2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Lesson 397
Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."
"The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians"
"Waiting for Christ to return."
Authorship:
Second Thessalonians was written by Paul (1:1; 3:17) shortly after First Thessalonians, probably around AD 52. Paul, Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27-28) in the small but wealthy city of Tarsus, Cilicia (Acts 21:39; 22:3) in modern-day Turkey. Born to Jewish parents around the time of Jesus' birth, Paul/Saul was from the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1) and was named after King Saul (Israel's first monarch). He was profoundly religious and possessed a keen intellect. Paul was chosen to study the Hebrew Canon in Jerusalem under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) at the tender age of thirteen, a high honor. Paul was "a Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5), the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and a strict Pharisee himself (Acts 26:5). Paul was a fierce opponent of Christianity (Galatians 1:13). When we first met Paul, he was watching the executioner's coats as they stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death (Acts 7:58; 22:20). After Stephen's murder, Paul made it his mission to find and persecute Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). His reputation for cruelty was well known (Acts 9:13). Going city to city, he hunted down believers, beat them, forced many to renounce their faith (26:9-11), and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3; 26:10), where many were "put to death" (Acts 22:4). After converting to Christianity (Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Paul joined the Christians he had been persecuting and spent the rest of his life traveling the vast Roman empire, teaching the word of God. Paul's contributions to the fledgling Christian church cannot be overstated. Following Jesus' instructions to spread the word (Acts 22:21), it is estimated that he walked over 10,000 miles on three separate evangelical tours and wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Before Paul, little had been done to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. He endured decades of hardships as he spread the Gospel, all the time supporting himself with donations and working as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Preaching earned Paul many enemies (1 Corinthians 16:9) who repeatedly tried to kill him (Acts 19:23-41; 20:3; 23:12). Paul was persecuted in almost every city he visited. He was driven out of Antioch (Acts 13:50) and forced to flee Berea (Acts 17:13-14). His enemies put him on trial in Achaia (Acts 18:12). Paul was whipped five times and beaten with rods three times. They tried to stone in in Iconium (Acts 14:5). They did stone him in Lystra and left him for dead (Acts 14:19). In Philippi, he was arrested, whipped, and placed in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). Paul was mobbed in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5). They would have killed him in Jerusalem if not for Roman soldiers (Acts 22). As a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and washed up on an island (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He was reviled (1 Corinthians 4:12), and in constant danger from thieves he passed on the road and brethren he trusted (2 Corinthians 11:26). Paul was often sick (Galatians 4:13-14), hungry, thirsty, beaten, and homeless (1 Corinthians 4:11). He was insulted (Acts 17:17-18; 17:32), called "the filth of the world" (1 Corinthians 4:13), treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), and more than once forced to flee for his life (Acts 9:28-30; 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:33). The years on the road left Paul in despair (2 Corinthians 1:8), weary, used up, and often in pain (2 Corinthians 11:27). Finally, he was chained and imprisoned for two years while he waited for his accusers to testify against him (Acts 23:35). After being released and arrested again, Paul was found guilty of a capital offense and beheaded. Called "the Apostle to the Gentiles," "the Apostle of Grace," and "a servant of God" (Titus 1:1), it is difficult to name a person more responsible for spreading Christianity.
A port city of over 200,000 people. Although there was a sizable Jewish population, Thessalonica was predominately Gentile. The city lay south of Lake Balbe at the head of the Thermaic Gulf in Macedonia (modern-day Greece), thirty-five miles west of Apollonia and a ninety-five-mile walk from Philippi. Named after Alexander the Great's sister, Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia. It was also the second-largest commercial center (after Corinth) and one of the wealthiest cities in the province. Thessalonica is near Mt. Olympus, home of Zeus and other Greek gods. As a result, many Thessalonians worshipped pagan gods and their idols. The city was allowed to rule itself via its seven democratically elected politarch's (city rulers) and senate (Demas) as a reward for siding with Rome in one of its wars. Thessalonica sat on the Roman-built highway, the Egnatia way, that ran from Rome to the Orient, and it had an excellent port on the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea. The city took advantage of these two assets and became a bustling trade center. Paul and Silas founded the church at Thessalonica early in the second missionary journey in AD 49-50 (Acts 17:1-4). His converts were mainly Gentiles and a smaller number of Jews. Soon after establishing the church, Paul was forced to flee the persecution and riots organized against him (Acts 17:5-10). He traveled forty-five miles southwest to Berea and began preaching again. When his enemies in Thessalonica learned where he was, they had him run out of Berea, too (Acts 17:13-14). In AD 51, while in Corinth on his second missionary journey, Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians. Several months later, in AD 52, he penned 2 Thessalonians, making them two of the earliest writings in the New Testament. During World War Two, the Jewish population of Thessalonica was sent to the death camps in Nazi-occupied Poland. Thessalonica still exists today and is called Salonika.
