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The most holy faith

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Jude, What’s new?.

What is “the most holy faith” (Jude 20)?

In Jude 1:17–23, the writer calls believers to remain faithful in their walk with God. He reminds his friends in Christ of the apostles’ predictions—that false teachers, scoffers, and faithless people would come into the church and try to divide and tear them down. Jude urges the church to resist all such efforts: “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith” (verse 20, NLT).

The “most holy faith” is the bedrock of our spiritual life, the belief in the saving work of Jesus Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection. The apostle Paul gives a similar prompting: “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught” (Colossians 2:6–7, NLT).

Jude encourages readers “to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3). The most holy faith—the believer’s trust in Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel—is the “very faith” Paul preached but had once “tried to destroy” (Galatians 1:23, NLT). After his conversion, Paul would fight “the good fight” of faith for the rest of his life (2 Timothy 4:7) and urge fellow believers to do the same: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12).

Jude calls it the “most holy” faith because it is singularly set apart from all the rest (Ephesians 4:4–6). The body of doctrine we hold—the faith we cling to—must remain pure and uncorrupted by false teaching and flashy new doctrinal additives (Galatians 1:6–9). For this reason, the author of Hebrews warns, “Do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them” (Hebrews 13:9, NLT). Strange and divisive teachings tear down our faith and lead us away from the path God has planned for us. Peter instructs, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment” (1 Peter 2:2, NLT).

Building ourselves up in the most holy faith involves a daily determination to learn as much as we can about the untainted truth of God’s Word and then obey it and live by it (see James 1:22–25; see also Acts 20:32; Hebrews 5:12; Titus 1:9). God gives us His Word to teach, correct, prepare, and equip us for “every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). The earliest believers strengthened themselves in the most holy faith when they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Jude discloses the key to building ourselves up in the most holy faith, and that is “praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20). God’s Word and prayer is the dynamic duo of spiritual growth (see Acts 6:4). Praying in the Holy Spirit “helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And . . . the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:26–28, NLT). When a Christian yields to the Spirit and is led by the Spirit in prayer, God can direct that person in His will and purposes. As a result, growth in faith is accomplished.

The most holy faith is the foundation of our Christian lives. The apostle Paul explains, “Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10–11, NLT). Christ Jesus Himself is “the chief cornerstone” of our faith (Ephesians 2:20). Believers must “stand firm in the faith” and hold to their confession of trust in Jesus Christ until the end (1 Corinthians 16:13; Philippians 1:27; Hebrews 3:14; 1 Timothy 6:20–21).

Bottomless pit

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Revelation, What’s new?.

What is the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1-12)?

“Bottomless pit” is one word in the Greek of the New Testament and is literally the “abyss,” which means “bottomless, unbounded, the pit, or the immeasurable depth.” Roman mythology featured a similar place called Orcus, a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the common receptacle of the dead and, especially, as the abode of demons. The bottomless pit of Revelation 9:1-12 holds a unique type of demon. It is also the home of the beast who makes war against the two witnesses (Revelation 11:7-8). At the beginning of the millennial kingdom, the bottomless pit is the place where Satan is bound (Revelation 20:1-3). At the end of the thousand years, Satan is released and promptly leads an unsuccessful revolt against God (Revelation 20:7-10).

The bottomless pit may be associated with a place called Tartarus. This Greek word is translated as “hell” and is used only once in Scripture, in 2 Peter 2:4. It refers to the place where “angels who sinned” are reserved in chains of darkness for judgment. The NIV says these angels in Tartarus are held in “gloomy dungeons.” These same angels are also mentioned in Jude 6 as the angels who “abandoned their own home” (cf. Genesis 6:2).

If Tartarus is the same as the Abyss, then the inhabitants of the bottomless pit are the same angels who sinned and left their first habitation. God uses the bottomless pit as a holding place for the most evil of angels, including Satan himself and those who tried and failed before the Flood to thwart God’s plan to bring the Seed of the woman into the world (Genesis 3:15). The inhabitants of the Abyss are released for a very short time during the last three and a half years of the tribulation to fulfill God’s purpose, namely, to torment the wicked (Revelation 9:5). These prisoners of the bottomless pit hate humanity and seek to destroy them, but God controls their terror and limits their power.

