Chapter Four: Order in the Church (2 Thessalonians 3:6–18)
Key theme: The church and the Day of the Lord
I.ENCOURAGEMENT IN SUFFERING—chapter 1
II.ENLIGHTENMENT IN TEACHING—chapter 2
C.How the child of God should live—
III.ENABLEMENT IN LIVING—chapter 3
(2 Thes. 2:13–3:5)
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. In this first chapter, Paul shared three encouragements with his suffering friends.
The Encouragement of Praise ()
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.
Once I was teaching a series of lessons in a church about Satan’s devices to defeat Christians. One of these devices is suffering, as in the case of Job. If Satan can put us into difficult circumstances, he may be able to weaken our faith.
“One of the best weapons for fighting Satan is praise,” I told my morning class. “In spite of his pain, Job was able to say, ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord!’ So, the next time things go wrong and you are tempted to get impatient, turn to God and give thanks.”
That evening, just before the class started, a lady rushed up to me and said, “It works! It works!” And then she told me about her afternoon and all that had happened. Her story was so unbelievable that I would have doubted it, had I not known her character. “But in it all I gave thanks,” she told me, “and God gave me the grace and strength I needed. It works. Praise works!”
No doubt the Thessalonican believers did not consider themselves to be very spiritual as they suffered, but Paul detected what God was doing among them. You and I are the worst ones to evaluate our own lives. Many times others can see the spiritual improvement when you and I miss it completely. For what blessings did Paul give thanks and thereby encourage his friends?
Their faith was growing (v. ). 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.
One of my favorite books is Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor. In it you read how Hudson Taylor’s faith in God grew from that first day he determined to live by faith in God alone. He learned to trust God for his salary, especially when his busy employer forgot to pay him. He learned to trust God for daily needs; and, as his faith was tested, he grew in faith and was able to trust God for His supply for an entire missionary organization. Sometimes it seemed that God had forgotten, but Taylor continued to pray and trust, and God answered.
An easy life can lead to a shallow faith. The great men and women of faith in Hebrews 11 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 be perfected (); and now he thanked God for answered prayer.
Their love was abounding (v. ). Again, this was an answer to Paul’s previous prayer (). Suffering can make us selfish; but when suffering is mixed with grace and faith, it produces love. It is “faith which worketh by love” (). When Christians suffer, their faith reaches upward to God, and their love reaches outward to their fellow believers.
Thoreau once described a city as a place where many people are “lonely together.” Residents of a high-rise apartment can be suffering greatly and the people in the next apartment know nothing about it. Our modern world can promote spiritual and emotional isolation and insulation, even to the point of our watching others suffer without really caring.
But for the Christian, suffering can help to produce abounding love. “Behold, how they love one another!” was the confession of the pagan world as it beheld the miracle of Christian fellowship. The early believers were only obeying the commandment of their Lord, “Love one another.” Their own suffering did not prevent them from sharing love with others who were suffering.
Their patience was increasing (v. ). Perhaps “perseverance” would be the best translation of this Greek word. “Tribulation works out endurance” (, literal translation). You do not become patient and persevering by reading a book (even this one) or listening to a lecture. You have to suffer.
What were these believers enduring? Paul used several words to describe their situation: persecutions, which means “attacks from without,” or “trials”; tribulations, which literally means “pressures,” or afflictions that result from the trials; and trouble (), which means “to be pressed into a narrow place.” No matter how we look at it, the Thessalonican Christians were not having an easy time.
But 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.
Their testimony was helping others (v. ). “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith” (, NIV). Not only can suffering help us to grow, but we can then help others to grow. God encourages us that we may encourage others (). We are not to be cisterns that receive and keep, but channels that receive and share.
The word translated “faith” in , can be translated “faithfulness.” Actually, the two go together; we reveal our faith in God by our faithfulness of life. The Thessalonicans were faithful to the Lord and to one another, in spite of the troubles they endured. When a person in difficulty forsakes the Lord and the church, he shows that either he has never been born again, or that his spiritual life is very weak. A true Christian who is growing will be faithful, come what may.
During World War II, when enemy armies invaded North Africa, the missionaries had to flee; and there was great concern over the churches left behind. But when the war ended and the missionaries returned, they discovered strong, thriving churches. The sufferings of war purified the church and helped strengthen the faith of the true believers. What an encouragement this was to the churches of the free world.
Paul had every reason to praise God and give thanks for what God was doing in the lives of these young Christians. But did you notice that one element was missing—hope? “Faith, hope, and love” had characterized these believers from the beginning (); but Paul gave thanks only for their faith and love. Why? Apparently they were confused about their hope. This leads us to the second encouragement.
The Encouragement of Promise ()
No matter how difficult their present circumstances may have been, the Thessalonican believers had a secure and glorious future. In fact, their sufferings were evidence, “a manifest token,” that God was righteous, working out His great plan for them. We are prone to think that suffering proves that God does not care, when just the opposite is true. Furthermore, the way we act in times of trial proves to others that God is at work. (See for another example of this principle.)
Three experiences are involved in the promises of God for His people.
Reward (v. ). “You will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering” (NIV). This was one of God’s purposes in permitting their suffering. It does not suggest that their suffering earned them the right to go to heaven, because we know that they were saved through faith in Christ (1 Thes. 1). The little word “also” indicated that this worthiness related both to their present experience and their future entrance into God’s glorious kingdom. You find the same idea in .
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 ().
Recompense (vv. , ). God will recompense affliction to the lost, but rest to the saved. To recompense means “to repay.” Certainly, the wicked who persecute the godly do not always receive their just payment in this life. In fact, the apparent prosperity of the wicked and difficulty of the godly have posed a problem for many of God’s people (see Ps. 73; ; Hab. 1). Why live a godly life if your only experience is that of suffering?
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.
This brings to mind the story of the two farmers, one a believer and the other an atheist. When harvest season came, the atheist taunted his believing neighbor because apparently God had not blessed him too much. The atheist’s family had not been sick, his fields were rich with harvest, and he was sure to make a lot of money.
