2:3a

Let no one deceive you in any way: Paul was reenforcing what he said in 2:2. The rumors stating that Paul had said that Jesus had already returned were deceiving the Thessalonians, and he needed to correct this.

2:3b

for: Here Paul stated the reason why the teaching that the Lord Jesus has already returned was false.

it will not come: This phrase is not in the Greek text, but the Berean Standard Bible supplies it for clarity. In this phrase, the word it refers to “the Day of the Lord” in 2:2c. See the note there. Here is another way to translate this:

that day will not come (New International Version (2011 Revision))

until the rebellion occurs: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the rebellion could mean one of two things:

(1) It could be describing a specific event that the Thessalonians already knew about, a time when people would rebel against God more strongly than at any other time. This would prepare the people to allow the man of lawlessness (2:3c) to rule them. For example:

the final rebellion (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, English Standard Version, NET Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), New Revised Standard Version)

(2) It could be describing general rebellion against God. For example:

a revolt (God’s Word)
-or-
People will rebel against God. (Contemporary English Version)

(Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), KJB)

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1).

2:3c

and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed: Although this clause is joined to 2:3b with a simple “and,” most commentators agree that the man of lawlessness will be revealed after the rebellion has begun. For example:

and then the man of rebellion will come (Living Bible)

the man of lawlessness: There is a textual problem with this verse:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts say ho anthrōpos tēs anomias, “the man/person of lawlessness.”

(English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), New Living Translation (2004 Revision), New Revised Standard Version)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts say ho anthrōpos tēs hamartias ,“the man of sin.”

(Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, Good News Translation, King James Version, New Century Version).

It is strongly recommended that you follow the first option (1). However, the meanings are very similar.

The phrase the man of lawlessness is a way of saying “the lawless person,” “the person who rejects God and his laws.” The word anomia, “lawlessness,” is also used in 2:7a, and the related word anomos, “lawless,” is used in 2:8a. Rather than try to include all the meaning of “lawlessness” in your translation of this expression, try to find a short expression. For example:

the Lawless Person
-or-
the Rebel (The Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
the Wicked One (Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible)

man: The Greek word translated as man here is anthrōpos, which means “person” or “human being.” So the man of lawlessness will probably be a human being who acts like the devil, rather than a supernatural being like the devil himself. This man is referred to as “the Antichrist” in 1 John 2:18. (See Best, pp. 287–289, and Bruce, pp. 179–188, for a discussion of who the Antichrist might be.)

the son of destruction: This means a person destined for eternal destruction. Here is another way to translate this:

destined for hell (Good News Translation)

is revealed: The Greek verb used here, apokaluptō, is related to the word used in 1:7b about Jesus. This Wicked Person (“man of lawlessness”) will probably appear as suddenly as the Lord Jesus will later appear. Although the Greek text uses a passive here, as do many English versions, this does not imply that someone else (for example, the devil) will cause him to appear. So if you cannot use a passive in your translation, you should use an active verb. For example:

appears (New Century Version)

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.