Weaker vessel

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in 1 Peter, What’s new?.

What does it mean that wives are the “weaker vessel” (1 Peter 3:7)?

The context of 1 Peter 3:7 is the Apostle Peter’s instructions concerning living as godly believers toward one another beginning in the home (1 Peter 3:1-12). The wife is addressed first and then the husband. This is the same order the Apostle Paul uses in Ephesians 5:22-33. Husbands are instructed to “live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel” (ESV). Other translations of 1 Peter 3:7 render the phrase “weaker partner” (NIV, CSB), “someone weaker” (NASB), or “weaker than you are” (NLT).

What does it mean that the wife is a “weaker vessel”? The passage does not specifically say. There are many speculations. The most common proposal is that 1 Peter 3:7 is referring to physical weakness since the vast majority of husbands are significantly physically stronger than their wives. Some interpreters see other ways that women are, generally speaking, weaker than men, such as being less in control of their emotions. Others point to the idea that women are more easily deceived (based on 1 Timothy 2:14). The primary problem with these theories is that this passage, and the Bible as a whole, nowhere specifically identifies ways that women are weaker than men. First Timothy 2:14 simply says that Eve was deceived. It does not say that women are more easily deceived than men.

First Peter 3:7 is not about identifying weaknesses in wives. Rather, it is about how husbands are to treat their wives. According to 1 Peter 3:7, husbands are to live with their wives in an understanding way, show them honor, and recognize that their wives are heirs with them of the grace of life. The consequence of a husband not honoring his wife is hindered prayer, something every Christian husband should strive to avoid.

While it is interesting to study what precisely Peter may have meant by “weaker vessel,” ultimately, it misses the point. Whatever “weaker vessel” means, the application is that husbands are to understand, honor, and value their wives. In context, “weaker vessel” likely carries the meaning of “worth protecting” and “something to cherish” far more than it is intended to identify specific weaknesses or in any way diminish the strength and value of wives.

Itching ears

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in 2 Timothy, What’s new?.

What does 2 Timothy 4:3 mean by itching ears?

The apostle Paul wrote a warning for the church: “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3).

The Greek word translated “itching” literally means “to itch, rub, scratch, or tickle.” To want one’s ears “tickled” is to desire massages rather than messages—sermons that charm rather than challenge, entertain rather than edify, and please rather than preach. The people Paul warns about will have, as one commentator put it, “ears which have to be continually titillated with novelties.”

“Itching ears” is a figure of speech that refers to people’s desires, felt needs, or wants. It is these desires that impel a person to believe whatever he wants to believe rather than the actual truth itself. When people have “itching ears,” they decide for themselves what is right or wrong, and they seek out others to support their notions. “Itching ears” are concerned with what feels good or comfortable, not with the truth—after all, truth is often uncomfortable. Paul’s warning is that the church would one day contain those who only opened their ears to those who would scratch their “itch.”

Those with “itching ears” only want teachers who will assure them that all is well, teachers who say, “Peace, peace . . . when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). Where there is a demand for something, the suppliers are not far away. Paul says that not only will there be great demand for watered-down, personalized messages, but there will be “a great number of teachers” willing to provide such pap and steer people away from “sound doctrine.”

Evidence today of people having “itching ears” includes the popularity of messages that people are not required to change, as if repentance were outmoded; that people are basically good; that God is too loving to judge anyone; that the cross, with all its blood, is not really necessary; and that God wants His children to be healthy, wealthy, and content in this world. As people turn their backs on the truth about sin and condemnation, they disregard their need for repentance and forgiveness. And a craving for “new” and “fresher” ideas grows—even though there is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9–10)—accompanied by a longing to feel good about who they are and where they’re going. Messages that tickle ears can fill a lot of churches, sell a lot of books, and buy a lot of time on cable tv.

Some of the early followers of Jesus complained about some of the Lord’s words: “Many of his disciples said, ʻThis is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:60, 66). Walking away from hard truth is easy to do.

