Introduction
Thessalonians are wonderful letters to Christians to remind them and us that the Lord will return one day as He promised when He ascended into heaven, Acts 1:9-11. With this promise in mind, this should encourage us and motivate all Christians to live holy and godly lives until the Day of His return.
The Thessalonian epistles are unique in many aspects. The letters are inspired of God and are, therefore ‘the word of the Lord,’ 1 Thessalonians 4:15.
They are among the earliest, if not the earliest, of the New Testament epistles written by Paul. The emphasis in the letters is profound: Christ is coming! The accession of Jesus Christ to heaven is recorded in Acts chapter one. Upon this momentous occasion, an announcement was made: Christ is coming again!
Thessalonica, The Place And People
Paul with Silas and Timothy came to Thessalonica from Philippi on his second missionary journey, stopping in Amphipolis and Apollonia before arriving at Thessalonica, Acts 17. He preached in the city’s synagogue, the chief synagogue of the region, for at least three weeks. His ministry was strong, and he established a Jewish-Gentile church, although it was more heavily Gentile, 1 Thessalonians 1:9. When Paul faced great persecution at the hands of the mob, he fled to Berea, but the Thessalonians eventually forced him to leave there also, Acts 17:13-14.
The city of Thessalonica was the capital and largest city of the Roman province of Macedonia, located on the Ignatian Way, which was a major road from Rome to the eastern provinces. The city was named after the wife of Cassander, who built the city. Those in Thessalonica adored many gods, particularly Jupiter, as the father of Hercules, the alleged founder of its ancient royal family.
The city also boasted a celebrated amphitheatre, where gladiatorial shows were exhibited for the amusement of the citizens, and a circus for public games. Thessalonica’s location and use as a port made it a prominent city. In 168 B.C., it became the capital of the second district of Macedonia and later it was made the capital and major port of the whole Roman province of Macedonia (146 B.C.). In 42 B.C., after the battle at Philippi, Thessalonica was made a free city.
Thessalonica was the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia. The church of the Thessalonians was established, Acts 17:1-9, on Paul’s second journey, where he and his fellow workers had just left Philippi. Travelling through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they arrived at Thessalonica where Paul immediately located the synagogue and used their Sabbath gathering as an opportunity for evangelism.
For three weeks, he reasoned with the Jews, converting some and several prominent Gentiles but some unbelieving Jews soon caused a disturbance, forcing him to leave. But despite all threats by God’s grace a good strong congregation was planted and established. The church quickly gained a good reputation, 1 Thessalonians 1:8, and was made up mostly of Gentiles, 1 Thessalonians 1:9. Some of its members included Jason, Acts 17:9, Aristarchus, and Secundus, Acts 20:4.
Archaeology Very little has been uncovered at ancient Thessalonica because Thessaloniki sits atop the remains. Excavators found a bathhouse and mint dating to the 1st century A.D. below pavement surrounding an odeum. An inscription (30 B.C. to 143 A.D.) from the Vardar gate bears the word politarches, the word Luke used in reference to the officials of the city before whom Jason was brought by the mob, Acts 17:6. The word does not appear in any other Greek literature but does match the archaeology of the site.
The Politarch Inscription can be viewed in the British Museum in London. Discovered in 1835 this is a Greek inscription from a Roman gateway in Thessalonica. It lists officials of the town in 2nd century A.D. beginning with six Politarchs. In Acts 17:6-8, the author, Luke, refers to the “politarchs,” translated in the ESV as the “city authorities” of Thessalonica. Acts record Paul and Silas in Thessalonica being brought before the politarchas, ‘rulers of the city’ accused of being troublemakers.
The Authors
There is no doubt as to the authors of the letters. “From Paul, Silas, and Timothy…” 1 Thessalonians 1:1 / 2 Thessalonians 1:1. Both letters are from Paul, Silas (also known as Silvanus) and Timothy. Of these three, the apostle Paul was the main author. We do not know how much of the letter Silas and Timothy wrote, but all three of them were in agreement with what the letter contained.
Paul who was formally known as Saul of Tarsus was a ‘persecutor of the church’, Acts 9:1-2 and became to be known as the ‘apostle to the Gentiles’, Acts 9:15. He was an educated man who is credited as being the author of half the New Testament books.
Silvanus is also known as Silas was originally a messenger from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, Acts 15:22 / Acts 15:27. He was recognized as a prophet, who encouraged the brethren in Antioch, Acts 15:32. He stayed in Antioch until he became Paul’s travelling companion, Acts 15:34 / Acts 15:40-41. He suffered with the apostle Paul whilst they were in prison in Philippi, Acts 16:19-25, and together with Paul established the church in Thessalonica, Acts 17:1-4.
