2 Thessalonians - chapter 3

Above from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxX9o239ULFJJHYJt7W2pEwtV1InEz81sCTYCZaUmVR7u8s2sB_7OyUtrlhpItlyR6AfdT4og7oCB7stDqwIahtiaGYX1ieinoYgZ3dCFI-NrpFMiYfZ1VstjhMomsWOcCr92yZkm8gtKm/s1600/2+Thessalonians.jpg

OUTLINE:

1. Prayer for their continuing missionary work (verses 1-2).
2. Encouragement (verses 3-5).
3. A command to separate from believers not willing to work (verses 6-12).
4. A command to not grow tired of doing good (verse 13).
5. A command to not associate with, but warn, those who refuse to obey what's in this letter (verses 14-15).
6. Benediction, closing, signature (verses 16-18).

(1) Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.

• Pray for us:
• The tense of "pray" is present and means "keep on praying".
• Paul constantly asked other Christians to pray for him (Romans 15:30, 2 Corinthians 1:11, Ephesians 6:18-19, Philippians 1:19, Colossians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:25 and Philemon 1:22). Paul knew that the success of his ministry in some measure depended on the prayers of God's people.
• In Spurgeon's very large church, a group of visiting pastors asked to see the boiler room. They wanted to know how to heat a building of this size. Spurgeon took them, on a Sunday afternoon to a room full of people on their knees praying for the Sunday night service. Spurgeon said (in a sense), “That gentlemen, is our boiler room”.
• J. Hampton Keathley III: "Here was a giant among men and one used mightily by the Lord. Paul gave us more books of the New Testament than any other of the apostles or their associates, yet this great man of God humbly sought the prayer of those he and his team had led to Christ and were teaching to help them grow in Christ. Thus, recognizing their own inadequacy and need of God’s enablement, the apostle and his team humbly sought the prayer support of others."
• Romans 15:30-31: Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem.
• Ephesians 6:19-20: And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
• Colossians 4:2-4: Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
• The Lord's message will spread rapidly:
• "The Lord's message" should be translated “The word [logos] of the Lord”.
• The words “will spread rapidly” in Greek is one word - trecho, which means, “to run or walk hastily.” The Interlinear Transliterated Bible renders it “may have free course.”
• Did God need their prayers for the Gospel to spread rapidly throughout the Gentile world - and did the Gospel spread rapidly?
• Isaiah 55:11: It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
• Acts 6:7: So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
• Acts 13:48-49: When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region.
• Honored:
• The Pulpit Commentary states: “And be glorified; namely, in the conversion of souls. The allusion may be to the applause given to the victors in the foot-races.”

(2) Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.

• Rescued (Greek ruomai):
• Colossians 1:13-14: For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
• Wicked and evil people:
  • His main opponents were Jews who professed to believe in YHWH and who prided themselves on their keeping the commandments. Jesus launched His most bitter accusations not to “sinners” but to the religious leaders of His time. They were Paul’s enemies at Corinth.

(3) But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

• The Lord is faithful:
• The Lord's faithfulness is the secret of his success.
• Even when our faith is weak, He is still faithful.
• Here Paul is contrasting people and the Lord. We cannot always trust people but we can trust the Lord. People may fail us but the Lord never will. The Lord will do what he has promised.
• 1 Corinthians 1:9: God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 10:13: The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:3: But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
• The evil one:
• Satan is "the evil one" - tou ponerou. The noun preceded by the definite article "the" indicates personality, not a mere force or influence, and tells us who he really is.
• Behind all opposition to the Gospel (the Lord's message) is Satan himself:
• John 17:15: I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.
• Acts 26:17-18: And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
• Ephesians 2:2: You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
• Ephesians 6:12: For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:18: We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.
• James 4:7: So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
• 1 John 5:18: We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

(4) And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you.

• Philippians 1:6: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

(5) May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

• Lead:
• "Lead" = "kateuthuno" means to make straight, guide, direct and is also used to refer to the removal of the hindrances.

(6) And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.

