of the Jew from Nazareth in which the glory, holiness, and character of God were displayed [2 Cor 4:6]." (1 and 2 Thessalonians, Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 2016).
Haimo of Auxerre commments, "So just as Christ, who is the head of all the elect, was prefigured secretly and in mystery long before his coming in the death of Abel, in the sacrifice of Isaac, and in King David, who slew Goliath (Goliath represented the devil, whom Christ subdued in his death and suffering), so too the devil who will be in Antichrist is prefigured secretly and in mystery in his members—obviously, in evil kings." (Exposition of the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, translated by Kevin L. Hughes).
Matthew Henry comments, "This mystery of iniquity was gradually to arrive at its height; and so it was in effect that the universal corruption of doctrine and worship in the Romish church came in by degrees, and the usurpation of the bishops of Rome was gradual, not all at once; and thus the mystery of iniquity did the more easily, and almost insensibly, prevail. The apostle justly calls it a mystery of iniquity, because wicked designs and actions were concealed under false shows and pretences, at least they were concealed from the common view and observation. By pretended devotion, superstition and idolatry were advanced; and, by a pretended zeal for God and his glory, bigotry and persecution were promoted. And he tells us that this mystery of iniquity did even then begin, or did already work. While the apostles were yet living, the enemy came, and sowed tares; there were then the deeds of the Nicolaitans, persons who pretended zeal for Christ, but really opposed him. Pride, ambition, and worldly interest of church-pastors and church-rulers, as in Diotrephes and others, were the early working of the mystery of iniquity, which, by degrees, came to that prodigious height which has been visible in the church of Rome." (Commentary).
Gene L. Green comments, "Whether we understand the final clause of v. 7 as active or passive, the verse in no way indicates that the Holy Spirit or the church will in some way be taken out of the world. This is hardly an adequate foundation for the commonly held teaching that the rapture of the church will happen sometime before the antichrist is revealed!" (The Letters to the Thessalonians, PNTC: Grand Rapids, 2002).
G. K. Beale writes, "Indeed, the sign of Jesus's death together with what 1 John 2:18 and 2 Thess. 2:6-7 have said makes it clear that the great tribulation, when the anti-christ will come, has already begun to take place... At that time [the end of the age], persecution and deception, which formerly have affected only part of the church throughout history, will be present throughout the worldwide church, at which point Christ will return a final time [see Rev. 11:1-13; 20:1-10]." (A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New, Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011, 203).
James M. Hamilton Jr. writes, "These ideas [the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds of heaven in Mat 24:3-31 and Mk 13:26-27] are based in turn on Daniel, where in chapter 7 the little horn from the fourth beast persecutes God’s people until he is suddenly destroyed, the son of man receives the kingdom, and his saints rule with him [Dan. 7:8, 11–14, 18, 23–27]." (With the Clouds of Heaven: The Book of Daniel in Biblical Theology, IVP, 2015, 192).
Oscar Cullmann writes, "According to the Synoptic passages Mark 13:10-14 and Matt. 24:13-16, it is this very Antichrist who comes after the preaching to the Gentiles, just as, according to II Thess. 2:6ff., he will come after that which 'still restrains'... other New Testament passages would suffiently attest the faith's fundamental viewpoint, according to which the mission constitutes the real meaning of the present period of redemptive history." (Christ and Time: The Primitive Christian Conception of Time and History, 3rd ed., translated by Floyd V. Filson, Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 1962, 165-166).
Matthew Henry comments, "The head of this antichristian kingdom is called that wicked one, or that lawless person who sets up a human power in competition with, and contradiction to, the divine dominion and power of the Lord Jesus Christ; but, as he would thus manifest himself to be the man of sin, so the revelation or discovery of this to the world would be the sure presage and the means of his ruin. The apostle assures the Thessalonians that the Lord would consume and destroy him; the consuming of him precedes his final destruction, and that is by the Spirit of his mouth, by his word of command; the pure word of God, accompanied with the Spirit of God, will discover this mystery of iniquity, and make the power of antichrist to consume and waste away; and in due time it will be totally and finally destroyed, and this will be by the brightness of Christ's coming. Note, The coming of Christ to destroy the wicked will be with peculiar glory and eminent lustre and brightness." (Commentary).