Timothy, also known as Timotheus was a young disciple who travelled with Paul, Acts 16:1-3, and is mentioned in many of Paul’s letters. He received two letters from Paul, 1 Timothy 1:1 / 2 Timothy 1:1. Just like Paul and Silas he suffered being in prison, Hebrews 13:23. He has just returned from a trip to Thessalonica himself, 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 / 1 Thessalonians 3:6.
Both Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy (at least by inference) appear in the records of Acts as Paul’s companions during his first visit to Thessalonica, Acts 17:1-9. For a short time after Paul departs from Thessalonica the three were separated, but they were reunited in Corinth, Acts 18:5 / 2 Corinthians 1:19. Corinth thus suggests itself as the place from which the letters to the Thessalonians church were sent.
Since Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are named together as joint authors of the letters, it is, at first sight, conceivable that Silvanus and Timothy played a responsible part along with Paul in the composition. Timothy indeed was Paul’s personal assistant and is named along with Paul in the precept of some other letters, 2 Corinthians, Philippians Colossians, Philemon, certainly because he was in Paul’s company when these were written and possibly because he served Paul as amanuensis.
Silvanus, on the other hand, occupied a more independent status in relation to Paul. He was not a convert of Paul’s (as Timothy was); he was a member of the church of Jerusalem, enjoying the confidence of the leaders of that church, being himself one of the “leading men among the brethren” there, Acts 15:22. The a priori likelihood that such a man would be joint-author of the letters in which he is named as one of the senders, in a substantial and not a merely nominal sense is borne out by internal evidence.
When Paul in other letters expresses his thanks to God for those to whom he writes, he usually does so in the first person singular “I give thanks …” even when others are associated with him in the prescript, 1 Corinthians 1:4 / Philippians 1:3 / Philemon 4.
Colossians, sent in the name of himself and Timothy to a church not personally known to him, is an exception. Colossians 1:3, begins, We always thank God…” in both the Thessalonian letters the first-person plural is used: “We give thanks to God always …” 1 Thessalonians 1:2. “We are bound to give thanks to God always….” 2 Thessalonians 1:3.
The use of the first-person plural is maintained throughout both letters, apart from certain places where the singular suddenly appears, 1 Thessalonians 2:18 / 1 Thessalonians 3:5 / 1 Thessalonians 5:27 / 2 Thessalonians 2:5 / 2 Thessalonians 3:17. In two of these five places, the first personal pronoun is accompanied by the name “Paul”, 1 Thessalonians 2:18 / 2 Thessalonians 3:17.
All of them are best explained by the supposition that they are Paul’s personal additions, whether inserted by him orally as the letters were being dictated or appended, possibly in his own hand, when they were being read over after completion. The inclusion of his name in the prescripts and especially his signature at the end of the second letter would provide evidence enough that the contents as a whole were approved by him, whoever was responsible for the actual composition. (F. F. Bruce Word Biblical Commentary Volume 45 1&2 Thessalonians)
The Authenticity of 1 and 2 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians claims to be from Paul, 1 Thessalonians 1:1 / 1 Thessalonians 2:18, and its Pauline both in language and in ideas. The author’s associates, Silas and Timothy, we know from Acts to have been with Paul on his second missionary journey. The letter must be early for various reasons. Church organisation is apparently in a very early stage.
It is difficult to think of anyone writing after Paul’s death putting forth in Paul’s name a statement that might be understood as meaning that the Parousia (second coming of Christ) would take place during the Apostle’s lifetime, 1 Thessalonians 4:15. The question of the fate of believers who died before the Parousia must have been answered fairly early in the church’s life. Yet it is impossible to think of anyone but Paul putting it out in early times.
How could it possibly gain a circulation while the Apostle was still engaged in vigorous work, travelling among the churches and well able to denounce it? (Yet we must bear in mind that the possibility of forgery seems to be implied by 2 Thessalonians 2:2, and the explanation of the autograph in 2 Thessalonians 3:17.)
Moreover, the letter is as well attested as we could reasonably ask. It is not the kind of letter which would be quoted often. This explains its absence from the sub-apostolic writings that have come down to us (though there are some similarities in language which may be more than coincidence). But it was accepted as sacred Scripture by Marcion (c. 140 A.D.) it is included among the canonical books in the list given in the Muratorian Fragment (a list of the books accepted as canonical some time after the middle of the second century, probably at Rome). The Epistle is definitely quoted by Irenaeus (c. 180 A.D.) and later writers.
It hardly seems the kind of letter which would be forged. Why should anyone produce a letter like this? What did he aim to do thereby? The letter reads naturally as the reaction of Paul to the situation we outlined earlier. But it seems completely out of character as a forgery foisted on the church to serve some devious purpose of the forger.
