The Lord's Return

2 ^(A) When our Lord Jesus returns, we will be gathered up to meet him. So I ask you, my friends, ² not to be easily upset or disturbed by people who claim the Lord^[a] has already come. They may say they heard this directly from the Holy Spirit, or from someone else, or even that they read it in one of our letters. ³ But don't be fooled! People will rebel against God. Then before the Lord returns, the wicked^[b] one who is doomed to be destroyed will appear. ^4 (B) He will brag and oppose everything holy or sacred. He will even sit in God's temple and claim to be God. ⁵ Don't you remember I told you this while I was still with you?

Be Faithful

¹³ My friends, the Lord loves you, and it is only natural for us to thank God for you. God chose you to be the first ones to be saved.^[a] His Spirit made you holy, and you put your faith in the truth. ¹⁴ God used our preaching as his way of inviting you to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ My friends, this is why you must remain faithful and follow closely what we taught you in person and by our letters.

¹⁶ God our Father loves us. He treats us with undeserved grace and has given us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope. We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father ¹⁷ will encourage you and help you always to do and say the right thing.