PAUL WRITES 2 THESSALONIANS
From the "New King James Bible - Personal Study Edition" -
Nelson publishes, 1990, 1995, here is the introduction to this
epistle of Paul's.
AUTHOR AND DATE
Paul was joined in writing 2 Thessalonians by his missionary
companions, Salvanus and Timothy, just as he had been in writing
1 Thessalonians. This second letter was written from Corinth a
short time after 1 Thessalonians, probably late in A.D.51. See
Introduction to 1 Thessalonians: Author and Date.
BACKGROUND
Several issues found in 1 Thessalonians were still very much
alive: the suffering of Christians (2 Thess. 1:3-12; 1 Thess.
2:14-16), idleness (2 Thess. 3:615; 1 Thess. 4:9-12), and the
Lord's return (2 Thess. 2:1-12; 1 Thess. 4:13-5:11). See
Introduction to 1 Thessalonians: Background.
PURPOSE
This letter was written to encourage the Thessalonians in their
suffering, to help them better understand the Lord's return, and
to instruct them in a life of responsible industry.
CONTENTS
Paul rejoices that the Thessalonians have endured in spite of
their suffering (1:3,4). Such endurance is a sign of God's
righteousness. When Christ returns, Christians will be given
"rest;" and the ungodly who persecuted them will be finally
judged (1:5-12). Christ has not yet returned; Christians must not
be disturbed thinking that they have missed His coming (2:1,2).
Before His return, a great rebellion will occur led by a person
who will claim to take the place of God (2:3-7). But Christ will
come and utterly destroy him and his followers (2:8-12). For the
present Christians must "stand fast" upon the teaching they
have received (2:13-17), pray for the spread of the gospel
(3:1-5), and live lives of responsibility, industry, and
helpfulness (3:6-15).
OUTLINE of 2 Thessalonians
1.Salutation 1:1,2
2.Judgment at Christ's coming 1:3-12
A. Thanks to God for their endurance 1:3,4
B. Assurance of vindication at Christ's return 1:5-10
C. Prayer for God to complete His work in them 1:11,12
3. Rebellion before Christ's coming 2:1-12
A. A lawless one will arise 2:1-5
B. A restraining power now keeps him back 2:6,7
C. Christ will destroy the Antichrist and his followers 2:8-12
4. Instruction for the present 2:13-3:15
A. Obey the teaching you have received 2:13-17
B. Pray for the spread of the gospel 3:1-6
C. Live responsibly and industriously 3:7-15
5. Benediction 3:16-18
PERTINENT COMMENTS Paul gives us some interesting and instructive teaching in 1:7-10. Rest for Christians is coming, the rest of the resurrection and immortality, when we shall be free from sin forever more, as he had told them about in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. This rest is to come at the return of the Lord Jesus, who will come with His mighty angels, as the margin says, "His angels of power." Jesus made reference to this in Matthew 24:29-31. Christ is to come with or in "flaming fire" (see also Malachi 3:2.3). He is to judge and take vengeance (see Rev.6:10,11 and in symbolism what the saints cry out to God) on those who know not God and/or as disobedient to the Gospel of Christ (this has reference to the battle of Armageddon in Rev.16 with chapter 19). They will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. The destruction is everlasting not that they continue to live in the torment of a burning hell-fire for all eternity, as is commonly taught among many Christian denominations. This is all to take place when He comes to be glorified in His saints (the resurrection and the saints being made glorified immortal beings) AND NOTICE..."and to be admired in all them that BELIEVE in THAT DAY." The words "because our testimony among you was believed" is in parenthesis. Contrary to the teaching of most Evangelical Christian teachers MANY on the earth when Jesus comes again, will on THAT DAY, REPENT AND BELIEVE, who did not repent and believe before that day. I guess so, for when Christ comes in glory and power, who can deny that God is God and Christ is alive and is the Son of God. To be sure as we can see also in Zechariah 14 and Revelation 16 and 19, some will try to FIGHT Jesus on His coming, they will be destroyed, BUT many will BELIEVE on that day. The popular Evangelical teaching is that the saints have been secretly raptured away some number of years before Jesus returns and when He comes He will destroy MILLIONS. This idea is NOT upheld by the prophecies of the Bible, including this passage we are looking at in 2 Thessalonians. MANY in that day of Christ's return will REPENT and will BELIEVE! Chapter 2:1-12. The great prophetic section of Paul's writings concerning THE man of sin and his organization that falls away from the truth.
Many believe that the apostles and saints thought that Jesus
would return in their life time. That may be so, but Paul knew
that certain events MUST take place BEFORE Jesus could come
again. This prophetic event of 2 Thes.2:1-12 was one of them.
Some were sending letters around telling people that Jesus'
coming could be "today" or "tomorrow" - just as some today teach
the same. No, it could not be according to Paul.
