Many of us can recall being on a playground or perhaps at a football or baseball game with some of the neighborhood kids, where team captains were selected and we were told to line up so teams could be picked. The ideal situation was to be one of the first ones picked and at all cost, avoid being a leftover, ending up assigned to a team because you were one of the last ones to be called.

The incredible news for the believer, according to what the apostle Paul writes in our passage for this week’s study, is this: as believers in Jesus, we need not worry about being the last ones chosen and called by our heavenly Father. Being chosen and called to his forever family has been part of his plan from the beginning of time!

The Rise of Evil (2 Thessalonians 2:7, 8)
Paul continues to explain to the Thessalonians that even while evil spreads its influence, this is all in accordance with God’s timing. The passage indicates God is restraining the power and presence of evil in our world, but at the right time the “lawless one,” or as the apostle John calls him in 1 John 2:18, the Antichrist, will be revealed and destroyed by the returning Christ.

Numerous politicians and world leaders have risen to power over the centuries since this letter was written. Many believers have tried to determine if any of these figures have been the “lawless one” mentioned here in 2 Thessalonians. But as of yet, while many have perpetrated evil or caused great harm to humanity, none has been clearly identified as the one described in this and other New Testament passages.

The Works of Evil (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10)
The first-century Roman Empire has striking parallels to the 21st century. We, too, live in a time when what is right and good is considered wrong, restrictive, and narrow-minded. The continued normalizing of sin can be seen in everything from the entertainment industry to the advocacy of living “alternate” lifestyles. Our enemy has exerted his power through false teachings and deceptive tactics that have continued to blind humanity since the time Paul wrote this letter.

The Cost of Evil (2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12)
When Paul writes of delusion, perhaps he is referring to the blindness that would be sent from God as punishment, as in Isaiah 29:9, 10. In the Old Testament this happened as a result of people refusing to follow the direction and leading of the Lord. It is the price of turning our backs on the Lord and his voice. The language used here perfectly describes our current culture, in that we actually delight in wickedness or evil. This is a fitting description of humanity choosing to believe lies rather than the truth (Romans 1:25). The wreckage of a culture that celebrates evil can be seen in soaring crime rates, family dysfunction, and societal breakdown. We live in a time when people ignore God so they can engage in doing what is right in their own eyes (Deuteronomy 12:8).

Chosen and Called (2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14)
Paul offers a prayer of thanksgiving for these Gentile (non-Jewish) believers. Even in of the midst of the power and presence of evil and wickedness, God has chosen them “to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.” Perhaps Paul is describing Gentile believers as a chosen people, much like the nation of Israel is referred to as God’s chosen people in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 7:6, 7; 10:15). The concept of being called by God in this passage indicates believers have answered and responded to God’s graciousness extended to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17, 28-30).

Standing Strong (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17)
As Paul concludes this portion of his prayer, he emphasizes the notion of passing on traditions from teachers who have come before him; in this case he is passing on the teachings of Jesus Christ. The prayer in verses 16 and 17 is known as a “wish prayer,” addressed as a wish for a person as well as to God. In spite of the presence and influence of evil, Paul insists that believers have every reason to remain strong and filled with hope since we have been chosen and called by Christ himself!

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*All Scripture references are from the New International Version, unless otherwise indicated.