I and II Thessalonians may be regarded therefore as an important source for the subsequent formulation of doctrine, as an indispensable guide for the study of the man Paul, and as an important chapter in a handbook for missionaries. . . . It is above all a part of God’s infallible special revelation, which comes to every believer with absolute, divine authority, and shows him what he should believe and how he should live.
—WILLIAM HENDRIKSEN1
Paul twice identifies himself as the author of this epistle (1:1; 2:18), though Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy are included in the opening salutation because they work closely with Paul.2 As you will recall from Acts, Paul completes three missionary journeys before his voyage to Rome. During his second journey, he and his group take the Gospel into Macedonia (north of Greece), establishing churches along the way. They are well received in Thessalonica but encounter fierce opposition from Jewish groups, including a violent mob, causing them to leave for nearby Berea during the night. From Berea, they travel south into Athens and then on to Corinth.
Concerned for the new believers in Thessalonica and for the progress of the church there following his precipitous departure, Paul sends Timothy back to check on them. Timothy’s favorable report leads Paul to write this letter from Corinth to the church in Thessalonica toward the end of his second missionary journey around 50–51 AD, within two decades of Christ’s death and Resurrection. We know from this letter, from his second letter to the Thessalonians, and to a lesser extent from his letters to the Philippians, the Corinthians, and the Romans that Paul is pleased with the churches he founded in Thessalonica and elsewhere in Macedonia (2 Cor. 8:1–5; 11:9; Romans 15:26) and with their steadfast faith and generous giving, including to the church in Jerusalem.3
Despite the overall progress of the church, however, there are issues he needs to address. Some congregants have died since Paul founded the church, and the believers are anxious about their status upon Christ’s return (1 Thess. 4:13). Would they not witness Christ’s second coming? In the letter, Paul answers their questions and instructs them on other matters, including the practice of wealthier brothers supporting some church members. Additionally, Paul evidently feels compelled to explain to the Thessalonians why he has not yet returned.
In his initial address, Paul describes the church in Thessalonica as being “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Australian New Testament scholar Leon Morris says this phrase, which is unique to the two epistles to this church, is significant because it includes the Father and the Son in one breath. No one besides the Son could be linked with the Father like this, notes Morris, as it shows their relationship could not be any closer. “And all this in a letter written only about twenty years after the crucifixion,” writes Morris. “From very early times Jesus was seen to have the highest place.”4 This helps to debunk the modern notion that Jesus’ deity was an afterthought superimposed on Christianity in the second century or later. In fact, He was accepted as fully God (and fully man) from the very beginning, as this statement—and so many other New Testament passages—elucidates.
Paul begins the letter effusively praising the Thessalonians, assuring them he constantly prays for them and thanking God for their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is a different tone from the one adopted in his letter to the Galatians, which is more critical than complimentary—but Galatians is one of a few exceptions, for Paul writes approvingly in most of his epistles.5 He constantly asks for God’s beneficent superintendence of these newly formed churches, which is an encouraging reminder to us of the timeless value of prayer, and that we should cultivate it as our constant practice. Interestingly, John Stott proposes that we pray and work for better memories because when we remember people—their faces, names, and needs—we are moved to thank God and to pray for them.6
Paul’s emphasis on “faith, hope, and love” is vitally important, as these three interrelated qualities are central to one’s Christian character (1 Cor. 13:13)7 and often appear together in Paul’s letters (Romans 5:1–5; 1 Cor. 13:13; Gal. 5:5–6; Eph. 1:15–18; 4:2–5; Col 1:4–5; 1 Thess. 5:8) and in other New Testament writings (Heb. 10:22–24; 1 Peter 1:3–8, 21–22). Paul observes that because of their conversion, the Thessalonians are exhibiting these winsome attributes.8 As in Galatians, Paul underscores that their good works flow from their faith, not from their efforts (cf. Gal 2:16), and from their love, which is tied to their faith—for faith works through love (Gal. 5:6).
There are several Greek words translated as “love” in English, such as eros, phileo, and agape. Eros, meaning sexual love, is not used in the New Testament.9 Agape is used much more than phileo. Some scholars say that phileo means “spontaneous natural affection” and includes the concepts of brotherly love and friendship.10 Others say it’s difficult to distinguish between the usage of agape and phileo in the New Testament.11 In a quick Bible word study, I could only find two instances of Paul using phileo (1 Cor. 16:22 and Titus 3:15, although it may be used in other variations) as opposed to more than a hundred uses of agape.
