5:19 1 THESSALONIANS 354

/C~O/~2;t :t Never try to suppress the Spirit » or trea t the gift of prophecy with conternpt ; ~g
Jb 1:1.8 : 2:3 think before you do anything-hold on to wha t is good -and avoid every form of H
evil.

Closing prayer and farewell

Is 11:6 +
2 Th 3: 16 May the God of peace make you per fect and holy; and may you all be kept 23
3: 13 1-
safe and blame less, spirit, soul and body , e for the coming of our Lo rd Jesus Christ.
I Co 1:9 1-
2 T h 3:3
2 Th 3:1
R m 15:30 1-
God has called you and he will no t fail you.
Pray for us, my brothers.
24
25
2 THESS ALONIANS
2 C o 13:12 1- G reet a ll the brothers with the holy kiss. • My orders, in the Lo rd' s name, ~~
('0 14: 16 are that this lett er is to be read to all the! brothers. THE SECO ND LETTER OF PAUL
The grace of our Lord Jesus C hrist be with you.v 28

TO TH E CH URCH I N THESS ALO NIK A

Address 1 T h 1:1

Fro m Pa ul, Silvanus and Tim othy , to the Ch urch in T hessalo nika which is in A c 15:22 +:

1 G od o ur Father and th e Lor d Jesus C hrist ; -wis hing you gra ce a nd pea ce
from G od the Father and the Lor d Jesus Christ.
16:1 1-

Th anksgiving and encouragement. The La st J udgement

I T h 1:2
We feel we must be continually thank ing God for you, bro thers ; q uite rightly,
beca use your faith is growi ng so wonder fully and the love that you have for one 1 T h 3:6-12
1 Til 3:12:
4 a no ther never stops increasing; -a nd am o ng t he churches of G od we can ta ke 4:9-10 ~~
A c 14:2 2 - l-
specia l pride in you for your constancy a nd faith under all the persecut ion s and I Co 1:2 +-
I Th 1:7-8 :
tro ubles you have to bear. - It all shows that G od's j udgement is ju st , and the 2:19·2 0

purpose of it is that you may be found worthy of t he kin gdom of Go d; it is for the M t 4 :17 +
1 T h 2: 14;
3:4 + I-
sa ke of th is that you a re su ffering now. 1=
Go d will very rightly repa y with injur y tho se who a re injuring you, -a nd reward Ph 1:28
R l' 14:JJ
you , who are suffer ing now , with the same peace as he will give US," when the Lord
Jes us appear s from heaven with the angels of his power. • He will come in flaming I Co 1:7 + :l1
Ex 3: 2 :r:
fir e" to impose the penalty o n all who do not acknowledge God and refuse to accept Is 66:1 5 Q.
Jr 10:25
9 the G ood News of our Lord Jesus. C - It will be their punishment to be lost eter- Is 66 :4
Rm 1:51-
na lly, excluded f rom the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength Is 2: 10
Is 2:11 - 17; CD
10 on that day when -he comes to be glorified among his saints and seen in his glory 49:3: 66:5 W
P s (LXX) 68: J:
by all who believe in him;" and you are believers, through our witness .' 34: 89:7
11 Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you wor th y of his
call, and by his power fulfil all your! desires for goodness and complete all that Ph 2: 13

12 you have been doing through faith ; • because in this way the name of our Lord Is 66:5:
24:15
In 17:lO,U
~
Jesus C hrist will be glorified in you and you in him , by the grace of our God and the ~

Lord Jesus Christ.

