The Book of 2 Thessalonians

Introduction

Background

Last week, when we considered the book of 1 Thessalonians, we discussed how Paul and Silas were only able to remain with the church for a few weeks before they were driven out of town. The fervent growth of the church seemed to continue, but they had some growing pains. In Paul’s first letter he gave a justification for his ministry, reminded them of how Jesus would return - specifically addressing their concern over Christians who had died, and then charged them to live a Christian life - outlining several signs of what a Christian should live like.

This second letter to the church was likely sent just a few weeks or months after the first. It seems that Paul has three primary purposes - covering each of the three chapters.

to encourage them as they continue to demonstrate maturity amidst the persecution they encounter

to clarify misunderstandings about the day of the Lord, and

to challenge those who were being idle.

Paul concludes each of these with a sort of benediction or prayer in light of what he has told them.

Perspective of persecution: Hope (ch. 1)

In his first letter, Paul talked about the persecution that he faced and the persecution that the Thessalonians were facing. Here, he takes some time to encourage them in what they have learned - because they had learned some of what he was trying to get across to the Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 1:3–4 ESV

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

Last week, we talked briefly about the triad of faith, love and hope. Here it appears that they had at least demonstrated some progress in 2 of the 3 - faith and love. They were growing and showing it!

But it wasn’t just growth in a vacuum - it was growth in a furnace. The heat of persecution had been the environment in which they were growing and making progress. And that is something to be encouraged by!

It seems that Paul is providing an example - of encouragement before exhortation - even though Paul eventually gets to some things that he wants to adjust in the lives of the Thessalonians - he begins with some encouragement. I know I can learn something from that - especially with my children. So often I’ll look a the thing I want them to fix, and fail to encourage them with the things they are doing well.

But this also makes me wonder,

What is my response to suffering and persecution? Do I moan and complain about the trials that I’m experiencing or do I press in, by faith, and pursue what God’s purpose might be behind it? Beloved, relatively speaking, we have things easy - I think things will get more difficult. We might not agree with the moral direction of the country. We might not like how we’re being treated or perceived by others, but we have to remember that God allows certain things in our lives as a means of refining us - of shaping us - of pruning us, and growing us.

(reflect some of TGC conference and on how the pandemic might be God’s pruning sheers on the church - weeding out the fluff and the extras, separating the sheep from the goats, etc.)

Paul also provides a perspective of hope.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

“This” seems to refer back to their persecution. On one hand it looks like the persecution has a purpose for revealing who is worthy of the Kingdom of God.

This may be why so many believers can have the attitude of rejoicing in the face of persecution. (Matthew 5:12; Acts 5:41).

We don’t have a clear understanding of the depth of the persecution that the Thessalonians experienced, but it must have been intense - as it shows up in both letters.

So this persecution has a pruning purpose - but there is also a sense of hope:

2 Thessalonians 1:6–10 ESV

since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

Those who wield the persecution will be punished. They will suffer because of the suffering they inflict.

This is a long way of saying:

“Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Dt. 32:35; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30)

We can, and must find hope in the promise that God will repay. God has our back. If our rights are taken away - he has our back. If our freedoms are removed - he has our back. The retribution may not be in this life, but it certainly WILL be in eternity - in the final judgment.

As I mentioned at the beginning, Paul concludes each section of this book with a benediction or prayer. In 2 Thess 1:11-12, Paul hoping that God would be glorified, honored through them.

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 ESV

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Beloved - keep growing through the difficulties, keep growing through the trials. May God be glorified through us in every circumstance.

So Paul helps the Thessalonians to have a proper perspective of hope, but then he shifts back to a topic that permeated the first letter as helps them to gain a...

Precise understanding of the Day of the Lord (ch. 2)

2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 NLT

Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

Paul had explained this to them in person, but now puts it in writing. He essentially says that there will be two prerequisites of the Day of the Lord.

the rebellion

the revealing of the man of lawlessness - elsewhere called the anti-christ (1 John 2:18; 22; 4:3; 2 John 7) -

Now it’s difficult to know exactly what these things will be. The ESV Study Bible suggests that the rebellion is some sort of a global rebellion against God. There have been waves of this over the centuries - and there have been antichrists who have done unthinkable things.

I think the general perspective that Paul is trying to get across is that we won’t be able to miss the day of the Lord. It’s coming in the future. We won’t know when. We can’t get hung up on information that God has not given us the privilege of knowing.

But we can do something now - stand firm; don’t be shaken; don’t be alarmed.

While Paul is talking specifically about the doctrine of the second coming, I think his application to stand firm applies to us in a variety of places.

