2 Thessalonians
Book Outhne
Key theme: The church and the day of the Lord
Key verses: ,
I. Encouragement in Suffering ()
A. Praise ()
B. Promise ()
C. Prayer (, )
II. Enlightenment in Teaching ()
A. How the man of lawlessness appears ()
B. How the Son of God appears ()
C. How the child of God should live ()
III. Enablement in Living ()
A. Obey the Word ()
B. Follow our example ()
C. Discipline the unruly ()
D. Closing benediction ()
Book Overview
The Christians in Thessalonica were grateful to God for Paul’s first letter, but it did not immediately solve all their problems. In fact, the persecution grew worse, and some believers thought they were living in the time of the tribulation. Then a letter arrived claiming to be from Paul, stating that the day of the Lord was actually present. Needless to say, the assembly was confused and frightened by this prospect.
Some of the believers concluded that since the Lord’s coming was so near, they ought to quit their jobs and spend their time waiting for Him. This meant that the other members were under an extra burden to care for them. Satan was working overtime; as the lion, he was seeking to devour (, ), and as the serpent, he was seeking to deceive ().
It was in response to these needs that Paul wrote his second letter. He began with their most pressing need—the persecution they were experiencing because of their faith.
A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted. New believers must expect their faith to be tried, because this is the way God proves whether or not their decision is genuine. Faith, like a muscle, must be exercised to grow stronger. Tribulation and persecution are God’s ways to strengthen our faith.
Christ is coming for us. This was the underlying theme of Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians, and he related this truth to everyday practical living. As God’s soldiers, we must be sharing the Word, for He will one day return and ask for an accounting of our lives. Do we “love His appearing” ()? Will we “be ashamed before Him at His coming” ()? Our answer to these questions can be seen in how we live each day.
“Be Transformed”
Right from the start, those who became Christians in Thessalonica were under duress. Paul hadn’t been allowed to stay with them very long. No sooner had faith in Christ taken root in the city than violent resistance began. Much as is the case today, the faith of believers in Thessalonica had to develop against the flow. They had to face opposition from outside as well as from within, since there were those who wanted to undermine the faith with false teaching. Paul’s task in writing this second letter was to encourage his brothers and sisters to remain faithful, a message we can benefit from today.
Here, then, are four great responsibilities Paul entrusted to the Thessalonians that also apply to us: believe the truth (), grip the truth (), practice the truth (, ; ), and share the truth (, ). We believe the truth when we let it settle into our minds and our language so that what God says becomes the way we think and speak. We grip the teaching we have received when we can demonstrate that it applies in ever-widening areas of our lives. We practice the truth when others can see evidence in our decision-making and living of what we claim to believe. And we share the truth not only by expressing the gospel to others, but also by the way we treat them, even when they choose not to accept our message. These are daily tasks that are never fully accomplished this side of eternity. They form a daily challenge for those who want to live faithfully for Christ. If we fulfill these duties, we will experience joy and power in our lives, as well as growth and blessing in our churches.
Greeting
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s Final Judgment and Glory
3We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,
so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
6since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
10when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,
12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Great Apostasy
1Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
6And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Stand Fast
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
17comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
Pray for Us
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,
2and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.
3But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
4And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.
5Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Warning Against Idleness
But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you;
8nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,
not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.
10For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.
12Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
13But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.
15Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Benediction
16Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.
18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Annotations for 2 Thessalonians
After greeting his friends, Paul launched into a statement of praise to God for what He had been accomplishing in their lives. Paul was practicing his own admonition, “in everything give thanks” (). You cannot help but notice Paul’s repeated thanksgivings in these two letters (; ; ; ; ). Not only does prayer change people and situations, but so does praise.
An easy life can lead to a shallow faith. The great men and women of faith in all suffered in one way or another, or faced tremendous obstacles, so that their faith could grow. Paul had prayed for the believers in Thessalonica, that their faith might mature (see ), and now he thanked God for answered prayer.
One day Jesus Christ will turn the tables and the wicked will suffer, while the believers are rewarded. Our Lord never promised us that life here would be easy; in fact, He taught that we would have to face difficulties and fight battles. But He also promised a future reward for all who were faithful to Him (). As Christians, we must live for eternity and not just for the present. In fact, living with eternity’s values in view is what makes our Christian life meaningful today. We walk by faith and not by sight.
God never wastes suffering. Trials work for us, not against us (; ). If we trust God and yield to Him, then trials will produce patience and maturity in our lives. If we rebel and fight our circumstances, then we will remain immature and impatient. God permits trials that He might build character into our lives. He can grow a mushroom overnight, but it takes many years—and many storms—to build a mighty oak.
The word “rest” means “relief, release, not under pressure.” It is the opposite of “tribulation.” The word describes the releasing of a bowstring. In this life, God’s people are pressured, “burdened beyond measure, above strength” (), and under the burdens of trial and persecution. But when we see Christ, we will be released. We need not fear fiery wrath and judgment (; ), for God has already judged our sins at Calvary.
, The word “judgment” can also be translated “vengeance” but must not be confused with revenge. The purpose of judgment/vengeance is to satisfy God’s holy law; the purpose of revenge is to pacify a personal grudge. God does not hold a grudge against lost sinners. Quite the contrary, He sent His Son to die for them, and He pleads with them to return to Him. But if sinners prefer to not “know God, and . . . do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. ), there is nothing left for God to do but judge them.
, The future prospect of glory motivated the apostle to pray for the saints. We must never neglect a present responsibility because of a future hope. On the contrary, the future hope must encourage us to be faithful today.