“I thought you said it paid to believe in God and be a Christian,” said the atheist.
“It does pay,” replied the Christian. “But God doesn’t always pay His people in September.”
What kind of a future does the unbeliever face? Look at the dramatic words Paul used to describe it: tribulation, vengeance, flaming fire, punishment, and everlasting destruction. The Christ-rejecting world will receive from God exactly what it gave to God’s people! When God recompenses, He pays in kind; for there is a law of compensation that operates in human history.
Pharaoh tried to drown all the male babies born to the Jews, and his own army was drowned in the Red Sea. Haman plotted to wipe out the Jews, and he and his own sons were wiped out. The advisers of King Darius forced him to arrest Daniel and throw him into a lions’ den, but later they themselves were thrown to the lions. The unbelieving Jewish leaders who sacrificed Christ in order to save the nation (see ) in a few years saw their city destroyed and their nation scattered.
It is a righteous thing for God to judge sin and condemn sinners. A holy God cannot leave sin unjudged. People who say, “I cannot believe that a loving God would judge sinners and send people to hell” understand neither the holiness of God nor the awfulness of sin. While it is true that “God is love” (), it is also true that “God is light” (), and in His holiness He must deal with sin.
A Christian doctor had tried to witness to a very moral woman who belonged to a church that denied the need for salvation and the reality of future judgment. “God loves me too much to condemn me,” the patient would reply. “I cannot believe that God would make such a place as a lake of fire.”
The woman became ill and the diagnosis was cancer. An operation was necessary. “I wonder if I really should operate,” the doctor said to her in her hospital room. “I really love you too much to cut into you and give you pain.”
“Doctor,” said the patient, “if you really loved me, you would do everything possible to save me. How can you permit this awful thing to remain in my body?”
It was easy then for him to explain that what cancer is to the body, sin is to the world; and both must be dealt with radically and completely. Just as a physician cannot love health without hating disease and dealing with it, so God cannot love righteousness without hating sin and judging it.
The word vengeance must not be confused with revenge. The purpose of 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 “know not God, and … obey not the Gospel” (), there is nothing left for God to do but judge them.
This judgment will take place when Jesus Christ returns to the earth with His church and His angels (). This is not the same event described by Paul in . We may contrast these two events:
2 Thessalonians 1
Christ returns in the air
Christ returns to the earth
He comes secretly for the church
He comes openly with the church
Believers escape the Tribulation
Unbelievers experience Tribulation, judgment
Occurs at an undisclosed time
Occurs at the end of the Tribulation period, the Day of our Lord
Rest (vv. , ). God will recompense tribulation to the lost, but rest to the saved. I believe that the first phrase in should be treated as a parenthesis: “to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you (and to you who are troubled, rest with us) when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed.” The saints receive their rest when the Lord returns in the air and catches us up to be with Him.
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, ‘’pressed out of measure” (), 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.
What kind of future is there for the lost? They face punishment and eternal judgment (), while the saved shall enjoy the rest and glories of heaven. The lost shall be separated from God, while the saved “shall see His face” (). Some cultists have tried to dilute the meaning of “everlasting destruction,” saying it means either temporary suffering or total annihilation; but both ideas are false. The phrase means “eternal judgment,” no matter how men try to twist it or avoid it (see ).
Paul encouraged his friends with praise and promise; and he had a third encouragement.
The Encouragement of Prayer ()
Paul prayed for his converts (; ). His “wherefore” in means, “And because of all I have just said”—the return of Christ to be glorified in the saints, and to judge the lost. 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.
There were three concerns in Paul’s prayer.
Their worthiness (v. ). In , Paul had stated that he wanted them to be worthy of the kingdom when they entered glory in the future. But here he emphasized their present situation. God’s calling was in grace and love, and Paul desired that they might live up to that calling (see ).
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.
Their walk (v. ). “That by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act promoted by your faith” (NIV). Character must lead to conduct. Paul prayed that they might have a resolute will, empowered by God, to do what He wanted them to do. Obedience and service do not spring from human talent and efforts, but from God’s power as we trust Him.
Paul had linked faith with love () and endurance (), and here he linked it with power. If we believe God, we will receive His power in our lives. We cannot be victorious in tribulations if we only trust ourselves; but we can be victorious through trusting Him.
When I travel, I carry an electric razor that can store up the energy and run for perhaps two hours without any outside source of power. It is especially useful when I visit the mission fields.
While preaching for a week at a summer conference, I noticed that my razor was losing power. In fact, one morning it operated so slowly that I was convinced it was broken. Then by evening, it had picked up speed again. A few minutes investigation revealed the problem: I had plugged the razor into a socket that was controlled by a wall switch. When my wife had the desk lamp on, my razor was storing up power; when the light was off, the razor received no power.
That incident taught me a spiritual lesson: it is easy (by force of habit) to trust a source of power without checking to see if the switch is on. Paul was praying that his friends might “have the switch on” and, by their faith, receive the power needed to endure suffering and glorify God.
Their witness (v. ). Jesus Christ will be glorified in His saints when they return with Him (); but He should also be glorified in our lives today. Unbelievers blaspheme His name (), but believers bless His name and seek to glorify it. The amazing thing is that the believer who glorifies Christ is likewise glorified in Christ, “glorified in you, and you in Him” (NIV).
How can this be done? “According to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ” (). Grace and glory go together, as do suffering and glory (see ; ; ; ; ). As we receive His grace, we reveal His glory.
“ ‘There is no peace,’ saith the Lord, ‘unto the wicked’ ” (). No rest for the wicked! But there is rest for those who trust Christ and seek to live for His glory. For the Christian, the best is yet to come. We know that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” ().
The purpose of Bible prophecy is not for us to make a calendar, but to build character. Paul emphasized this fact in both of his Thessalonian letters, and our Lord warned us not to set dates for His coming (, ). Date-setters are usually upsetters, and that is exactly what happened in the Thessalonican assembly.