• Command:
• Not a suggestion, but a command given in the name of the Lord Jesus!
• Stay away:
• 1 Corinthians 15:33: Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”
• Idle lives:
• Think about what a terrible testimony this was to the unbelievers. We should always be aware that "someone is watching" - is it real?
• Rev. John Schultz: "Some were lazy and using the prospect of Christ's imminent return as an excuse to not work, but rather take hand-outs from others.
• The Greek word used is ataktos, which means “morally irregular.” The KJV renders it “disorderly.” Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary observes that it refers to “slackness (like soldiers not keeping rank).” The moral connotation of the word indicates that it was not a matter of people who were non-conformists but that they were slack in the maintaining of their testimony of purity. We tend to think of immorality specifically in terms of sexual misbehavior. Paul connects it here to work ethics."
• Barnes’ Notes: “The apostle now... turns to an important subject - the proper method of treating those who were idle and disorderly in the church. In the previous Epistle, he had adverted to this subject, but in the mild language of exhortation. When he wrote that Epistle he was aware that there were some among them who were disposed to be idle, and he had tenderly exhorted them ‘to be quiet, and to mind their own business, and to work with their own hands;’ 1 Thessalonians 4:11. But it seems the exhortation, and the example of Paul himself when there (1 Thessalonians 2:9), had not been effectual in inducing them to be industrious. It became, therefore, necessary to use the strong language of command, as he does here, and to require that if they would not work, the church should withdraw from them.”
• Ecclesiastes 10:18: Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.
• Matthew 25:26: “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14: Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
• Tradition ... from us (Greek paradosis - Strong's 3862 - an instruction, tradition):
• This is not a reference to human tradition, but to apostolic teachings given orally before there was any such thing as a New Testament.
• Charles Wanamaker (The New International Greek Testament Commentary): "The tradition to which Paul refers has a twofold character, as verses 7-12 indicate. In verses 7-9 the apostle elaborates on his and his colleagues' example as a guide for responsible behavior for their converts. The introductory words of verse 7 reveal that his and his fellow missionaries' behavior was intended to have the normative character of a received tradition. In addition, as a matter of course, Paul issued ethical instruction to new converts in order to regulate their behavior as Christians. In verse 10 he cites the specific tradition involved with regard to work."
• Random House College Dictionary: 'Tradition' is currently defined: 'the handing down of statements, beliefs ... from generation to generation...' In theology, it especially refers to teachings handed down from past generations but not written in the Bible."
• Unfortunately, many churches and denominations have replaced the Word of God (the Bible) with their "traditions" - often contradicting what the Word teaches:
• Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald - Teachings of the Orthodox Church: "While the Bible is treasured as a valuable written record of God's revelation, it does not contain wholly that revelation. The Bible is viewed as only one expression of God's revelation in the ongoing life of His people. Scripture is part of the treasure of Faith which is known as Tradition. Tradition means that which is "handed on" from one generation to another. In addition to the witness of Faith in the Scripture, the Orthodox Christian Faith is celebrated in the Eucharist; taught by the Fathers; glorified by the Saints; expressed in prayers, hymns, and icons; defended by the seven Ecumenical Councils; embodied in the Nicene Creed; manifested in social concern; and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is lived in every local Orthodox parish. The life of the Holy Trinity is manifested in every aspect of the Church's life. Finally, the Church, as a whole, is the guardian of the authentic Christian Faith which bears witness to that Revelation."
• Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church: ". . .the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence'."
• Many of the traditions of Christendom are derived from paganism reaching all the way back to Babylon:
• "Christian" holidays: the Christmas tree, December 25 as the birth date of Jesus, Lent, Easter (the word easter refers to Ishtar, a pagan Babylonian goddess), Easter eggs and bunnies (symbols of fertility).
• Common church "practices" not in scripture (some contrary to scripture): Church buildings (and steeples), formal church membership, an "ordained" clergy, sunday school, a pulpit, church choir, tithing (that was for Israel only), infant baptism, replacement theology (the belief that the church replaced Israel), the tradition that we join that Church by water baptism - the Bible says that we are baptized into the Church by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13).
• Roman Catholic "practices": Salvation by a combination of faith and works, transubstantiation, sacraments, rituals, confirmation,confession of sin to the priest, holy water, catechism, ordination of a special priesthood, nuns, monasteries, a "special" priesthood, "extreme unction" for the dying, the cult of Mary - the "queen of heaven" (read Jeremiah 7:18 44:17-25), the rosary, purgatory, relics, canonization of dead "saints", redefinition of who a saint is (all Christians are "saints"), prayer to the "saints",  priesthood celibacy, papal infallibility, "Father" used to address a priest - Jesus said to call no man "your father" (Matthew 23:9), prayers for the dead.
• Matthew 15:2-6, 8-9: “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. ... ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”
• Galatians 1:14: I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
• Colossians 2:8 (KJV): Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
• 1 Peter 1:18 (KJV): Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.

(7) For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.

• Imitate us:
• mimeomai = mimic, imitate. The present tense means "be constantly imitating us."
• How? First, he is the model of a disciplined life and a model of endurance. He endures labor and hardship. His method is to be the example of what he wants us to become. Now, that brings to mind a phrase I've often used in study - "someone is watching you." Someone may be watching your actions and your words to see if a relationship to Jesus is real. We are to be witnesses for Christ - we are to be different. The Greek word for "church" is ekklesia - "The called-out (ones)" [ecc = out; kaleo = call]. We are called out from the world - in the world, but not of the world (John 17:16).
• 1 Corinthians 4:15-16: For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me.
• Philippians 4:9: Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me - everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:6: So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.
• 1 Timothy 4:12: Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
• Hebrews 13:7: Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

(8) We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.

• Worked hard:
• The Jewish Rabbis taught, “He who does not teach his son a trade, teaches him to be a thief.” Paul's trade was connected with tent making and leather work (Acts 18:3).
• Acts 18:3: Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
• Acts 20:33-35: “I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
• 1 Thessalonians 2:9-10: Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. You yourselves are our witnesses - and so is God - that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11: Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.
• 1 Corinthians 4:12: We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.

(9) We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.

• Example: Greek tupos (type).

(10) Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”

• Those unwilling to work:
• Ron R. Ritchie: "Many people are shocked to discover that work was ordained by God before the Fall ever occurred. Work was not introduced into the human experience because Adam and Eve sinned. In the opening two chapters of Genesis, before the fall ever occurred, scripture says that God created man and woman in his image, and assigned them to be fruitful so as to fill the earth, subdue it and rule over it. Genesis I says that the Creator God "worked" to bring order out of chaos, and concluding each stage of his work with the words "it is good," the sentiments of a worker who is satisfied with his labors. God's final act of creation was to create human beings "in his image." He then gave them the assignment to "be fruitful and fill the earth, to subdue it and rule over it.""
• Colossians 3:23-24: Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
• Not ... eat:
• Proverbs 16:26: It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.

(11) Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.

• Hear:
• Present progressive tense - "we keep on hearing". From whom was Paul hearing this?
• Idle lives:
• "Leading an undisciplined life".
• Meddling:
• The Greek gives us a play-of-words that can be perfectly transferred in English. Paul uses two words with the same root ergazomemous, which means, “to toil” and periergazomenous “busybodies.” Adam Clarke’s Commentary: “Doing everything they should not do - meddlers with other people’s business; prying into other people’s circumstances and domestic affairs; magnifying or minifying, mistaking or underrating, everything; newsmongers and telltales; an abominable race, the curse of every neighborhood where they live, and a pest to religious society.”
• Proverbs 11:13: A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11: Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.
• 1 Timothy 5:13: And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.
• Speaking about putting young widows on the church welfare list.
• 1 Peter 4:15: If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.

(12) We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.

(13) As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.

• Doing good:
• John Wesley: "Do all the good you can,  By all the means you can,  In all the ways you can,  In all the places you can,  At all the times you can,  To all the people you can,  As long as ever you can."
• Galatians 6:10: Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone - especially to those in the family of faith.

(14) Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed.

• Ashamed:
• It is far better for them to experience shame now than to experience it at the Bema Seat:
• 1 John 2:28: And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

(15) Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.

