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2Thessalonians Chapter One
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"BUT I thought he said...," "I'm sure he
meant...," "It is clear to me that we should...," "I disagree. I think we
must..."
Effective communication is difficult; often the message sent is not
the message received in the home, marketplace, neighborhood, or church. Even
when clearly stated or written, words can be misinterpreted and misunderstood
especially when filtered through the sieve of prejudices and preconceptions.
Paul faced this problem with the Thessalonians. He had written them earlier
to help them grow in the faith, confronting and encouraging them by affirming
the reality of Christ's return. Just a few months later, however, word came from
Thessalonica that some had misunderstood Paul's teaching about the second
coming. His announcement that Christ could come at any moment had caused some to
stop working and just wait, rationalizing their idleness by pointing to Paul's
teaching. Adding fuel to this fire was the continued persecution of the church.
Many felt that indeed this must be the "day of the Lord."
Responding quickly, Paul sent a second letter to this young church. In it he
gave further instruction concerning the second coming and the day of the Lord
(2:1, 2). Second Thessalonians, therefore, continues the subject of 1Thessalonians and is a call to continued courage and consistent conduct.
The letter begins with Paul's trademark-a personal greeting and a statement
of thanksgiving for their faith (1:1-3). He mentions their perseverance in spite
of their persecution and trials (1:4) and uses this situation to broach the
subject of Christ's return. At that time, Christ will vindicate the righteous
who endure and will punish the wicked (1:5-12).
Paul then directly answers the misunderstanding concerning the timing of the
events of the end times. He tells them not to listen to rumors and reports that
the day of the Lord has already begun (2:1, 2), because a number of events must
occur before Christ's returns (2:3-12). Meanwhile, they should stand firm for
Christ's truth (2:13-15), receive God's encouragement and hope (2:16, 17), pray
for strength and for the spread of the Lord's message (3:1-5), and warn those
who are idle (3:6-15). Paul ends with personal greetings and a benediction
(3:16-18).
Almost 2,000 years later, we stand much loser to the time of
Christ's return; but we also would be wrong to see his imminent appearance as an
excuse for idle waiting and heavenward gazing. Being prepared for his coming
means spreading the gospel, reaching out to those in need, and building the
church, his body. As you read 2Thessalonians, then, see clearly the reality of
his return and your responsibility to live for him until that day.
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Vital Statistics
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Purpose:
To clear up the confusion about the second coming of Christ
Author:
Paul
To Whom Written:
The church at Thessalonica and all believers everywhere
Date Written:
About A.D. 50 or 52, a few months after 1Thessalonians, from Corinth
Setting:
Many in the church were confused about the timing of Christ's return.
Because of mounting persecution, they thought the day of the Lord must be
imminent, and they interpreted Paul's first letter to say that the second coming
would be at any moment. In light of this misunderstanding, many persisted in
being idle and disorderly, with the excuse of waiting for Christ's return.
Key Verse:
"May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's
perseverance" (3:5).
Key People:
Paul, Silas, Timothy
Key Place:
Thessalonica
Special Features:
This is a follow-up letter to 1Thessalonians. In this letter, Paul
indicates various events that must precede the second coming of Christ.
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The Blueprint
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1) The bright hope of Christ's return
(1: 1-217)
2) Living in the light of Christ's return
(3:1-18)
Paul wrote to encourage those who were facing
persecution and to correct a misunderstanding about the timing of Christ's
return. The teaching about the Lord's return promoted idleness in this young
church. The imminent coming of Christ should never make us idle; we should be
even more busy-living purely, using our time well, and working for his kingdom.
We must work not only during easy times when it is convenient, but also during
difficult times. Christians must patiently watch for Christ's return, and work
for him while we wait.
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Megathemes
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Theme:
Persecution
Explanation:
Paul encouraged the church to persevere in spite of troubles and trials.
God will bring victory to his faithful followers and judge those who persecute
them.
Importance:
God's promises to reward our faith by giving us his power and helping us
bear persecution. Suffering for our faith will strengthen us to serve Christ. We
must be faithful to him.
Theme:
Christ's return
Explanation:
Since Paul had said that the Lord could come at any moment, some of the
Thessalonians believers had stopped working in order to wait for Christ.
Importance:
Christ will return and bring total victory to all who trust in him. If
we are ready, we need not be concerned about when he will return. We should
stand firm, keep working, and wait for Christ.
Theme:
Great rebellion:
Explanation:
Before Christ's return, there will be a great rebellion against God led
by the man of lawlessness (the antichrist). God will remove all the restraints
on evil before he brings judgment on the rebels. The antichrist will attempt to
deceive many.
Importance:
We should not be afraid when we see evil increase. God is in control, no
matter how evil the world becomes. God guards us during Satan's attacks. We can
have a victory over evil by remaining faithful to God.
Theme:
Persistence
Explanation:
Because church members had quit working and become disorderly and
disobedient, Paul chastised them for their idleness. He called them to show
courage and true Christian conduct.
Importance:
We must never get so tired of doing right that we quit. We can be
persistent by making the most of our time and talent. Our endurance will be
rewarded.
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Paul's Profile
No person, apart from Jesus himself,
shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul. Even before he was
a believer, his actions were significant. His frenzied persecution of
Christians following Stephen's death got the church started in obeying
Christ's final command to take the gospel worldwide. Paul's personal
encounter with Jesus changed his life. He never lost his fierce intensity,
but from then on it was channeled for the gospel.
Paul was very religious. His training under Gamaliel was the finest
available. His intentions and efforts were sincere. He was a good Pharisee,
who knew the Bible and sincerely believed that this Christian movement was
dangerous to Judaism. Thus Paul hasted the Christian faith and persecuted
Christians without mercy.
Paul got permission to travel to Damascus to capture Christians and bring
them back to Jerusalem. But God stopped him in his hurried tracks on the
Damascus road. Paul personally met Jesus Christ, and his life was never
again the same.
Until Paul's conversion, little had been done about carrying the gospel
to non-Jews. Philip had preached in Samaria and to an Ethiopian man;
Cornelius, a Gentile, was converted under Peter, and in Antioch in Syria,
some Greeks had joined the believers. When Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem
to check on this situation, he went to Tarsus to find Paul and bring him to
Antioch, and together they worked among the believers there. They were then
sent on a missionary journey, the first of three Paul would take, that would
carry the gospel across the Roman empire.
The thorny issue of whether Gentile believers had to obey Jewish laws
before they could become Christians caused many problems in the early
church. Paul worked hard to convince the Jews that Gentiles were acceptable
to God, but he spent even more time convincing the Gentiles that they were
acceptable to God. The lives Paul touched were changed and challenged by
meeting Christ through him.
God did not waste any part of Paul-his background, his training, his
citizenship, his mind, or even his weaknesses. Are you willing to let God do
the same for you? You will never know all he can do with you until you allow
him to have all that you are!
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Paul's Strengths and Accomplishments
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1) Transformed by God from a persecutor of
Christians to a preacher for Christ
2) Preached for Christ throughout the Roman empire on three missionary
journeys
3) Wrote letters to various churches, which became part of the New Testament
4) Was never afraid to face an issue head-on and deal with it
5) Was sensitive to God's leading and, despite his strong personality,
always did as God directed
6) Is often called the apostle to the Gentiles
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Paul's Weaknesses and Mistakes
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1) Witnessed and approved of Stephen's
stoning
2) Set out to destroy Christianity by persecuting Christians
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Lessons from Paul's Life
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1) The Good News is that forgiveness and
eternal life are a gift of God's grace received through faith in Christ and
available to all people
2) Obedience results from a relationship with God, but obedience will never
create or earn that relationship
3) Real freedom doesn't come until we no longer have to prove our freedom
4) God does not waste our time-he will use our past and present so we may
serve him with our future
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Paul's Vital Statistics
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1) Where: Born in Tarsus, but became a world
traveler for Christ
2) Occupation: Trained as a Pharisee, learned the tent making trade, served
as a missionary
3) Contemporaries: Gamaliel, Stephen, the apostles, Luke, Barnabas, Timothy
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Key Verses
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"For to me, to live is Christ and to die
gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for
me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more
necessary for you that I remain in the body" (Philippians 1:21-24).
Paul's story is told in Acts 7:58-28:31 and
through his New Testament letters. |
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(1) The Bright Hope of Christ's Return
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1) Who did Paul write to, and what did Paul
say was from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?
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Paul wrote this letter from Corinth less than
year after he wrote 1Thessalonians. He and his companions, Timothy and Silas,
had visited Thessalonica on Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-10).
They established the church there, but Paul had to leave suddenly because of
persecution. This prompted him to write his first letter (1Thessalonians),
which contains words of comfort and encouragement. Paul then heard how the
Thessalonians had responded to this letter. The good news was that they were
continuing to grow in their faith. But the bad news was that false teachings
about Christ's return were spreading, leading many to quit their jobs and wait
for the end of the world. So Paul wrote to them again. While the purpose of
Paul's first letter was to comfort the Thessalonians with the assurance of
Christ's second coming, the purpose of his second letter is to correct false
teaching about the second coming.
Thessalonica was the capital and largest city of the Roman province of
Macedonia. The most important Roman highway-extending from Rome to the
Orient-went through Thessalonica. This highway, along with the city's thriving
seaport, made Thessalonica one of the wealthiest and most flourishing trade
center in the Roman empire. Recognized as a free city, Thessalonica was allowed
self-rule and was exempted from most of the restrictions placed by Rome on other
cities. Because of this open climate. however, the city had many pagan religions
and cultural influences that challenged the Christians' faith.
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Thanksgiving and Prayer
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2) For what reason did Paul say they should
thank God for the believers in Thessalonica, what did Paul say is increasing,
and what did he say they boast about them among God's churches?
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Regardless of the contents of Paul's letters,
his style was affirming. Paul began most of his letters by stating what he most
appreciated about his readers and the joy he felt because of their faith in God.
We also should look for ways to encourage and build up other believers.
The keys to surviving persecution and trials are perseverance and faith. When
we are faced with crushing troubles, we can have faith that God is using our
trials for our good and for his glory. Knowing that God is fair and just will
give us patience in our suffering because we know that he has not forgotten us.
In God's perfect timing, he will relieve our suffering and punish those who
persecute us. Can you trust God's timing?
Paul had been persecuted during his first visit to Thessalonica (Acts
17:5-9). No doubt those who had responded to his message and had become
Christians were continuing to be persecuted by both Jews and Gentiles. In Paul's
first letter to the Thessalonians, he said that Christ's return would bring
deliverance from persecution and judgment on the persecutors. But this caused
the people to expect Christ's return right away to rescue and vindicate them. So
Paul had to point out that while waiting for God's kingdom, believers could and
should learn perseverance and faith from their suffering.
3) What does Paul say about all of this
persecution, as a result, what did Paul say they will be counted worthy of, what
did Paul say God is, what did he say God will pay back to those who trouble you,
who will God give relief to, and when did Paul say this will happen?
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As we live for Christ, we will experience
troubles because we are trying to be God's people in a perverse world. Some
people say that troubles are the results of sin or lack of faith, but Paul
teaches that they may be a part of God's plan for believers. Our problems can
help us look upward and forward, instead of inward (Mark 13:35, 36; Philippians
3:13, 14); they can build strong character (Romans 5:3,4); and they can provide
us with opportunities to comfort others who also are struggling (2Corinthians
1:3-5). Your troubles may be an indication that you are taking a stand for
Christ.
There are two dimensions of the relief mentioned by Paul. We can gain relief
in knowing that our sufferings are strengthening us, making us ready for
Christ's kingdom. We can also gain relief in the fact that one day everyone will
stand before God; at that time, wrongs will be righted, judgment will be
pronounced, and evil will be terminated.
4) Who will God punish, how will they be
punished, where will they be shut out from, on that day, why does Jesus come,
and why did Paul say that included the church in Thessalonica?
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The "everlasting destruction" that Paul
describes is the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:14)-the place of eternal
separation from God. Those people who are separated from God in eternity no
longer have any hope for salvation.
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Cross-reference: Revelation 20:14; Then
death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the
second death.
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Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of
fire. God's judgment is finished. The lake of fire is the ultimate destination
of everything wicked-Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the demons, death,
Hades, and all those whose names are not recorded in the book of life because
they did not place their faith in Jesus Christ. John's vision does not permit
any gray areas in God's judgment. If by faith we have not identified with
Christ, confessing him as Lord, there will be no hope, no second chance, no
other appeal.
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5) With this in mind, why does Paul say he
constantly prays for them, with God's power, what does Paul pray that God may
fulfill, and for what reason did Paul say they prayed this?
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Our "calling" from God, as Christians, is to
become like Christ (Romans 8:29). This is a gradual, lifelong process that will
be completed when we see Christ face to face (1John 3:2). To be "worthy" of
this calling means to want to do what is right and good (as Christ
would). We aren't perfect yet, but we're moving in that direction as God works
in us.
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Answers 2Thessalonians Chapter One
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1) to the church of the Thessalonians...grace and
peace
2) because their faith is growing more and more...the love every one of them has
for each other...their perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials
you are enduring
3) all this is evidence that God's judgment is right...the kingdom of God, for
which you are suffering...just...trouble...to you who are troubled...when the
Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels
4) those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus...everlasting destruction...the presence of the Lord and from the majesty
of his power...to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among
all those who have believed...because you believed Paul's testimony to you
5) that our God may count you worthy of his calling...every good purpose of
yours and every act prompted by your faith...so that the name of our Lord Jesus
may be glorified in you, and you in him
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Taken from The NIV Life Application Study
Bible, Zondervan Publishers
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