Deconstruction or ex-vangelical movement- is a pseudo movement where renowned Bible teachers and leaders are introducing things that can undermine the faith of believers. In many ways, it stems from a honest place. We have questions and concerns about things that we read in scripture and wonder - how can God be like that? Or we may get to a place in our faith journey where we seek to own our faith for ourselves - not relying on our parents but owning it deep down. This raises questions and concerns.

The enemy wants to separate us out - pull us aside and get us away from community - they don’t know you - your family/church/community does

Stay engaged - ask mature believers to help you process things when you have questions

If someone comes to you - don’t belittle their questions or concerns - walk with them through it.

As he did at the end of chapter 1, Paul again provides a prayer of blessing for the Thessalonians at the end of chapter 2...

2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 ESV

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

It seems like Paul is praying that they would be comforted by Jesus Christ and God in the knowledge that the day of the Lord is still ahead. You see, he has already given us “eternal comfort” knowing that our sins are atoned for and that we have nothing to fear. He has given us a good hope for the future - through grace - resting on the promises that Jesus who conquered our sin and rose from the grave, will raise us to new life in the future. In light of that, He is asking that they be established or strengthened in “work” - how they live in light of the comfort, and “word” - how they speak.

So after giving them some hope in the constant persecution that they experienced, and correcting some misunderstandings about the coming of Christ, Paul concludes his letter with a challenge to have a...

Proper work ethic (ch. 3)

Paul begins chapter three asking that they be in prayer for “us” - Paul and Silas and Timothy - as they continue to minister. He also expresses his faith that God is at work establishing the Thessalonians.

But then he comes to a final and very direct command.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 ESV

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

He expounds a bit more...

2 Thessalonians 3:10–12 ESV

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

We mentioned this a bit last week - there were some Thessalonians who felt so strongly that the day of the Lord was at hand that they quit their jobs in order to wait for the day of the Lord. These idle brothers and sisters would have had to rely on the generosity of others after their own resources had been depleted.

So He is commanding the believers who are working to stay away from the idle. And he’s commanding the idle to get to work.

In this letter, Paul doesn’t address the theological or eschatological reasons for their idleness - he already did that in the first letter and in the previous chapter. Instead he encourages them to look back on his own example...

2 Thessalonians 3:7–9 ESV

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.

In Paul’s ministry, he sought be an example by how he lived. He didn’t depend on people to whom he was ministering - he worked - most likely as a tent maker (Acts 18:2-3).

He did not ask the Thessalonians to do something that he was unwilling to do himself. He walked with complete integrity and urged them to do the same.

Beloved - how is our example for others around us? Is there complete harmony between our lives and our teaching? We can’t expect to be perfect, but I think we can expect to be in the process of perfecting.

Paul concludes this section with a final series in instructions essentially saying - keep going, avoid the idle.

2 Thessalonians 3:13–15 ESV

As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

As he did at the end of each of the previous chapters, Paul shares a benedictory prayer - this time for peace.

Conclusion

As we close, I think it’s important to reflect on a couple of things. Paul has covered three very different topics in this letter -

hope in persecution,

the day of the Lord,

and a proper work ethic.

But there is a common thread through these. You see, we can’t control if, when, or how we will be persecuted - but we can remain faithful - trusting in the Lord - doing the things that he has called us to - fulfilling the assignments that he has placed before us.

We can’t control when Jesus will return or when strange doctrines will arise - seeking to cast doubts - but we can continue to walk faithfully in community recognizing that we are part of a Kingdom that will not be shaken (Heb. 12:28-29) - and when our King returns in power - He will bring vindication and judgment. Walk faithfully in community until that day.

I don’t see idleness as a threat for most of us. For those of us with jobs or businesses - keep working for the glory of God - honoring Him in that work. For those who are retired or don’t need to work outside the home - keep working in the ministry that God has given you. Be diligent.

Finally, if you are not yet a follower of Christ - let me just talk to you briefly. When Paul and his ministry partners were travelling around to these various cities, they did so to proclaim a message of hope.

God created - all things - humanity in his image - you are an image-bearer of God. God gave humanity the charge to rule or steward his creation.

Humanity - rather than walking with God in this stewarding process - messed things up with sin - rebelling against God - thinking we could do it our own way.

Jesus - came to be the bridge back to life as God intended - he paid the price our sins require - so that we can walk with God for eternity. We have to receive this by faith -

Our job now is to learn the ways of Jesus and to live that out and proclaim the good news of what Jesus did and how he is going to return one day to rule. On that day he will judge - punishing those who rejected him, rewarding those who trusted in him.

I pray that you will trust in Jesus.

Let’s pray.

Memory Verse: 2 Thes. 2:15

(error in the handout)

Benediction:

2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

References:

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/2-thessalonians

Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.

Dever, Mark the Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005

Green, Gene L. The Letters to the Thessalonians. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos, 2002.

Gromacki, Robert G. New Testament Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1974.