(16) Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

• Lord of peace:
• Spurgeon: "I want to call particular attention to the apostle's words in this place. He does not say 'May the Lord of peace send his angel to give you peace.' It were a great mercy if he did, and we might be as glad as Jacob was at Mahanaim, when the angels of God met him. He does not even say, 'May the Lord of peace send his minister to give you peace.' If he did we might be as happy as Abraham when Melchizedek refreshed him with bread and wine. He does not even say, 'May the Lord of peace at the communion table, or in reading the word, or in prayer, or in some other sacred exercise give you peace.' In all these we might well be as refreshed . . . but he says 'the Lord of peace himself give you peace,' as if he alone in his own person could give peace, and as if his presence were the sole means of such a divine peace as he desires."
• Matthew 8:24-26: Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
• In every situation:
• God's peace is always available in every situation and problem. His unlimited peace is available to us continually. How can we get that peace? Philippians 4:6-7: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

(17) HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING - PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME.

• My own handwriting:
• This letter is a response to a fraudulent one from an impostor. Look for the signature, he tells them.
• 1 Corinthians 16:21: HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING - PAUL.
• Galatians 6:11: Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.
• Colossians 4:18: HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING - PAUL.
• Philemon 19: I, PAUL, WRITE THIS WITH MY OWN HAND: I WILL REPAY IT. AND I WON’T MENTION THAT YOU OWE ME YOUR VERY SOUL!
• All my letters:
• This seems to indicate that Paul wrote a number of letters before this, one of his first, but God has allowed only 7 to be preserved for us.

(18) May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

• Grace:
• He ends this letter as he began it: with grace and peace from Christ.

APPLICATION:

• If Paul needed prayer from others, what about us and those we know? How often do you pray for those who are called to preach the Word to others?
• It should be the goal of the ordinary Christian to live a productive life, full of grace and peace, at the end of which your Lord will welcome you home from your pilgrimage.

NEXT STUDY: 1 Corinthians 1

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://2thessaloniansx.blogspot.com/2016/01/index-to-2-thessalonians-study.html
• Index to all our studies are at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/

2 Thessalonians - Chapter 2

Above image from www.biblicalresearch.info/page523.html

Paul wrote the first letter to the Thessalonians to explain "the Rapture". He wrote the second letter to them to explain the "Second Coming of Jesus" and the "Day of the Lord". Paul emphasized that the day of the Lord cannot begin while the church is still on the earth. He wanted them (and us) to remember that our hope is that they (and we) will be gathered together unto the Lord before judgment falls upon the earth during the tribulation.

This chapter goes through a series of events all of which must occur before the rapture:

1. The apostasia - the "great rebellion" or "falling away" or "departure" - verse 3.
2. The "man of lawlessness" or "man of sin" revealed - verse 3.
3. The temple rebuilt in Jerusalem - verse 4.
4. Antichrist exalts himself, sitting in the temple of God, claiming he is God - verse 4.
5. The restrainer steps out of the way - verse 7.
6. The "man of lawlessness" performs counterfeit power, signs and miracles - verse 9.
7. Most will be deceived by the man of lawlessness and believe his lies - verse 11.

(1) 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.

• Clarify:
  • Paul clarifies what he taught about the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. FIRST, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. THEN, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. THEN we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
• Coming (Greek parousia - royal visit and presence):
  • This is the fifth mention of Christ’s coming in the Thessalonian letters (1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23). The aspect of this specific here is identified by the phrase “gathered to meet him,” which obviously refers to the rapture of the church.
  • There are essentially two future comings of Jesus:
    1. The first "coming" is FOR His church (as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 above) BEFORE the 7-year great tribulation.
       Some believe the church gathers in together in the clouds and then immediately returns to the earth so that the there is only one future "coming" of Christ. Others believe this "coming" for the church occurs midway in the tribulation. Most agree this gathering is the rapture occurring BEFORE the 7-year tribulation.
    2. The second "coming" is WITH His church, to judge a rebellious world AT THE END of the great tribulation.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:8: He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
  • 2 Corinthian’s 1:14: even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.
  • Philippians 1:6, 10: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. ...  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
  • Philippians 2:16:  Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:2,4: For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ... But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.
  • 2 Thessalonians 1:10: When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people - praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.
• Gathered (together) - Greek episunagoge.
  • Vine's Expository Dictionary: “episunagoge is used in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 of the Rapture of the saints into the air to meet the Lord, 'our gathering together'.”
  • Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: "The expression 'gathering together' (episunagoge) is found nowhere else in the New Testament except in Hebrews 10:25, where it signifies the gathering together of the Christians for worship."
    • Hebrews 10:25: And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
  • Episunagoge is a compound of the Greek prefix epi with the word sunagoge from which we get the word synagogue. Epi means above, higher than, highest. Sunagoge means a meeting, assembly or gathering. Putting these two words together, Epi-sunagoge means "the synagogue from above".
  • They were alarmed (verse 2) that they had missed the rapture and were living in the period called the “Day of the Lord” - the tribulation period of judgment upon the earth.
• The subject is not two-fold, the coming of the Lord and our gathering, but a single subject, the coming of the Lord which includes our gathering together to Him. The Greek has one article with both nouns indicating that the “coming” and our being gathered to meet Him are complementary elements of one event.

(2) 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.

