What does the “falling away” refer to here which must occur before Antichrist is revealed?
Most bible commentators teach that the falling away here refers to the church going into apostasy before Antichrist will be revealed. Yet the word apostasia, from which the term is derived, is only found in one other place in scripture and there it is translated “forsake”, which involves a departure (CP Ac 21:21). The predominant meaning of the root verb aphistemi, which is found fifteen times in scripture, is that of a person departing from someone or something. It means to cause to withdraw, to go away, depart, withdraw from (CP Lu 2:37; 4:13; 13:27; Ac 5:37-38; 12:10; 15:38; 19:9; 22:29; 2Cor 12:8; 1Ti 6:5; 2 Ti 2:19). Aphistemi is only used in the context of departing from the faith three times (CP Lu 8:13; 1Ti 4:1; He 3:12). The very fact that the qualifying words “from the faith” are added in 1Ti 4:1, shows that in itself aphistemi does not have the idea of a defection from the truth. Also the neuter noun apostasion, is translated “divorcement”, which also implies a separation or
