Second letter to the Thessalonians
Greetings
11[From:]
Paul and
Silvanus [also called Silas] and
Timothy [Paul's closest co-worker]. [Silvanus is the same person whom Luke calls Silas in the Acts of the Apostles. Here Paul uses the Latin form of his name. He was a recognized leader in the church in Jerusalem and, like Paul, was a Roman citizen, see , .
Silas and Timothy traveled with Paul on his second missionary journey, see . They had remained in Thessalonica after Paul was forced to flee the city. Now all three have been reunited in Corinth, see . The letter is written at the beginning of the 1.5 years that Paul is there, see .] To:
Thessalonica congregation (the called out ones – Gk. ekklesia),
in God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ). [The Greek word for congregation is ekklesia. In classical Greek, the word could describe all kinds of gatherings of people, such as the legal assembly of the people or a mob, see , . The literal meaning is "the called out ones." Paul is careful to emphasize that the assembly in Thessalonica is not just any group of people, they are God's assembly. In the Bible, the word can describe the local assembly in a town. That is how it is used here, but it can also refer to the universal assembly of all believers throughout the ages, see .] 2Grace (power, undeserved favor) to you and peace (harmony, freedom from fear, well-being) from God the Father and the Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).Encouragement to stand firm in faith despite persecution
Thanksgiving
[Verses 3-10 are a single sentence in Greek. Most of Paul's letters begin with an introduction, followed by thanksgiving and prayer. In this letter, the thanksgiving, verses 3-4, and the prayer, verses 11-12, are separated. The reason is that the persecution mentioned in the thanksgiving leads to the subject of God's righteous judgment being taken up in verses 5-10.] 3We must (are obliged to) always thank God for you, brothers and sisters (brothers and sisters in faith), and rightly so (it is fitting),
because your faith is growing so strong (beyond measure),
and the [selfless, generous] love you have for one another is increasing (overflowing) even more. 4This is why we can proudly speak of you in God's churches,
about your endurance (steadfastness) [character that remains firm even during trials]
and your faith (faithfulness) in the midst of all the persecution and suffering (afflictions) you endure. [Paul always encourages what is good. There were problems with false teachings, see , and people who had stopped working and were just waiting for the Lord, see . Here Paul chooses to see the positive – they had grown rapidly in their faith and had genuine love for one another.]God will judge fairly
5This [persecution and suffering] is proof of God's righteous judgment [to come], so that you may be worthy of the kingdom of God; that is why you must suffer (go through difficulties). 6Because God is righteous
he will repay (reward) those who torment you with torment, 7and will give relief to those who are tormented, together with us. [Grace is available to everyone, even to those who persecute the church, as Paul himself proves. God's holiness and righteousness demand a just Judg., see . This eternal perspective does not take away the pain of those who are persecuted and tormented for their faith, but it gives a different perspective on suffering. This passage has similarities with .]It will happen [the judgment will come] when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven with his angels who are under his power to 8in blazing fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [Those who persecuted the church will one day receive their punishment.] 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory and power of his might, 10when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled at among all those who believe, [you will be among these believers] because you believed the testimony we gave you.Prayer
11Therefore, we always pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of his calling and with power accomplish every good will and deed in faith. 12Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in him, through the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).The coming of Jesus and the day of the Lord
Do not be frightened
[When Paul was with the Thessalonians, he taught them from the Old Testament about the Day of the Lord and the last days, see . One day is like a thousand years to the Lord, see , so this day does not have to be a twenty-four-hour period. The Day of the Lord describes a time when God intervenes in history with both judgment and blessing in a more direct and dramatic way. The doctrine of the last days is called "eschatology." The word comes from the Greek eschaton, "the last," and logos, "teaching."] 21Regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) and how we will be gathered to him [], we ask you, brothers and sisters in faith, 2to suddenly lose your composure (be shaken, swayed).