Nothing very considerable can be set over against all this. Some of the Tubingen school regarded the Epistle as unauthentic, but they stand practically alone. Their reasons for rejecting the Epistle fail to commend themselves. Thus, we find the objection that it is not doctrinal enough, or again, that it shows too close dependence on 1 and 2 Corinthians. These two surely cancel each other out, for the former means it is not Pauline enough, and the latter that it is too Pauline! Neither carries conviction nor do others that are alleged.
No more convincing is the suggestion that the letter cannot be an authentic writing of the Apostle because there are a series of discrepancies between it and Acts. For example, 1 Thessalonians 2:7ff gives us a picture of Paul working at his trade, and this is said to be incompatible with the statement of Acts 17:2 that he preached in the synagogue at Thessalonica on three Sabbaths.
We have already considered the circumstances of the first preaching in the city, and we have seen no necessary contradiction. Paul may have stayed in Thessalonica no longer that Acts indicates. Or, if we feel that a longer period is required, Acts may give us the length of his synagogue preaching.
It is the same with the allegation that the two contradict each other since Acts 17:4, speaks of the converts as both Jews and Gentiles, while 1 Thessalonians 1:9 / 1 Thessalonians 2:14, refers to Gentiles only. Or that Acts 18:5 speaks of Silas and Timothy as coming to Paul at Corinth, whereas 1 Thessalonians 3:1ff, shows that Timothy was with Paul for a time in Athens.
As B. Clogg says, “Discrepancies of this nature prove little except that the authors of Acts and of 1 Thessalonians wrote independently of each other.”
Neither is giving the complete story, and we must make use of both. But to say that both must in all points tell all they know is so obviously false as to need no refutation. We conclude, then, that there is no real reason for doubting the authenticity of this epistle. (The new international commentary on the New Testament. The first and second epistles to the Thessalonians. Leon Morris).
The Authenticity
As is the case of the First Epistle there are good reasons for thinking of 2 Thessalonians as authentic. It has early attestations, for Polycarp, Ignatius, and Justin all seem to have known it, possibly also the writer of Didache. It if found in the Marcionite canon and in the Muratorian Fragment, it is quoted by name by Irenaeus and later writers.
As with 1 Thessalonians, the mention of Silvanus and Timothy as associates of the author and the obviously early date of the writing favour Pauline authorship. 2 Thessalonians emerged into church history associated unequivocally with 1 Thessalonians. It claims to have been written by Paul, and the language and theology are Pauline.
It is difficult to think of a suitable motive for a forger (notice that, since 2 Thessalonians 3:17 claims to be Paul’s signature, forgery is the only alternative to authenticity. We cannot think of someone putting out in good faith a sample of Pauline teaching).
It is difficult to think of a reason for making the letter resemble 1 Thessalonians so closely. It is difficult to think of a forger entering so fully unto the mind of Paul as to produce a writing so redolent of the Apostle as this one.
There is also the point that had we, not 1 Thessalonians we would hardly call in question the authenticity of 2 Thessalonians. It is rather strange to call in question an Epistle that has all the hallmarks of a genuine Pauline writing on the grounds that it is similar to another Pauline writing.
For reasons such as these most scholars have not hesitated to accept this writing. In recent times, however, attention has been focused on certain matters which raise doubts. While not many would go so far as to pronounce the Epistle non-Pauline, several scholars feel perplexed. The principal points are the following.
1. There is what Neil speaks of this: “The problem of the letter is one of accounting for the similarity to and difference from a letter written by the same hand, to the same people, only a short while before”
Sometimes 2 Thessalonians repeats 1 Thessalonians not only in general ideas but also in the actual words that are employed. The objection is that such an outstanding man as Paul would not find it necessary to repeat himself. He would, if he had to say the same thing, say it in different words so that deliberate imitation is the explanation.
At the same time, there are differences such as those on eschatology, (The branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind) which we shall notice in the next section. The thought then is that the ideas are not the ideas of Paul, and they are expressed in language which is a deliberate imitation of that of the great Apostle.
In the first place, it must be re-joined to this that the general similarity to Pauline style is very close indeed. It is very difficult to envisage a forger who could imitate Paul’s language so very closely. Pauline words and phrases and constructions are everywhere. So are Pauline ideas.
If Paul write 2 Thessalonians not so very long after 1 Thessalonians it would not be surprising if sometimes words and phrases were repeated, especially if, as Neil thinks possible, he read through “the customary draft copy of his first letter before writing the second.” This would be the more likely in that he had to bear in mind what was written in 1 Thessalonians because some of it had been misunderstood.
It must also be borne in mind that the extent of the resemblance is easy to exaggerate. It is natural for there to be close resemblances in such places as the opening and the close, and indeed, in the general structure of the letters. It is natural also for an author to come close to repeating himself when he is writing on the same subjects twice within a matter of weeks or even months.
