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NASB | 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed], [Dan 7:25; 8:25; 1 Tim 4:1] |
Bible Question:
Recently, I've been studying about the apostacy from a Biblical perspective and an historical one. I'd be interested in what exactly is the common view among most Bible students on this subject. What is the apostacy? Please based your discussions on what the Bible says about it. At the very least, I assume most of you will include 1 Tim 4:1. God bless you all. --Rowdy |
Bible Answer: Apostasy Part 1 of 2 Apostasy (Gk apostasia) appears twice in the NT as a noun (Ac 21:21; 2Th 2:3) and here in Heb 3:12 as a verb (Gk aphistemi, translated “turn away”). The Greek term is defined as a falling away, defection, rebellion, abandonment, withdrawal or turning from what one has formerly turned to. (1) To apostatize means to sever one’s saving relationship with Christ or to withdraw from vital union with and true faith in him. Thus, individual apostasy is possible only for those who have first experienced salvation, regeneration and renewal through the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 8:13; Heb 6:4—5); it is not a mere denial of NT doctrine by the unsaved within the visible church. Apostasy may involve two separate, though related, aspects: (a) theological apostasy, i.e., a rejection of all or some of the original teachings of Christ and the apostles (lTi. 4:1; 2Ti 4:3), and (b) moral apostasy, i.e., the former believer ceases to remain in Christ and instead becomes enslaved again to sin and immorality (Isa 29:13; Mt 23:25—28; Ro 6:15—23; 8:6—13). (2) The Bible issues urgent warnings about apostasy, designed both to alert us to the deadly danger of abandoning our union with Christ and to motivate us to persevere in faith and obedience. The divine purpose of these warning passages must not be weakened by the view that states, “the warnings are real, but the possibility of actual apostasy is not.” Rather, we must see these warnings as speaking to the reality of our probationary period, and we should regard them with alarm if we want to attain final salvation. A few of the many NT warning passages are: Mt 24:4-5,11—13; Jn 15:1-6; Ac 11:21—23; 14:21—22; lCo 15:1—2; Col 1:21—23; lTi 4:1,16; 6:10—12; 2Ti 4:2—5; Heb 2:1—3; 3:6—8,12—14; 6:4—6; Jas 5:19—20; 2Pe 1:8—11; un 2:23—25. |