Someone had deceived the believers into thinking they were already living in the Day of the Lord. The teaching probably first came through a “prophetic utterance” in one of their meetings, and then it was further enhanced by a letter claiming to come from Paul himself. The believers were instantly shaken by this teaching, and continued to be deeply troubled. Had God changed His program? Had not Paul promised them deliverance from the Tribulation? (see ; )
To calm their hearts and stabilize their faith, Paul explained that they were not in the Day of the Lord. The reason was simple: that Day could not arrive till certain other events had taken place. Paul then stated for them the prophetic events that make up God’s timetable.
The Rapture of the Church (, )
Paul appealed to them to “calm down” on the basis of the truth he had taught them in his first letter: the Lord would return and catch up His own to meet Him in the air (). This is “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and … our gathering together unto Him” (). Not two separated events, but one great event that will occur suddenly and without warning.
Once the church is out of the world, Satan and his forces will unfold their program. The Day of the Lord is the period that follows the Rapture of the church. It will be a time of Tribulation for the people on earth: Satan and his hosts will be working on earth, and God will send righteous judgments from heaven. Revelation 6–19 describes this period for us.
Why is Satan unable to reveal his “man of sin” sooner? Because God is restraining the forces of evil in the world today. Satan cannot do whatever he wants to do, whenever he pleases. Our sovereign Lord is able to make even the wrath of man to praise Him, and “the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain” (). In , Paul mentioned a restraining force that even today is helping keep everything on schedule.
Who or what is this restrainer? Paul told the Thessalonicans when he was teaching them personally, but he did not put this information in either of his letters. This restrainer is now at work in the world and will continue to work till it (or he) is “taken out of the midst” (literal translation of ).
Notice that in Paul referred to this restrainer in the neuter gender (“what restraineth”), while in , he used the masculine gender (“he who now hindereth”). The restrainer is a person who is today “in the midst,” but will one day be “taken out of the midst.”
Many Bible students identify this restrainer as the Holy Spirit of God. Certainly, He is “in the midst” of God’s program today, working through the church to accomplish God’s purposes. When the church is raptured, the Holy Spirit will not be taken out of the world (otherwise nobody could be saved during the Tribulation), but He will be taken out of the midst to allow Satan and his forces to go to work. The Holy Spirit will certainly be present on the earth during the Day of the Lord, but He will not be restraining the forces of evil as He is today.
In spite of its weakness and seeming failure, never underestimate the importance of the church in the world. People who criticize the church do not realize that the presence of the people of God in this world gives unsaved people opportunity to be saved. The presence of the church is delaying the coming of judgment. Lot was not a dedicated man, but his presence in Sodom held back the wrath of God ().
There are two programs at work in the world today: God’s program of salvation, and Satan’s program of sin, “the mystery of iniquity.” God has a timetable for His program, and nothing Satan does can change that timetable. Just as there was a “fullness of the time” for the coming of Christ (), so there is a “fullness of the 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.
The Revelation of Antichrist (, )
Paul did not use the term Antichrist in his letter. This term is used in the New Testament only by John (, ; ; ). But this is the name we use to identify the last great world dictator whom Paul designated as “that man of sin,” “the son of perdition” (), and “that lawless one” (, literal translation).
Satan has been at war with God ever since he, as Lucifer, rebelled against God and tried to capture God’s throne (). He tempted Eve in the Garden and, through her, caused Adam to fall (Gen. 3). In , God declared war on Satan and his family (“seed”) and promised the coming of the Redeemer who would finally and completely defeat Satan.
The Greek prefix anti has two meanings: against, and instead of. Satan not only opposes Christ, but he wants to be worshiped and obeyed instead of Christ. Satan has always wanted to be worshiped and served as God (; ). He will one day produce his masterpiece, the Antichrist, who will cause the world to worship Satan and believe Satan’s lies.
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 following description of Antichrist in the last days.
The peacemaker (). Certainly, this man will be on the scene before the Rapture of the church. He will be a peaceful political leader who unites ten nations of Europe into a strong power bloc (see ). The rider on the white horse imitates Christ (). He goes forth to conquer peacefully: he has a bow, but no arrows. He will bring a brief time of peace to the world () before the storm of the Day of the Lord breaks loose.
The protector (). We cannot examine the exciting details of this prophecy, but it is important to note several facts. First, the prophecy applies to Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple, and not to the church. Second, it announces the time when Messiah will come and accomplish certain purposes for the Jewish people. The word week refers to a period of 7 years; 70 weeks are equal to 490 years. Note that these 490 years are divided into three parts: 7 weeks or 49 years, during which the city would be rebuilt; 62 weeks or 434 years, at the end of which time Messiah would come and be cut off; 1 week or 7 years, during which a “prince” would have a covenant with Israel.
Notice that two princes are involved in this prophecy: Christ, Messiah the Prince (), and Antichrist, “the prince that shall come” (). “The people of the prince that shall come” are the Romans; for it was they who destroyed the city and the temple in A.D. 70. The coming Antichrist will belong to a nation that was part of the old Roman Empire.
Finally, note that there is a parenthesis between the sixty-ninth and the seventieth week. We are now living in that parenthesis. The sixty-ninth week ended with the ministry of Christ. The seventieth week will start with the arrival of Antichrist. He will make a covenant with Israel to protect her and permit her to rebuild her temple. This covenant will be for seven years. He will temporarily solve the Middle East crisis. Israel will rebuild her temple in peaceful times. It is the signing of this covenant, not the Rapture of the church, that signals the start of Daniel’s seventieth week, that seven-year period known as the Day of the Lord.
The peace-breaker (). After three and one-half years, Antichrist will break his covenant with the Jews and take over their temple. This was what Paul termed “the falling away” (). A better translation would be “the rebellion, the apostasy.” Not simply a rebellion, but the rebellion. Up to this point, Antichrist has been a peacemaking leader of ten European nations, obligated to protect Israel. But now he reveals his true character by taking over the Jewish temple and demanding that the world worship him (see Rev. 13).
