Christian Publishing House Blog
Apologetic Defense of the faith, the Bible, and Christianity
There are two general questions in regard to the proper interpretation of 2 Thess. 2:1-5; the one is, whether it refers to an individual, or to a series of individuals of the same general character, aiming at the accomplishment of the same plans; and the other is, whether there has been any individual, or any series of individuals, since the time of the apostle, who, by eminence, deserved to be called “the man of lawlessness.”
An apostate's defection from the faith may be intellectual, as in the case of Ernst Haeckel, who, because of his materialistic philosophy, publicly and formally renounced Christianity and the church. Then, there is Dr. Bart D. Ehrman who has rejected Christ because of his doubt in the trustworthiness of the Bible and the problem of evil, and so he has actively worked in opposition to Christ for 20+ years. It may also be moral and spiritual, as with Judas, who for filthy silver pieces basely betrayed his Lord.
Bart D. Ehrman is one of the most renowned and controversial Bible scholars in the world today. However, Ehrman is also a world-renowned New Testament textual and early Christianity scholar, who literally refers to himself as the "Happy Agnostic."
Jesus Christ advised his followers: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”—Matthew 7:15. The apostle Paul likewise warned Christians in Thessalonica: “Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.”—2 Thessalonians 2:3.
The Bible describes the Antichrist as a figure of deception who will lead people away from the truth of God and will attempt to deceive even the elect. He will be opposed to Jesus Christ and will seek to exalt himself above all that is called God.
Christians not only have to battle the Agnostic and atheist, but they must also contend with liberal Bible scholars, and even some moderates, who use higher criticism in their interpretation. It is here that we should also expound a little more on the “criticism” portion of the term “higher criticism” and “textual criticism.” It might... Continue Reading →
1 John 2:18 Updated American Standard Version (UASV) 18 Little children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; whereby we know that it is the last hour. If we were sitting by the radio, and the newscaster came on to warn us about... Continue Reading →
If one were to ask different Christians what they believe about the Antichrist, there would be different views on the subject. “Dispensationalists look for a future Roman ruler who will appear during the tribulation and will rule over the earth. Those in the Amillennialist School interpret the term symbolically.”[1] It is more than these two... Continue Reading →
2 Thessalonians 2:8 Updated American Standard Version (UASV) 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth, and wipe out by the appearance of his presence, When we think of the past year, in the news media, we have witnessed atrocious cases of... Continue Reading →
Matthew 7:19-20 Updated American Standard Version (UASV) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruits. As we learned from the previous chapter, the apostle Paul had said that the man of lawlessness was “already at work” in his day,... Continue Reading →