DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
2 Thessalonians
2:1-12 (11/25) Epistle for Wednesday of the
Twenty-Fifth Week after Pentecost
Deception: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, especially vss. 3, 4: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day
will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is
revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that
is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple, showing
himself that he is God.” Over two thousand years of history have passed since our
Lord Jesus Christ walked among us in the flesh. The present passage from Second
Thessalonians, has, on too many occasions, been used only to shake and trouble
many souls of the faithful (vs. 2), misleading them with a host of deceptions
(vs. 3), and delusions (vs. 11).
Such frauds frequently are promoted by charismatic demagogues who will
not accept the “...foolishness of God...” (1 Cor. 1:25), but favor
“...the wisdom of this world...” (1 Cor. 1:20), huckstering ideas
and schemes devised from their own deceived minds.
Of foremost importance, the Apostle directs attention in
this passage to the underlying causes that motivate deceived and
deceiving innovators. As a prelude,
he observes that deception always is preceded by falling
away (vs. 3) from the basics of the Faith. His term, falling away, is the
familiar, apostasia, the “...denying of
those basic truths of Christianity without which it cannot be understood.” Behind every mystery of lawlessness
(vs. 7), however, lies a deeper more sinister rebellion that may seem to well
up from no particular source.
The Apostle firmly identifies this source of all apostasy
as “...the working of Satan...” (vs. 9) - ever
the likely cause! Yes, God permits
the devil, men, and even ourselves to make wrong and
evil choices (vs. 11). Let us not
be shocked at this Divine permission, for He ever extends freedom of choice to
our race (Gen. 2:16,17), yearning that we exercise our
hearts and minds to embrace His truth and not seek “...pleasure in
unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:12).
Therefore, it behooves us always to be aware of diabolical
machinations when we feel lured from the Faith. As Saint Seraphim of Sarov teaches: “We must always be attentive to the
assaults of the devil; for can we hope that he will leave us without
temptation, when he did not leave our Founder and Source of faith and Perfecter the Lord Jesus Christ Himself?”
Having helped us to see the true nature of deception, the
Apostle concludes by spelling out what happens when we allow ourselves
to be taken in by Satan: shaken minds, troubled lives disruption within
ourselves and our communities (vs. 2).
Embracing lies ends in condemnation by God (vs. 12) and even in
perishing (vs. 10) along with Satan when the Lord Jesus returns and destroys
him “...with the breath of His mouth...” and “...the
brightness of His coming” (vs. 8).
O Lord save Thy People and bless Thine
inheritance, granting to Thy People victory over all their enemies; and by the
power of Thy Cross preserving Thine Kingdom.
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