Since Antichrist will be energized by Satan, it is no surprise that he will seek worship; for Satan has always wanted the worship of the world. There have been various “apostasies” in church history, when groups have turned away from God’s truth; but this final rebellion will be the greatest of all. The man of sin will oppose everything that belongs to any other religion, true or false. He will organize a world church that will, by worshiping him, worship Satan.
Our Lord predicted this apostasy; He called it “the abomination of desolation” (), a clear reference to . The world will wonder at this great leader who, with Satan’s power, will perform signs and wonders and deceive the nations.
The persecutor (). Most prophetic students agree that the abomination of desolation will occur three and one-half years after the Antichrist makes his covenant with the Jews. (—“in the midst of the week” or three and one-half years.) This will usher in a period of intense persecution and Tribulation. Jesus said, “For then shall be great Tribulation” (). Satan will vent his wrath against Israel. He will so control the world’s economic system that citizens must bear “the mark of the beast” to be able to buy and sell ().
People often ask, “Will anybody be saved during the seven-year period?” The answer is, yes! states that 144,000 Jews will be saved (probably as was the Apostle Paul, by a dramatic vision of Christ) and will carry the Gospel to the nations. The Apostle John described a great multitude of Gentiles who will come out of the great Tribulation () as converted people. Even though the Holy Spirit will be “out of the midst” as the restraining power, He will still work with redeeming power.
However, it will cost dearly to trust Christ and live for Him during that time. Believers will refuse to bow down to the beast’s image and will be slain. They will refuse to wear his mark and thus be unable to get jobs or make purchases. It will be quite a contrast to our situation now when even famous people admit that they are “born again.”
The prisoner (). Keep in mind that God has a timetable. Satan will not be permitted to control the world forever. Jesus Christ will return “in power and great glory” and take Antichrist and his associates prisoner—and also Satan—and cast them into the bottomless pit (). This will be the climax of the great Battle of Armageddon () during which the nations of the world unite with Satan to fight Jesus Christ. This leads to our next event.
This is His return to the earth in glory and judgment, the event described in and . It will occur at the end of the seven-year Tribulation period when the “mystery of iniquity” (Satan’s evil program) will have ended with the Battle of Armageddon. It is important that we distinguish His Rapture of the church from His return to the earth. The first event is secret, as the church is caught up to meet Him in the air. The second event is public, when the church returns with Him to defeat Satan and his hosts.
His judgment of Antichrist (vv. ). Nobody on earth will be able to overcome the Antichrist and his forces, for he is energized by Satan. “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” () Satan will enable his false messiah to perform “power and signs and lying wonders” (). This, of course, is in imitation of Jesus Christ who performed “miracles and wonders and signs” ().
Satan has always been an imitator. There are false Christians in the world who are really children of the devil (; ). He has false ministers () who preach a false gospel (). There is even a “synagogue of Satan” (), which means a gathering of people who think they are worshiping God but who are really worshiping the devil (). These false Christians have a counterfeit righteousness that is not the saving righteousness of Christ (; ). They have a false assurance of salvation that will prove useless when they face judgment ().
During the Apostolic Age, miracles were given to verify the message (). God’s chosen Apostles used miracles as their credential to prove they were sent by God (). However, miracles alone never prove that a man is sent from God: his message and his character must also be considered. John the Baptist was “a man sent from God” (), yet “John did no miracle” ().
Satan can perform miracles that seem to rival those of the Lord. This is how he opposed Moses in the court of Pharaoh (, , ). In the final judgment, some people who performed miracles in the name of Jesus will be rejected by the Lord because they were never saved (). Judas performed miracles, yet he was never born again (; , ).
The purpose of God’s miracles was to lead people to the truth; the purpose of Antichrist’s miracles will be to lead people to believe his lies. Paul called them “lying wonders” (), not because the miracles are not real, but because they persuade people to believe Satan’s lies. The world would not long follow a leader who practiced cheap trickery (see ).
When Jesus Christ returns, He will judge Antichrist by “the spirit of His mouth … and the brightness of His coming” (). The verbs “consume” and “destroy” do not mean annihilate; for indicates that Satan and his associates will be tormented in the lake of fire forever. You could translate this statement: “whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth, and bring an end to his operations by the outshining of His presence.”
As the coming of the Lord for His church draws near, Satan’s operations in this world will intensify (read 1 Tim. 4; 2 Tim. 3). 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.
His judgment of the unsaved (vv. ). 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 (). God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (). 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.
In this paragraph, Paul taught a sobering truth: a person can so resist the truth that he finally becomes deluded and has to believe a lie. There can be no neutral ground: either we believe the truth or we believe a lie. To reject the truth means to receive the lie.
Does this mean that God is to blame for a man’s rejection of Christ? No more than God was to blame for Pharaoh’s spiritual condition when Moses was bringing the plagues on Egypt. Pharaoh heard God’s Word and saw God’s wonders, yet he refused to bow to God’s will. Pharaoh occasionally relented and gave lip service to God’s will; but he always resisted in the end and refused to obey God. He hardened his heart so that he could not believe the truth, and this led to God’s final judgment of the land of Egypt.
reads literally, “That they should believe the lie.” What is “the lie”? Satan is the liar and has foisted many deceptions on the human race. But there is one “lie” that, from the beginning, has led people astray. Satan first spoke it to Eve: “You shall be as God!” The lie is the idea that man is his own God and therefore can do whatever he pleases and better himself by his own human efforts. The process is described in . Note especially : “Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (literal translation).
All of which means that Satan appeals to man’s pride. It was pride that turned Lucifer into Satan (; ). It is pride that traps men into doing Satan’s will in this world (see ).
A friend told me about a church officer on the mission field who was causing great problems in the church. Whenever the missionary was in the village, the officer lived a godly life; but no sooner did the missionary leave than the man began to behave as though he were controlled by Satan. Finally the missionary and several church leaders confronted the man in the name of Jesus Christ, and they discovered the truth: Satan was using pride to control the officer’s life.
“When I was ordained an elder,” the man explained, “I heard a voice say to me, ‘Now you are somebody important.’ I yielded to that voice, and Satan took over in my life.” He confessed his sin, the church prayed, and God delivered him.