Paul was told (remember he was personally taught by Jesus as
we saw in Galatians chapter one) that a falling away from THE
TRUTH had to come first, and a man who would claim the
prerogatives of God had to come. He would also have to come from
and sit within the "temple of God." This has nothing to do with a
physical building. Letting the Bible or in this case, the New
Testament, interpret itself and letting Paul himself interpret
himself from all of his writings, we can see that Paul only ever
used "the temple of God" in reference to the "body of Christ" or
to "the Church of God" - to Christians. Use a concordance and
look up every place where Paul uses "temple" in his writings.
We see from this passage that Paul said "the mystery of
iniquity does already work" - in that very day, about 51,52 A.D.
the truth of God was getting distorted, but it was being held
back from FULL fruition for a time, but finally it would all be
revealed and ONE type man would come along who would epitomize
and "head up" this great falling away.
Jesus, said Paul, could not come until all this was
fulfilled. It finally was fulfilled when the great Roman pontiff
established the Roman Catholic faith, and declared he was
head of the Christian church, and vicar of Christ on earth. He
and his followers taught, and still do teach, that the Pope is
"God on earth." This was brought out very clearly when in the
1990s the Pope visited a South American country and when a lady
in her early 20s was asked by a TV reporter what she thought of
the Pope coming to her country, her reply was "he is God on
earth."
Many in the Church of God do not realize that for about the
first two hundred years of the Christian age, the Roman Church of
God was accepted as being still a part of God's people. The two
famous bishops - Polycarp and after him Polycrates, from Asia
Minor, went to Rome to debate with the Roman bishops of their
time, about the Passover/Easter issue, the time to remember the
death of Christ. I'm sure they debated about much more, such as
the Sabbath/Sunday issue, that was also raging at the time.
But neither Polycarp nor Polycrates could persuade the Roman
bishop to return to the "faith once delivered to the saints." The
apostasy and the falling away from within the Church of God was
taking place. The falling away led to that office of "THE man of
sin" - the office of Pope, coming on the Christian scene and
world.There is another way to understand this prophecy.
looking at how Vine defines the word "temple" is with
the word "sanctuary" and so we look at Exodus 15:17,
we see the word "sanctuary" is used for the Holy Land.
And this then ties right in with Daniel 1145 where the king
of the North [the Beast power of Europe], the church Babylon
with its false prophet as the man of sin, will move into the
Holy Land during the last 42 months off this age.
The prophecy of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2, does have a final end-time fulfillment. for this "man of sin" will have a final "THAT WICKED" one at the very time when Jesus will return. He will be revealed to the world and Christ will CONSUME him, destroy him, with the BRIGHTNESS of his coming (we read about this as the "false prophet" of Revelation, and how Jesus at His coming casts him into the furnace of fire - see Rev.19). This "wicked" one will be able to perform miracles, signs and wonders, so is the false prophet of Revelation. They are one and the same man. It is really the work of Satan the Devil. This man and all his billion and more followers around the world do not "receive the love the truth" and the true way to salvation. At Christ's coming this deceptive world religious Babylon power will be destroyed, see again Revelation 17, 18 and 19. Paul tells the brethren at Thessalonica to stand fast and hold to the traditions and teachings they received from him and others with him and from his epistles to them. Traditions of truth are not wrong. Or to put it another way, some truth is tradition, i.e. the observance of the Passover and not Easter is a correct truth of tradition, as being something traditionally done year after year (2 Thes.2:13-17). Paul asks them to always pray for him and others with him, to be delivered from wicked men who do not have the faith, and he tells them how confident he is that they will remain steadfast to the commandments and truth that he and his fellow apostles delivered to them (3:1-5). As he just talked about "commands" he takes the opportunity to give a few more, because of certain problems that he had heard about within their congregation. Those who were walking and living "dis-orderly" and not after the true teachings and traditions they had received, they were to withdraw from. He reminds them they should be following the example he and the other apostles with him, had set when among them. He reminds them he and the others with him worked at secular jobs, so they did not have to live off their physical gifts, but not because they did not have the right to "live off them" under God's laws, which they did, but they did it to set them an example of "working." Obviously some of the Thessalonians had a "secular work habit" problem, for Paul continues to remind them that when the apostles were with them, they commanded that if a person did not work neither should they eat. And now he was hearing that many still did not work, but were busy being "disorderly" and "busybodies." He says, "Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." (verses 6-12). Here Paul is talking about people who CAN and are ABLE to work, NOT working but causing trouble for others, and getting into the face of others. It can be a very true saying that "idle hands leads to much mischief." Paul is not talking about people who for various physical or mental reasons cannot work. He is not talking about people who are "laid off work" and are busy looking for work. He is talking about people who CAN work but choose not to and who try to "live of the church." For those who will not live by God's word, the truth of the Lord, as written by such people as Paul in his epistles, they were to "note that man" and not to have them as buddy-buddy-friends. They were not to count them as "enemies" but to kindly but firmly, admonish or correct them as still being a brother/sister in Christ (verses 14,15). Paul closes his second epistle with, "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all" (verse 16). ................................ April 2004
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