2 Thessalonians 2:10
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The lawless one deceives those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth that would have saved them.
What Does 2 Thessalonians 2:10 Mean?
Paul explains why some are swept away by the deception: not because the lie is irresistible, but because "they received not the love of the truth." The deceived are those who first refused the truth God offered them for their salvation. Their downfall is traced to a choice, a turning away from what could have saved them.
The phrase "the love of the truth" is striking. It is not enough to know truth; one must love it, welcome it, cherish it. Where that love is absent, the heart is left open to whatever flatters its desires. This is a searching word for every reader: deception takes root in those who have already preferred something else to the truth. The safeguard against being deceived, then, is to fall in love with the truth that is in Jesus, to receive Him gladly and hold Him dear. Those who love the truth are kept by it.