In today’s postmodern church, we see many walking away from the hard truth. Some churches that once preached sound doctrine now teach as acceptable the very evils the Bible condemns. Some pastors are afraid to preach on certain passages of the Bible. “Christian feminists” deny God as a heavenly Father, calling Him a “she.” “Gay Christians” are not only welcomed without repentance into church fellowship but into the pulpit, as well.

The church’s remedy for those who have “itching ears” is found in the same passage of 2 Timothy: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). It is a solemn charge, made “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom” (verse 1). And it contains all the elements needed to combat the temptation to tickle ears: preach, correct, rebuke, and encourage. The content of preaching must be the written Word of God, and it must be preached when convenient and when inconvenient. This takes “great patience and careful instruction,” but sound doctrine is worth it.

The church’s quest to manage the comfort level of its audience must never take priority over preaching the Word. The fear of offending people’s sensibilities can never supersede the fear of offending God. Rather, the church should follow the example of the apostles: “We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).

The church today, more than ever, needs to re-examine the teachings it endorses. We need to ask ourselves the following questions:

  • Are our teachings truly from God or simply itches we want to scratch?
  • Are we standing on solid biblical grounds, or have we allowed the world to influence our thinking?
  • Have we guarded ourselves from the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6:11)?
  • Are we keeping ourselves “blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)?

The truth is, God is not concerned with scratching our itches but in transforming us into the image of His Son (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4).

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in James, What’s new?.

What does it mean that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)?

Pride is celebrated in our world. People proudly flaunt their accomplishments, possessions, or qualities they deem admirable in expectation of praise. Yet, selfish pride is a hindrance to salvation and to a fruitful relationship with God and others. James warns us about this self-focused pride when he writes, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, NLT).

In warning against pride and promoting humility, James quotes the Septuagint translation of Proverbs 3:34. Of course, James is not referring to “pride” as in the satisfaction of a job well done (Galatians 6:4) or to the kind of pride one expresses over the accomplishment of loved ones (2 Corinthians 7:4). He is referring to the kind of pride that stems from self-righteousness or conceit.

God opposes the proud because pride is sinful and a hindrance to seeking Him. Those who insist on elevating themselves and refusing to trust God as sovereign, good, and trustworthy will find their way opposed by God. Psalm 10:4 explains that the proud are so consumed with themselves that they make no room for God. The ESV words it like this: “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’” The supremacy of God and the fact that we can do nothing to inherit eternal life apart from Christ is a stumbling block for prideful people. God will oppose those attempting to be the god of their own lives. Pride refuses to bend the knee to God or repent of sin, and that keeps many people from salvation.

In contrast to God’s opposition to the proud is God’s grace to the humble. Those who humble themselves find God’s favor: “Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble” (Psalm 138:6, NLT). God shows His favor to those with a right view—a humble view—of themselves, and He promises them restoration: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15; cf. James 4:10). Note that humility in this passage is related to contrition, or repentance.

Pride can also hinder our relationship with God and others even after we are saved. In his letter, James addresses an issue among the believers, namely, their quarrels and strife with one another. The source of the issue was selfish pride. Pride negatively affects our relationships because it inflates our view of self and deflates our view of God and others. In the midst of addressing this issue, James quotes Proverbs 3:34: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (ESV).

Exalting ourselves pushes God out of His rightful place in our lives, and He will humble us “because the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:6). As we humble ourselves, He “gives grace generously” (James 4:6, NLT). God gives us grace that is sufficient to meet every need we have and every sin we face, if we are humble enough to receive it. As we decide whether we will elevate ourselves or turn to God, we must remember that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. God calls us to repent of self-righteousness, selfish demands, and proud exaltation and instead “submit [ourselves], then, to God” (James 4:7).

In a world that champions pride, Jesus commands believers to be different. Each believer is called to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4, ESV). As we humble ourselves, we will experience God’s grace and the rewards He promises: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). Since God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, may we live humble lives in the fear of the Lord (Micah 6:8).

New Testament Survey

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Bible Survey, What’s new?.

New Testament Survey

The New Testament is divided into five sections: the Gospels (Matthew through John), history (the book of Acts), the Pauline Epistles (Romans through Philemon), the General epistles (Hebrews through Jude), and prophecy (the book of Revelation). The New Testament was written from approximately A.D. 45 to approximately A.D. 95. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek (common Greek, the everyday form of the Greek language in the first century A.D.)