But the suggested parallels do not cover more than about one-third, which is strange in a deliberate imitation. And even so, more or less identical language is used in different ways. For example, there are marked resemblances between how Paul describes his hard-manual labour in the two letters. But in the first, he does it to show love for his converts, while in the second it is to bring out the force of his example. This kind of thing is more likely to slavish imitation by a forger.
There is, moreover, the point that the resemblances are to 1 Thessalonians. Why should a later imitator confine himself to this Epistle and to make use of Paul’s major writings? The differences are no more conclusive. Thus, Paul’s comments on the Man of Sin (or Lawlessness) in the second letter are different from anything he has to say in the first. But the difference does not amount to incompatibility. It is no more than a man might add as a supplement to what he has already said on the subject. It is the same with the other differences that are brought forward.
This combination of likeness and difference is interesting, and there may be more to it than at present appears. But the point is that it does not prove the difference in authorship. Such a man as Paul was quite capable of both.
2. The eschatology of 2 Thessalonians is said to be different from that of 1 Thessalonians.
The simplest way of putting this is to say that in the First Epistle the coming of the Lord is thought of as about to take place very soon and very suddenly. But in the Second Epistle, it will be preceded by signs, like a great rebellion and the appearance of the Man of Lawlessness.
But to state, this hypothesis is virtually to refute it, for it is a commonplace in apocalyptic literature that the Lord’s coming is to be sudden, and yet that it will be preceded by signs. We find this in the Gospels and in Revelation, to name no other. It should also not be overlooked that Paul’s warning in 1 Thessalonians 5 not to be unprepared when the day comes may well imply a knowledge of premonitory signs.
A similar objection is that the people to whom 2 Thessalonians was written knew a good deal about the Parousia, for even the teaching about the Man of Lawlessness is given them only by way of reminder, and not as communicating new information, 2 Thessalonians 2:5.
Such people would hardly be in ignorance of such fundamental teaching on the subject as is given in 1 Thessalonians 4:13ff. But again, the objection does not get us far. In the short time that he was in Thessalonica Paul could not give all the teaching on the second coming that he would have wished.
Many matters were certainly left un-grasped by the Thessalonians. It is entirely natural that eager new converts should have fastened their attention on such an outstanding figure as the Man of Lawlessness without appreciating the fact that some of their number would die before the great day. Indeed, they may well not have given this matter any thought at all before the decease of some of their number forced it on their notice.
Other objections turn on the Man of Lawlessness
Thus, some urge that this figure does not appear elsewhere in Paul and therefore we cannot accept the idea as Pauline. To say this is to refute it. We cannot dismiss an idea because Paul produces it once only. For that matter, it does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. Not Paul had an eager, questing mind. He is more likely to have seized on the truth concerning this being than some at least of his contemporaries. There is no real objection here.
A variant of this objection dates the origin of the idea of the Man of Lawlessness too late to put it within the time of Paul. This objection maintains that the whole idea of the Man of Lawlessness is based on the Nero redivivus myth. After Nero’s death in 68 A.D., there appeared a number of people who claimed to be that emperor come to life once more. They were discredited, but the idea persisted that one day Nero would come back to life. Then he would put himself at the head of the forces of evil. The myth came to have a super-naturalistic tinge.
Nero was held to be demonic as well as human. Now if the portrait of the Man of Lawlessness was drawn from the Nero redivivus myth, obviously, Paul could not have drawn it. The idea did not gain currency till after his death. But the idea of the anti-Christ is far older than the Nero redivivus myth, as Bousset, for example, has shown. It goes back long before the time of Paul, and there is no reason for holding that 2 Thessalonians 2 is based on the late myth. Consequently, the objection falls to the ground.
Thus, we see that there are various ways of putting the objection from eschatology, but none of them is decisive. The eschatological teachings in the two epistles are not contradictory, but complementary.
1. There are some who think that a difference in authorship is indicated by the fact that whereas 1 Thessalonians is warm and friendly in tone, 2 Thessalonians is cold and rather formal.
The difference is difficult to sustain. Frame points out that the vehement self-defence in the Fist Epistle accounts for a good deal of its warmth, and that if this were omitted the differences in tone “would not be perceptible.”
Again, the coldness alleged in the tone of 2 Thessalonians is very largely due to a few expressions. Thus Paul says, “We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren,” and adds, “even as it is meet” 2 Thessalonians 1:3. But this is probably to be understood as a protestation that his praise of them in the First Epistle was no more than was right.
Again, the objection that we meet authoritative commands, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, and elsewhere, overlooks the fact that throughout that whole section there is an undertone of genuine brotherly warmth. Paul is very concerned to bring back into full fellowship some whose conduct had raised a barrier. But he is just as loving as he is authoritative.