Purpose and Theme:
After fleeing the riots against him in Thessalonica, Paul sent Timothy back to see how the church was faring. When Timothy returned to Corinth, he gave Paul an excellent report on the faithfulness of the young church (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7). But Timothy also returned with a list of doctrinal misunderstandings and questions from the church that Paul needed to address. Paul wrote "The First Epistle to the Thessalonians" to address these concerns. After writing 1 Thessalonians, Paul received a second report on the church, some good, some bad. Many in Thessalonica believed that Jesus had already returned or would arrive at any moment. This created a sense of idleness in the church while they sat and waited for the Messiah. Paul opens 2 Thessalonians by first commending the church and then addresses their misconceptions about Jesus' return.
Second Thessalonians is a short letter, just forty-seven verses. It is excellent reading for anyone who fears being persecuted for their faith. Chapter one reveals what suffering gains us, while chapter two assures Christians of Christ's final victory. Chapter three encourages us to live as Christians regardless of temptations or the pressures of life.
Second Thessalonians was written by Paul (1:1; 3:17) shortly after First Thessalonians, probably around AD 52. Paul, Hebrew name Saul (Acts 13:9), was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27-28) in the small but wealthy city of Tarsus, Cilicia (Acts 21:39; 22:3) in modern-day Turkey. Born to Jewish parents around the time of Jesus' birth, Paul/Saul was from the Hebrew tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1) and was named after King Saul (Israel's first monarch). He was profoundly religious and possessed a keen intellect. Paul was chosen to study the Hebrew Canon in Jerusalem under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) at the tender age of thirteen, a high honor. Paul was "a Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5), the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), and a strict Pharisee himself (Acts 26:5). Paul was a fierce opponent of Christianity (Galatians 1:13). When we first met Paul, he was watching the executioner's coats as they stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death (Acts 7:58; 22:20). After Stephen's murder, Paul made it his mission to find and persecute Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). His reputation for cruelty was well known (Acts 9:13). Going city to city, he hunted down believers, beat them, forced many to renounce their faith (26:9-11), and threw them into prison (Acts 8:3; 26:10), where many were "put to death" (Acts 22:4). After converting to Christianity (Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Paul joined the Christians he had been persecuting and spent the rest of his life traveling the vast Roman empire, teaching the word of God. Paul's contributions to the fledgling Christian church cannot be overstated. Following Jesus' instructions to spread the word (Acts 22:21), it is estimated that he walked over 10,000 miles on three separate evangelical tours and wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Before Paul, little had been done to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. He endured decades of hardships as he spread the Gospel, all the time supporting himself with donations and working as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Preaching earned Paul many enemies (1 Corinthians 16:9) who repeatedly tried to kill him (Acts 19:23-41; 20:3; 23:12). Paul was persecuted in almost every city he visited. He was driven out of Antioch (Acts 13:50) and forced to flee Berea (Acts 17:13-14). His enemies put him on trial in Achaia (Acts 18:12). Paul was whipped five times and beaten with rods three times. They tried to stone in in Iconium (Acts 14:5). They did stone him in Lystra and left him for dead (Acts 14:19). In Philippi, he was arrested, whipped, and placed in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). Paul was mobbed in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5). They would have killed him in Jerusalem if not for Roman soldiers (Acts 22). As a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and washed up on an island (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). He was reviled (1 Corinthians 4:12), and in constant danger from thieves he passed on the road and brethren he trusted (2 Corinthians 11:26). Paul was often sick (Galatians 4:13-14), hungry, thirsty, beaten, and homeless (1 Corinthians 4:11). He was insulted (Acts 17:17-18; 17:32), called "the filth of the world" (1 Corinthians 4:13), treated "shamefully" (1 Thessalonians 2:2), and more than once forced to flee for his life (Acts 9:28-30; 17:10; 2 Corinthians 11:33). The years on the road left Paul in despair (2 Corinthians 1:8), weary, used up, and often in pain (2 Corinthians 11:27). Finally, he was chained and imprisoned for two years while he waited for his accusers to testify against him (Acts 23:35). After being released and arrested again, Paul was found guilty of a capital offense and beheaded. Called "the Apostle to the Gentiles," "the Apostle of Grace," and "a servant of God" (Titus 1:1), it is difficult to name a person more responsible for spreading Christianity.