• Steve Lewis, High Peaks Bible Fellowship: "The Thessalonians were being told that the Day of the Lord, the day of God's judgment on the earth, had already come and these believers were already experiencing the Tribulation. In theological terms, the false teachers were advocating anything but a "Pretrib Rapture" - the two most common alternatives are called the "Midtrib Rapture" (Rapture in the middle) and the "Posttrib Rapture" (Rapture afterward). But according to this passage of Scripture, all of the alternatives are wrong! The only view that aligns with Paul's teaching is the "Pretribulational Rapture." In order to defeat the false teaching that the Tribulation had already begun, Paul focused on the preconditions for the coming Tribulation and showed that they had not yet happened."
• Shaken:
• Clarke: "The word to be shaken, signifies to be agitated as a ship at sea in a storm, and strongly marks the confusion and distress which the Thessalonians had felt in their false apprehension of this coming of Christ."
• David Guzik: "The Thessalonians were afraid that they were in the Great Tribulation (the day of the Lord), and feared that they had missed the rapture. But Paul will demonstrate that they are not in the day of Christ; because if they were, then certain signs would be present."
• The day of the Lord:
  • NOT the "day of Christ" as in the KJV! The best manuscript authority renders the original as “the day of the Lord.”
  • The Day of the Lord is associated with terror and judgment:
    • Isaiah 13:6: Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived - the time for the Almighty to destroy.
    • Ezekiel 30:3: for the terrible day is almost here - the day of the Lord! It is a day of clouds and gloom, a day of despair for the nations.
    • Joel 3:14: Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.
    • Acts 2:20: The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
    • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4: Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.
    • 2 Peter 3:10: But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

(3) 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.

• This verse says there are two prerequisites for the Tribulation:
  1. The Apostasy = The first (protos) thing that will happen before the Tribulation is a departure from the faith. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 and 2 Timothy 4:3-4 also describe that this will begin to take place at the close of the dispensation of the Church.
     • 1 Timothy 4:1-3: Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.
     • 2 Timothy 4:3-4: For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
  2. The "Man of Lawlessness" = Then the "man who is without law" or the "man who is above the law" (the Antichrist) will be revealed.
  • This clearly indicates that he will be a human male (not an institution or a people-group). Some have tried to identify this man with a figure in history (such as Antiochus Epiphanes or Caligula), but Paul is writing after the death of both of these men, yet he indicates that this "man of lawlessness" has not yet appeared!
  • This man is discussed in other Scriptures where he is called the "Antichrist" (see Daniel 7:8, 20-25; 9:26; 11:36-39; Matthew 24:15; 1 John 2:22; Revelation 13). Paul also calls him the "son of destruction" which shows that his essence and inheritance are destruction. His destruction is assured (see Revelation 19:20)
• Fooled:
  • Paul is clarifying the sequence events to assure them that they did not miss out on the rapture and they are not going through the Great Tribulation.
• That day = the Day of the Lord in verse 2.
  • Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible: "There is no hint here regarding the length of the time interval between the time Paul wrote and the actual coming of Christ in the Second Advent. In the light of intervening events, we now know that centuries and millenniums of time were to elapse before the final judgment; but as regards the actual date, we are no better off than were they. The event is still scheduled for a time yet future; and, as the mystery of lawlessness was working then, so it is now; but no man can know how long it will be before the Lord comes."
• Great rebellion (Greek - apostasia - "falling away" in the KJV):
  • The word apostasia in Greek conveys the idea of military or political rebellion or desertion. In the Septuagint, it is used to describe a rebellion against God. In a religious context, the word is used of abandonment of religious beliefs, of turning away from God. As Paul is speaking of the last days, it would appear that he is referring to professors of Christianity, not possessors of Christ. This apostasy will be a worldwide rebellion against all government systems in order to set up a world government; and it will also be a rebellion against God in order to set stage for the Antichrist to become the political and religious world leader.
  • Some scholars think the apostasy or falling away does not refer to a spiritual falling away, but rather, in the context of this section, they take it to mean our gathering together to Jesus. It may very well be that Paul had both of these meanings in mind: a departing of the saints to heaven., and a falling away of the professing church. Of course, we don't have to wait for the last days to see rebellion in our nation against godliness.
  • The Greek noun apostasia is only used twice in the New Testament. In addition to 2 Thessalonians 2:3, it occurs in Acts 21:21 where, speaking of Paul, it is said, "you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses."
  • Ray Stedman: "I don't like that word, "rebellion." Literally translated, the word means the "departure" which of course could mean a departure from the faith, and thus, a rebellion. But I think it means the departure he just talked about - the departure of the Church behind the scenes to be with the Lord in his second presence on earth."
  • 1 Timothy 4:1-2: Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will TURN AWAY from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.
  • Timothy 1:15: As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has DESERTED me - even Phygelus and Hermogenes.
  • 2 Timothy 4:16: The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone ABANDONED me. May it not be counted against them.
• Man of lawlessness ("man of sin" in the KJV):
  • 
    Above image from www.lamblion.us/2008/11/origins-of-antichrist-character.html
  • David Guzik: " Paul's point is clear: 'You are worried that we are in the Great Tribulation and that you missed the rapture. But you can know that we are not in the Great Tribulation, because we have not yet seen the man of lawlessness . . . revealed.'"
  • This can also be translated as the “son of perdition”. There is only one other person called this in Scripture – Judas.
    • John 17:12 (KJV): While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
  • He is described elsewhere as a fierce king (Daniel 8:23), the little horn (Daniel 17:8&11), the prince who is to come (Daniel 9:26 KJV), the willful king (Daniel 11:36-45 KJV), the worthless shepherd (Zechariah 11:17), Antichrist (1 John 2:18), another beast (Revelation 13:11), one who shall come in his own name (John 5:43 KJV).
  • Having been acclaimed a political genius following his solving of the Arab-Israeli conflict (Daniel 11), he will be unmasked during the final 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period. He will be exalted as the new world political and religious leader, and he will "exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship." Then, he will break his covenant with Israel and put a stop to all sacrifice in the rebuilt temple. He will take his seat in that temple and erect the "sacrilegious object that causes desecration," an image of himself which everyone must worship under pain of death, in accordance with the rules of the new world religion. He will deceive the nations and blind the minds of men. There will then be worldwide religious persecution against all who refuse to worship him, Jew and Gentile alike, people who know that this man is a false god, a false messiah.
  • 1 John 2:18: Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.

(4) 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.