Thus, while admittedly 2 Thessalonians is slightly cooler in tone than the First Epistle, it does not seem as though the difference amounts to much. Even if we were to grant all that the objectors put forward it still would prove little. Writers are not always in the same mood, and we have no reason for thinking of Paul as an exception.
Moreover, as we saw earlier, there is good reason for thinking that when he wrote 2 Thessalonians Paul was experiencing a joyful reaction from a time of discouragement. It would not be surprising if a later letter failed to reproduce such a mood, especially if it revealed that some had failed to give heed to instructions given in that first letter. Moreover, we know from 2 Thessalonians 3:2 that Paul was in a somewhat difficult situation when he wrote that letter.
Thus, it does not seem as though any of the objections is compelling. There is none for which an answer does not lie ready to hand. There is, accordingly, no reason why we should not accept the positive evidence and accept this Epistle as an authentic writing of Paul. (The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians. Leon Morris.)
The letter (the date and purpose of the letter)
The book of 2 Thessalonians is a letter from Paul, 2 Thessalonians 1:1 / 2 Thessalonians 3:17. The apostle Paul begins his letter by mentioning Silas and Timothy, 2 Thessalonians 1:1. Early sources in church history that attribute this letter to Paul include, Clement of Alexandria (200 A.D.), Tertullian (200 A.D.), and Irenaeus (200 A.D.).
Paul and his friends received news from Thessalonica after that church had received the first letter. This news showed that the Thessalonians still needed someone to teach them about some subjects. They had not understood some of what was in the first letter. So, the purpose of the second letter was to make things clear to them.
Paul wrote this letter to reemphasize the coming return of Jesus Christ. Some of the people in Thessalonica had thought that Jesus had already returned, this letter was written to correct any misunderstandings.
It appears that they remained strong in the Lord despite persecution, 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4. But it is apparent from this letter that misunderstanding about the Lord’s coming was present in the church.
Some of the members were being troubled by false reports, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, others had stopped working, perhaps assuming that the Lord’s imminent return meant one did not need to work anymore, 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12.
Outline
Introduction. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
The Coming Of The Lord. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Prayers and Appeals. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
Warnings Against Idleness And Disobedience. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
Concluding Words. 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18
Introduction
As we saw in our introduction to the Thessalonian letters, 1 Thessalonians was written shortly after the establishment of the church in Thessalonica, Acts 17:1-9, around 50-52 A.D. We also saw that the coming of Christ was mentioned in each chapter. The second letter appears to have been written just a few months, perhaps a year later whilst Paul was in Corinth.
We know that he stayed in Corinth for eighteen months, Acts 18:11 and so Paul can have written the first letter at the beginning of his stay, and written the second letter toward the end of his stay, around 53 A.D.
2 Thessalonians contains three short chapters and again the theme of the return of Christ runs throughout. After reading through 2 Thessalonians you would have noticed that the church in Thessalonica seemed to remain strong in the Lord despite the persecution they were receiving, 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4, even though there was a lot of misunderstanding concerning Jesus’ return.
Some were troubled by false reports concerning the Lord’s return, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 and there were other members who simply thought that Jesus’ return was so imminent, they actually stopped working because they thought they didn’t have to work anymore, 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12.
Paul wanted to encourage the saints in a time of persecution whilst also warning them about the many false conceptions concerning the Lord’s return and so inform the church on what they should do in terms of discipline, about those who refuse to work.
The Text
“Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. 2 Thessalonians 1:1
It’s interesting when we write letters to people today we usually sign the letter at the end to inform the recipient who wrote it but here in New Testament times I think it’s worth pointing out that the author(s) started by informing the recipients who the letter is from. (Paraphrased from William Kendriksen New Testament Commentary 1&2 Thessalonians page 37)
In this case, the authors are Paul who was also the author of half the books in the New Testament and formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, who was a great persecutor of the church, Acts 9:1-2. A little later in he became known as the ‘apostle to the Gentiles,’ Acts 9:15.
Silas who was also known as Silvanus was a messenger from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, Acts 15:22 / Acts 15:27, he was also a prophet who encouraged the saints in Antioch, Acts 15:32. He went on come to become Paul’s travelling companion, Acts 15:34 / Acts 15:40-41, and suffered alongside Paul whilst in Philippi, Acts 16:19-25.
The persecution and imprisonment didn’t stop him from being devoted to serving the Lord as together with Paul they established the church in Thessalonica, Acts 17:1-4.
Timothy who Paul mentions in many of his letters was also known as Timotheus and was a travelling companion of Paul, Acts 16:1-3. Timothy himself was a recipient of two of Paul’s letters, 1 Timothy 1:2 / 2 Timothy 1:2. He also understood what it meant to suffer for the cause when he was imprisoned, Hebrews 13:23.
