2 Thess - Chapter 1

2 Thessalonians - Chapter 1

Introduction

This is the Apostle Paul's second letter written to the Jewish and Gentile believers at the Church in Thessalonica, having his first letter written about 1-1/2 years prior to this letter.  This letter is a little more thorough regarding the Rapture of the Church and how to prepare for the end of the end of times because the apostle and the believers of the 1st century believed they were at that time. 

• The apostle's missionary journeys covered what he thought was to the ends of the earth.  By obeying God's command to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, Paul preached all around the Mediterranean Sea, believing this was the entire world.  He finished by going to Spain at the far end of the sea, thinking he had covered the earth. To him, Jews and Gentiles alike had now heard the Gospel and he fulfilled his commission to the Lord.
• The world; however, was much larger than the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, meaning there were many more nations and generations that needed to hear the Gospel before Christ would come to rapture the Church.  That has taken almost 2000 years.
• We are now at that time where all nations of the world has heard the Gospel, meaning we are now at the end of the end of times. 
• This letter, then, is a message to the Church TODAY as we prepare for the end of the end of times - right before the Tribulation Period.

Salutation and Blessings

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:  ² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul again sat down with Silas and Timothy to compose this second letter to the Church at Thessalonians.  All three men knew the believers in this church and were happy to extend this blessing to them.  It was customary for Jewish fathers to give a blessing to his children, and in the same way, Paul felt these were his spiritual children and it was his desire to pour out God's blessing upon them.  Gentiles also put forth this kind of salutation; however, it did not include from the God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  This blessing became the apostle's signature as he began each letter to the churches.  In that he was declaring God's (grace) best to them, filled with His richest blessings upon them, along with His peace - a peace that passes understanding from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Giving Thanks

³ We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other...

The apostle was duty bound - under obligation - to thank God for these believers on the growth of their faith.  That does not mean they did not want to thank God for them, but that God wants us all to thank Him when believers grow.  That means God is working in their life, and for that reason, the apostle is rejoicing and thanking God.

Not only were they growing in their love and maturity in the Lord, but they were growing in their love toward one another.  This, according to Scripture, was commanded of them - that they love one another.  That then is a fulfillment of what Jesus commanded us Matthew, Mark, and Luke:

Mark 12:30-31 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
³¹The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

⁴ so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure...

In addition to thanking God and thanking the believers in Thessalonica for the growth in their faith, the apostle is boasting of them to the other churches he ministered to as well.  He boasted of their patience and faith in the midst of the persecutions and tribulations that they are enduring, using them as an example of how to live in troubled times. 

Persecution

This church experienced a lot of persecution, however, if you study church history, persecution never hurt the church.  The church always thrived in the midst of persecution.  It separates the wheat from the chaff, causing the true believers to take a stand.  As such, their faith grows.  Persecution brings the body close together to support and love one another.

Persecution always follows true Christianity

Persecution for the early Christians began in Jerusalem.  As a result, the believers scattered causing Christianity to expand to other parts of the globe.  Wherever they went, they spread their faith, which caused them to grow and mature in the things of the Lord.  This, however, brought on more persecution.  

• Today, the Church in China has been severely persecuted as the result of the communist takeover. In some of the provinces, they have only one Bible for every 100,000 believers, yet the church keeps growing tremendously.  They have been known to have a page of the Bible, which they treasure dearly as God's Word to them.  Not because they couldn't afford it, but that the government will not allow Bibles into China.  It is estimated that there are as many as 100,000,000 believers in underground home churches throughout China. 
• Today, the largest underground church in the world is in the Muslim country of Afghanistan where to become a Christian could cost you your life. Since the Taliban recently came in with the withdrawal of American troops, persecution has multiplied; however, Christianity has grown four to fives times to what they were in just a few weeks.  They are growing by the thousands daily.
• The second largest church in the world is in Iran - another Muslim country where you could be killed for being a Christian.  
• Here in America, we are seeing the same pattern beginning with new governmental laws causing restrictions for the Church.  Using the excuse of the pandemic, governmental control is taking over to bring our country into Communism.  Are we rapidly becoming like the churches in China, Iran or Afghanistan - being forced to experience the same kind of persecution?

Persecution has never hindered the work of the Lord

The Judgment of God is Coming

⁵ which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

The Bible tells us that the righteous judgment of God is coming to those who did not know or refused God and His Word.  That righteous judgment will be a time of tribulation upon the earth like never in all of history.  God will repay those who cause trouble for God's people; therefore God is asking us if we will be couned worthy of the Kingdom of God? 

• Examples of God protecting Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:23) or the the protection of Noah and his family from the global flood upon the earth tells us that God protects His people.  When His judgment comes upon the earth, His children will be protected.

