Re: Apostasy - 2 Thessalonians 2:3

Jonathan Robie (jwrobie@mindspring.com)
Mon, 17 Feb 1997 09:39:31 -0500

ILKVM@aol.com wrote:

> Concerning the falling away found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3
>
> I had heard somewhere that there is a controversy surrounding this scripture.
> Some seem to believe that this means post-rapture do to the fact that the
> greek word used here can also mean departure. I am a greek scholar, so I
> thought I would consult some.

I assume you mean "not a greek scholar". If so, there's at least two
of us here ;->

> I know that there actual translations that read departure here. The
> following is a short list:
>
> Coverdale
> Geneva
> Tyndale
> An Expanded Translation by Kenneth Wuest
> Amplified Bible -- footnote
>
> Any thoughts anyone?

Here's the verse:

2The 2:3 (GNT) MH TIS hUMAS EXAPATHSH KATA MHDENA TROPON. hOTI
EAN MH ELQH hH APOSTASIA PRWTON KAI APOKALUFQH hO ANQRWPOS THS
ANOMIAS, hO hUIOS THS APWLEIAS

I don't have any of the translations you mention, and I'm not quite
certain that I'm looking at the right word. None of the words I
see in the Greek seem to mean "departure" in the sense of a rapture.

One word, APOSTASIA, means rebellion, or abandonment in the sense of
abandoning God. It could be translated "depart from God", and is
translated "falling away [from God]" in several of the translations
I have. Is this the word you are looking at?

I may be missing something in the Greek; if I am, a bigger Greek
will probably step in and correct me. If not, it just may be that
the person you heard this from is "no greek scholar" either.

Jonathan

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