“Now you are somebody important!” “Worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator.” This is Satan’s lie, and I fear it is what rules the world today. God originally made man in His own image. Today, man is making God in his own image.
The people Christ will judge not only do not love the truth, but they have “pleasure in unrighteousness” (). Read for one description of this kind of person, and also Psalm 52. The chief priests actually were glad when Judas promised to help them kill Christ (). I mentioned before that this process of believing the lie is described in Romans 1. The closing verse of that section () states this truth clearly: “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Does this mean that those who have heard the Gospel before the Rapture of the church cannot be saved after the Rapture? Not necessarily. If that were true, then our witness to the lost is condemning them, should Christ return. However, it does mean that 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.
How much better it is to follow the example of the Thessalonican believers who received the Word of God “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God” (). They received the truth and were saved.
Have you received the truth?
2 Thessalonians 2:13–3:5
Paul was a balanced Christian who had a balanced ministry; and we see evidence of this as he brought his letter to a close. He moved from prophecy to practical Christian living. He turned from the negative (Satan’s lies) to the positive (God’s truth), and from warning to thanksgiving and prayer.
We desperately need balanced ministries today. I have attended Bible conferences where the only emphasis was on what Christ will do with the Jews in the future, to the total neglect of what He wants to do with the church in the present. We must never permit the study of prophecy to be an escape from responsibility today.
Paul’s emphasis was on the truth of God’s Word, in contrast to Satan’s great lie which Paul discussed in the previous section. Every believer has four responsibilities to God’s truth.
We have noted Paul’s repeated thanksgiving in his letters to this church (; ; ; ; ). He gave thanks for the way they responded to God’s work in their lives. In these two verses, Paul reviewed the stages in their salvation experience.
God loved them (v. ). Whatever God does for the lost world springs from His eternal love. We must never conceive of His great plan of salvation as an impersonal machine. His salvation is rooted and grounded in His love (). God proved this love at the cross where Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world ().
God chose them (v. ). It is not love alone that saves us, for God loves the whole world, and yet the whole world is not saved. Love reveals itself in grace and mercy. God in His grace gives us through Christ what we do not deserve, and God in His mercy does not give what we do deserve—but He gave that to Christ! We dare not explain away God’s election of sinners (; ; ).
God set them apart (v. ). The word sanctify means “to set apart.” There is a progressive sanctification that makes us more like Jesus Christ (). But the sanctification Paul mentioned here refers to the Spirit’s work in leading the unbeliever to faith in Christ. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit” (). It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to the sinner (). Though I did not realize it at the time, as I look back I can see how the Spirit led in bringing me to faith in Christ; and this is the experience of every believer.
God called them (v. ). The same God who ordained the end (salvation) also ordained the means to the end (“belief of the truth”). The person who says, “God already has His elect, so there is no need for us to pray, witness, and send out missionaries” does not understand divine election. The greatest encouragement to evangelism is the knowledge that God has His people who have been prepared to respond to His Word (read ).
In order for God to fulfill His eternal plan, He sent Paul, Silas, and Timothy to Thessalonica to preach the Word of God. What was ordained in eternity was accomplished in time. God used human instruments to bring the Gospel to the lost; and by trusting Christ, these people proved their “election of God” (). The call of God went out to the whole city, but it was effective only in those who believed the truth and trusted Christ.
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.
God gave them glory (v. ). What began in eternity past reaches its climax in eternity future: we share in the glory of God (; ). What begins with grace always leads to glory. This is quite a contrast to the future assigned to the lost (). Believers already possess God’s glory within (; note the past tense in —“glorified”). We are awaiting Christ’s return, and then the glory shall be revealed (; ).
When sinners believe God’s truth, God saves them. When they believe Satan’s lie, and reject the love of the truth, they cannot be saved (). Being neutral about God’s truth is a dangerous thing. It has tragic eternal consequences.
Paul had told them about the future rebellion against the truth (), the great apostasy headed by the Antichrist. But he also warned in his letters that there was a present danger, and that the church must guard God’s truth and not turn from it. There are repeated warnings about this in the New Testament: ; ; 2 Peter 2; 1 Timothy 4; and 2 Timothy 3, to name only a few.
God works in this world through the truth of His Word, and Satan opposes this truth by substituting his lies. Human nature is prone to believe a lie and resist the truth. Satan accomplishes his best work through people in so-called Christian institutions (churches, schools, etc.) who do not believe God’s truth. They have “a form of godliness” but have never experienced the power of God’s saving truth.
When Paul used the word traditions, he was not referring to man-made religious ideas that are not based on the Word of God. Our Lord rejected man’s religious traditions (). Paul warned against them in . It is sad to see religious people argue over man’s traditions and, at the same time, reject the simple truth of the Word of God.
The word tradition simply means “that which is handed down from one person to another.” The truth of the Gospel began as an oral message proclaimed by Christ and the Apostles. Later, this truth was written down by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and it became Holy Scripture (see ; ). God’s truth was not invented by men: it was handed down from God to man (; ) and each generation of believers had guarded this truth and passed it on to others ().
Paul stated clearly the believers’ dual responsibility in guarding the truth: “stand fast, and hold the traditions” (). Stand fast means, “Do not move away from the truth of the Gospel” (see ; ). When my wife and I visited the Tower of London and saw the royal jewels, we noticed that the crowd was kept moving, but the guards stood still. They were constantly watching the visitors and nothing could move them from their appointed places. You and I are helping to guard the “precious faith” and we must not be moved by the wiles of Satan or the praises of men.
If we stand, then we can hold. This word means “to hold fast, to hold firmly.” It is related to a Greek word that means “strength, might, power.” We are not to hold God’s truth in a careless way, but grasp it firmly 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 or hold, 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 (; 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1; ; ).
