Tag: 2 Thessalonians

Lesson 10

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for You to unlock Holy Scripture for our understanding into the mystery of Your second coming. Correct, convict, train, teach, transform, and renew us in righteousness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Thessalonians 3: 1-18, prayer, injunction, doxology, benediction.

VV 1-2, 1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

Finally, Paul and his co-workers requested prayer from his audience, for the gospel to be communicated speedily and for protection against unreasonable and wicked people.

VV 3-5, 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. 5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Paul prayed for the Lord to establish them in the faith and protect them from the evil one. Paul prayed for the Lord to direct their hearts into the love of God and the patience of Christ.

VV 6-9, 6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

Paul commanded them to withdraw fellowship from disruptive and disorderly people. Paul reminded them that they did not take advantage of their kindness over money matters. Paul and his co-workers but supported themselves financially by working day and night.

VV 10-12, 10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

Paul commanded those who were lazy to work and be self-sufficient. Paul rebuked those who were disruptive, disorderly, lazy, jobless, and busy interfering with other people’s business. Paul commanded these people to get a job, earn a living, be self-sufficient, and mind their own business.

VV 13-15, 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.

Paul commanded them to do good to others and withdraw fellowship from those who were disobedient to his teachings but not to the extent of ex-communication.

VV 16-18, 16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. 17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

In his closing doxology and benediction, Paul prayed for the Thessalonian Christians to experience the peace and presence of the Lord. Paul confirmed writing this epistle with his own handwriting. He pronounced a blessing of grace to them.

Application:

Paul’s prayers and injunctions to his audience also apply to us. We are not to be disruptive, disorderly, lazy, or busybodies. We are to be gainfully employed, self-sufficient, and mind our own business.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us insight into Holy Scripture. Thank You for unlocking difficult and controversial passages for us. Thank You for journeying with us through Paul’s epistle into 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Thank You for the blessings, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson 9

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray that words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to You. We pray for Your presence in our midst. We pray for a divine encounter, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Thessalonians 2: 1-17, the Day of the Lord

VV 1-2, 1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

Greek for coming is “parousia”, which means return. Greek for gathering together is “episunago”, which could mean caught up as in the rapture. The Thessalonian Christians thought they had missed the rapture because false teachers who claimed to be from Paul said that the 7-year tribulation had started. Paul clarified that this was not true.

VV 3-4, 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Greek for falling away is “apostasia”, which means apostasy. The man of sin and son of perdition refers to the antichrist. During the 7-year tribulation. there will be a great apostasy, the appearance of the antichrist, rebuilding of the temple, and re-establishment of temple sacrifice. The antichrist will oppose God, exalts himself above God and demands to be worshiped as God in the temple.

VV 5-8, 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

Paul reminded his audience that he had taught them about the second coming of the Lord when he was with them in Thessalonica. The antichrist is locked inside the bottomless pit and will be released by the angel who sounded the 5th trumpet in Rev. 9:1-2.

Rev 9:1- 2, “Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit”.

VV 9-12, 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The lawless one is another title for the antichrist. The antichrist is empowered by satan to perform counterfeit signs and wonders to deceive the people on earth during the tribulation. God will send a strong delusion to unbelievers to believe the deception of the antichrist.

VV 13-15, 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

Paul thanked God for the Thessalonian Christians whom God loved and predestined for salvation through faith and sanctification of the Holy Spirit. He encouraged them to follow the traditions and teachings of Paul whether by words or in writings.

VV 16-17, 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Paul prayed for Christ and God the Father to comfort and establish them in word and work through a doxology and benediction.