Q.
The eoming of the Lord and the prelude to it "
~
To turn now, brothers, to the com ing of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we Mt24:31 +

2 sha ll all be gathered round him: ' please do not get excited too soon or
alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come fro m us,
I Co 15:23
I Th4:1 5-1 7
3:17

5 c. Pau l see ms to ha ..'e developed no cohere nt system
of an th ronol ogv : th is i s the on ly p l ace he ment ion s a
tripartite d ivis io n o f body (eL Rm 7:24 -l- ) , so ul
(cr. I Co 15:44 -t- ) and s p iri t (w hic h ca n be taken in
two ways : as t he divine p resen ce in a hu man be in g,
"':'z
~ ..,
1 a . Pa ul oft en co mp ares h is own s itu ation wit h t ha t e . Vv.6-1O form a parent hesis, v.t t follows on
of th e chu rc hes he is writi ng to. cr. 1 T h 2:3: I Co 4:8 : from v.s .
P h 1:30. etc . f . O r ' hi s'
b . Heaven . cf'. 1 T h 4: 16. the angels. cf. Mt 13:39 . 2 a. In 1 T h 4:13 -5:11 Pa u l a vo id ed sug gesting
41,49 : 16:27p: 24:31: 25:31: Lk 12:8f (and probably any thlna th at wo u ld indic a te whe n the trarousia wou ld
th e 'sa in ts ' of 1 Th 3:13) . the ' f ire' o f various ta ke p lace . cr. 1 Th 5: 1+ . Obv ious ly rep lying to further
t heop hanie s, cr. Ex 13:22 + ; 19:16 + . are all conven- questions, P au l does not now rep eat all he sai d. ab ou t
ti o na l e lements of a pocalyptic liter ature. cf. I Th 4:16 + . wha t would happen to the li ving and the de ad : all he is
giv ing h im ne w life in union wit h C hr ist. R m 5:5 +. or
c . l.e . both pagans, 1 Th 4:5 . a nd Jew s. Rm 10: 16. co nce rned with is to emphasi se t hat the coming is no t
more pr obably as t he in nerm ost dep ths of th e human
d . Pa u l here seems 10 be thinkin g of an ge ls (t he imminent. a nd tha t it ca nnot take place t ill certain
bei ng, o pe n a nd a wa ke to th e Sp ir it, cf. R m 1:9 4 ),
's a ints ' , cr. Ac9:13 +> and C hr istians ('those who spec ific s igns ha ve preceded it .
f . v ure. in sert s 'h ol y' .
2 . Add . (Y ul a.) 'Ame n'
believe').
,
. r~
 2:3 2 THESSALON I AN S 35 6 357 2 TH ESSAL O NIANS 3:18
1 Co 1:8 + implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone
Ga 1:6 0
Prayer and farewell wishes
deceive you in this way. In 14:27
R v 13:1-8 It cannot happen until the Great Revolt" has taken place and the Rebel, the 16 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace all the time and in every way." 1 Th 5:23

Lost One, has appeared. -This is the Enemy,« the one who claims to be so much 4
The Lord be with you all.
Ga6:11 +
D n 1l:3 6 greater than all that men call 'god', so much greate r than any th ing that is worship- 17 From me, PAUL, these greetings in my own handwriting, which is the mark Co14:18
Is 14:13 ped, that he enthrones himself in God's sanctuary and claims that he is God. 18 of genuineness in every letter ; this is my own writing. May the grace of our Lord 0 2:2
Elk 28:2
Surely you remember me telling you about this when I was with you? -And you Jesus Christ be with you all. e
Rv 20:3 know, too, what is still holding him back:' from appearing before his appointed
Rv 17:5 time. -Rebellion is at its work already, but in secret,' and the one who is holdi ng
it back has first to be remo ved -before the Rebel appears openly." Th e Lo rd«
Is 11:4 will kill him with the breath of his mouth and will ann ihilate him with his glorious
Ps 33:6
Rv 19:11-21
appearance at his com ing.
Eo 2:2 But when the Rebel comes, Satan will set to wor k:" there will be all kinds of
Rv 13:13-17
Mt24:12 miracles and a deceptive show of signs and portents, -and everyt hing evil that 10
In 8:44 can deceive those who are bound for destru ction because they would not grasp
Heb 3:13
1 K 12:12 the love of the tr uth which could have saved them . -The reason why God 11
Is 6: 10
is sending a power to delud e them and mak e them believe what is untrue -is 12
In 3:19: to condem n all who refused to believe in the trut h and chose wicked ness
I 9:39
instead.'
Encouragement to persevere}
II 1 Th 1:4-5
But we feel that we must be continually thanking Go d for you, brothers whom 13
the Lord loves, because God chose you from the beginn ing> to be saved by the
1 Th 4:3 +.8 sanctifying Spirit and by faith in the truth. Through the Go od News that we
0 14
I P 1:2
N ::;;
brough t he called you to this so that you shou ld share the glory of our Lord Jesus ~ i=
1 T h 3:6.8
1 Co 1l:2 +
Chr ist. -Sta nd firm, then, brothers, an d keep the trad itioos that we taught you, 15