Let me sum this up with two words of caution. First, “the faith” that has been handed down to us must not be confused with man’s interpretations and ideas. The Pharisees made their own interpretations as sacred as the Word of God (). The basic doctrines of God’s Word are held by all evangelical believers, but not all believers agree on minor matters of interpretation (especially in the area of prophecy) or matters of church order. It is dangerous to make man’s ideas a test of fellowship or spirituality.
Second, we must not embalm the truth so that it loses its life and power. We are to be like faithful householders who bring out of God’s treasury of truth “things new and old” (). There is yet more truth to be found in God’s Word, and we must not think that we know it all. The Word is like seed (), and when seed is sown, it produces plants, fruit, and more seed. While it is good to “tell the old, old story” it is also good to let the Spirit teach us new truths from the Word, and to make new applications of old truths.
It is not enough to believe the truth and guard it; we must also practice it. If we hear the Word, but do not obey it, we are only fooling ourselves ().
These two verses record Paul’s desire and prayer for his friends: he wanted God to encourage them (“comfort your hearts”) and establish them (“stablish you”) “in every good word and work.” Both of these words are prominent in the Thessalonian letters.
When Paul was with them, he encouraged them individually as a father does his children (). He sent Timothy to encourage them (), and Paul himself was greatly encouraged with Timothy’s report of their faithfulness ().
Paul encouraged them to walk to please God (), and to grow in their love for others (). He taught them about the Rapture of the church in order that they might encourage each other (). To calm their fears, he explained the Day of the Lord to them (). In addition to his teaching, he urged them to minister to each other ().
Establishment in the Lord is also an important theme. Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica that he might establish them in their faith (); and Paul prayed that God might establish them (). The child must be taught to stand before he can learn to walk or run.
It is God who establishes, but He uses people to accomplish His work. A great need in our churches is for Christians who will take time to establish the younger believers. Group Bible studies are very valuable, as are the public meetings of the church; but individual discipling is also important. Paul encouraged the Thessalonican believers on a one-to-one basis, and we should follow his example.
Paul was concerned about two aspects of their Christian life: their word and their work, their saying and their doing. If our walk contradicts our words, we lose our testimony. Our “walk” and our “talk” must agree; good works and good words must come from the same yielded heart.
We are not saved by good works (; ); but good works are the evidence of salvation (). It is not enough to depend on good words; the words must be backed up by the deeds (). It must be a steady practice, not an occasional one. We must be established in our words and works.
How is this possible? Only God can do it by His grace; and this is what Paul desired for his friends. God has given us eternal encouragement and good hope through His grace. Notice that Paul’s words united the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father in such a way that he affirmed the deity of Christ. The two names for God in are governed by a singular verb, not a plural, which means they are equal. He used the same construction in , again affirming the equality of the Son with the Father.
Too many Christians today emphasize guarding the truth, but downplay living the truth. 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 want to be hypocrites); and we can best share that which we have practiced ourselves.
God’s Word is alive (); we must let it move freely. Paul alluded here to —“He sent forth His commandment upon earth: His word runneth very swiftly.” God’s servants may be bound, but God’s Word cannot be bound (). As we practice the truth and pray for the ministry of the truth, God’s Word will have freedom to run and accomplish God’s purposes in the world.
The Word of God is glorified in the lives of those who share it and those who receive it. This was Paul’s experience in Antioch of Pisidia: “And when the Gentiles heard this [that they could be saved], they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the Word of the Lord was published [spread abroad] throughout all the region” ().
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. Dr. Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, has said of Christian pastors: “It is their task to feed the sheep—not to entertain the goats.”
It has been my experience in three pastorates that God’s Word will accomplish God’s work. When the sheep are fed, they will flock together in love, reproduce, follow the shepherd—and they can be “fleeced” and will love it. It is when the sheep are hungry that they start biting each other, becoming sick, and wandering away. When the Word of God does the work, then God gets the glory. My good friend Dr. Bob Cook used to remind us, “If you can explain what is going on, then God isn’t doing it!”
Of course, there is always opposition to the Word and work of God. Paul asked his friends to pray that he might be delivered from unbelieving men who were evil and wicked. Just as the Spirit uses dedicated people to share the Word, Satan uses wicked people to oppose the Word. The evil one enjoys using Christian believers to oppose the work of God. He spoke through Peter (), and he worked through Ananias and Sapphira ().
Paul had confidence that his readers would not yield to Satan, but would permit the faithful Lord to establish them and guard them from the evil one (literal meaning of ). We cannot have confidence in ourselves, but we can have confidence in God for ourselves and for others.
It is not enough that the pastor or church officers alone share the Word; each Christian must be a part of this vital ministry. The word command that Paul used in means “a military order passed down from a superior officer.” He used this word in ; and he repeated it in , , , . Christ is the Captain of our salvation; we are His soldiers (). In a battle, it is not enough for only the officers to fight; every man must do his duty. This is also true in the work of the local church.
What if an army were run with the same lack of obedience, order, and discipline that we often see in the local church? It would never win the war. If soldiers attended drill whenever they felt like it, they would never be equipped to face the enemy. If the recruits disobeyed their officers’ orders the way some church members disobey the Word of God, they would be court-martialed.
A soldier obeys primarily out of loyalty and fear. But a Christian has much higher motives for obedience: God’s love and Christ’s return (). “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (). A commanding officer does not require his men to love him; but if they do, they will respect and obey him with greater diligence. The history of warfare records heroic deeds done by men who loved their leaders and willingly died for them. Our Saviour loved us and died for us. Can we not obey Him?
He is coming for us. This has been the 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”? ()
Here, then, are four great responsibilities for us to fulfill: believe the truth, guard the truth, practice the truth, and share the truth. If we fulfill these duties, we will experience joy and power in our lives, and growth and blessing in our churches.
When problems are not solved, they grow and become worse. A sliver left in the finger can become infected and cause a toxic condition so serious that surgery may become necessary. If you tell your doctor that you stepped on a rusty nail, he will immediately give you a tetanus shot, even though the wound may appear insignificant to you.
