Study with Me: Week 4, 2 Thessalonians 1-3

Published over 1 year ago • 4 min read

WEEK 4: 2 Thessalonians 1-3​

2 Thessalonians is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonian church. Last week we concluded his previous letter to the same church, which left the Thessalonians confused about the return of Jesus. So, Paul wrote this letter to clear up the confusion.

He begins by exhorting the church and praising them, and I find that this is a wonderful example of how we can also be praising our brothers and sisters in Christ:

  • Flourishing faith
  • Increasing in love for others
  • Persevering in faith under persecution
  • Enduring affliction
  • Evidence of God's blessing and presence

How does this encourage you to pray for and encourage other believers?

Paul also presents a reminder that it is God who imparts justice and repays evil. It is also God who gives relief to those who are afflicted. The word used for "relief" means to loosen something that in tense, in this context to loosen the tension of persecution. The word used for "afflicted" is to be in trouble and distress. It is the same word used for "tribulation". In some contexts, it is used to describe being pressed hard against.

Paul is reminding us that God loosens the tension and pressure caused by persecution and tribulations. This relief does not mean God takes all the burden away, but rather He imparts His peace and give us His strength so that we are not being squashed by the burden of these necessary and inevitable sufferings all believers are sure to endure in this life.

What does this teach you about the Lord?

Paul begins this corrective letter by encouraging them in what they are doing well, and then jumps right into the point - they had been confused by people claiming Christ had already returned. Paul squashes this false teaching and tells them that this has not happened, and before it can happen there will be several things that need to happen first. Not only had Christ not returned, but they had allowed themselves to be led astray by false teachers, believing something contrary to what Paul had taught them.

We, also, need to take the advice to not be easily upset or troubled by supposed prophecies and messages from people professing to share words from God that aren't from the Word of God. If we are believing anything that is contradictory to the Word, we are being led astray.

Paul also reminds us that nonbelievers are perishing because they do not accept the love and truth of God which saves. Only salvation through faith in Jesus saves us, and those who do not place their hope in Him alone are headed for destruction. They have fallen into Satan's trap. We who have learned the truth and believe must not fall victim to the devil's schemes to tear us from the Truth that sets us free.

Those who reject the Truth are condemned, but those who know the Truth must stand firm in their faith and cling to this Truth, growing in godliness every day so that we may get stronger against these schemes to draw us away from the Lord. By sanctification our faith is made stronger, and we are drawn closer to Him who saves us.

What does this teach you about God?

Paul concludes his letter with a rebuke at idleness. Those who refuse to do the work God has commanded are considered idle, and those who meddle in other people's affairs but fail to tend to their own are busybodies. Both such people Paul instructs believers to warn them and then not associate with them so that they may be encouraged to correct their behavior.

This is a needed reminder that God gives all of us work to do for His Kingdom. He has placed us where we are in our life, with the people in our life, in the circumstances we are in, with the resources that we have so that we may use them to serve Him and draw others to the Truth.

Faith is not meant to be a believe-then-wait experience. Faith is supposed to be active, and an active faith produces works in accordance with sanctification by God's Spirit. If we are failing to see the fruits of the Spirit in our lives, we may need to prayerfully re-evaluate whether we are living in idle or active faith, and whether we are busy for the Lord, or busybodies.

What does this teach you about your faith?

What does this teach you about suffering as a Christian?

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