The Gospels give us four different, yet not conflicting, accounts of the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospels demonstrate how Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament and lay the foundation for the teaching of the rest of the New Testament. The book of Acts records the deeds of Jesus’ apostles, the men Jesus sent out into the world to proclaim the Gospel of salvation. Acts tells us of the beginning of the church and its rapid growth in the first century A.D. The Pauline Epistles, written by the Apostle Paul, are letters to specific churches – giving official Christian doctrine and the practice that should follow that doctrine. The General Epistles compliment the Pauline Epistles with additional teaching and application. The book of Revelation prophesies the events that will occur in the end times.

A survey of the New Testament is a powerful and rewarding study. The New Testament tells us of Jesus’ death on the cross on our behalf – and what our response should be to His death. The New Testament focuses on giving solid Christian teaching along with the practical results that should follow that teaching. Below are links to summaries of the various books of the New Testament. We sincerely hope you find our New Testament Survey beneficial in your walk with Christ.

Alexander the coppersmith

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Acts, New Testament Individuals, What’s new?.

Who was Alexander the coppersmith in the Bible?

Alexander the coppersmith in the Bible was a man who did significant harm to Paul’s ministry (2 Timothy 4:14). The word coppersmith is translated from the Greek word chalkeus, which means “brazier” or “a worker of metals.” The NIV translates it as “metalworker”; the ESV, KJV, and NASB have it as “coppersmith.” Some scholars believe this Alexander the coppersmith to be the same Alexander mentioned in two other places in Scripture (Acts 19:33 and 1 Timothy 1:20), although we cannot be sure, since Alexander was a common name.

The first possible mention of Alexander the coppersmith occurs in the book of Acts. During his travels through Asia, Paul encountered some Greeks who were opposed to his preaching because it was damaging their business. Demetrius was a silversmith in Ephesus who made the silver shrines of Artemis, and he in turn gave business to many other workmen in the area. As the church in Ephesus grew, sales of the idolatrous shrines fell. Demetrius got the guild of tradesmen together and stirred them up: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty” (Acts 19:25–27). During the ensuing riot, Alexander was pushed forward to make a statement to the crowd. Since he was a Jew, however, the mob refused to listen to him (verse 34). It is possible that this Alexander was Alexander the coppersmith and that, being associated with the church and being a metalworker himself, he was chosen to try to make peace in Ephesus.

Another possible mention of Alexander the coppersmith is in 1 Timothy 1:20, as Paul writes to Timothy in Ephesus. Paul says that Alexander rejected his faith and conscience (verse 19) and that Alexander and another man named Hymenaeus had been “handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme” (verse 20). Alexander, who had obviously professed faith in Christ at one point, had “shipwrecked” his faith; that is, he veered off course, away from good teaching, and drifted into the dangerous rocks of false teaching. He had refused to follow the dictates of his conscience; he was walking according to the flesh and not the Spirit (see Romans 8:5–9), claiming the name of Christ while behaving like an unbeliever. As a result, Paul had pronounced an apostolic curse upon Alexander, allowing Satan to destroy or harm the man so that his soul might still be saved (see 1 Corinthians 5:5).

In Paul’s second and last letter to Timothy, we find the only direct mention of Alexander the coppersmith. Paul says, “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to this deeds” (2 Timothy 4:14, ESV). Paul does not mention any details about the harm Alexander did, only that it was “great.” Notably, Paul did not seek personal revenge; instead, he wisely turned the matter over to the justice of God (see Proverbs 20:22; Hebrews 10:30).