Church problems are like physical problems: if left unsolved, they grow and become worse, and they infect more people. The local church is a body; and what germs are to the physical body, sin is to the spiritual body. When Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonican church, he warned the idle busybodies to get to work (). He admonished the church leaders to “warn them that are unruly” (). The word unruly means “a soldier out of rank.” Apparently these troublemakers did not repent, because Paul devoted the rest of his second letter to this problem.
What was the problem? Some members of the assembly had misinterpreted Paul’s teachings about the return of Christ, left their jobs, and were living off the generosity of the church. They were idle while others were working. Yet they expected the church to support them. It is possible that this group of lazy saints was the source of the false teaching Paul mentioned in . They were also spreading gossip about people in the church. They had time on their hands and gossip on their lips, but they defended themselves by arguing, “The Lord is coming soon!”
Misinterpretations and misapplications of the truths of God’s Word can cause endless trouble. History records the foolishness of people who set dates, sold their possessions, and sat on mountains waiting for the Lord to return. Any teaching that encourages us to disobey another divine teaching is not Bible teaching.
The Pharisees figured out a way to rob their parents and yet obey the fifth commandment:
And He [Jesus] said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” He was also saying to them, “You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death’; but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, anything of mine you might have been helped by is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the Word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many such things like that” (, NASB).
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 Exhortation of the Word ()
Paul had used this powerful word command in his first Thessalonian letter (, ); and we met it earlier in this chapter (). He used it again in , . The word means “a military order handed down from a superior officer.” Paul considered the church to be like an army; and if the army does not obey the orders, there can be no order. Unfortunately, some of the saints were “out of rank” (“unruly” in , and “disorderly” in and ).
What authority did Paul have to issue this command, “If any is not willing to work, neither should he eat”? (, literal translation) He had the authority of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. At least twenty times in the Thessalonian letters, Paul used this complete title of the Saviour. Jesus means “Saviour” and is His human name (). Christ is His divine title; it means “Messiah—the Anointed One.” Other persons could use the name Jesus (the Hebrew form is “Joshua”); and other persons could claim to be anointed, such as prophets, priests, and kings. But the two names, Jesus Christ, are further defined by the name LORD, “Jehovah God.”
In the four Gospels and the Book of Acts, our Lord is often called Jesus; but this single name is used very infrequently in the rest of the New Testament. That it is occasionally used should restrain us from criticizing those who call their Saviour “Jesus”; but that its use is found mainly during His ministry on earth should encourage us to address Him, and speak of Him with His name of exaltation—Lord Jesus Christ (). We no longer know “Christ after the flesh” (), but as the exalted Son of God and “Head over all things to the church.” His lordship includes our work and money management.
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 dressing and guarding 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. Man needs work for the fulfillment of his own person. God created him to work.
Have you noticed that God called people who were busy at work? Moses was caring for sheep (Ex. 3). Joshua was Moses’ servant before he became Moses’ successor (). Gideon was threshing wheat when God called him (), and David was caring for his father’s sheep (). Our Lord called four fishermen to serve as His disciples, and He Himself had worked as a carpenter. Paul was a tentmaker () and used his trade to support his own ministry.
The Jews honored honest labor and required all their rabbis to have a trade. But the Greeks despised manual labor and left it to their slaves. This Greek influence, plus their wrong ideas about the doctrine of the Lord’s return, led these believers into an unchristian way of life.
Paul recognized the fact that some people could not work, perhaps because of physical handicaps or family responsibilities. This is why he phrased the statement as he did: “If any man is not willing to work.” It was not a question of ability but willingness. When a believer cannot work and is in need, it is the privilege and duty of the church to help him (; ).
The exhortation of the Word should have motivated these lazy believers to work; but Paul added a second motivation.
As an apostle, Paul had the right to expect financial support; but he deliberately gave up this right that he might be an example to the young believers (see ). 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.
He had referred to his example in labor in his previous letter (). His readers knew that Paul and his associates had not taken any support from the infant church. Instead, they had set the example of meeting their own needs and also helping to meet the needs of others. “You ought to imitate us,” he admonished his readers.
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, his people will not listen. This is the difference between authority and stature. A leader earns stature as he obeys the Word and serves His 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.
Every Christian worker has the right to support from the church as he serves the Lord (; ; ). We must not use Paul’s example as an excuse not to support God’s servants. But any servant of God has the privilege of setting aside that right to the glory of God. Paul did this so that he might be an example to the young believers in Thessalonica.
Paul’s policy not only encouraged the new believers but also silenced the accusers. In every city there were itinerant teachers who “peddled their wares” for what they could earn. Paul did not want to be classified with them. Nor did he want any unsaved person to say, “Paul preaches only to make money.” As he stated in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul wanted to make the Gospel “free of charge”; he would not permit money to hinder the winning of lost souls.
Needless to say, the careless attitude of these believers was affecting the church; so Paul added yet a third motive for their obedience.
The Encouragement of the Church ()
is the key: “And you, brothers, do not lose heart doing good!” (literal translation) The faithful Christians were discouraged by the conduct of the careless saints who refused to work. “If they don’t have to work, why should we?” was their argument; and Paul nipped it in the bud.
Sin in the life of a believer always affects the rest of the church. As members of His 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 named the sins of this group. To begin with, they were “disorderly,” or out of order, out of rank. They were disobeying orders, and this brought confusion and division to the assembly. Further, they were “busybodies,” not busy workers. The Greek word for “busybody” literally means “to be working around”; that is, busy but “fooling around” and not accomplishing anything. suggests that busybodies meddle in matters that do not belong to them.
Almost every culture has its saying about idleness. The Romans said, “By doing nothing, men learn to do evil.” Isaac Watts wrote: “For Satan finds some mischief still, for idle hands to do.” The Jewish rabbis taught, “He who does not teach his son a trade, teaches him to be a thief.”
Instead of noisily running around, these people should “with quietness … work, and eat their own bread.” Their false views about the return of Christ had worked them into a pitch of excitement. “Your overemotional attitude is wrong,” warned Paul. “Settle down and get to work.” Work is a great antidote to unbalanced speculation and unthinking activity.