• Daniel 9:27: The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
• Exalt himself:
  • Isaiah 14:13-14: For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’
  • Daniel 11:36-37: “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all.
• Claiming he ... is God:
  • Revelation 13:1-8: Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority. I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery - but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?” Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling - that is, those who dwell in heaven. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.
• Sit: Not even the high priest dared to sit down in the temple - "the priest STANDS and ministers before the altar day after day" (Hebrews 10:11), but this man (not even a priest) will assume the throne that is God's.
• The temple of God:
  • That this is a literal temple in Jerusalem is clear from the text, and has been understood as such by even the earliest Christians. Irenaeus, writing in the late second century - long after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD: "But when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom."
  • The Five Jewish Temples of History:
    1. Solomon's Temple (966 - 586 BC)
    2. Zeubbabel's Temple (516 - 20 BC)
    3. Herod's Temple (20 BC - 70 AD)
    4. Tribulation Temple (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; Revelation 11:1-2)
    5. Millennial Temple (Ezekiel 40-43; Revelation 20:2-4)

(5) Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?

• I told you ... when I was with you:
  • This letter is a supplement to what Paul has already taught the Thessalonians in words, but we don't know exactly what Paul said to the them.

(6) And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.

• What is holding him back:
  • Notice the tense of the verb - present not future.
  • The Holy Spirit will still be at work on earth after the Rapture since people will believe and be saved afterwards; but His restraining ministry through the body of Christ will end. He will simply stop holding Satan back.
  • When Christ takes His church out of this earth, there will no longer be any restraining power or force and the Antichrist will at that point take over.

(7) 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.

• At work secretly:
  • Olshausen: "Antichrist does not step on the scene suddenly without any preparations; on the contrary, a stream of Antichristian sentiment and conduct pervades the whole history of the world".
• The one holding it back (the restrainer):
  • Notice that in verse 6, the restrainer is neutral; here, it is a person.
  • We find a good Old Testament illustration is Abraham’s prayer of intercession before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The presence of 10 righteous people could have saved the cities. God said to Abraham, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.” A closer look at the story, however, reveals that the angels who had to destroy the cities could do nothing as long as one single righteous person was still present. Lot pleaded with the angel, saying, “I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.’ He said to him, ‘I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.”
• Steps out of the way:
  • There will be a specific time in world history when the Holy Spirit will stop restraining lawlessness. Then (and only then), the man of lawlessness will be revealed and the Tribulation will begin.
  • When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians were praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England outperformed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

(8) THEN the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

• Then:
  • After the "great rebellion" (apostasia) or "falling away" in verse 3 and "the one who is holding it back steps out of the way" in verse 7.
• Man of lawlessness:
  • Same guy in verse 3. See the notes there.
• Revealed (Greek - apokalupto):
• Kill him:
  • The accomplishment of this is seen in Revelation 19:11-21 when at Armageddon the beast and his armies are gathered to make war against the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. The beast (the political head of the ten nations) will be taken and with him the false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
• Splendor ... Coming - Greek epiphaneia ... parousia
  • Jesus' coming here differs from the “gathering” phase in verse 1. It refers to the 2nd coming that brings an end to Daniel’s 70th week.

(9) This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.

• Come (Greek parousia):
  • The Greek word Parousia is used seven times in 1 and 2 Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, and 8-9). In this passage, we see the Parousia of the “man of lawlessness.” His appearance will be marked out by miracles, signs and wonders. People will stand in awe because of the supernatural manifestations that he will demonstrate.
• Satan:
  • The true power behind the Antichrist is none other than “ho Satanas” himself, which title means “Adversary”, defining him as the arch enemy of God.
  • Revelation 13:4: They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
• Counterfeit power ... signs ... miracles:
  • Matthew 24:22-23: For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!
  • Revelation 13:13-15: He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.

(10) 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.

• Deception:
• Just as Nero deceived the Romans, the popes deceived the Europeans, Mohammed deceived the Arabs (the Quran even call Allah the best deceiver there is - Surah Âl 'Imran 3:54), Joseph Smith deceived the Mormons, Hitler deceived the Germans, Mussolini deceived the Italians, Stalin deceived the Russians, many popular televangelists deceive gullible "Christians" and as so many modern politicians and rulers deceive Americans and others, so Antichrist will deceive the world.
• 1 Timothy 4:1-2: Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.
• 2 Peter 2:1-3: But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.
• Revelation 12:9: This great dragon - the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world - was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
• Fool:
  • Of course, the gullible are easily fooled.
• Accept the truth that would save them:
  • Salvation is so simple - just accept the truth!

(11) So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.

• Deceived:
  • This helps explain why there will be a great “rebellion” or apostasy before the return of the Lord (verse 3). Those who don’t genuinely love the truth will be given over to this strong delusion that will sever them from all godly influence.
• These lies:
  • This is the lie of verse 4 that the man of lawlessness is God. People in the Tribulation cannot take a neutral stand. Either they believe God or they believe these lies. God will ultimately give people in the Tribulation exactly what they want – to believe the lie. “These lies” are the opposite of the truth of Jesus and His death on the cross. Look at how so many people believe the lies of leaders and politicians today.
  • John 8:44: For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

(12) Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

(13) As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation - a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.

• Us: This indicates that Timothy and Silas were joining Paul in their thanksgiving for the Thessalonians.
• Chose you:
  • The typical word for "choosing" in the sense of God's election is eklego, but here Paul uses haireomai with the idea of God's eternal purpose of adoption -- taking them to become His own. Not only did this verse teach that God "chose" (aorist indicative), but that the object of this choosing was to "experience salvation" (contrary to the position of some Armenians).
  • Romans 8:28-29: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
  • Ephesians 1:4-5: Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
    Ephesians 2:8-9: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
  • 1 Peter 1:2:  God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.
  • Yet, also, the Bible also teaches that we do have a responsibility to choose Jesus: John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
  • There is an old illustration that pictures a person choosing heaven by deciding to walk through the gate of heaven. Once inside the gate, the person turns around and sees his name engraved at the top of the Gate of Heaven. The person decided to enter and yet the gate had his name engraved. It is a mystery and, I believe, it's because God exits outside of time. God calls us to believe in Jesus Christ. The question is, "Do you want to be saved just like the Philippian jailor?" If so, follow Paul's advice, "believe in the Lord Jesus" and your sins will be forgiven and when you die you will go to heaven.

