It appears that you seem to be wanting to apply 2 Thess 2:12 to people who believe in the gifts of the spirit. However this kind of hermeneutic reveals a lack of intellectual honesty. Can you find any commentary of any bible believing evangelical scholar who has ever presented such a hermeneutic on 2 Thess 2:12. That is not the subject of the text. If you insist on that kind of interpretation you would have to ignore and violate all the rules of hermeneutics. If you insist on doing so you have that right, but you cannot expect anyone to tack you seriously afterwards on any other subject you interpret. If you are willing to violate the rules of hermeneutics in one area then you are likely to do so where ever it fits into your agenda. If you want to champion the way of knowing truth you should start with your own ability to interpret 2 Thess 2:12. You have miserably failed in your post to come to the knowledge of the truth on that verse if you are applying it to charismatics. And if you fail here, how can you have confidence to help anyone else know the truth?
Getting to the truth, or proving our beliefs true and holding fast to them applies as much to gifts as it does to being a democrat, republican, or what the best type of underwear is. If we want to hold fast to our beliefs, gifts, ... our political party, we
1.) Gather everything we can "use" to prove our beliefs true.
2.) Gather everything we can "use" to prove all opposing beliefs false.
3.) Interpret our "selected"data in the light of our beliefs, and any other data that might be out there in the light of the previously selected data and our interpretations that let us hold to "what we want to believe" "as" truth.
4.) We ignore, distort, reinterpret, twist, attribute to evil monks ... anything that we cannot make support our beliefs, or at least not negate them.
5.) We come up with other reasons for why our beliefs are absolutely valid, i.e. gifts, our church is the oldest, largest, fastest growing, wealthiest, has the most experts with people who have doctorates, we have been in this church for 15 generations ...
But that's what we do if we want nothing at all to do with truth.
Fact: The Mormon's who believe they need to work themselves into heaven and believe they will be God's some day have the exact same charismatic gifts as the Roman Catholics who believe they have to work their way into heaven, as do those who believe that Jesus is their Lord, God and savior who simply trust Him for their salvation. There is no difference in the faith, the vehimant beliefs, the absolute assurance that their beliefs are true signs from God that their faith is the correct one, and everyone believes that everyone else's gifts are either Satanic duplicates, are fake, or at least have nothing at all to do with correct doctrines and beliefs.
Everyone who believes in the N.T. believes that the gospel is simple. They all just believe different simple gospels.
Fact, even if you have all the gifts exactly as all other true Christians did in the time after Jesus resurrection, to the point where no one can tell any difference, it has nothing at all to do with correct beliefs, nor anything at all to do with salvation. Everyone gets EXACTLY what they need to believe whatever they "want to believe" "as" truth, if they do not love truth enough to avoid the above Methodology like the plague, and habitually do what God commands all of His people to be habitually doing for the rest of their lives as a habit and way of life.
2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth,
but took pleasure in wickedness.
I do believe all Charismatic gifts, be it Mormon, Roman Catholic, or non-denominational Christian, or even these in Mat. 7, are from God, just as it says in 2Thes. 2:10-15. That I do not question at all.
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you;
DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
The question is not whether we have gifts, the question is, even if we do, does it mean that we have the truth or are even saved. The truth says it verifies nothing when it comes to belief in truth, or in our own salvation. Even believing Jesus is your Lord, God and Savior doesn't save ... belief in the truth that results in doing as God commands, and avoiding all of the things He says results in false believers holding fast to lies as truth, results in eventual salvation ... but only if we never stop seeking, knocking, proving all things over and over again as a habit and way of life, and never stop, keep cutting straight every possible passage that might apply to the topic at hand, ... and avoiding the hell out of the Methodology above. Gifts ot not, they are proof of nothing, even though I believe they are all from God as it says in 2Th.. Everyone gets what they want.
Truth is truth, beliefs are beliefs, gifts are gifts, zeal for God in accordance with ones beliefs .... All are separate and may not have anything at all to do with each other. Note: from what I read, even thinking that marvelous works of power (We use the root word in our word dynamite) or casting out demons, or prophesying, or even believing that Jesus is your Lord, God and Savior like these people in Mat. 7, are proof of any correct beliefs or doctrines, let alone proof of salvation, is foolish. Why? Look at this passage for one. Two ... look around you at all the other groups you believe are lost, have missed the truth altogether, who believe their beliefs are unquestionable truths for the same exact reasons. Is He a God of truth? Yes. Does He send deluding influences on those who love their beliefs and just want to hold fast to what they want to believe as truth? Yes. If you do not love truth to keep doing whatever it takes to get it, no matter what beliefs, or gifts, it invalidates, then you have what you need from God to die with your beliefs intact ... just like everyone else.