Do not be alarmed (surprised, disturbed) by
any spirit [spiritual, prophetically inspired statement],
any word [rumor, statement, interpretation of Bible text]
or [false] letter,
which claims to come from us and says that the Day of the Lord is here. [The severe persecution of Christians in this area, together with false prophetic words, rumors, and letters, had led people to believe that the Day of the Lord had already come. They believed they were living in the tribulation. The reason they were so quickly misled may be that they were not grounded in Scripture. In comparison, the believers in Berea, just south of Thessalonica, had a nobler disposition because they searched the Scriptures every day to verify and understand for themselves what Paul had said, see . In Berea, unlike in Thessalonica, people did not simply believe in any alleged word or letter unless it agreed with the message of the Bible.]The Man of Lawlessness
[Paul now describes three events, not necessarily in chronological order, that must happen before the day of the Lord comes: a great apostasy will come, see ; the man of lawlessness will appear, see ; the one who restrains the man of lawlessness will be taken away, see verses 6-7.] 3Let no one deceive you in any way. First [before the day of the Lord] must come the apostasy (rebellion – Gk. apostasia)
and the man of lawlessness (sin) appear, the son of destruction, 4the adversary who exalts himself above everything that is called God or holy, so that he sits in God's temple (sanctuary) [in Jerusalem] and claims to be God. 5Don't you remember that I told you this while I was still with you? [Apostasy (Gk. apostasia) is the feminine form of Gk. apostasion, which is a letter of divorce, see . The word is used only once more in the New Testament. There it refers to the Jews' apostasy from following Moses' teachings, see . This, in combination with the reference to the temple, may mean that apostasy primarily refers to a falling away from worshiping the one true God, perhaps primarily from a Jewish perspective, but also from a Christian one. The word divorce letter suggests that there will be a visible change in a relationship, two people who have been together are now going their separate ways. There has always been apostasy from the faith, but in the word is in the definite form, i.e. "the apostasy," and therefore seems to refer to a specific event.
The man of lawlessness is also mentioned by Jesus, see . It is probably the same leader that Daniel mentions, see . John, who writes his letters later, calls him the Antichrist, see . The word "Antichrist" means both "opponent of Christ" and "replacement for Christ."] 6You know what is now holding him [the man of lawlessness, see ] back so that he can be revealed (come forward) only when his time (epoch, which begins and ends at a specific event) comes. 7The mystery (secret) of lawlessness is already at work [in the world]. Now [all that remains to happen is] for the one who is holding him back [preventing the spread of lawlessness] to be taken away (removed from the way). [Many antichrists have already appeared, and the forces of evil are at work, see . What or who is it that restrains the mystery of lawlessness or the Antichrist himself from appearing? In , the impersonal form "it" is used, while the masculine form "he" is used in . There are many suggestions: - Something in the world, such as the Roman state, the emperor, law and order, etc.
- The Holy Spirit.
- The church, although it is always referred to in the feminine form.
- An angel; in it is mentioned how an angel has the key to the bottomless pit.
Paul does not specify what it/he is here in his letter, but he had told the Thessalonians when he taught them on site, so they knew about it. Even though we do not know exactly what it is, we understand that both the forces of God and the forces of evil are at work in the world, and that both the coming of the lawless one and the coming of Jesus are being prepared.] 8Then the lawless one [Antichrist] will be revealed (come forth), whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming. [; ] 9The coming of the lawless one [Antichrist] is the work of Satan, who comes with
great power []
with signs (miracles whose purpose is to confirm that the one performing them is true)
and false wonders (which arouse amazement). []
10With all the arts of wickedness, he deceives those who are lost, because they did not receive the love of the truth [the gospel] so that they might be saved (rescued). 11Therefore, God sends the power of delusion upon them so that they believe the lie [that the Antichrist is god] 12and are condemned, all those who have not believed the truth but have delighted in unrighteousness.Thanksgiving for the calling
[In contrast to those who do not believe, the Thessalonians were a source of joy and gratitude. The same phrase as in is used.] 13But we must (are obligated to) always thank God for you, brothers and sisters in the faith, beloved of the Lord, because God from the beginning (as firstfruits) has chosen you for deliverance (salvation, a continuing process of sanctification) through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14To this God has called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).Prayer to stand firm
15Therefore, stand firm and hold fast to the teaching you have received, either verbally or in writing. 16And may our Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope in his grace, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.Prayer requests
31
Paul compares God's word to an athlete who runs his race and wins!
us that the word of the Lord may
[be able to] spread rapidly
(Gk. trecho, be given free rein to run – its course) and be glorified
(exalted; that it may be highly esteemed – like a victorious winning runner), just as
[also happened] with you,
2and that we may be saved (delivered) [that the Lord may come to our rescue and draw us to Himself, see ] from people who are out of place (Gk. atopos – literally: in the wrong place; who cause harm/are unsuitable)
and those who are [deliberately] evil (malicious, troublemakers; morally corrupt; who cause pain).