A port city of over 200,000 people. Although there was a sizable Jewish population, Thessalonica was predominately Gentile. The city lay south of Lake Balbe at the head of the Thermaic Gulf in Macedonia (modern-day Greece), thirty-five miles west of Apollonia and a ninety-five-mile walk from Philippi. Named after Alexander the Great's sister, Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia. It was also the second-largest commercial center (after Corinth) and one of the wealthiest cities in the province. Thessalonica is near Mt. Olympus, home of Zeus and other Greek gods. As a result, many Thessalonians worshipped pagan gods and their idols. The city was allowed to rule itself via its seven democratically elected politarch's (city rulers) and senate (Demas) as a reward for siding with Rome in one of its wars. Thessalonica sat on the Roman-built highway, the Egnatia way, that ran from Rome to the Orient, and it had an excellent port on the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea. The city took advantage of these two assets and became a bustling trade center. Paul and Silas founded the church at Thessalonica early in the second missionary journey in AD 49-50 (Acts 17:1-4). His converts were mainly Gentiles and a smaller number of Jews. Soon after establishing the church, Paul was forced to flee the persecution and riots organized against him (Acts 17:5-10). He traveled forty-five miles southwest to Berea and began preaching again. When his enemies in Thessalonica learned where he was, they had him run out of Berea, too (Acts 17:13-14). In AD 51, while in Corinth on his second missionary journey, Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians. Several months later, in AD 52, he penned 2 Thessalonians, making them two of the earliest writings in the New Testament. During World War Two, the Jewish population of Thessalonica was sent to the death camps in Nazi-occupied Poland. Thessalonica still exists today and is called Salonika.
Purpose and Theme:
After fleeing the riots against him in Thessalonica, Paul sent Timothy back to see how the church was faring. When Timothy returned to Corinth, he gave Paul an excellent report on the faithfulness of the young church (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7). But Timothy also returned with a list of doctrinal misunderstandings and questions from the church that Paul needed to address. Paul wrote "The First Epistle to the Thessalonians" to address these concerns. After writing 1 Thessalonians, Paul received a second report on the church, some good, some bad. Many in Thessalonica believed that Jesus had already returned or would arrive at any moment. This created a sense of idleness in the church while they sat and waited for the Messiah. Paul opens 2 Thessalonians by first commending the church and then addresses their misconceptions about Jesus' return.
Second Thessalonians is a short letter, just forty-seven verses. It is excellent reading for anyone who fears being persecuted for their faith. Chapter one reveals what suffering gains us, while chapter two assures Christians of Christ's final victory. Chapter three encourages us to live as Christians regardless of temptations or the pressures of life.
2 Thessalonians is broken down into two main segments:
1) Verses 1:1- 1:12 - Opening greetings (1:1-2); Before the Second Coming (Rapture); Jesus will reward or punish (1:5-12).
2) Verses 2:1- 3:18 - Before the revelation; Predicted events; The antichrist (2:1-17); How to live (3:1-15); Final Benediction (3:16-18).
1) Verses 1:1- 1:12 - Opening greetings (1:1-2); Before the Second Coming (Rapture); Jesus will reward or punish (1:5-12).
2) Verses 2:1- 3:18 - Before the revelation; Predicted events; The antichrist (2:1-17); How to live (3:1-15); Final Benediction (3:16-18).
Study Tip:
Concentrate on how to apply each teaching into your life.
Concentrate on how to apply each teaching into your life.