Agape was apparently not used much before Christians started invoking it, and that’s because the Christian idea of love is more profound than any previous notions of love. Just imagine the revolutionary notion that love fulfills and summarizes the entire Law (Matt. 5:17, 22:36–40), as Jesus plainly taught. Similarly, Paul writes, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Gal. 5:14). Paul also talks of Christian love as the law of Christ: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).
Selflessness and other-directedness are central to this idea. Consider eros, which often describes a love based on merit (love that is deserved) and on a desire to possess. Agape, in its Christian sense, denotes the opposite: to love the undeserving despite disappointment and rejection.12 In His earthly ministry, and especially in His death, Christ showed his love for undeserving sinners (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10.). As He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Christ’s love emanates not from a desire to possess in the human sense, but to give.13 We noted that faith and love are interconnected. “For in Christ Jesus,” writes Paul, “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6).
Love, as we are describing it, is God’s gift to the believer through the Holy Spirit. Christ, through the Holy Spirit, now lives in the believer (Gal. 2:20), and it is His love that should characterize that of the believer. Paul sets out the Christian ideal for love in a famous passage in 1 Cor. 13.14 Elsewhere he explains that the Christian’s love reflects “God’s love [that] has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5), and is both directed toward Christ (1 Cor. 16:22; Eph. 6:24) and our fellow human beings.15
We noted that Paul thanks God for the Thessalonians’ faith, hope, and love, and we’ve briefly discussed faith and love. The meaning of “hope,” as used in the New Testament, differs slightly from the modern term. It is not simply a longing for a future event to materialize. It is a confident expectation that it will occur—a firm confidence that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Nothing is more fundamental to Christianity than the Christian’s confident assurance that he will be resurrected to eternal life because of his faith in Jesus Christ, Who was first resurrected. Indeed, as Paul writes, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:17–19).16
Note how certain is the Christian’s hope in his eternal life in Christ, as described by Peter: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3–5). In the context of this epistle, however, Paul uses “hope” to describe another of God’s promises—that Christ will return in His Second Coming.17 This is a particular concern the Thessalonian Christians convey to Timothy, which Paul addresses in this letter.
Paul repeatedly uses the terms “brother” and “brothers” in his two letters to the Thessalonians as well as in his other writings. We’ve reviewed the conflict in the early Church arising from Jewish believers clinging to their former rules and insisting that Gentile believers adopt these rituals. But in Christ, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Romans 2:10–11), so not only are the ceremonial laws no longer applicable, but Jewish believers can now dine with Gentile believers. It’s remarkable that these distinctions have already been obliterated to the point that Paul can now address his Gentile converts as “brothers,” with all the acceptance, equality, and intimacy it implies.
St. Augustine observes that the Jews thought the Gentiles were weak, sinful, servants of demons, and idol worshippers, though their Scriptures taught that all men are sinners (Psalm 14:3). But in Christ, “they have laid down their pride, and have not envied the salvation of the Gentiles, because they have known their own and their weakness to be alike: and in the Corner Stone being united, they have together worshipped the Lord.”18 Similarly, Leon Morris argues, “The tie that bound the proud Pharisee to despised Gentiles was a close one. Barriers insurmountable to men were done away in Christ.”19 Of course, we have seen through history that this is a two-way street, and Jews have suffered mightily at the hands of Gentiles.
In Romans, Paul further explicates the concept of brotherly love in Christ: “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (14:10). Furthermore, “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (15:5–7). Finally, he adds, “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (15:8–9). Paul’s teachings support Jesus’ admonition: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35; cf 1 John 3:14). Let us take this lesson to heart. “Then let the Jews not condemn the Gentiles as ‘sinners,’ writes Allen Verhey, “and let the Gentiles not despise the Jews into whose promises they enter.”20
Paul assures the Thessalonians he knows their faith is authentic because he and the apostles communicated the Gospel to them with conviction, both in word and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul isn’t boasting about the quality of his evangelism, but is confidently asserting that God is speaking through him and the other apostles.21 For Paul, the glory always belongs to Christ. The content of the Gospel is expressed in words, but it is more—it’s the living Word of God, full of His Spirit and power. It transforms lives. The Thessalonians don’t merely respond with comprehension and assent but with a Spirit-led conversion, and they demonstrate their conversion by their fruit.