The recipients of the letter were the church that met in the city of Thessalonica which we know was the capital and largest city of the Roman province of Macedonia. Christians like Jason, Acts 17:9, Aristarchus, and Secundus, Acts 20:4, were all members of this congregation.
We know from Acts 17:1-9, that Paul whilst on his second missionary journey he arrived at Thessalonica and went straight to the local synagogue and used the gatherings for the Sabbath as a way to evangelise to the Jews to which he had some success, even amongst the Gentiles.
Notice also that all Christians are in two places at the same time, physically these saints were in Thessalonica but spiritually they are ‘in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’
This is a theme that Paul speaks a lot about in his letters. For example when you read through the Ephesian letter you will find that the phrase ‘in Christ’ is mentioned fifteen times. When you read through the letter to the Philippians, one-hundred and sixty-four times Paul reminds us that we are ‘in Christ’ in one form or another.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Other Thessalonians were in darkness, in sin, in the ‘world’ and in a state of alienation from God, but these were in the true and Almighty God.’
“Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. 2 Thessalonians 1:2
As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians and most of his letters, grace and peace are what a Christian has when they are in Christ. ‘Charis’ which is the Greek word for ‘grace’, means unmerited favour that we receive from God; it cannot be earned, deserved or merited.
As we don’t have anything to pay for it, it is a gift from God. Grace is God’s active favour by which he bestows his greatest gift on those who deserve the greatest punishment. Remember grace isn’t just about saving us, grace also sustains us.
‘Eirene’ is the Greek word for ‘peace’, in Hebrew, it would be ‘shalom,’ which is what all Christians have because of that grace that God gives us. It means a lot more than just being in the absence of trouble in our lives although that would be included, it also means being at peace within ourselves, with God and our fellow man.
Hubbard, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God’s act of unmerited favour in Christ (grace) brings in its wake complete spiritual welfare (peace).’
Remember that grace and peace both come from God and cannot be found anywhere else. 1 Peter 5:10, reminds us that God is the Father of grace and Hebrews 13:20, reminds us that God is a God of peace.
We know that grace and truth are from Christ according to John 1:17, and Jesus Himself is our peace according to Ephesians 2:14. As Paul writes ‘from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’, he reminds us again that grace and peace ultimately come from God above.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Ask yourself, when was the last time you stopped to thank God for your brothers and sisters in Christ? If it’s been a while, why not stop what you’re doing and do so now.
Paul says he ‘ought always to thank God,’ 2 Thessalonians 2:3. The KJV uses the word ‘bound’ which is the Greek word ‘opheilo’ and this carries with it the idea of being under obligation.
In other words, he felt it was his duty to thank God for his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. Why? Because their faith and love were growing, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 / Romans 8:37.
Remember that Paul had already encouraged them in this way back in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, and so now their faith was growing more and more, in other words, they were growing beyond measure.
They had come so far in the Christian faith in such a short time. This very young church, full of young Christians had turned from idols to serve the living, true God and they were growing, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. Their growth was also an answered prayer of Paul’s ,1 Thessalonians 3:12, no wonder he thanked God.
Concerning the words faith and love Lightfoot writes: “The words hyperauxanei and pleonaxei are carefully chosen; the former implying an internal, organic growth as of a tree; the other a diffusive, or expansive character, as of a flood irrigating the land” (Notes on the Epistles of Paul, p. 98.)
The word, ‘trails’, 2 Thessalonians 1:4, is the Greek word ‘thlipsesin’ and in general terms means any trials or troubles they might meet. The word ‘persecutions’ is the Greek word ‘diogmois’ which are assaults made because of their Christian convictions.
Michigan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘To be a true Christian in the time of peace is a great matter; but to be a true Christian in the season of persecution is greater.’
And so this church in Thessalonica was growing and Paul was so happy about it. He couldn’t help but talk about them to other churches, 1 Thessalonians 8-9. In fact, he boasted about them, he boasted about their perseverance and their faith amid persecution, 2 Thessalonians 1:4.
Remember that this congregation was born in tribulation, Acts 17:1-9, and this persecution obviously continued but they remained faithful and they were continuing to grow, 2 Thessalonians 1:4 / 1 Thessalonians 1:3.
If anyone ever promised you, ‘become a Christian and your life will be free from problems’ they have told you a lie. There are many Christians who became Christians under the false illusion that their lives will be free from trials and persecution.
Sadly when difficult times come, they simply fall away. Jesus Himself warned His disciples that difficult times would come, John 15:19-20 / John 16:33. The apostles themselves went on to warn other Christians that difficult times would come, Acts 14:22 / 1 Thessalonians 3:4 / 2 Timothy 3:12.
Christians today should also expect difficult times, after all, we’re still living in a world that is filled with sin and evil and sometimes we have to suffer the consequences of the choices which others have made and ultimately because we have an enemy who seeks nothing less than to destroy us, 1 Peter 5:8-9.