John Byron comments, "Although he provides no time frame for how long after the lawless one appears Jesus will come and destroy him, his reminder that Jesus will ultimately triumph is intended to reinforce the Thessalonians' hope for the future." (The Story of God, Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 1967).
Gordon Fee comments, "As with 1 Thessalonians 1:10, this appears to be an allusion to Christ as Messiah, speaking of him as presently in heaven awaiting his role in the final judgment of the wicked... where 'manifestation' is intended to emphasize not just the fact of his coming, but especially its unmistakable and evidential character." (The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians, NICNT, Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 2009).
G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson comment, "The image that Paul presents with this OT allusion, therefore, is not one whereby the man of lawlessness will be easily blown over by the mere breath of the Lord Jesus [contra Morris 1991: 231], but rather one whereby breath is a potent and fearful weapon used by the returning Christ to destroy this eschatological enemy." (Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Baker: Grand Rapids, 2007).
John Chrysostom comments, "But we have seen signs, you say. But many and great signs were also wrought in the case of Christ; much more therefore ought you to have believed in Him. And yet many things were predicted concerning this one, that he is the lawless one, that he is the son of perdition, that his coming is after the working of Satan. But the contrary concerning the other, that He is the Saviour, that He brings with Him unnumbered blessings." (Commentary).
John Squire comments, "One word for our selves. Antichrist is revealed, and therefore should be shunned, forsaken, and abhorred. The snare is discovered, bee not intangled: the Pit is layd open, plunge not your selves into voluntarie perdition. I will use that phrase to you, which Saint Paul did to the Athenians, Act. 17. 30. Your times of Ignorance God winked at: but now he commandeth you to beware. The blinded Papists which did live in the Times of Ignorance some 300, or 400 yeeres since, or doe live in the Places of Ignorance, Spaine, Italy, &c. Their invincible ignorance may give us some hope, that there is an extenuation of their fault, and may bee a mitigation of their punishment: But for men in our age or nation! for the Papists, who may: for you, who doe see so many bookes, and heare so many sermons, which are so many Proclamations, that Antichrist is revealed. Now, for Papists to cleave to him, or Protestants to fall to him: our fault is unexcusable, our punishment will be unsufferable, and our estate is, and will be most miserable." (A Plain Exposition on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13, Proving the Pope to be Antichrist).
Matthew Henry comments, "The manner of his coming, or ruling, and working: in general, that it is after the example of Satan, the grand enemy of souls, the great adversary of God and man. He is the great patron of error and lies, the sworn enemy of the truth as it is in Jesus and all the faithful followers of Jesus. More particularly, it is with Satanical power and deceit. A divine power is pretended for the support of this kingdom, but it is only after the working of Satan. Signs and wonders, visions and miracles, are pretended; by these the papal kingdom was first set up, and has all along been kept up, but they have false signs to support false doctrines; and lying wonders, or only pretended miracles that have served their cause, things false in fact, or fraudulently managed, to impose upon the people: and the diabolical deceits with which the antichristian state has been supported are notorious. The apostle calls it all deceivableness of unrighteousness. Others may call them pious frauds, but the apostle called them unrighteous and wicked frauds; and, indeed, all fraud (which is contrary to truth) is an impious thing. Many are the subtle artifices the man of sin has used, and various are the plausible pretences by which he had beguiled unwary and unstable souls to embrace false doctrines, and submit to his usurped dominion." (Commentary).
Michael W. Holmes comments, "The parallel with the coming of Jesus is obvious; this is nothing less than the 'anti-Parousia' of the Antichrist, an evil parody of the true coming of the genuine Christ, the Lord Jesus" (NIV Application Commentary, Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 1998).
John Calvin comments, "He means that errors will not merely have a place, but the wicked will be blinded, so that they will rush forward to ruin without consideration. For as God enlightens us inwardly by his Spirit, that his doctrine may be efficacious in us, and opens our eyes and hearts, that it may make its way thither, so by a righteous judgment he delivers over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28) those whom he has appointed to destruction, that with closed eyes and a senseless mind, they may, as if bewitched, deliver themselves over to Satan and his ministers to be deceived. And assuredly we have a notable specimen of this in the Papacy. No words can express how monstrous a sink of errors there is there, how gross and shameful an absurdity of superstitions there is, and what delusions at variance with common sense. None that have even a moderate taste of sound doctrine, can think of such monstrous things without the greatest horror. How, then, could the whole world be lost in astonishment at them, were it not that men have been struck with blindness by the Lord, and converted, as it were, into stumps?" (Commentary).
