2 Thessalonians – Lesson 3
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
We looked at context of this chapter and book and seen that this is talking about when Jesus comes all the way back to the Earth and sets up His kingdom. There is zero in the context of the verses around this or in the chapter or in the entire book of 2 Thessalonians about Jesus coming and stopping in the clouds to take His own out of here.
It is all about when Jesus comes all the way back in power and puts His foot down on that mountain and it splits in two and then He judges the nations and all He has to do is just open His mouth.
And Paul says while he was with them he taught them these things.
Now pause and think about that. When 2nd Thessalonians was written Paul was only with them in person once. And they did not get saved the first time they heard. We learned that in 1st Thessalonians.
It took some work and it took some contending with them, it took some explaining things, and prayer. It took some time.
And in total Paul did not stay long. The unbelieving Jews got so worked up that Paul had to make a run for it and ended up in Athens alone.
So Paul was with them a short time. We are talking weeks to a month or so. And the beginning of that time was getting them saved.
So not really much time to teach them a whole lot.
And here we learn that one of the top things that Paul taught the new believers was about how Jesus is coming again. Why? Because it is supposed to change everything about how a Christian thinks and lives.
Years ago I used to take new Believers thru a discipleship class. And over the years we used three different set of lessons from three different publishers. And in all of them about lesson 6 or 7 they are teaching tithing. An entire 45 min lesson on it.
And very little in the entire discipleship course about Jesus coming back. Their focus was completely different than Paul’s.
Paul was more like you got saved, great, now Jesus is coming back and wants to find you busy for Him. So live like it.
Sadly Paul’s teaching and Paul’s focus on priorities of what to teach do not line up with most churches today.
I have said this maybe 20 times thru this. The exact time Jesus that comes back in the clouds to get us is not the point.
The point about it is how we live. We are to live so that if He comes back today or tomorrow that He will find us busy living and working for Him like He wants us to.
We are to live looking to that day in hope and joy and excitement for it. That is the outlook of Christians who live for Jesus like He could come. They are busy for Him so they will not be ashamed at His coming.
But remember they also had Matthew Chapter 24.
Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Notice the question they asked is Jesus coming and the end of the world.
So Jesus answers that question. He does not tell them about when He comes only in the clouds. He tells them the signs of when He comes all the way back at the end of the world.
We are not going to read it all but just look at a few things.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Jesus teaches the signs of His coming all the way back to the Earth. And that is some scary troubling stuff.
famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places
shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved
the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven
So they had Jesus’ teaching on His coming back at the end and Paul says he already taught them these things.
And His coming then is scary and troubling.
And yet we are to live looking to Jesus coming in hope and joy and excitement for it. That is the outlook of Christians who live for Jesus like He could come
So unless you understand the distinction of 2 different comings, you have a problem. How do you live in hope and joy and excitement for His coming if His coming is like Matthew chapter 24.
Paul is clearing this up and teaching them that the coming in power at the end will not happen until something else happens first.
Paul is telling them do not be troubled by Jesus coming all the way back. You are in no danger of that happening right now. Something must happen first.
This is not talking about the rapture when Jesus comes in the air and stops to get us and we meet Him in the clouds. Living thru that is not scary at all.
However the thought of living thru what happens before Jesus comes all the way back is extremely troubling.
2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Paul is talking about when Satan and Beast worship starts in the temple. He is talking about that 3 ½ year to go mark. And how that must happen before Jesus comes all the way back.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Verse 8 is after the 3 ½ years when Jesus comes back in judgment. In another place the Bible gives the exact number of days. So when open Satan and Beast worship is set up in the temple, then exactly 3 ½ years later Jesus comes all the way back.
Paul is teaching that they should not be worried, or troubled about that coming. That coming cannot happen until Satan worship is setup in the temple.
So do not let that trouble you. Do not live looking for that coming.
Live in hope and joy and excitement for the other coming that can happen anytime and will be without advanced notice. Live with purpose for when Jesus comes in the clouds to get us.
Two totally different comings for two totally different purposes.
We are to know about His coming all the way back. We are to know about the power of Jesus and that He will judge evil. We are to know that we are on the winning side.
But we are to not live looking each day for that coming.
We are to live looking for the coming in the clouds.
Paul was already teaching them about Jesus coming back when He got ran out of town. And the topic is so important that fairly soon after leaving, maybe only a year later or so, Paul writes them both 1st and 2nd Thessalonians to finish teaching them about Jesus coming again.
That is the theme of both books.
We stopped last time before chapter 2 verse 13.
2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2Th 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Some love to take verses and build a system of theology that appeals to them but they will ignore a volume of other scripture that teaches otherwise.
The Bible clearly teaches that God is not willing that any perish but that all come to repentance. He loves all and died for all. And the Bible clearly teaches that man does have a free will.
They will ignore all those verses and teach that God chooses who goes to Heaven and God chooses who goes to Hell and no one has any choice in the matter.
This is one of those places that they use. They say see that. Got you. The Bible says that God chose you to salvation.
They do not even take the whole verse. It says thru belief of the truth. The truth is God foreknows everything. God knows from the beginning who will out of a free will accept Him and believe and who will not.
This verse is not a God choose who gets saved verse. This is a God has foreknowledge verse.
1Pe_1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit…
Election is according to the foreknowledge of God. It does not force or override the free will of man.
Calvinism is a false teaching that is very dangerous and a false teaching that is against a great amount of Scripture. And so when we hit those verses they use I feel like clarifying it.
2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2Th 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
2Th 2:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
Therefore. Because God loves us and because God has given us everlasting life, and because it was thru grace.
We did not earn it, and we did not deserve it. Because of His great love and what we were freely given, then take comfort.
But do not stop there. Stand fast. Hold on to the truth and take a stand for it. Do not compromise and do not deviate.
But do not stop there.
Establish every good word and work. So teach the Bible, do not change it, do not manipulate it or misuse it. And work. Help others. Love your neighbor as yourself.
And notice who is involved in this.
2Th 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
2Th 2:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
It says Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and then a list. The last thing is still in that list. So let’s read the start before the list and the last item of the list.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, stablish you in every good word and work.
So here it is again. Jesus wants to work on your heart and stablish you in every good word and work. He wants to do a work in your heart and life to prepare you for His coming.
This is the same thing we saw in 1st Thessalonians.
1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Our part is to understand that this is what He wants for us.
And our part is to want what He wants and have faith and trust in Him and cooperate with Him in this and Let Him do a work in our hearts.
And now Paul wraps things up.
1st is a call to Pray for Paul and his team.
2Th 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
2Th 3:2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
God has ordained that there is a connection between His word having free course and prayer. This is why we often pray for the word of God that we put out around the world.
2nd comes some encouragement.
2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
2Th 3:4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
God is faithful and confidence expressed in the Thessalonians that they are doing the will of God and that they will continue.
3rd yet another mention that Jesus is coming again.
2Th 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
4th a warning Against Idleness
2Th 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
2Th 3:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
2Th 3:8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
2Th 3:9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
2Th 3:11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
2Th 3:12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
2Th 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
2Th 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
2Th 3:15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Not as an enemy, but as a brother. The heart of it is important and the purpose, which would be correction of bad behavior and reconciliation.
So if someone refuses to work, then they would not allow them in the local church fellowship until he fixed his bad behavior.
It was not done mean spirited. Not as an enemy. It was done for the persons benefit because their behavior was harmful for them.
And finally what is called the Benediction. Or the closing prayer.
2Th 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
2Th 3:17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.
2Th 3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
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