We should be thankful to God for the times when our lives are free from trials and persecution but at the same time, we should always be prepared for those times.
It’s especially during those difficult times that faith, love and patience are needed, 2 Thessalonians 1:3. Our faith is that incredibly strong conviction of things which are unseen, Hebrews 11:1. It’s knowing that God is in control and trusting Him to deliver us from those difficult times, Job 19:25-27 / Habakkuk 3:17-19.
Our love for each other is the love which was taught to us by God Himself, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, and so it’s through the example of the Father’s love, 1 John 4:9-11, and the example of Jesus’ love, 1 John 3:16. That love should increase more and more, 2 Thessalonians 1:3 / 1 Thessalonians 4:10 / 1 Thessalonians 3:12, this is the kind of sacrificial love that helps us in difficult times.
In other words, when hard times come we will be surrounded by brotherly love which will help us through those times. We also need to have patience during difficult times.
This patience is based upon the hope we have, Romans 8:25, and is always strengthened when we remember others who went through hard times and when we keep our focus on Jesus, Hebrews 12:1-3. Patience makes us stronger and makes us complete, James 1:3-4.
“All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result, you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
Paul continues to tell us that those who have remained faithful and patient through those difficult times, 2 Thessalonians 1:4, that faith and patience are evidence of God’s righteous judgment to come and because we have endured trials and persecution we have been counted as worthy of the kingdom of God, 2 Thessalonians 1:5.
Remember that it is God who qualifies us for the kingdom, Colossians 1:12, and it is God who perfects, establishes, strengthens and settles us, 1 Peter 5:10.
It is part of God’s righteous judgment to use difficult times to bring His own people to perfection, 2 Thessalonians 1:5 / Hebrews 12:5-10.
Notice God’s protection of His own. Paul says that God will repay those who trouble His people, trouble will come upon them, which will be a righteous payment, 2 Thessalonians 1:6 / Romans 2:4-11.
Clarke, in his commnetray, says the following.
‘The sufferings of the just and the triumphs of the wicked in this life are a sure proof that there will be a future judgment in which the wicked shall be punished and the righteous rewarded.’
Whilst those who cause trouble for Christians receive trouble in return, Christians will receive relief or rest depending on your translation, 2 Thessalonians 1:7.
The same relief enjoyed by Paul, Silas and Timothy, 2 Thessalonians 1:7. Also, notice that both the rest and the tribulation will be given at this time, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 / John 5:28-29.
Take a moment to read the following passages and take a moment to think about what they are saying to those who go through persecution, Revelation 14:13 / 2 Timothy 2:12 / Romans 8:18 / Romans 12:19-21.
When will this relief be given to persecuted Christians? When the Lord is revealed from heaven, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 / 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, which as we know has been the theme of both letters to the Thessalonians.
The word ‘revealed’ is the Greek word ‘apokalupsis’ which simply means an unfolding or uncovering. It is the revelation of a person who, at the present, is concealed.
Right now, Jesus is in heaven and so He is hidden from the world’s view, but one day He will be revealed by appearing, Colossians 3:1-4 / Titus 2:13 / Hebrews 9:28.
The use of the words, ‘blazing fire’, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, or ‘flaming fire’ as some translations have it, are used to indicate the Lord’s holiness which is manifested in judgement, Exodus 3:2 / Exodus 19:16-20 / Isaiah 29:6 / Isaiah 66:15-16 / Daniel 7:9-10 / Psalm 50:3 / Psalm 97:3.
Lipscomb, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God’s coming for judgment in the Old Testament is described as his coming in fire, Exodus 3:2 / Daniel 7:9-10. What there is said of God is here ascribed to Christ. ‘The day (judgment) shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire’, 1 Corinthians 3:13.’
The apostle Paul reminds us that when Jesus is revealed from heaven He is not coming on His own, He will come with His mighty angels, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 / Psalm 103:20 / Matthew 16:27 / Matthew 24:31 / Matthew 25:31 / Mark 8:38 / Luke 9:26 / 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
Why are the angels involved in His coming? Their function seems to be twofold, first, to gather the weeds, binding them in bundles to be burned, secondly, they will also gather the wheat into the Lord’s barn, Matthew 13:24-30 / Matthew 13:37-43 / Matthew 13:49.
Why is Jesus coming according to the text? 2 Thessalonians 1:8. Punishment, the KJV uses the word ‘vengeance’ and we know that vengeance belongs only to God, Deuteronomy 32:35 / Romans 12:19-21, and remember what we saw in 2 Thessalonians 1:6, it is a righteous thing for God repay those who trouble Christians.
But exactly who is it that will be punished? 2 Thessalonians 1:8. Those who don’t know God, Matthew 25:1-12 / Romans 1:18-23, and those who haven’t obeyed the Gospel of Jesus, Matthew 7:21-23 / Revelation 22:14-15.