Trials do not make a person; they reveal what a person is made of. When our faith is tried, we are revealing our worth (). God certainly knows our hearts even before we are tried, but we do not know our own hearts. And others do not know what we are worth. We need to pray that God will build our worth and make us more valuable Christians because of the trials we have endured.
There are two programs at work in the world today: God’s program of salvation, and Satan’s program of sin. God has a timetable for His program, and nothing Satan does can change that timetable. Just as “the fullness of the time had come” for the coming of Christ (), so there is a “fullness of time” for the appearance of Antichrist; and nothing will be off schedule. Once the restraining ministry of the Spirit of God has ended, the next event can take place.
, Paul had explained all of this to the believers in Thessalonica, referring them, no doubt, to the relevant Scriptures in the Old Testament. We are fortunate to have the entire Bible to study, so we can get the total picture of Antichrist and his career. Prophetic students may not agree on every detail, but the main facts, when they are related, give us the description of Antichrist in the last days.
, As the coming of the Lord for His church draws near, Satan’s operations in this world will intensify (read ; ). Since Satan is a liar, we must resist him through the truth of God’s Word (). It was this sword that our Lord used when He defeated Satan in the wilderness (). Satan is a liar and a murderer (). God gives life through His truth; Satan slays with his lies. We are encouraged to know that one day Jesus Christ will completely overthrow Satan and his system.
We have noted that a great number of Jews and Gentiles will be saved during the seven-year tribulation period. But the vast majority of the world’s population will be lost. Many will die in the terrible judgments that God will send on earth (see , ; ; ; ). Others will perish in judgment when Jesus Christ returns and separates the saved from the lost ().
It is important to note that these people did have opportunity to believe and be saved. God has no delight in judging the lost (). These people will be judged and will suffer forever because they would not receive and believe the truth. In fact, their hearts will be so evil that they will not even have any love for the truth. Those who love lies and make lies will be excluded from the heavenly city () and sent to the lake of fire.
No lost sinner can afford to treat God’s truth carelessly or reject God’s Son repeatedly. The human heart becomes harder each time the sinner rejects God’s truth; and this makes it easier to believe Satan’s lies.
, It is dangerous to engage in idle speculation about divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Both are taught in the Bible. We know that “salvation is of the LORD” (), and that lost sinners can never save themselves. We must admit that there are mysteries to our salvation; but we can rejoice that there are certainties on which we can rest. We must not use the doctrine of election to divide the church or disturb the weak, but to glorify the Lord.
We are not to hold God’s truth in a careless way, but to “stand fast and hold” it with power and never let it slip from us. Each generation of Christians must receive the truth from others, guard it, and make sure it is kept intact for the next generation. It is not easy to stand firm or keep a strong grip, because forces around us want to move us from the faith. Satan knows how to use lies to oppose God’s truth, and he seeks to do this within the fellowship (). Sometimes faithful believers must refuse the fellowship of those who have rejected the faith (; ; ; ).
, Too many Christians today emphasize guarding the truth, but downplay living the truth. As Paul puts it in v. , we must both “say” and “do.” One of the best ways to guard the truth is to put it into practice. It is good to be defenders of the faith, but we must not forget to be demonstrators of the faith. Lazarus did not have to give lectures on the resurrection. People had only to look at him and they believed ().
A sequence of responsibilities is logical. Learning and living must go together. If we believe the truth, it changes our lives. We guard the truth and practice it so that we can share it with others. We cannot share what we do not believe (unless we are hypocrites), and we can best share that which we have practiced ourselves.
Too much Christian work these days is accomplished by human plans and promotion, and not by the Word of God. We trust our programs and do not publish the Word of God. The universe was created, and is sustained, by the Word of God (). Surely His Word can accomplish His work in this world. But the preaching of the Word in the pulpit has too often been replaced by the entertainment of the world on the platform.
, What does the Bible teach about manual (or mental) labor? For one thing, labor was a part of man’s life before sin entered the scene. God gave Adam the job of tending and keeping the garden (). Though sin turned labor into almost hopeless toil (), it must never be thought that the necessity for work is a result of sin. We need work for the fulfillment of our own person. God created us to work.
Paul expected the whole church to work together in solving this problem. The church in love must deal with its own members and seek to help each one obey God. To assist them in this task, Paul gave four motives to encourage the careless believers to turn from their sins and start earning their own bread: The other believers should (1) stay away from them, (2) follow Paul’s example, (3) never get tired of doing good, and (4) warn them as brothers and sisters.
In this attitude, Paul proved himself to be a mature Christian leader. Selfish leaders use people to build up their support, and they are always claiming their rights. A truly dedicated leader will use his rights to build up the people, and will lay aside his rights and privileges for the sake of others. (See .)
The greatest influence is that of godly living and sacrifice. A Christian leader may appeal to the authority of the Word; but if he cannot point also to his own example of obedience, the people will not listen. This is the difference between authority and stature. A leader earns stature by obeying the Word and serving the people in the will of God. Authority comes from position; stature comes from practice and example. Stature earns the leader the right to exercise authority.
Sin in the life of a believer always affects the rest of the church. As members of Christ’s body, we belong to each other and we affect each other. The bad example of a few saints can destroy the devotion, and hinder the service, of the rest of the church.
, Paul (knowing the tendency of human nature to go to extremes) cautioned them not to treat the offenders like enemies. It requires much patience, love, and grace to help an erring brother. Paul added a final motive for earning a living: “Warn them as you would a brother or sister.”
In five of his thirteen letters that are included in the New Testament, Paul handwrote a final greeting (see also ; ; ; ). Earlier in this letter he seems to hint that others were forging letters in his name (). Out of concern for his fellow believers, Paul was going the extra mile to authenticate his message. Our lives and our message should likewise always be mutually authenticating.
2 Thessalonians 1
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