>>> Your is a “Johnny come lately” interpretation...
My interpretation lines up with other scriptures referencing the same EVENT.
>>> The apostle therefore clearly points out HIS APOSTASY, and that he is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped.’”
The title of the thread points it’s finger at the church... or the bride of Christ as “falling away”... interpreting “falling away” as apostacy.
Now you say that the object of the passage in question is the Anti-Christ himself?
Which is it?
It’s not that difficult, Safguns.
1. Per 2 Thess. 2, don’t be deceived thinking Jesus comes first, the antichrist comes first. The antichrist obviously has to come first, because when Christ comes he destroys “that wicked,” the antichrist, verse 8.
Pretribs pay no heed to Paul’s warning, they teach Jesus comes first.
2. As to the falling away which must precede the revelation of the antichrist, the context literally bristles with descriptions of what the falling away is, see verse 4.
Take a look at history. One time Christian Europe is no more, America is not far behind. The Christian west has gone socialist. the one time Christian west is increasingly in rebellion against God. Which our text says has to happen first before the man of apostasy can make his grand entrance on the world’s stage.
Which is exactly the way the two witnesses I cited from church history, Justin and Irenaeus, interpreted verse 3. Their take on that passage was transmitted to them from the first century church. You live some two thousand years later, what makes you think your private interpretation is superior to theirs?
Justin and Irenaeus lived some two thousand years closer to Paul, who wrote the passage, than you.
Because society in general is increasingly in rebellion against God, does not mean that God’s elect are. He that endureth to the end tha same shall be saved, Christ said.