Is Alexander the coppersmith, mentioned in 2 Timothy, the same Alexander whom Paul mentioned in 1 Timothy? Or is Paul’s specifying of one Alexander as “the coppersmith” meant to refer to a different person? No one can be certain. If it is the same Alexander, and if he is also linked to Acts 19, then his history would be something like this: Alexander was an influential Jewish metalworker in Ephesus. When the missionaries came to town, Alexander the coppersmith got to know them and was seemingly open to the gospel. When the unrest broke out over the Artemis sales, Alexander was chosen as a natural liaison between the silversmiths and the target of their ire. Later, Alexander showed his true colors in the church, and it became apparent that he and Hymenaeus were living for themselves, not for Christ. Paul warned Timothy, who was pastoring in Ephesus, about the situation. Later still, imprisoned in Rome, Paul rues the fact that Alexander the coppersmith had continued to damage the cause of Christ and had become a personal enemy. Possibly Alexander had used his influence and financial standing to prejudice the Roman authorities against Paul. Whatever the case, “the Lord will repay him for what he has done” (2 Timothy 4:14).

An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Matthew, What’s new?.

Why does Jesus say that “an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign” (Matthew 12:39)?

As Jesus traveled around ministering with His disciples, He performed many miracles, signs, and wonders. These signs were evidence of His divine authority, causing many to believe His message and respond to Him in faith. But the Pharisees, who also witnessed these signs, were filled with wickedness and unbelief, and they “plotted how they might kill Jesus” (Matthew 12:14). When they asked Jesus for a sign to prove He was the Messiah, the Lord saw beyond their words into their treacherous, faithless hearts. Jesus responded, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 12:39, ESV).

A similar exchange took place in Matthew 16:1–4. The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, “demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority” (verse 1, NLT). Again, Jesus confronted their unbelief, noting that they could interpret meteorological signs, but not “the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 16:2–4, ESV).

The “sign of Jonah” is a reference to Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (see Matthew 12:40; cf. Jonah 1:17). The religious leaders already had more than enough proof of Jesus Christ’s identity. They knew the messianic prophecies Christ was fulfilling. They had seen with their own eyes His miracles of healing and exorcisms. What more could He do if these signs weren’t indisputable evidence enough? Nothing, concluded Jesus. The fact that they continued seeking a sign demonstrated the hardness of their unbelieving hearts. The only definitive sign they might accept to validate Christ’s authority would be His triumph over death on the cross (Romans 6:9; 2 Timothy 1:10). The Pharisees probably did not comprehend what Jesus meant just then, but they might have remembered and understood His words after the resurrection.

Scripture teaches that it’s wise to test the legitimacy of a person who claims to be God’s prophet (1 John 4:1). Jesus wasn’t saying that it is evil or wrong to seek for a sign. God gave signs to Moses (Exodus 4:1–9) and Gideon (Judges 6:11–22) to validate His Word. He urged King Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights” (Isaiah 7:11; see also Isaiah 7:10–25). Miraculous signs are sometimes the catalyst to spark a person’s faith and trust in Jesus (see John 2:23; 11:45). God gives signs to help those struggling to believe (John 4:43–54).

The purpose of a divine sign is always to lead people to respond to God’s message in faith. The scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign to trick Jesus and ultimately destroy Him. For this reason, Jesus said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.” He perceived the rebellion and unbelief in their hearts. Moreover, Jesus recognized these men as spokespersons for an entire generation of unfaithful, unbelieving people.

The term adulterous generation refers to the Old Testament concept that adultery or sexual infidelity, in a spiritual sense, is equivalent to apostasy or idolatry (see Jeremiah 3:20; Isaiah 57:3; Ezekiel 16:32; Hosea 1—3). Jesus said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). James wrote, “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God” (James 4:4, NLT). God considers His spiritual union with His people to be as intimate and exclusive as the bond between a husband and wife (see Ezekiel 16:8; Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:14; 31:32; Ephesians 5:31–32).

Believing people with faithful hearts may indeed be given a sign from God—to confirm His Word (Hebrews 2:3–4; Mark 16:20); to assure them of His presence (Exodus 3:1–5); to demonstrate His power (Jeremiah 32:21); to warn against rebellion (Numbers 17:10; 1 Samuel 2:34); and to encourage them (Deuteronomy 7:17–19; Matthew 2:9–10). The insincere unbelievers of “an evil and adulterous generation” in Jesus’ day sought for a sign, but none was given to it except the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mystery of iniquity

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in 2 Thessalonians, What’s new?.

What is the mystery of iniquity?