(14) He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Share:
  • Romans 8:17-18: And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
• Glory:
  • 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

(15) With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

• Stand firm:
  • David Guzik:
    • Stand firm because the current distress (the persecutions and tribulations described in 2 Thessalonians 1:4).
    • Stand firm because of the coming judgment of this world (in flaming fire taking vengeance, 2 Thessalonians 1:8).
    • Stand firm because of the strength of coming deception (all power, signs, and lying wonders, 2 Thessalonians 2:9).
    • Stand firm because of our glorious destiny (the glory of our Lord Jesus, 2 Thessalonians 2:14).
  • As in Paul's day, so it is in ours. The words of the Bible have been watered down, distorted and corrupted and the divinity of Jesus is denied in most "main-line" churches. We too must stand firm and "cling to our religion" refuting Obama's implication that we believers are ignorant fools - to which the east coast/west coast elite would agree. (April 13, 2008 - "And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations," Obama said.)
  • 1 Corinthians 16:13: Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.
  • Philippians 4:1: Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
  • 1 Thessalonians 3:8: It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.
• The Teaching we passed on:
  • Greek - paradoseis - Strong's Concordance # 3862 = a handing down or over, a tradition (As in the KJV). This word is from the verb paradidomi and implies that the teacher is faithfully passing on a specific message received from a higher authority.
  • 1 Corinthians 11:2: I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you.
  • 2 Peter 3:15-16: And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him - speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.

(16) Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,

• Dr Peter Pett: "This verse is remarkable in its implication. It was the usual practice of Paul to place ‘God our Father’ first in his greetings (1:1). Yet here (and in 2 Corinthians 13:14) he places first ‘our Lord Jesus Christ’. Furthermore, the combination is followed by the use of the singular, and the singular verbs ‘comfort’ and ‘establish’ which must refer to both acting together as One. It is a clear expression of co-equality and oneness." Jesus Christ is God!
• Comfort: Corinthians 1:3-5: All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

(17) comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

• Strengthen:
  • Strengthen is sterizo and means “to set up, fix firmly, establish”.
    • Also used in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 – But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. and in 1 Peter 5:10 – In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation

APPLICATION:

• What are we supposed to do?
  1. Stand firm. Don’t run from speaker to speaker, seeking the brilliant one who will explain all. Rather, search the Scriptures diligently, for in them you find life.
  2. Hold to the traditions of the faith. The faith of your fathers is strong; it is even stronger when you make it your own.
  3. In all trial, pray for comfort, hope and strength.
  4. There will come a time when deception will run rampant – even the elect will be in danger of being led astray (Mt 24:24). Let us continue to love the truth – and let us share the truth while we can.
  5. When we think of everything God has given to us -- especially the riches and depth of our salvation -- it should bring us to our knees in worship and gratefulness to God.
  6. Like the Thessalonians, we too should stand firm and hold fast to the Truths of God's Word as it is contained in the Scriptures. Let us beware of the traditions of men, and let us cling to the written revelation of the Bible.

NEXT STUDY:

• 2 Thessalonians 3: Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.  Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING - PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://2thessaloniansx.blogspot.com/2016/01/index-to-2-thessalonians-study.html
• Index to all our studies are at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/

Index to 2 Thessalonians Study

• References for 2 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians 1
• 2 Thessalonians 2
• 2 Thessalonians 3

2 Thessalonians - Chapter 1

Above image from http://chrisedmondson.blogspot.com/2011/02/2-thessalonians-focus-now.html
www.becomingcloser.org/2thessalonians/god_is_just.html: "A question that puzzles the new Christian is this: If God is righteous (and omnipotent) then why is there such injustice in the world? In particular, why is there such injustice towards Christians in this world? As we shall see, there are answers to such questions – at least one of which is unknown to most Christians. In this letter, Paul corrects some misimpressions and also some of the heresy that came from the use of his first letter by those who thought themselves wise."
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary states: “The second epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians was written to correct the erroneous notion among the Christians at Thessalonica that the persecutions from which they were suffering were those of ‘the great and awesome day of the Lord’ (Joel 2:31) from which they had been taught to expect deliverance by ‘the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him’ (2 Thessalonians 2:1). The theme of this epistle, obscured by the mistranslation of the KJV in 2:2, ‘the day of Christ is at hand,’ is correctly rendered in NASB ‘The day of the Lord has come.’ ”
The main theme in Chapter 1 is how to deal with persecution. The chapter talks about how their suffering was making them a good witness for Jesus. The chapter talks about how God will deal eventually deal with those who persecuted the Thessalonians, so they don’t have to worry about that. The question that these Thessalonians are asking is, “How could a loving God allow evil people to keep persecuting them?” They are asking the question that many of the psalmists ask. The question that Jeremiah asks in Jeremiah 12:1, “Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?" Paul answers this question by saying that this will not last forever. There will come a day when justice will be delivered. These words are meant to comfort them and to assure them of the character of God. A loving God won’t let evil people get away with their evil forever.
(1) This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

• God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Morris: "The Greek makes it plain that the Father and Christ are one source. It is remarkable that even at this early date the Son is placed side by side with the Father as the fount of divine grace, without any need of comment."

(2) May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
(3) Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.

• 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 is one sentence in Greek!
• Growing:
  • John Piper: "If God is the one who gives growth and if God commands that we grow (2 Peter 3:18), then not to be growing in faith and love means one of two things. It means that God is not present in our life and we have deceived ourselves in thinking that we have been savingly converted and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Or, it means that we are grieving the Holy Spirit with a subtle, temporary rebellion so deep that almighty God suffers himself to be resisted in his sanctifying work."
  • In his earlier epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul prayed for them to grow in faith (1 Thessalonians 4:10) and to increase in love (1 Thessalonians 3:12). He now rejoiced that they were doing both of these things.
  • The word translated "growing," which Paul used to describe their "faith," occurs only here in the New Testament, and means "growing exceedingly," not just at a normal rate.
  • A Christian is supposed to grow, not to be stagnant. When God plants a seed he intends for it to grow.
  • Ephesians 4:15: Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
  • Philippians 1:9: I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.
  • Colossians 1:9-10: So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
  • 1 Thessalonians 3:12: And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.
  • 2 Peter 3:18: Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

(4) We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.