But suppose these saints did not obey God’s Word and go to work? What then should the church do? Paul had already taken the first step when he exhorted them in his first letter () and warned them that they were wrong. But they had still persisted in their unruly behavior. He now warned them again in his second letter, and then added a further step: if these believers did not obey, the members of the church should personally discipline them.
The subject of church discipline is not discussed much these days. In many churches, once a person is baptized and becomes a member of a local church, he is pretty much left to himself. If he commits some gross public sin, he will probably be dealt with by the pastor or the board; but the total church family will not begin to minister to him or exercise discipline over him.
What is church discipline? For one thing, it is not the pastor and official board acting like evangelical policemen to trap a sinning saint and kick him out of the church. No doubt there are churches that have such dictatorial leaders, but this is not what Paul had in mind. Church discipline is to the church member what family discipline is to a child: it is an exercise of, and evidence of, correcting love. When a parent disciplines his child, he is not a judge punishing a criminal; he is a loving father seeking to make his child a better person.
There are various levels of church discipline that must be distinguished.
Personal differences between Christians (; ). If a brother or sister sins against me (either deliberately or unknowingly), I should go to that person privately and seek to get the matter settled. Only if the person refuses to settle the matter should I bring anyone else in; and the problem must not go to the church family until every other means has been exhausted.
In my pastoral ministry, I have seen many problems of this type. The big mistake Christians make when another believer wrongs them is in telling the pastor or other members, and not going to the person directly. Another mistake is in trying to win an argument instead of trying to win the sinning brother.
Doctrinal error. Determine first of all why the person is teaching wrong doctrine. Perhaps it is because of ignorance and lack of Bible knowledge. In that case, patiently teach him the truth (). If he persists, rebuke him (). Paul had to do this to Peter (). If the error continues, avoid him (), and then separate yourself from him (; 2 John 9ff).
A believer overtaken by sin (). Even the great Apostle Peter denied the Lord. And David yielded to lust and committed adultery. When a Christian is caught in known sin, the spiritual members of the church must seek to restore him with gentleness and love. The word restore here means “to set a broken bone”—and that takes tenderness and patience. Too often the church quickly passes judgment on a believer who has sinned, and the damage done causes problems for years to come.
A repeating troublemaker (). The word heretic does not refer to doctrinal error, but to a proud attitude of one who gets people to “take sides” in the church. The Greek word means “to make a choice.” This leads to divisions and cliques in the local church (see where heresies ought to be translated “sects, parties”). There is hardly a church that does not have its parties for or against anything—the pastor, the building program, even the color of the kitchen walls. Usually these “heretics” are people who like to be important; they want a following. Often they have deep emotional problems that Satan can use to create spiritual problems in the church. Perhaps they are frustrated at home or on the job; or perhaps they have, in the past, been hurt by some pastor or church.
These “factious people” should be given two official warnings. If they repeat their sin of dividing the church, they should be given a third warning and rejected. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (, NIV).
It is my conviction that such people should not hold office in the church. It is also my conviction that, if they leave the church “in a huff,” they should be restored to fellowship only twice. The third time—they are out!
Open immorality (1 Cor. 5). The church must mourn over the sinner (the same word is used for mourning over the dead) and seek to bring him to repentance. If he refuses, the church collectively should dismiss him (, where the Greek word means “expel”). If he repents, he must be forgiven and restored to fellowship in the church ().
In the case of the “lazy saints,” Paul told the believers to exhort them, warn them, and if they did not repent, withdraw intimate fellowship from them. This probably meant that these believers were not permitted to share in the Lord’s Supper, and that the church members would not invite them to their homes. does not apply to every case of discipline. It applies only to the matter of saints not working for a living.
“Have no company” literally means “do not get mixed up with”; the same word is used in . There is a difference between acquaintanceship, friendship, and fellowship; for fellowship means “to have in common.” For obedient saints to treat disobedient Christians with the same friendship they show to other dedicated saints is to give approval to their sins.
However, Paul (knowing the tendency of human nature to go to extremes) cautioned them not to treat the offenders like enemies. “They are still your brothers in Christ,” he added. Lot was out of fellowship with God and Abraham because he lived in Sodom; yet Abraham rescued Lot from the enemy because Lot was his brother (Gen. 14, and note especially v. ). It requires much patience, love, and grace to help an erring brother; and this is why Paul added a final motive for earning a living.
No believer can say, “I am not able to obey God’s Word and go to work,” because God has made every provision for us to obey Him. He is the Lord of peace. If He is the Lord of our lives, then we will have peace in our own hearts, and we will help to encourage peace in our church fellowship.
If there is trouble in the church, it is because there is trouble in somebody’s heart. If Christ is Lord, then there is peace in the heart. If there is war in the heart, then Jesus Christ is not Lord (see ).
I recall a Sunday School class that was in a constant state of confusion and competition. We would just get matters settled down for a few weeks when the volcano would erupt again. After much prayer and examination, we discovered that one class member wanted to be the teacher. She was proud of her own spiritual attainments and felt she could do a better job than the devoted lady who was teaching the class.
Even though this class member never openly attacked or criticized the teacher, her attitudes and the things she did not say sowed seeds of discord in the fellowship. When this problem was dealt with, the Lord of peace took over in the class, and God began to bless.
Not only does God’s peace enable us to obey Him, but so does His presence: “The Lord be with you all!” He never leaves us or forsakes us; He is with us to the end of the age (; ).
Finally, Paul reminded them of God’s grace. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” () was Paul’s official signature to his letters. He mentioned this because of the counterfeit letter they had received (). If we depend on the grace of God, we can do His will to the glory of God. “My grace is sufficient for thee” ().
The soldier who is out of rank and disobedient of the Lord’s command proves that he is not surrendered to his Master. Church problems are individual problems, and they must be solved individually. God wants order in the church. “Let all things be done decently and in order” ().
Are you a part of the peace of the church or part of a war in the church?
Let’s do what Joshua did and fall at the feet of the Captain of the Hosts of the Lord, that He might enable us to win the victory (), and fulfill His purposes for His people.