The phrase the mystery of iniquity occurs in the KJV of 2 Thessalonians 2:7, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” Other translations render the phrase as “the secret power of lawlessness” (NIV) or “the mystery of lawlessness” (ESV and NASB). Before we attempt to interpret the meaning of this phrase, let’s look at the context of the passage in question:

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:1–12, emphasis added).

Paul’s intent in this passage is to correct a false teaching that was being propagated, namely, that the Day of the Lord (the end times’ judgment) had already come and the Christians of Thessalonica had been left behind to endure it. Paul wants to set the record straight about Christ’s return and our gathering together to Him—the rapture. Paul states that the two events that go before the Day of the Lord are the apostasy (or “the rebellion”) and the revelation of the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist). The “mystery of iniquity” that will one day culminate in the appearance of the Antichrist is already at work in the world, but it is being restrained for now so that the world is not as evil as it could be (but will be, once the Restrainer is removed from the world).

What is the apostasy? The Greek word apostasia in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 means “departure, falling away, defection, revolt.” This end times’ apostasy is the mass “falling away” of people from God as the world prepares to receive the lawless one who claims to be God (verse 4). It is an unprecedented, worldwide revolt against all things godly, and even many who claim to be Christians will be caught up in it. Another possibility, espoused by a small minority of scholars, is that the “apostasy” is the “departure” of the church from the world, that is, the rapture that Paul alludes to in verse 1 and which he had previously discussed in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. It is important to note that a pre-trib interpretation does not require equating apostasia with the rapture.

Who is this man of lawlessness? He is a literal person, often referred to as the Antichrist. He will be Satan’s henchman, a pseudo-Christ who will perform miracles, signs, and wonders by the power of Satan and ultimately deceive the world. John wrote that many antichrists will precede the coming of the ultimate Antichrist (1 John 2:18), referred to as “the beast” in Revelation 13:1–10, “the little horn” in Daniel 7:8, and “the king who does as he pleases” in Daniel 11:36.

The mystery of iniquity is already at work in the world. The forces that would bring the Antichrist to power are eager to establish his unholy kingdom, but they are currently being restrained (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7). What or who is the Restrainer? Possibilities include the Holy Spirit, the church, human governments, and angels. The Thessalonians knew the identity of the Restrainer, so Paul did not elaborate (verse 6). We believe the best answer is that the Holy Spirit is the Restrainer. The Spirit convicts the world and indwells the church, enabling God’s people to be a limiting influence on the world’s evil. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the world is right now thwarting the revelation of the man of lawlessness. Wickedness gets no traction in seizing global power—but this will change. Upon the departure of the church from this earth (at which time the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence will depart), the mystery of iniquity will have free rein, and the tribulation on earth will begin (Matthew 24).

What exactly is the mystery of iniquity (KJV) or the secret power of lawlessness (NIV) that is being restrained by the Holy Spirit? The word mystery denotes something hidden for a time before God chooses to reveal it. Some “mysteries” revealed in the New Testament include the doctrine of the Gentile church (Romans 16:25–27; Ephesians 3:4–12; Colossians 1:25–27) and the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51–52). This particular “mystery” in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 concerns the working of lawlessness in the world, leading to a worldwide rebellion against God. It works in secret right now, but it is working. The revelation of this lawlessness will coincide with the revelation of the Antichrist, mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:8. The man of sin’s rise to power will represent a climax of lawlessness, a satanic movement against the administration of God. This secret, behind-the-scenes movement is as yet restrained but waiting to be revealed.

The mystery of iniquity has been at work for a long time—since Paul’s day—and, when it finally erupts in all its hideousness, the world will be shaken to its core. The Antichrist, who leads the descent into lawlessness, will set a new standard of depravity. The enormity of the acts of moral monsters such as Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Robespierre, and Caligula will pale in comparison to the evil of the Antichrist.

Believers have the privilege of helping restrain the mystery of iniquity even as they look for their blessed hope, the Savior, Jesus Christ. At His second coming, Jesus will reign as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. By the breath of His mouth, He will destroy the works of the enemy. The Antichrist will have “his power . . . taken away and completely destroyed forever” (Daniel 7:26).