1 T h 3:11-13
whether by word of mou th or by letter.' May our Lord J esus Christ himself, and
0 16
God our Fa ther who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaust-
I-
ible comfort and such sure hope, -comfor t you and strengthen you in everything 17 i=
good that you do or say. b. The way thi s Revo lt t atostasta} is me n tio ned h. The Rebel is the instr ument th rough whi ch Sa tan
Ps 147: 15 Fina lly, brothers, pray for us ; pray that the Lor d's message may spread
Eo6: 19f
Co l 4:3
1 T h 5:25
H eb 13:18
3 quickly, and be received with honou r as it was am ong you ; -a nd pray that we
may be preser ved from the interference of bigoted and evil people, for fait h is not
I he re s ho ws t ha t th e Thessalon ian s had already bee n
to ld somethi ng abo u t it. Th e wo rd is used he re in its
usual sense of tsecesslon' o r 'd efec tion' b u t with a sped-
ftca llv relig io us reference. Ac 5:37; 2 1:21 : Heb 3: 12.
wo rks , cf. I Th 2: 18, a nd who m he endows with su per -
h uma n power rath er as C hris t endows his followers
with his own Spirit. Cf. t he Dragon an d the Beast,
Rv 13:2.4.
::;;
:I:
n,
Rm 10:16
M/6 :/J l t seems t ha t the rebels arc not o n ly th ose wh o h ave I. Tr uth a nd unt ruth here have a re ligious as well as
1 T h 5:24 given to everyone. -But the Lord is faithful, and he will give you strength and never bel on ged to C h ri s t but a lso those w ho ha ve given a n intellectual re fere nce because they involve the whole
1 I n 2:14 + guard you from the evil one,> -a nd we, in the Lord, have every confidence that 4 up the faith. cf. I T m 4:1 : 2 T m 3: I: 4:3[; etc . of human life and ac tivity, cr. I In 3:19.
2 Co 7:16
you ar e doing and will go on doing all that we tell you. May the Lord turn you r c . T he ap os tasy will be due t o a being who is given J. T his pas sag e. 2:13-3:5, is very clo sely linked to III
0
th ree names. He is the ' Rebe l' (li t. 'man of lawlessness' the de scrip tion of the paronsia . Having corrected the W
1 C o 13:13 + :I:
hea rts to war ds the love of God and the fortitude of Christ. or ' man of si n' ). He is a be ing des ti ne d (0 be 1051 (lit . false ide as of th e T hessa lo nians . Paul goe s o n to describe
' son of Perdition') v.lO ; I n 17:12 : cf. 1 Th 5:5. He is the positive con sequences of his co nceptio n.
the enemy of God and is described here in te rms remin- k . Va r. 'as ftrs t-Irui ts ".
Against idleness and disunity iscent of the de scrtmton of Ant io ch us Eniphanes in I. W ha t Pau l t aug ht them when he wa s in Thessa -