John Squire comments, "Here I must undertake an unpleasing taske: unpleasing to the Papists, unpleasing to some Protestants, and unpleasing to my selfe also. The Papists I know will entertaine this discourse, as the Iewes did Saint Stevens rough Sermon Act. 7. 54. it cutteth their hearts, & maketh them to gnash their teeth: it may be if their Hands were not tyed, they would hale mee out of the City, and stone me for my labour. Some Protestants also will be somewhat disaffected to this discourse: for—Veritas odium parit, right Protestants have many crooked adversaries. Finally, for my selfe: Brethren, my hearts desire, and prayer for England is, that they may bee saved. And I had rather a thousandfold preach Gods mercies, then his judgements: and mans salvation, then his damnation. But bee it never so displeasing, to never so many, and never so much: unto them, and unto my selfe: howsoever, as Ezekiel speaketh, Ezek. 31. 17. Since God hath made mee a watchman, the word I heare from his mouth I must give them warning of: I must say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely dye. Hereby liberabo animam meam, I shall deliver mine owne soule: and would it might please the Lord of heaven, that I might doe the like for them also." (A Plain Exposition on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13, Proving the Pope to be Antichrist).
Matthew Henry comments, "The persons are described who are his willing subjects, or most likely to become such. They are such as love not the truth that they may be saved. They heard the truth (it may be), but they did not love it; they could not bear sound doctrine, and therefore easily imbibed false doctrines; they had some notional knowledge of what was true, but they indulged some powerful prejudices, and so became a prey to seducers. Had they loved the truth, they would have persevered in it, and been preserved by it; but no wonder if they easily parted with what they never had any love to. And of these persons it is said that they perish or are lost; they are in a lost condition, and in danger to be lost for ever." (Commentary).
John Gill comments, "So that they call evil good, and good evil, and do not appear to have the common sense and reason of mankind, at least do not act according to it; and by giving them up to judicial blindness and hardness of heart, and to the god of this world, to blind their minds; and without this it is not to be accounted for, that the followers of antichrist should give into such senseless notions as those of transubstantiation, works of supererogation, or into such stupid practices as worshipping of images, praying to saints departed, and paying such a respect to the pretended relics of saints, as they do; but a spirit of slumber is given them, and eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, because of their rejection of the Gospel." (Commentary).
3. Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be unless the apostasy* comes first, and the man of lawlessness** is revealed, the son of destruction.
*Following the NASB, I'm using "apostasy" instead of "rebellion." The greek ἀποστασία (apostasia), from which we get the english word apostasy, can refer to a political or religious rebellion, defection, revolt, apostasy. Most modern commentators agree that the context in verses 3-4 makes it clear that Paul is referring to a religious apostasy.
**Following most modern translations, I'm using "the man of lawlessness" as opposed to "the man of sin" (see BibleHub).
Let no one deceive you in any way. By any of the above means: by pretending to a revelation from the Spirit; or to have had it from the mouth of anyone of the apostles; or to have a letter as from them, declaring the day of Christ to be instant.
The apostasy. The apocalyptic context suggests the rebellion Paul is referring to is a religious rebellion as opposed to a political rebellion. The apostle speaks of some very great apostasy, not only of some converted Jews or Gentiles, but such as should be very general, and should give occasion to the revelation of rise of antichrist, that man of sin. Though the apostacy is universal in nature, yet it is not absolute because a few witnesses will survive (Rev. 11:3). This is revealed so that believers may diligently guard against being seduced.
It was so in the Old-Testament church. For example, soon after men began to call upon the name of the Lord all flesh corrupted their way,--soon after the covenant with Noah the Babel-builders bade defiance to heaven,--soon after the covenant with Abraham his seed degenerated in Egypt,--soon after the Israelites were planted in Canaan, when the first generation was worn off, they forsook God and served Baal,--soon after God's covenant with David his seed revolted, and served other gods,--soon after the return out of captivity there was a general decay of piety, as appears by the story of Ezra and Nehemiah; and therefore it was no strange thing that after the planting of Christianity there should come a falling away.
The man of lawlessness. Not meaning that this man is without the Mosaic law but that he is characterized by his refusal to submit to God's law. Lawlessness has a connotation of pagan influence. It recalls the prophecy in Daniel 11:21-45 about Antiochus Epiphanes who thought of himself as God, plundered the temple, and killed many Jews.
4. He opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.
He opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped. The veneration demanded by the Roman emperor, the self-exaltation, refusal to submit to God, the persecution of God's people, and the evils of paganism are all pictures we get from this language. Just as the emperor would compel men to be subject to him, this figure will impose his authority on all, opposing the real God and the proper worship of Him.
So that he sits as God... setting himself up as God. This figure not only opposes God's law but makes himself out to be God. He will try to subvert God's law by setting up his own. The man of lawlessness will promote a worship even worse than the worst kind of paganism. In other words, he sets himself up as the Ultimate Lawgiver, Judge, Ruler, Savior, and object of attention.
In the temple of God. This latter-day assailant will be seated in the midst of God's people. The church is the body of Christ and the true temple of God (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph. 2:22; 2 Thes. 2:4; Heb. 8:2). In the New Covenant, Old Testament concepts shed their external, national meaning and become manifest in their spiritual and eternal sense. "The church enjoys the presense of God through the indwelling Spirit, and the church administers forgiveness of sins through the gospel, experiencing a foretaste of the age to come, having been made a regenerated (Matt 19:28; Titus 3:5) new creation (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15) by the life-giving Spirit."
Masses of people in the church will be following him to destruction. Because this figure is set up in the church, it suggests he will be a wolf in sheep's clothing who has infiltrated the church. This final Antichrist, who is the culmination of lawlessness and the culmination of the series of antichrists throughout history that have plagued the church, will be in the center of a majority of the visible apostate church.
5. Don’t you remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things?
6. Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.
He won't be working in a veiled way any longer but still many people won't recognize him. "But that power of lawlessness will then have a singular public, human face that is essentially the reverse image of the singular, public human face of the Jew from Nazareth in which the glory, holiness, and character of God were displayed [2 Cor 4:6]."
He seems to speak of his rise, which should be occasioned by the general apostasy he had mentioned, and to intimate that all sorts of false doctrines and corruptions should centre in him which will be revealed before put to an end.
7. For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.
"Indeed, the sign of Jesus's death together with what 1 John 2:18 and 2 Thess. 2:6-7 have said makes it clear that the great tribulation, when the anti-christ will come, has already begun to take place... At that time [the end of the age], persecution and deception, which formerly have affected only part of the church throughout history, will be present throughout the worldwide church, at which point Christ will return a final time [see Rev. 11:1-13; 20:1-10]."
"According to the Synoptic passages Mark 13:10-14 and Matt. 24:13-16, it is this very Antichrist who comes after the preaching to the Gentiles, just as, according to II Thess. 2:6ff., he will come after that which 'still restrains'... other New Testament passages would suffiently attest the faith's fundamental viewpoint, according to which the mission constitutes the real meaning of the present period of redemptive history."
8. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the manifestation of his coming;
"These ideas [the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds of heaven in Mat 24:3-31 and Mk 13:26-27] are based in turn on Daniel, where in chapter 7 the little horn from the fourth beast persecutes God’s people until he is suddenly destroyed, the son of man receives the kingdom, and his saints rule with him [Dan. 7:8, 11–14, 18, 23–27]."
Breath. "The image that Paul presents with this OT allusion, therefore, is not one whereby the man of lawlessness will be easily blown over by the mere breath of the Lord Jesus, but rather one whereby breath is a potent and fearful weapon used by the returning Christ to destroy this eschatological enemy."
Manifestation. "As with 1 Thessalonians 1:10, this appears to be an allusion to Christ as Messiah, speaking of him as presently in heaven awaiting his role in the final judgment of the wicked... where 'manifestation' is intended to emphasize not just the fact of his coming, but especially its unmistakable and evidential character."
9-10. even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
"The parallel with the coming of Jesus is obvious; this is nothing less than the 'anti-Parousia' of the Antichrist, an evil parody of the true coming of the genuine Christ, the Lord Jesus."
11-12. Because of this, God sends them a powerful delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.