• Endurance ... persecutions ... hardships ... suffering:
• Many people think that the absence of problems in their life is the true indication of being in God’s will, but the Scriptures don’t teach this. Paul was saying just the opposite in this verse. Persecution should be expected because “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
• Most Americans don’t think the U.S. is currently a Christian nation:
  • Obama exemplified the Christian-hating left’s views of people of faith when he said of working-class voters: "[I]t's not surprising, then, that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” For nearly all the left, Christians stand in the way of “progress” and deserve to be called Bible-thumpers, ignorant, uneducated, backward hicks and rednecks, mostly from "fly-over country". The left’s hatred of religion means that public prayer must be forbidden, Christian influence in public policy eliminated and Christian holidays secularized. As Chris Matthews suggested, Christians, particularly conservative evangelical Christians, have no place in American politics: “If you’re a politician and believe in God first, that’s all good. Just don’t run for government office, run for church office,” he tweeted. Not to be outdone, Mike Dickinson, a Virginia Democrat running for a House seat, tweeted, “Said it proudly! Want to decimate the Tea Party, The NRA, bible thumpers and Fox News zombies? Vote for me!”
  • Under Barack Obama, the military has become aggressively anti-Christian and pro-gay to such an extent that the troops are no longer even allowed to privately oppose gay marriage and military chaplains are increasingly forced to avoid preaching Christ and to pray in His name. The Conservative Baptist Association of America is suing Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki – alleging two of their chaplains were openly ridiculed by the leader of San Diego-based VA-DOD Clinical Pastoral Education Center program.
  • The Christian owners of an Oregon bakery were sued for $135,000 after refusing to bake a cake for a lesbian wedding.
  • A Colorado judge determined that a Lakewood bakery unlawfully discriminated against a gay couple by refusing to sell them a wedding cake.
  • Liberty Institute Founder Kelly Shackleford: “There are children being prohibited from writing Merry Christmas to the soldiers, senior citizens being banned from praying over their meals in the Senior Center, the VA banning the mention of God in military funerals, numerous attempts to have veterans memorials torn down if they have any religious symbols such as a cross, and I could go on and on.”
  • Bobby Jindal at CNN Debate said, "Biggest discrimination in America is against Christians who believe in traditional marriage."
  • Anti-Christian discrimination on public university campuses is rising rapidly.
  • According to a report released in March by Gordon-Conwell Seminary, 1/4 of the world’s Christians live in countries hostile to their faith. At any given moment, 100 to 200 million Christians around the world are being persecuted for their faith. The Center for the Study of Global Christianity reports that 100,000 Christians die every year because of their faith. Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments for their beliefs, according to the U.S. State Department.
  • In China, persecution against Christians is at all-time highs. In Zhejiang Province, crosses have been removed or demolished from more than 300 churches. A pastor was sentenced to 12 years in prison for “gathering a crowd to disrupt public order.” Authorities have explicitly banned Christians from sharing the gospel with anyone under 18 years old.
  • In Iraq, ISIS has targeted Christians for discrimination or even death. They have raped Christian women, sold them into slavery and caused many to flee. Where there were once 1.2 million Christians in Iraq, there are now fewer than 200,000. Some of the oldest Christian churches in the world have been abandoned because of ISIS attacks. Cities where Christians have continually worshiped for almost 2000 years no longer have a Christian presence.
• Suffering:
  • David Guzik: "We usually think that God is absent when we suffer, and that our suffering calls God's righteous judgment into question. Paul took the exact opposite position and insisted that the Thessalonians' suffering was evidence of the righteous judgment of God. Where suffering is coupled with righteous endurance, God's work is done. The fires of persecution and tribulation were like the purifying fires of a refiner, burning away the dross from the gold, bringing forth a pure, precious metal."
  • Dr. Constable: "A hot fire burning under gold ore separates the gold from the dross, and reveals the "gold" to be what it actually is. In the same way, the fire of trials can separate the Christian from the unsaved, and show him to be what he really is. He is what he is by God's grace. Suffering, if properly responded to, only exposes the quality of the person whom God's grace is transforming."
  • Romans 5:3-5: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
  • Romans 8:17: And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
  • 2 Corinthians 4:17: For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
  • 2 Timothy 2:12: If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.
  • 1 Peter 1:7; 2:20: These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. ... Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

(5) And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.

• Worthy:
• David Guzik: "The idea behind counted worthy is not "seen as worthy" but "reckoned as worthy" as in a judicial decree. Paul's prayer is that the worthiness of Jesus may be accounted to them."
• Steve Lewis: "The Thessalonian believers are considered worthy of the kingdom of God because they have kept their faith in Christ, even when faced with severe opposition. The verb considered worthy (kataxioo) does not mean to make one worthy, but to declare one is worthy. This verb is an aorist passive infinitive = 'to have been declared worthy at a specific point in time.' It is unfortunate that many English Bibles have translated this as if it were a future tense. They have already been declared worthy, but in a future sense at the time the millennial kingdom begins they certainly 'will be' shown to have been worthy."

(6) In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

• In his justice:
• Hiebert: "A world in which justice was not done at last would not be God's world at all."
• He will pay back:
• Paul says they are going to get what they deserve – in God’s good time. Unlike Islam, Jesus says we're not to take revenge - God will eventually take care of that. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that such as how I was treated by my employer after my daughter died after two months in a coma.
• We can compare the Psalmist Asaph who was so perplexed about the sufferings of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked, until ‘Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.’ (Psalm 73:17).
• Wiersbe: "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 (John 11:49-53) in a few years saw their city destroyed and their nation scattered."