Not everyone has faith (Gk. pistis), 3but faithful [full of faith and conviction – Gk. pistos] is the Lord, who will strengthen (firmly plant; support, stabilize) [] and protect (watchfully guard) you from the evil one. [There are parallels that stand out in verses 2-3. Here we see a clear connection between those who are consciously "evil" and "the evil one." The explanation "not everyone has faith" probably describes those who are "wrong." Literally, says, "pray for your brothers and sisters around us." Paul desires that he and his co-workers be surrounded by prayers so that God's word may spread quickly and not be hindered by actively evil people. He also asks that they themselves and others may be in the right place in the midst of these events.] 4But in the Lord we are confident that [everything] we prescribe to you [entrust to you in this letter], you already do – and will [continue to] do. 5May the Lord now lead your hearts
into the love of God [which is righteous, unselfish, and generous]
and into the endurance of the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) [the steadfastness he had when he persevered and remained under his burden]. [The imagery of running and steps continues from – the word "lead" is used for "way" () and "feet" (). The Greek here has the less common optative verb form in the desire for God to lead: "May the Lord guide." A desire to understand God's love, but also that it would result in love toward other people. The last phrase could also be interpreted as a desire for perseverance while waiting for Jesus' return. In this verse, one can read the Trinity: the Holy Spirit leads us into the Father's love and into the Son's perseverance.]Exhortations
6Siblings (brothers and sisters in faith), we urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) to keep away from any brother who lives in an undisciplined manner (a life of chaos, rebellion, out of step) and does not follow the teaching they have received from us.
[The word "undisciplined" is the Greek ataktos. It is a military term for a soldier who marches out of step, refuses to obey orders, or assumes a role that he does not have. The word was also used in civilian life to describe a life of chaos without any order.]Follow our example
7You yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We did not live in an undisciplined manner among you, 8we did not eat anyone's bread for free. No, we worked hard day and night so as not to be a burden to any of you. 9Not that we were not entitled to wages, but we wanted to set an example for you to follow. 10When we were with you, we gave you this rule: if anyone does not want to work, he should not eat.Rebuke the undisciplined
11But we hear that some among you are living undisciplined lives. They do not work [themselves] but do all kinds of other things (they have opinions about everything and meddle in things that do not concern them). [In Greek, two similar words are used in the last sentence, which literally mean "they do not work," followed by "they work around them." These people disrupted the order by not working and doing what they were supposed to do, while at the same time engaging in other things they should not be doing. This is in line with Paul's prayer that people should be in the right place, see .] 12We command and encourage (we stand by your side and pray, admonish) you in the Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) to work in peace and eat your own bread.The congregation's response
13And you, brothers and sisters (brothers and sisters in faith), do not grow weary [do not become discouraged] in doing what is good. 14If anyone [in the church] does not obey what we say in this letter, pay close attention to that person and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. 15But do not regard him as an enemy, but guide him (convey understanding, warn him gently) [still] as a brother.Closing greeting
16May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all. 17Here I, Paul, write my greeting with my own hand. This is a hallmark of all my letters, so I write. [It is appropriate that a letter warning against false letters, see , , ends with an assurance of the letter's authenticity. Paul often used a secretary to write his letters, but he writes a greeting in his own handwriting at the end. In ancient times, it was common to hire professional scribes, see ; ; ; . Silas or Timothy may have had that role for the letters to Thessalonica ().
Paul mentions that his handwriting is a distinguishing feature in "all his letters." How many letters had Paul written at this time? The letters to Thessalonica are considered to be among the earliest. It is likely that there are letters that have not been preserved. Paul had been a missionary for many years before he sent the letters to Thessalonica from Corinth, in the middle of his second journey (). Later letters suggest that there is more correspondence than has been preserved, see ; ; .] 18Grace (favor) [power] from our Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) to all of you. [The letter ends with a blessing that is identical to , except for the addition of "all" here. Similar closings are found in ; ; ; . The variation shows that it is not just a routine blessing, but words carefully chosen with the recipients' particular situation and needs in mind.]