With the Gospel radically altering their lives, the congregants become imitators of the apostles and of Christ as they embrace Him joyously, despite enormous opposition and persecution. In following the apostles’ Christ-like example, they model such behavior to believers throughout Macedonia and Achaia (the southern portion of Greece), and their example reverberates beyond those areas as news of their transformation circulates widely.22 In turn, new believers in these places imitate them, to the extent that Paul and the apostles don’t need to evangelize there. “The imitators became the imitated!”23
Here, the Gospel is not spreading through some mystical, euphoric trance, but through the power of the Holy Spirit and the evidence of His presence in the Thessalonian believers, who are world-class witnesses for God’s glory. These believers have reported to Paul how well received he and his group were in Thessalonica, and how the Thessalonians had turned from worshipping pagan idols to serving the true and living God and waiting for His Son to return. Let’s understand the import of Paul’s words: there is one and only one God. Those who argue that other religions worship the same God are preaching a false Gospel, knowingly or not.
Paul assures the brothers that his mission to them was not in vain because their acceptance of Christ was worth any hardship the apostles endured. The apostles deemed the mission so important that they risked their personal safety to bring the Good News to them on the heels of being assaulted at Philippi. It is their duty to share God’s Word with the world, a message that is perfect and true because it emanates from God, and God superintends their evangelism. Their motivation is not to please man but God, as they have demonstrated repeatedly. If personal glory were their goal, they could have used their standing as apostles to demand special treatment. Instead, they treat the new believers with gentle care. Paul goes to great lengths to reiterate his credentials and the integrity of his Gospel message, probably because false teachers are trying to discredit them and their message and turn the Thessalonians to a false gospel.24
While Paul and his group obediently preached the Gospel to the Thessalonians—working day and night to support themselves so as not to burden them—they developed a deep bond of Christian love with them. Paul explains they are witnesses to how well Paul’s group treated them—as a father treats his children—exhorting them, encouraging them, and challenging them to walk the Christian walk.
Paul thanks God constantly that the brothers accepted the Gospel not as if it were merely a message from men, but as God’s Word. As a result, the Word is now at work in them as believers. They have become imitators of the churches in Judea in suffering persecution from their own countrymen (both Thessalonian Gentiles and Jews),25 just as the Judean churches were abused by their Jewish opponents—the ones who killed Jesus Christ and the prophets, drove out Paul and the apostles, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles for their salvation. But wrath has finally come upon them. Paul’s words here are particularly harsh toward his fellow Jews. Douglas Moo—and many other commentators—notes that Paul is expressing frustration with those who are threatening the Gentile mission. Moreover, it’s crucial to note that Paul is not generalizing about all Jews, but only referring to those who committed these specific acts.26
Paul laments that he was forced out of Thessalonica and that Satan has obstructed his earnest desire to return. The brothers are his glory and joy. To prove he has faithfully executed his apostolic duties, he looks forward to presenting them as his converts to Jesus at His second coming.27
Though Paul doesn’t want to lose Timothy’s company and assistance in Athens, he is so anxious to follow up with the Thessalonians that he sends him back to check on them and to support them in their faith, as they are being attacked and tested. Paul elsewhere calls Timothy his “fellow worker” (Romans 16:21) and frequently uses the term to describe others as well (Romans 16:3; 9; 2 Cor. 8:23, etc.), but here he calls Timothy God’s coworker in the Gospel of Christ, which implies that in addition to helping Paul, he has his own ministry.28 Paul might be emphasizing Timothy’s credentials to mitigate any possible resentment the Thessalonians may feel—he doesn’t want them to think he is short-changing them by sending Timothy instead of coming himself.29
Commentators relate that English doesn’t quite capture the Greek term describing what Paul means by allowing himself to be “left behind” in Athens. The Greek word kataleipo conveys a sense of desolation, like one would experience in leaving his parents when he marries (Eph. 5:31) or when someone dies (Mark 12:19). Paul reinforces this sentiment with the word “alone”—he is being left behind alone in Athens.30 Paul has deep, conflicting feelings—he does not want to lose his strongest ally in Timothy and fend off the Athenian scoffers by himself, but he does not want to abandon the Thessalonians either. In the end, as usual, he opts for the selfless route. Paul is following his own advice to the Philippians to model Christ’s example of sacrificial love: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philip 2:4). He warned them they would continue to be persecuted; that is their destiny as Christians.
Paul also confesses that part of his motive in sending Timothy to them is his concern that Satan might have lured them away from the faith. This is the second time in the epistle that Paul mentions Satan, the first being verse 2:18, when Paul tells them Satan has repeatedly prevented him from returning to them personally. Paul is quite anxious about his burgeoning church in Thessalonica, and he can hardly stand to be in the dark about its spiritual condition, even in the midst of his own suffering. This is a testament to his love for them—a love that resembles the concern of a parent for the proper development of his child.