It would not be a righteous thing with God to bring tribulation upon His children while He destroys the wicked.  God is not that kind of a god.  He is a God of love and justice - love for His children and justice for those who abuse His children.  This period of great tribulation is described in detail in the Book of Revelation, beginning with chapter six, the opening of the seven seals, which begins when the Tribulation starts, followed by the sounding of the seven trumpets, and then the pouring out of the seven vials of God's wrath. 

• In the first four seals that are opened, one quarter of the earth's inhabitants will be killed.  That will amount to almost two billion people that will die.  Wars, famine, earthquakes and pandemics will destroy many people.  When God opens up the Bottomless pit, many more people will be killed by creatures coming forth upon the earth.  Heb 12:27 tells us that God will shake the earth until everything that can be shaken shall be shaken until only that which cannot be shaken shall remain.  This will be the greatest of all tribulations upon the earth.
  

The elitist in power think they are in control of the earth's population by depopulating the world through pandemic and vaccination.  Even though 1/2 million people have been killed so far, their intent is to depopulate 9/10th of the world's population over the next 30 years.  That would mean only 500 million people would be allowed to remain alive upon the earth with the elitists in power over them. 

That will never happen because it will not be man who anniliates the world, but it will be God's judgment (not man)
who will bring judgment upon the earth.

When Jesus talked to His disciples in the Book of Luke 21 concerning the Great Tribulation that was to come, He told them of some of the cataclysmic events that would be taking place:  Wars, earthquakes, famines and pestilence - great signs from heaven.  There will be signs in the sun, moon and starts.  Nations will be in anguish and in terror.   It will be God's judgment, not man's control, as God brings on His wrath upon the earth.

Then He said:  "Pray always that you will be accounted worthy to "escape" all these things and to be standing before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36 ). In other words, God's people - those who are counted worthy - will escape these terrible things coming upon the earth.  Here the Apostle Paul is asking us the same thing:  "Are you counted worthy to withstand these things?  Are you living for Jesus?" 

 ^{6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,} 
God is a righteous God who hates sin.  God will not only repay with tribulation those who have persecuted believers, but for righteousness sake, God  will cause tribulation to come upon those who come against Him.  Sin cannot go unpunished.  Because God hates sin, and He desires all belieers to live a holy life dedicated to Him, such character will bring honor to Christ now in this life and in the age to come. 

Suffering is everywhere; and the person who is fortunate enough to have little of it in his own personal life is yet scarred and seared, for we all have been caught up in the ravishing of the suffering of loved ones. 

⁷ and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

This one little sentence says so much.  We who have been troubled with suffering, persecution or tribulation on this earth, God will give us rest with Him when Jesus comes to rescue His Body out of the earth before the Great Tribulation begins.  As we will read in the next chapter of 2 Thessalonians 2, that will happen right before the revealing of the lawless one - meaning the AntiChrist upon the earth.  We will be raptured out of the earth to escape the wrath that is about to come upon the earth.

Remember, Jesus will meet us in the clouds.  He will not return to earth until His 2nd coming.

God will pour out flaming fires of his vengeance upon the earth on those who do not know Him and those who refused Christ.  The whole earth will be filled with the vengeance of God as the greatest of all tribulations come upon the earth - wars, famine, earthquakes, pandemics, creatures from the bottomless pit will destroy many people.  God will shake the earth until everything that can be shaken shall be shaken until only that which cannot be shaken shall remain.  

⁹ These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, ¹⁰ when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

Not only will these disobedient unbelievers face tribulation, with many deaths upon the earth during this greatest of all tribulations, these same people will face everlasting destruction in the Eternal Lake of Fire when Jesus comes for His 2nd coming upon the earth at the end of the Tribulation Period seven years later.  The brightness of His magnificent power will be manifested upon the earth for everyone to see on the end of "that Day."  Jesus will come from heaven with His saints - all believers - as we witness Jesus conquer over all the earth.

¹¹ Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, ¹² that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the Apostle Paul closes this section of his letter, he is expressing to the Thessalonians that he continuously prays God would count them worthy of the calling He has given them.  In other words, they stay true to their faith.  What they heard from these false teachers will not take root in their heart, but they would remain strong in their faith, holding to true doctrine.  He encouraged them to remain strong, and not give in to carnal living or worse yet, apostasy.

All true believer want Jesus to be glorified in them as they continuously grow deeper in their faith.  It's the normal part of Christian growth.  It's a grace that God has bestowed upon all those who desire to go deeper in their faith.  The question then that we all need to ask ourselves is:  "Do I desire Jesus to be glorified in me?"