You can find our conversation on 1 Thessalonians in our Launch from Antioch post.
2nd Thessalonians is filled with encouragement for Christ-followers in tough times. Their faith was expanding and satan was working hard to diffuse their focus through fear. Apparently someone had decided to claim that what Paul had taught them about the Day of Lord was incorrect – or miss-timed. While others were attempting to twist the truth and replace these faithful believer’s hope with fear, Paul encourages them toward what is known to be true. He appeals to Daniel the prophet as well as Jesus‘ words in Matthew 24 to debunk this unsettling teaching, and to help the Thessalonians to remain lazer-focused as they lived out the truth.
While this course-correction takes about a quarter of the book, the Thessalonians are reminded about living hopeful, disciplined lives. It appears that living lazy as a believer is not valued by God. It is all about living intentionally. By and large these followers were industrious in their lives and in their faith. Paul wants to preserve this powerful combination.
How many times in history has deception and discouragement from our adversary slowed or even stopped His followers? It is easy to become distracted. Check this out:
“If we are going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things – praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting with our friends over a pint and a game of darts – not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They might break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.” – C.S. Lewis on living in an atomic age (1948)
Very interesting…
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” – Romans 8:18-27
- Your study guide for Thessalonians
- A good awakening song
- A look at future events
- A teaching on 1 Thessalonians: Glory and Joy
- A Teaching on 2 Thessalonians: Difficult Days