(7) And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels,

• Rest:
• Hebrews 4:1,9: God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. ... So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.
• Revelation 14:13: And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”
• Appears (Strong's Greek: 602 - apokalupsis - revealed):
  • Apocalupsis means "to clearly reveal" or “the removal of the veil”. This refers to the Second Coming of Jesus - the Second Coming/Resurrection Day/Judgment Day. This means that Jesus will come out from His place at the right hand of the throne of God and return to planet earth at the end of the 7 year tribulation period.
• COME with his mighty angels: He shall come in person. Not merely in spirit or in power, but in a visible form; he shall be revealed from heaven; every eye shall see him.
  • This is NOT about the rapture when the dead in Christ and Christians alive at the time will meet the Lord in the clouds to spend eternity with Him.
  • This is obviously about the Second Coming of Christ to earth to defeat Anti-Christ, the false prophet and Satan and then to usher in the Millennium.
  • Matthew 16:27: For the Son of Man will COME with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.
  • Matthew 25:31: “But when the Son of Man COMES in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.
  • Jude 15: to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
  • Revelation 19:11-15: Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.
• Angels:
• Matthew 13:41: The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(8) in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.

• Judgment:
• Acts 17:31: For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
• 1 Peter 4:17: For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?
• Revelation 20:11-15: And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
• Those who don't know God and those who refuse to obey:
  • Judgment is not coming upon the children of God, not upon the church but upon those who don't know God, those who don't obey the Gospel.
  • Notice it's two groups. As ignorance was the sin of the Gentiles, disobedience was the sin of the Jews. They knew God, but rejected the gospel of Christ. They were fiercer persecutors of the saints even than the Gentiles.

(9) They will be punished with eternal destruction,  forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.

• Punished:
  • Hebrews 10:29-31: Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
• Forever separated:
  • "Forever separated from the Lord" sums up the Bible's understanding of hell.
• Destruction - Greek olethros:
  • The Greek for destruction here does not mean final destruction (apoleia), but olethros, which indicates ruin and loss.
  • “Eternal destruction” is not annihilation. It is a conscious, continuous expulsion from the presence of God.

(10) When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people - praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

• When:
  • When (hotan) is indefinite, indicating that the exact time of His coming is not known.
• Comes:
  • He will be revealed from heaven (note: revealed, not come). His saints will come with him; the angels will accompany him, and all of us who are saved will look at him and marvel at him.
  • Comes is “erchomai” and means “to come from one place to another” and is used of persons arriving to appear, to come before the public and to make one’s appearance.
• Receive glory:
  • Romans 8:18-19: Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
  • Philippians 3:21: He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
• His holy people ... includes you:
  • Spurgeon: "Those who look upon the saints will feel a sudden wonderment of sacred delight; they will be startled with the surprising glory of the Lord's work in them; 'We thought He would do great things, but this! This surpasseth conception!' Every saint will be a wonder to himself. 'I thought my bliss would be great, but not like this!' All his brethren will be a wonder to the perfected believer. He will say, 'I thought the saints would be perfect, but I never imagined such a transfiguration of excessive glory would be put upon each of them. I could not have imagined my Lord to be so good and gracious.' "

(11) So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

• Praying for you:
  • Literally, praying AROUND you - protective prayer. Paul didn't pray for the Thessalonians to be removed from the trial they were enduring. He prayed that God would make them worthy of their calling and that he would help them through this trial.
  • The Living Bible: “And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power.”
• Life ... worthy:
  • The life we live is a sermon to the world around us. We either draw people closer to God with our walk, or we drive them further away.
  • Ephesians 4:1: Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
  • Philippians 1:27: Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.
  • Six Characteristics of a Worthy Walk:
    • www.teachingtheword.org/apps/articles/web/articleid/71589/columnid/6432/default.asp:
      1. Walking worthy of the Lord means pursuing the goal of pleasing the Lord in everything you do, in all areas of your life.
      2. Walking worthy of the Lord means continually bearing the right kind of fruit.
      3. Walking worthy of the Lord means continually increasing in your knowledge of God. God always has more to teach you. You will never exhaust the depths of His Word.
      4. Walking worthy of the Lord means continually receiving God's strength.
      5. Walking worthy of the Lord means that God will build patience and longsuffering into your way of life.
      6. Walking worthy of the Lord involves continually giving joyful praise to God, because of what He has done for us through Christ

(12) Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

• The name:
  • Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC): "In Bible times, a person's name stood for the person--and represented him and his characteristics."
  • J.C. Ryle: "The name Jesus means "Savior." It is the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament. It is given to our Lord because "He saves His people from their sins." This is His special role. He saves them from the guilt of sin, by cleansing them in His own atoning blood. He saves them from the dominion of sin by putting in their hearts the sanctifying Spirit. He saves them from the presence of sin, when He takes them out of this world to rest with Him. He will save them from all the consequences of sin, when He shall give them a glorious body at the last day."
  • The name "Jesus" (Yeshua or Yehoshua) was a common one among the Israelites at the time of Jesus' birth and it means "Yahweh saves." Note that there is no letter "J" in Greek or Latin.
  • The word "Christ" in some versions is not in the original.
  • Matthew 28:19:  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
  • John 14:13; 16:26 : You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. ... Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf,
  • John 20:31: But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
  • Acts 2:38: Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • Acts 3:6,16: But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ... “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed - and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.
  • Acts 4:12; 4:30: There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” ... Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
  • Acts 5:28: “We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
  • Acts 19:13-17: Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. [One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
  • Acts 22:16: What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’
  • Romans 10:13: For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
  • 1 Corinthians 6:11: Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
  • Philippians 2:9-11: Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
  • Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
  • 2 Timothy 2:19: ... God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
  • 1 John 5:13: I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.
• Will be honored:
  • The name of our Lord Jesus Christ is glorified when we are Christian in the true sense of the word.

APPLICATION:

• Satan asked to test Job (Job 1:11). Satan asked to “sift” Peter (Luke 22:31). Do you think  Satan is afraid to "sift" you? One sign that you're being effective as a Christian is when Satan attacks us. If he's not bothering you, he's marked you off as not worth bothering with! Satan tries to produce things in our life that might shake our faith - and make us ineffective.

NEXT STUDY: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-6: 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.
NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://1thessaloniansstudy.blogspot.com/2015/08/1-thessalonians-references.html
• Index to all our studies are at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/