D. Examination of 2Th 2:3.

D. Examination of 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away (departure) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
We are now introduced to the Greek word, “apostasia,” which is translated as “falling away” in the King James Translation. The basic meaning of the word is “departure.” One cannot tell from the meaning of the word, itself, whether it is in reference to the departure, i.e., the Rapture of the Church; or, a “departure from the truth,” known as apostasy. “Apostasia” translated as “falling away” is quite misleading, as it does not incorporate the meaning “to fall” or “fell.”
For example, check Matthew 10:29 (“fall”); Matthew 17:6 (“fell”); John 18:6 (“fell”), etc. These are translated from the Greek word “pipto,” not “apostasia.” Therefore, only by the context in which “apostasia” occurs can it be determined if it is in reference to a departure from the faith; or, the departure of the Church from the world at the Rapture .
It should be noted, that to the best of my knowledge, all English translations prior to the King James Translation translated “apostasia” either as “departing” or “departure.” Also, the Bible known as the Vulgate, about 400 A.D., was Jerome’s Latin translation. Here Jerome uses the Latin word, “discessio,” meaning “departure” for “apostasia.”
With this in mind, one can see that this is in perfect harmony with 2 Thessalonians 2:1, which ascribes to the Rapture.
“Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and BY OUR GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM.”