But what exactly is the Gospel? 2 Thessalonians 1:8. The Greek word for Gospel is ‘euaggelion’ which simply means ‘a good message’. But what exactly is that good message? Romans 1:16-17 / 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
The good message is simply the good news concerning Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection, 1 Corinthians 14:1-4, all of which point us to live by faith so we can be made right with God through faith and receive eternal life.
As we know, not everyone knows God because they don’t want to know God and not everyone will do what He asks. It is those people who will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, 2 Thessalonians 1:9 / Matthew 25:30 / Matthew 25:41, and from the glory of His power, 2 Thessalonians 1:9.
Denney, in his commentary, says the following.
‘If there is any truth in Scripture at all, then this is true, that those who stubbornly refuse to submit to the gospel of Christ, and to love and obey Jesus Christ, incur at the Last Advent an infinite and irreparable loss. They pass into a night upon which no morning dawns.’
In other words, there will be a penalty to pay for all the trouble they caused Christians, for not knowing God, and for not doing as He asks.
Some religious people have concluded from 2 Thessalonians 1:9, that the Bible teaches that the punishment will be annihilation, a going out of existence, being burned into nothingness, but this view is contrary to the Greek word translated ‘destruction’ and to other Scriptural teaching, 1 Corinthians 5:5 / 1 Thessalonians 5:3 / 1 Timothy 6:9.
The Greek word for destruction is the word ‘olethros’ which literally means ‘a loss of wellbeing’, Mark 9:43-48 / Matthew 25:41 / Matthew 25:46 / Revelation 14:9-11.
The very fact that this destruction is ‘everlasting’ shows that it does not amount to ‘annihilation’ or ‘going out of existence’. On the contrary, it indicates an existence ‘away from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might’, 2 Thessalonians 1:9.
This banishment from loving fellowship with Christ implies expulsion from ‘the glory (radiant splendour) of his might’ as it is manifested in the salvation of the saints. (New Testament commentary 1&2 Thessalonians William Hendrickson Page 160-161.)
Nobody knows when Jesus will return, although many have speculated and tried to calculate the exact date, but when He does come its distinguishing characteristic will be its glory. The wicked will taste God’s vengeance and the saints will reflect His glory, 2 Thessalonians 1:10 / 1 John 3:2 / Philippians 3:20 / Romans 8:18.
At the moment many people reject Him, despise Him, and use His name in vain but when He returns everyone will bow down and confess His name, Philippians 2:9-11.
Jesus will be glorified in His saints simply because of what He accomplished through His life, death, resurrection and what He is doing now in heaven.
In other words, because of His power to change people’s rebellious lives around to lives that are holy and true, Philippians 1:20 / 1 Peter 2:9. Not only will Jesus be glorified in us but He will also be ‘marvelled at’ or held in admiration by those who believe, 2 Thessalonians 1:10 / 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
And so, in summary, judgement day is coming, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 / 2 Corinthians 5:10, which will be a great, long-awaited day for Christians.
It will be a time of relief, rest, for those who have remained faithful whilst being supported by their brethren in love and have been patient in their trails and persecution for the sake of the kingdom of God, Revelation 21:4. It will be a time to enter our eternal glory in which Jesus Himself will be glorified.
For those who aren’t Christians, this will be a terrible day, a day of vengeance which will be their just payment for the troubles they brought upon God’s people, for not knowing God or obeying the Gospel, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 / Acts 17:31. It will be a time of punishment that lasts forever, out of the presence and power of our Lord Jesus.
“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
There is no doubt that the apostles were men of prayer and here they inform the church in Thessalonica what their prayer is.
First, that ‘God would make them worthy of His calling’, 2 Thessalonians 1:11 / 2 Thessalonians 2:14 / Philippians 1:27 / Ephesians 4:1
Secondly that ‘by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness’, 2 Thessalonians 1:11 / 1 Thessalonians 1:3.
Thirdly ‘their every deed prompted by faith,’ 2 Thessalonians 1:11.
We have to remember that the blessings we receive from God and God’s presence with them are based upon our faithful activity, James 2:24 / Galatians 5:16 / Hebrews 11.
This is important to remember because we don’t get God’s blessings and His presence in our lives simply because we do good deeds, Ephesians 2:9.
The reason for these prayers is simply to allow Jesus to be gloried in them as Christians, 2 Thessalonians 1:12 / John 15:1-8 / Romans 1:20-22 / Ephesians 3:21 / Galatians 5:23. In other words, Paul wanted them to glorify God and His Son through their faith and deeds.
Paul began this chapter with an allusion to grace 2 Thessalonians 1:2, and he closes the chapter on the same note, 2 Thessalonians 1:12.
