Thios is not one of my do-or-die beleifs, and it certainly will determine no one's salvation either way, but does seem to fit well with the end times and the rapture.
This translation of "apostasia" in this verse in no way indicates that there won't be many who fall away from the faith in the end times; there may well be, it is just that there is evidence that in this verse, that is not what is being discussed. If you feel like following up, here is an excellent treatise on the subject.
http://www.upway.com/watchmenwatching/apostasy.html
Basically, the word apostasia can be translated "rebellion", "apostasy", "falling away", or "departure". The author of the above treatise gives the evidence for "departing", as in being raptured, being the proper translation.
One of my favorite references gives and interesting explanation of the meaning: "In 2 Thes 2:3 the word apostasia does not refer to genuine Christians who depart from the faith, but mere professors who, without devine grace, succumb to the Satanic deception of the Antichrist. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament", by Spiro Zodhiates, Th.D.)
However, if the order of events is preserved in the 2 Thes 2:3 (and we know it is since it's entire purpose is to state the order of events), then the above cannot be possible since at the time the "falling away" occurs, the man of sin has not yet been revealed.
Perry
From: Terry Clifton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] The Last Days Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 18:26:10 -0600
Charles Perry Locke wrote:
Gentlemen, many hold that the "falling away" in 2 Thes 2:3 referred to below actually means "separation", which refers to the rapture of believers prior to the revealing of the man of sin. This is in agreement with end-times revelation that Jesus will not come until after the rapture and the beast of revelation is revealed. I am in this camp. In the context in which it is written, there is no reason to believe that "falling away" refers to an apostasy.
Perry
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Sorry Perry, as a rule, I am in your corner, but that's too much of a stretch for me. 'course, I'm not real big on taking a piece of scripture and saying,"That is not really what it means". If it says "falling away", I buy that as is, Just as I think that when the Bible says "Fear God", it really means "Fear God", though many say it just means "He is awesome". That does not mean that I do not expect the rapture at some point after the falling away.
Terry
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---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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