接著會發生甚麼?
帖撒羅尼迦後書二章1至11節
1弟兄們,論到我們主耶穌基督降臨和我們到他那裡聚集,
2我勸你們:無論有靈、有言語、有冒我名的書信,說主的日子現在到了(註:“現在”或作“就”),不要輕易動心,也不要驚慌。
3人不拘用甚麼法子,你們總不要被他誘惑!因為那日子以前,必有離道反教的事,並有那大罪人,就是沉淪之子,顯露出來。
4他是抵擋主,高抬自己,超過一切稱為神的和一切受人敬拜的,甚至坐在神的殿裡自稱是神。
5我還在你們那裡的時候,曾把這些事告訴你們,你們不記得嗎?
6現在你們也知那攔阻他的是甚麼,是叫他到了的時候,才可以顯露。
7因為那不法的隱意已經發動,只是現在有一個攔阻的,等到那攔阻的被除去,
8那時這不法的人必顯露出來,主耶穌要用口中的氣滅絕他,用降臨的榮光廢掉他。
9這不法的人來,是照撒但的運動,行各樣的異能、神蹟和一切虛假的奇事,
10並且在那沉淪的人身上,行各樣出於不義的詭詐,因他們不領受愛真理的心,使他們得救。
11故此,神就給他們一個生發錯誤的心,叫他們信從虛謊,
信息分享
基督再來的時候,將會發生一連串事件,但帖撒羅尼迦的信徒似乎將事件發生的次序倒亂了。當保羅還在他們中間的時候,曾將有關的真理教導他們,而且,其後也透過書信向他們講解。可是,他們仍然有所誤解,於是他便要寫另一封信來糾正他們的偏差。其中一個錯誤的看法,就是說基督已經來了。是有人曾經寫信給他們,向他們傳遞這個錯誤的信息嗎(2節)?
對於這個誤解,保羅直截了當地說「不」。基督還沒有再來;而且,在祂回來作王,掌管全地之前,會有敵基督首先出現。這個敵基督會是一個無法無天的大罪人和狂妄自大的獨裁者。人不可能誤認他是基督,反之,基督終必消滅這惡者。
另外,有些信徒辭掉了工作(三11),坐著乾等基督再來,這種行爲也是絕對錯誤的。
我們對於基督的再來,應保持以下的心態:
1. 我們絕對相信基督必然再來;
2. 我們不知道祂何時再來──祂隨時都可能再來;
3. 我們要一直作工,直至祂再來,為的是:
(1)供應自己及家人的生活所需;
(2)盡一切努力廣傳福音。
當我們想到將會與基督重聚,我們會感到很振奮。可是,當我們想到自己要像管家向主人交待一樣地向祂交賬,我們是否同樣感到振奮呢?猶太人其中一個令人感到悲哀之處,就是他們沒有認清自己乃是神的管家。神已將真理之道向他們啟示,但他們卻據為己有,不肯與人分享,不想與他人同享這個尊貴的身份。
保羅提醒我們,我們要向那些失喪的人,負起這個管家的責任。但願我們每天都能忠心作神的管家,直至見主的面!
記住,主可能會在今天再來啊!
WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT?
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-11
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ[a] had come.
3 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[b] is revealed, the son of perdition,
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God[c] in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He[d] who now restrains will do so until He[e] is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
Message
It seems that some of the Christians at Thessalonica had the order of events twisted regarding Christ's return. Paul had talked to them when he was there. He had sent a letter which must have been misread because Paul had to write again to correct two wrong impressions. One was that Christ had already come.
Did someone else also write to mislead them? (v.2)
Paul said, “No.” Christ had not come and before He finally appears as king and ruler, the anti-Christ would appear. He would be a man of sin, a lawless and arrogant dictator. No one could mistake him for Christ who would ultimately destroy this evil being.
Some Christians had given up their employment (3:11) and were sitting around waiting for Christ to come. Again their behaviour was wrong.
Our attitude towards Christ's coming should be:
1. We are certain He is coming again.
2. We do not know when - it could be anytime.
3. We have work to do until then. We have to
(i) provide for our own and our family needs.
(ii) spread the Gospel as much as we can.
We are thrilled to think that we may see Christ soon. Are we just as thrilled to realize that we must give an account of our stewardship from now until then? One of the tragedies concerning the Jewish people was that they failed to see they were stewards of the truth God had revealed. They thought of themselves as the (selfish) possessors of it and did not want to share their privileged position.
Paul reminded us of our responsibility as stewards to those who are lost. Let's be faithful now and everyday till we see Him.
IT MAY BE TODAY!