Application:

This is Paul’s teaching on eschatology. According to the pre-tribulation position, the rapture will happen first, followed by the 7-year tribulation, and the second coming of Christ. During the 7 year tribulation, there will be a great apostasy, the coming of the antichrist, rebuilding of the temple, and resuming of temple worship. In the middle of the tribulation, the antichrist will defile the temple and demanded to be worshiped as God. Christ will return to earth at the end of the tribulation to set up His millennial kingdom. We must be too dogmatic on the timing of the rapture but we must believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross and surrender our lives to Him.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, all power, glory, honor, and blessing belong to you. Your name is above all name. We praise You and thank You. We pray for your mercy, grace, love, protection, and preservation through the Coronavirus pandemic. We pray for herd immunity to be achieved worldwide, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lesson 8

Prayer:

2 Thessalonians 1-12, Salutation and prayer

VV 1-2, 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This was Paul, the author, his co-workers Silas (Silvanus), and Timothy’s salutation to the predominantly Gentile Christians at Thessalonica. Thessalonica is presently known as Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. Paul acknowledged God, their Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. God is their Father and our Father. Greek for Lord is “kurious”, which means master. Greek for Jesus is “Joshua”, which means God saves. Greek for Christ is “Christo”, which means Anointed One. Hebrews for Christ is Messiah. Paul pronounced a blessing of grace and peace to his audience. Grace precedes peace. Justification by grace through faith in Christ precedes reconciliation and peace with God.

VV 3-5, 3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

Paul thanked God for his audience for their rapidly growing faith and love for one another. Paul commended them for their patience, faith, endurance, and perseverance in the face of persecutions and tribulations by the hostile Jews. Paul prayed for God in His righteous judgment to vindicate them and count them worthy of the kingdom.

VV 6-8, 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ will make retribution for all injustice in His second coming. Those who persecuted others will be punished. Those who were persecuted by others will be given rest. Greek for reveal is “apokalupto”, which means uncover. Jesus will be revealed from heaven in power and glory, accompanied by mighty angels and flaming fire to punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel.

VV 9-10, 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

“That Day” is the day of the Lord’s second coming. On this day, unbelievers will be punished by destruction and eternal separation from the glory of the Lord. His Saints, Christians, will glorify and admire the glory of the Lord. Greek for saint is “hagios”, which separated, sanctified, or holy.

VV 11-12, 11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul prayed for God’s blessing and favor to his audience. He prayed for them to be counted worthy of God’s calling and to fulfill God’s will by faith. He prayed for the name of the Lord to be glorified in them according to God’s grace.

Application:

Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians Christians also apply to us. We are to have patience, faith, endurance, and perseverance in the face of persecutions and tribulations. We are not to take vengeance into our own hands. We are to believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross as we anticipate the second coming of the Lord. The Lord’s second coming is a certainty just as His first coming was a certainty. The rapture is imminent and can happen at any time. We are to believe in Christ and surrender our lives to Him.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to us through Holy Scripture. Thank You for Your Word of encouragement. We pray for strength and perseverance to undergo trials and tribulations in the face of this dreadful Coronavirus pandemic, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Chapter 2: 2 Thessalonians

Lesson 7

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray that You will help us understand and apply Your word into our daily lives. We pray that You will make us students of Your Word to rightly divide Your Word of truth, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction:

Authorship:

Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians about 6 months after 1 Thessalonians in 51 or 52 AD in Corinth. After delivering 1 Thessalonians, Timothy came back to Corinth and gave Paul a report on the Thessalonians. Paul learned that the Thessalonians faced intense persecutions by the hostile Jews. Heretic teachers also came and forged a letter purportedly from Paul saying that they had missed the rapture and were already in the tribulations. Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians to address these issues.

Purpose:

Paul’s purpose in writing 2 Thessalonians was to encourage the Thessalonians facing persecutions, address misunderstandings on the Lord’s second coming, and encourage them to work for a living.

Theme:

The theme of 2 Thessalonians is on eschatology and the second coming of the Lord.

Outline:

Chapter 1: 1-2, Salutation

1: 11-12, prayer

Chapter 2: 1-12, instruction, the day of the Lord

Chapter 3: 1-15, injunction

3: 16-18, Doxology and Benediction

Application:

2 Thessalonians is Paul’s instructions and teachings on eschatology and the second coming of Christ. This is a difficult and controversial subject. In the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, people are worried about many things. This epistle taught us that if we believe in Jesus we should nothing to worry about. Our hope of Christ’s second coming is a certainty although it has not come to pass yet. We are to persevere in the faith as we anticipate Christ’s return

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we commit our lives to You, knowing that You are in control of world history. We know that You will return again to take us to heaven with You at the rapture. Help us to live a life worthy of Your calling, in Jesus’ name, Amen.