~
1 Th4:1.11- O n I I :36. La ter o n in Christ ia n t rad ition , base d on lo nika a nd wh at he had written to them sinc e he
12: 5:14 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge you , brothers, to keep away fro m O n, he is ca lled the Antichris t, cf . I Jn 2:18: 4:3: 2 In 7. returned from ther e . 2:2.5 : 1 T h 3:4: 4:2.6 : 5:27, include.
2: 15 + : 3:14 a ny of the brothers who refuses to work or to live acco rding to the tradition we U nlike Satan , whose tool he is, and who is a lread y a t In t he message 0:' th e Good News , cr, I Th 2:13 + . the
wo rk in ' secret' (li t, ' th e mys tery ') v.7, the lawle ss one principles o n which a Ch ristian sho uld lead his life,
passed 0 11 to you. is represented as a pe rso n who will be reve aled a t t he cf, 1 Th 4:1 ; 1 Co 11:2.23- 25.
Ac 18:3 + Yo u know how you are supposed to imitate us:" now we were not idle when
I Co l l :1 'end of time ' , and whose power will persecute a nd 3 a. Or perhaps 'from evil'. C hri stians will be tempted o,
Ga 4: 12 sed uce C h ris tians. On the final 'test'. that will only come but no t beyond their powers of resistance. 1 C o 10:13.
1 T h 2:9 + we were with you, - nor d id we ever have our meals at anyone's ta ble without to an end with the parousta of Christ, cr. Mt 24:24 ; b. By Imita ti ng Pa ul, 1 Co 4:16 : Ga 4:12 : Ph 3:17, ~
M/ 6:11 paying for them; no, we wor ked night and day , slaving and strai ning, so as not to Rv 13:1-8 . Christian s wil l be imi tat ing Christ, I Th 1:6 ; Ph 2:5 :
M t 10:10 be a burden on an y of you. Thi s was not because we had no right to be, but in
0
d. We d o not know what Paul refer s to when he cr. Mt 16:24 : I P 2:2 1: I I n 2:6. who Is hlmile lf the one
talks abo ut a caus e that de lays the parousta of Ch rfst. th at Paul Is imitatin g, t C o 11:1. ChristJans must also
ord er to ma ke ourselves an example for you to follow. A ll he says is tha t it is something, v.e. or so meone, imitate God , Ep 5:1 (cf. Mt 5:48), and they must imitate
We gave you a rule when we were with you: not to let anyone have any food if 10 v.7, that can 'del ay ' it. T hi s person or power bloc ks the each ot her , I Th 1:7: 2:14 : Heb 6:12. Behind this com-
comins of C hris t by pr event ing th e man ifest at ion of m unity of life is t he idea of a model of doctrine, '7Z
~ ..,
hc refused to do any wor k.s -Now we hear that there are some 01 yo u who are 11 the Messiah's enem y who must precede the com ing of Rm 6:17, that has been received by tradition. v.s: 1
the Messiah hi mse lf. Co 11:2 + : 1 T h 2: 13+ . The leaders who transmi t
living in idleness, do ing no wor k themselves but interfering with everyone else's. e. Rebe llion (Hr. ' law less ness ') is goin g on. but it is th e doctrine m ust themselves be 'm odels' v.s:
Gn 3:19 In the Lord Jesus Christ, we order and call on people of this kind to go on quietly 12 underground, secretly preparing for the grea t revolt , Ph 3: 17: I Tm 1:16 : 4:12 ; Tl2:7 : 1 P 5:3. whose faith
work ing and earning the food th at they eat. When the ob stacle, wha tever it is , is removed, lawless- and life a re to be Imitated. Heb 13:7.
Ga6:9
3:6
1 Co 5:5.9-11
My brothers, never grow tired of doing what is right. If anyone refuses to obey
0 a ness (or the lawless o ne) will wor k unmasked.
I, Th e revealing of the Rebel, vv . 6-8 , is the cou nt -
erpar t of t he reveali ng of Christ, 1:7; I Co 1:7, in the
c. T his m ay have been laid d own by Jesus . bu t it
may have been a pro verb : It has been ca lled t he soiden
r ule for C hri st ian wo rk .
..,
2 Co 2:7 what I have written in this letter, take note of him and ha ve nothing to do with sa me way as his parousta is the co unterpa rt of Ch rist's
Ga6: 1 him , so that he will feel that he is in the wrong; - though you are not to regar d him t5 parousta, v.g. T he enemy of God becomes t he ene my
1 Th 5:14
M / 18 ;15-18 of C hris t, but Chri st will conquer his enemy . d. Va r. (vula.j 'ever ywhe re",
as an enemy but as a bro ther in need of correction. a, Add . 'Jcsus' . e. Add. 'Am en'. cf. 1 T h 3:13; 5:28. ;0
,u
II: