1   And now, brothers, about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and his gathering of us to himself: 2   I beg you, do not suddenly lose your heads or alarm yourselves, whether at some oracular utterance, or pronouncement, or some letter purporting to come from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord is already here. 3   Let no one deceive you in any way whatever. That day cannot come before the final rebellion against God, when wickedness will be revealed in human form, the man doomed to perdition. 4   He is the Enemy. He rises in his pride against every god, so called, every object of men's worship, and even takes his seat in the temple of God claiming to be a god himself.

5   You cannot but remember that I told you this while I was still with you; 6   you must now be aware of the restraining hand which ensures that he shall be revealed only at the proper time. 7   For already the secret power of wickedness is at work, secret only for the present until the Restrainer disappears from the scene. 8   And then he will be revealed, that wicked man whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, and annihilate by the radiance of his coming. 9   But the coming of that wicked man is the work of Satan. It will be attended by all the powerful signs and miracles of the Lie, 10   and all the deception that sinfulness can impose on those doomed to destruction. Destroyed they shall be, because they did not open their minds to love of the truth, so as to find salvation. 11   Therefore God puts them under a delusion, 12   which works upon them to believe the lie, so that they may all be brought to judgement, all who do not believe the truth but make sinfulness their deliberate choice.

13   But we are bound to thank God always for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because from the beginning of time God chose you ^note to find salvation in the Spirit that consecrates you, and in the truth that you believe. 14   It was for this that he called you through the gospel we brought, so that you might possess for your own the splendour of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15   Stand firm, then, brothers, and hold fast to the traditions which you have learned from us by word or by letter. 16   And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has shown us such love, and in his grace has given us such unfailing encouragement and such bright hopes, 17   still encourage and fortify you in every good deed and word!

Hope and discipline

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