“The Thessalonian believers were greatly annoyed by men coming among them with fanatical ideas and doctrines. Some were ‘disorderly, working not at all, but . . . busybodies.’ The church had been properly organized, and officers had been appointed to act as ministers and deacons. But there were some, self-willed and impetuous, who refused to … Continue reading –>
According to Matthew 18:15-17, how is the church supposed to treat a person who has been disfellowshiped? The matter of church discipline is one of the most difficult issues that a local church faces. Often an errant member is another member’s brother, mother, son, cousin, or best friend. Some members prefer never to discipline anyone; others prefer … Continue reading –>
What unique type of problem does Paul face in the Thessalonian church? 2 Thess. 3:9-12. In these verses Paul applies the tradition of what he did and said to a specific situation. A significant group of members were disorderly or out of order 2 Thess. 3:6-11). Paul had mentioned the problem in the previous letter, and addressed it … Continue reading –>
When Jesus walked this earth there was no New Testament. The Bible of Jesus was the “Old Testament.” But, from the start, obedience to Jesus’ spoken words was the wise thing that His followers did (Matt. 7:24-27). Jesus’ words and actions continued to be authoritative for the church in the years that followed (1 Thess. 4:15, Acts 20:35, 1 Cor. … Continue reading –>
In today’s world many people laugh at the idea of a literal Satan. In their mind, he’s a myth, a holdover from a superstitious and prescientific era. They feel that good and bad are simply the random consequences of cause and effect; or, in some people’s minds, good and bad are only culturally constructed concepts … Continue reading –>
The language of this section recalls the prayer at the beginning of 1 Thessalonians. It is almost as if Paul is returning to the place where he began, creating a natural conclusion to this pair of letters. Paul here expresses his concern that the believers in Thessalonica not deviate from the path on which he … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Thess. 2:13-3:18, Acts 17:11, Luke 10:25-28, Matt. 7:24-27, 18:15-17. Memory Text: “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15, ESV). Key Thought: Even with all the grand and glorious promises for the future, we have to deal … Continue reading –>
“The apostle Paul warned the church not to look for the coming of Christ in his day. ‘That day shall not come,’ he says, ‘except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed.’ 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Not till after the great apostasy, and the long period of the reign of the … Continue reading –>
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. Why does God allow so many to be deceived? According to this passage, what have the wicked rejected? Verse 11 is a text that many people find extremely challenging. Paul states very directly, “God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie” (2 Thess. 2:11, NIV). The knee-jerk response to … Continue reading –>
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10. How do we understand these events? What’s especially important in all this about the phrase, “they received not the love of the truth”? The man of sin was introduced in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Through much of Christian history he has operated to undermine God’s law (particularly the Sabbath) and to usurp powers that … Continue reading –>
According to Paul, what two things characterized the world situation at the time he wrote? How do we see the great controversy revealed in these verses? 2 Thess. 2:6-7. Combining these verses with the previous ones, we can see that Paul is outlining three stages of history from his time until the end. The final stage begins at … Continue reading –>
In the short interval between 1 and 2 Thessalonians, the Thessalonian church members became confused about the meaning of what Paul wrote in the first letter. They drew the conclusion that the Second Coming was either at hand or had already come in some secret way (2 Thess. 2:2). Paul’s short answer to this problem? “That can’t … Continue reading –>
What is the topic addressed by Paul in the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians? How are these words relevant to us today? In what way do we face similar challenges within our church regarding end-time events (date-setting, conspiracy theories, and the like), however different our context? What similar principle do we find here that we also constantly confronted? 2 … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Thess. 2:1-12, Matt. 24:1-14, Zech. 3:1, Dan. 8:8-11, Acts 2:22. Memory Text: “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, ESV). Key Thought: In correcting the Thessalonians’ false theology of last-day events, … Continue reading –>
“The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God’s mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in … Continue reading –>