You Tube Theology

Although 2 Thess 2 (the lectionary epistle for the third Sunday before Advent) is not read much in churches, it has been hugely influential, in its ideas of the 'man of lawlessness', and the 'restrainer'—this second term being a controlling idea in Christian ethical thinking in the Middle Ages.

Yet it is almost impossible to know exactly what Paul is referring to! What we can learn, though, is his pastoral approach. The promise of the return of Jesus means an end to evil—so that we can live our lives in confidence, without speculation, doing the good works he has called us to.

To understand what the NT says about the End Times, see my Grove booklet here: https://grovebooks.co.uk/product/b-82-kingdom-hope-and-the-end-of-the-world-the-now-and-not-yet-of-eschatology-2016/

For a comparison between 'man of lawlessness', 'antichrist' and 'the beast' see this article: https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/who-are-the-antichrist-the-man-of-lawlessness-and-the-beast/

For more on the NT use of 'gathering', see here: https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/why-and-how-does-jesus-gather-his-people/

The gospel reading this week is Luke 20.27–38, about 'being like the angels'. For video discussion, see here: https://youtu.be/Vlw-vpR0b-I

and for written commentary, see here: https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/what-will-it-mean-for-us-to-be-like-the-angels-in-luke-20/