2 Thessalonians

Notes compiled from my BSF group


2 Thessalonians 1


Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians for their faith grew, and the love all of them had for one another increased (2 Thessalonians 1:3).


In discussing the return of Christ to Earth, Paul discusses the return of Christ to Earth (2 Thessalonians 1:5–10).


Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels (2 Thessaloniasn 1:7). He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2 Thessalonians 1:8).


The believers will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God (2 Thessalonians 1:5). He will give relieve to those who are troubled (2 Thessalonians 1:7). He will be glorified in His holy people and be marveled at among all those who have believed (2 Thessalonians 1:10).


Jesus will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2 Thessalonians 1:8). They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thessalonians 1:9).


Paul prays for the Thessalonians that God may make them worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may bring to fruition their every desire for goodness and their every deed prompted by faith (2 Thessalonians 1:11).




2 Thessalonians 2:1–12
Revelation 13:6–13


Paul speaks about the occurrence of the rebellion and the revealing of the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3).


Matthew 24 tells us the signs of events that would take place before Christ return to earth:


- Many false teachers and false prophets would come claiming to be the Messiah (Matthew 24:5, 11)


- There will be wars of wars; nations and kingdoms will rise against each other (Matthew 24:6-7)


- Christians will be persecuted and be hated by all because of our faith in Jesus (Matthew 24:10)


- However, he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13)


- The Gospel will be preached in the whole world (Matthew 24:14)


- The abomination that causes desolation would be revealed (Matthew 24:15, Revelation 13:6-13)


About the man of lawlessness:


- He is doomed to destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3).


- He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:4).


- He will be revealed when the Holy Spirit is removed from the world (2 Thessalonians 2:7)


- He will be overthrown by Jesus with the breath of His mouth and be destroyed by the splendor of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8)


- He will work in accordance with Satan, displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9)


- He is the antichrist, the beast that comes out of the sea (Revelation 13:1-8)


I think we should pay full attention to what is being said here.


For me, the point that jumps out is the massive deception displayed by the Anti-Christ and Satan. They will come, claiming they are God. And people will believe them because the Anti-Christ and Satan will come showing miracles, signs, and wonders! And those who would believe these false events are those who are “perishing”. And they are perishing because they refuse to love the truth and be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10)!


Do you know what this is saying?


This is saying, PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THE TRUTH, PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO LOVE THE TRUTH WILL BE DECEIVED BY SATAN. PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH WILL END UP FOLLOWING SATAN BECAUSE THEY WON’T KNOW THEY ARE DECEIVED!! And so, “all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:12)


This is why Jesus told us to be aware of false teacher and prophets. He warned us against being deceived. And the ONLY way we can prevent ourselves from believing LIES is to KNOW THE TRUTH. We therefore need to study the Bible and use our understanding of the Bible to discern what is true from what is a deception.


Satan is very dangerous because he is brilliantly deceptive. We will fail if we are going up against him on our own. We therefore need Jesus, and Jesus will help us see through his deceptions.


The unbelievers will be deluded to believe a lie because they will refuse to love the truth and be saved. God will therefore send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).


God has given men over to their depraved minds when they refused to retain the knowledge of God in the past (Matthew 7:13–14, Romans 1:25–32). The people then became filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They were gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful. They invented ways of doing evil. They disobeyed their parents. They had no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.


Very similar characteristics to what we observe in our society today.


The ONLY way we can prevent ourselves from believing LIES is to KNOW THE TRUTH. We therefore need to study the Bible and use our understanding of the Bible to discern what is true from what is a deception.


Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword... and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.


Satan is very dangerous because he is brilliantly deceptive. We will fail if we are going up against him on our own. We therefore need Jesus, and Jesus will help us see through his deceptions.


The reason why Jesus is the answer because we are saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13). We should thus stand firm and hold to the teachings of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:15) and remember that God loves us and is always there to give us eternal encouragement, hope, and strength (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)!




2 Thessalonians 2:13–17


- God the Father loved us and chose us as first fruits to be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:13).


- God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us (2 Thessalonians 2:13).


- Our responsibility is to believe in the truth by standing firm and holding fast to the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:13-15).


Knowing the Truth is very important. It not only allows us to get to know God, but it also keeps us safe from the deceptive powers of Satan. By knowing the Truth, we will gain the ability to DISCERN. Jesus has emphasized this again and again. We need to be able to DISCERN good from evil. Well, how can we do that if we don’t know the Truth? Hence, knowing the truth is SUPER important. It helps us see clearly, and it helps us fight against the evilness of Satan.


In regards to “share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14), believers will become Kings and Priests (like our Lord Jesus Christ) when Jesus comes back (the second coming) to set up His kingdom. As Jesus conquered death, we (believers) will also share in His glory by receiving eternal life (which was made available to us by the blood of Jesus Christ).


May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).


We should remember that God has ALWAYS kept His promises. This is why we can trust Him and KNOW that He will protect us. There is no doubt for me at all, because I know God has always delivered those who are in Him. Walk in Him and we will prosper in Him. Read the Bible and understand the historical events. No one has ever failed when they placed their trust in the Lord. Remember the success of Moses, of Joshua, of the apostles! And then, look at Satan. His doomed destruction is already written in ink. Such a powerful being as Satan, and he will still be destroyed with just a breath of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:8)! 


We are not nearly as powerful as Satan… so imagine what would happen to us if we stood with Satan!


Like I’ve emphasized before: We have ONLY 2 choices. Stand with Jesus or stand with Satan. The choice is really easy. Please make the right choice.




2 Thessalonians 3


- Pray that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored (2 Thessalonians 3:1).


- Pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people (2 Thessalonians 3:2).


- May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5).


We learn from 2 Thessalonians that those who cannot see the truth are those who are being deceived by Satan. I therefore pray for loved ones every day, and I pray multiple times during a day, that God helps them be cleared of Satan’s deceptions. Satan’s deceptions are leading them away from God, and I pray diligently for God to lift that deception and to help them SEE.


Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians discussed the return of Christ (the second coming). However, 2 Thessalonians also talked about the "man of lawlessness" (i.e., the Antichrist). This is not found in 1 Thessalonians.


Zondervan NIV Introduction to 2 Thessalonians


Author, Date and Place of Writing
Paul's authorship of 2 Thessalonians has been questioned more often than that of 1 Thessalonians, in spite of the fact that it has more support from early Christian writers. Objections are based on internal factors rather than on the adequacy of the statements of the church fathers. It is thought that there are differences in the vocabulary (ten words not used elsewhere), in the style (it is said to be unexpectedly formal) and in the eschatology (the doctrine of the "man of lawlessness" is not taught elsewhere). However, such arguments have not convinced current interpreters. A majority still hold to Paul's authorship of 2 Thessalonians. Because of its similarity to 1 Thessalonians, it must have been written not long after the first letter - perhaps about six months. The situation in the church seems to have been much the same. Paul probably penned it (see 1:1, 3:17) c. a.D. 51 or 52 in Corinth, after Silas and Timothy had returned from delivering 1 Thessalonians.


Purpose
Inasmuch as the situation in the Thessalonian church has not changed substantially, Paul's purpose in writing is very much the same as in his first letter to them. He writes (1) to encourage persecuted believers (1:4-10), (2) to correct a misunderstanding concerning the Lord's return (2:1-12) and (3) to exhort the Thessalonians to be steadfast and to work for a living (2:13-3:15).


Theme
Like 1 Thessalonians, this letter deals extensively with eschatology (see Introduction to 1 Thessalonians: Theme). In fact, in 2 Thessalonians 18 out of 47 verses deal with this subject.