1. powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com Adult Bible Study Guide Jul Aug Sep 2012 Adult Bible Study Guide Jul Aug Sep 2012

2. Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide An Appeal Dear User…. This PowerPoint Show is freely shared to all who may find it beneficial. While intended primarily for personal use, some find it useful for teaching the lesson in church. There are those, however, who add illustrations, change background, change fonts, etc. While their intention may be good, this is not right. Slide #1 says “designed by claro ruiz vicente.” For honest Christians, it is not necessary for another’s creation to be copyrighted in order to be respected. P LEASE U SE A S I S.

3. Jon Paulien, Principal Contributor

4. 1 The Gospel Comes to Thessalonica 2 Preserving Relationships 3 Thessalonica in Paul’s Day 4 Joyous and Thankful (1 Thess 1:1–10) 5 The Apostolic Example (2:1–12) 6 Friends Forever (2:13–3:13) 7 Living Holy Lives (4:1–12) 8 The Dead in Christ (4:13–18) 9 Final Events (5:1–11) 10 Church Life (5:12–28) 11 Promise to the Persecuted (2 Thess 1:1–12) 12 The Antichrist ( 2:1–12) 13 Keeping the Church Faithful (2:13–3:18) 1 and 2 Thessalonians Contents

5. 1 and 2 Thessalonians Our Goal {5} We’ll get a glimpse into the life of an early Christian church and see some of the struggles and challenges that it faced, including the difficulties that arose from the fact that Christ had not yet returned.

6. 1 and 2 Thessalonians Lesson 12, September 22 1 and 2 Thessalonians Lesson 12, September 22 The Antichrist

7. Lesson 12, September 22 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ESV “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.”

8. The Antichrist Initial Words {139} Though Paul talks about the end, his emphasis is a bit different from that which came before. His goal is pastoral, to calm them and persuade them to be more patient regarding end-time events and to warn them about the false teachings being circulated on that topic.

9. The Antichrist Quick Look 1. Problem and Answer (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4) 2. Revealed and Removed (2 Thessalonians 2:5-10) 3. Truth and Lies (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

10. The Antichrist 1. Problem and Answer 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NKJV “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind…as though the day of Christ has come. … For the day will not come unless the falling away come first, and the man of sin is revealed….

11. 1.Problem and Answer The Problem {140} The Thessalonians knew many correct things about the second coming of Jesus and the events preceding it. But they tended to emphasize one extreme or another of the teaching without its balancing perspectives.

12. 1.Problem and Answer The Problem {140} There are multiple ways in which false ideas can take root. It easier for members to accept a report or rumor than to examine the Scriptures carefully for themselves. New ideas may even be biblical to a point but are promoted out of balance with complementary Bible teachings.

13. Paul lists the things that have to happen before Jesus can come. There will be a “falling away” and then “the man of lawlessness” will be revealed. But before that revelation of wickedness, there is a period of “mystery” and restraint. 1.Problem and Answer Short Answer {141}

14. The Antichrist 2. Revealed and Removed 1 Thessalonians 2:5-10 NKJV “You know what is restraining, that he may be revealed…. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work…. The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth….

15. 2. Revealed and Removed The Restrainer {142} Who is the restrainer, or power of restraint? It is present in Paul’s day; is upholding the law (vs 7); is on a divine time mission; and is powerful enough to restrain the working of Satan (vs. 9). It’s possible that God Himself is the Restrainer, holding the final events back until everyone has had a chance to hear the gospel.

16. The man of sin was introduced in 2 Thessalonians 2. Through much of Christian history he has operated to undermine God’s law (particularly the Sabbath) and to usurp powers that belong only to Christ. In passages such as Daniel 7:20-25 (the little horn) and Revelation 13:1- 7 (the beast from the sea), 2. Revealed and Removed The Antichrist Revealed {143}

17. this same power operates after the fall of the pagan Roman Empire, combining both religious and secular authority to persecute the saints of God. The only power in history that fits all the specifications of these prophecies is the papacy. 2. Revealed and Removed The Antichrist Revealed {143}

18. The Antichrist 3. Truth and Lies 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 NKJV “And with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of truth, that they might be saved. For this reason God will send then strong delusion, that they should believe the lie that they all may be condemned….”

19. 3. Truth and Lies Not Open to Truth {144} God “sends” a delusion upon the wicked, not because He lies but because He allows the wicked to choose lies over truth and, thus, expose the outworking of decisions that they have already made. He simply allows them to bear the fruits of their wrong actions.

20. 3. Truth and Lies Not Open to Truth {144} The process of delusion begins when people reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. In verse 10 the wicked refuse to receive the love of the truth. The offer of salvation in the gospel is the subtext that lies behind the apocalyptic powers of 2 Thessalonians 2.

21. 3. Truth and Lies Not Open to Truth {144} Through its teachings and practices, the papacy has undermined the gospel. That work continues until it is exposed by the final events described in 2 Thessalonians 2:8–12. Thus, the final proclamation of the gospel sets the stage for both the final judgment and the delusions of the end time.

22. The Antichrist Final Words {145} “In bearing the message, make no personal thrusts at other churches, not even the Roman Catholic Church. Angels of God see in the different denominations many who can be reached only by the greatest caution. Therefore let us be careful of our words…. Speak the truth in tones and words of love.” Evangelism 576