• Godfrey, Neil (31 May 2011). “Identifying the “Man of Sin” in 2 Thessalonians”. Vridar.

Understanding 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Turmel writes that Bible commentators are at a loss to understand what is meant in this passage by “the falling away” or “apostasia”. They are also at a loss to explain the obstacle that prevents this defection from erupting until it is removed.

Also perplexing is the identity of the Man of Sin who exalts himself above all that is called god or that is revered, and how all this relates to the Temple. Even more unfathomable are the false miracles to be performed what it means that his followers will believe a lie.

Turmel believes all of these mysteries are resolved against the light of the Bar Kokhba rebellion. Without the perspective of the Bar Kokhba war this passage in 2 Thessalonians is an incoherent cluster of mysteries.

Start here. That was linked to above in the paragraph introducing the list of points you are asking about. It contains a summary and bibliography of all the latest work on the point.

Where can I read more on this point?

Maybe. There were hundreds of talks. I didn’t even look at the panels covering medieval literature. Because it’s wholly irrelevant to the origins or early development of Christianity.

I don’t know. Thousands were in attendance and the general mode is to keep things like that confidential. So there is no way to tell. They don’t even poll the membership to find out. I think they deem it too dangerous. “We’d get fired if anyone found out” is the common refrain. But there are indeed liberal minded believers; a lot of them are probably “really” atheists, and hide behind semantics to avoid saying so, but I also do think many of them rationalize belief in some sort of wishy washy god unattached to interest in any specific sects or dogmas. See my discussion in Part 1. If they reflect the general populace, the “nones” are increasing but are always evenly split between “don’t believe in a personal god” and “believe in some sort of god.”

I don’t understand the question. But the number of scholars coming around to regarding mythicism respectable has increased several times since I published On the Historicity of Jesus. It now stands at twelve on the record. Meanwhile, critics don’t even read the book or fail to address what it actually argues. Conclude from that what you may.

It seems odd that so many of them would recognize the only too obvious human origins of the Bible, but still be believers.