Paul is comforted by Timothy’s good report about their faith and love. He is invigorated—as if he has a new lease on life31—by the news that they are standing firm in the Lord. Paul’s heart is on fire for Jesus Christ, and he is overflowing with loving affection for his Thessalonian brothers.32 He can’t thank God enough for the happiness He brings him and his fellow missionaries for safeguarding the Thessalonians in their faith. Every day and night he prays that the missionaries can return to them and supply any further instruction they need to shore up their faith.
This seems completely natural to me. New believers, no matter how well instructed or how diligently they read the Bible and pray, often have questions and need spiritual mentorship to reassure them and nurture their spiritual growth. Paul is concerned that deficiencies in their knowledge might render them vulnerable to Satan, but Timothy’s positive report has assured him their faith can fend off the enemy. But he is still determined to return to “see them face to face and supply what is lacking in [their] faith,” and he prays to God the Father and Jesus Christ to enable this trip. He asks God to infuse the brothers with an ever-growing love for one another and for others, so they will be made holy before God the Father when Jesus returns.
Having reviewed his personal relationship with the brothers and other matters, Paul imparts practical instructions on living their lives to please God. Earlier, he mentored them on their Christian walk. They are proving to be faithful and must continue on this path, walking ever closer to God because God wills they continue in the process of sanctification (becoming more holy and Christ-like). Specifically, they should abstain from sexual immorality and control their bodies in holiness and honor, eschewing the passion and lustfulness practiced by godless pagans. They mustn’t lure others into sexual sin or harm them through their own sexual misconduct, for God will hold them to account.
Paul often repeats and reinforces themes to ensure his readers understand and remember them. While believers in the early Church are familiar with essential Christian doctrine through passed-down creedal formulas,33 they don’t yet have the New Testament, though this letter would later become a part of it. As Christians, they have the Holy Spirit and are called to holiness. To disobey that charge is to dishonor God, Who gave them the Spirit. Paul’s instructions, then, are not informal guidelines from the apostles but commands from God Himself, through the apostles as messengers.34
Even with the Holy Spirit, however, new believers are not insulated against the temptations of the flesh (Gal. 5:17). Therefore, they must be taught and encouraged to walk with the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) and remain vigilant because their adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Paul acknowledges that the believers are filled with brotherly love, but exhorts them to love one another even more. They must be financially independent and not rely on the generosity of fellow believers, which apparently, some have been doing. No explanation is given for their idleness, but because they believed Christ could return soon, they might have decided to just sit and wait.35 We’ll find that this problem later intensifies, forcing Paul to address it more aggressively in 2 Thessalonians 3:6–15.36
Paul next addresses their nagging concern about their Christian brothers who have already died. Most translations use the term “sleep” instead of death, but it’s just a euphemism. It does not mean, as some cults contend, that when believers die they enter into a form of unconscious soul sleep as they await their resurrection (cf. Luke 23:43; 1 Thess. 4:17; Philip. 1:21–23).37 “The Bible teaches that between death and resurrection, the human soul/spirit survives consciously apart from its body,” Dr. Norman Geisler observes. “This is neither a state of annihilation nor a state of unconscious ‘sleep’; this is an eternal state of conscious bliss for the saved and conscious anguish for the lost.”38
Christians shouldn’t grieve like nonbelievers who have no hope. They may grieve (cf. Acts 8:2), but their grief should not be hopeless.39 Their faith in Christ’s resurrection assures them that God, through Christ, will bring with Him those believers who have already died before His return. Those still alive when Christ returns will see Him, but not before those who have died earlier. Jesus will descend from Heaven with a commanding cry, the voice of an archangel, and the sound of God’s trumpet. Then the deceased believers will rise first, when their new, imperishable resurrected bodies will be reunited with their souls (cf. 1 Cor. 15:51–53),40 followed by living believers. They will all be caught up together in the clouds to meet Christ in the air,41 and they will always be with Him.
This passage (1 Thess. 4:13–18) together with John 14:1–3 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 constitute the biblical basis for the Rapture of the Church.42 Paul is teaching the Rapture as a revelation of previously hidden truth or mystery (1 Cor. 15:51).43 Scholars differ on when the Rapture will occur, but I believe it’s immediately prior to the seven-year period referred to as the Great Tribulation—Christ will remove believers during the Rapture, sparing them from this agonizing period when the Antichrist will reign down his evil schemes on the earth. (There are other legitimate views on this, which I briefly discuss in the footnotes.)44
We must distinguish between “the Rapture,” the “Day of the Lord,” and Christ’s “Second Coming.” Christ does return at the Rapture, as Paul discusses in this chapter, but this is not what scholars mean by His Second Coming. At the Rapture, He draws believers—those who have already died and those still living at the time—up from the earth into the clouds to be with Him. In Chapter 5, Paul goes on to discuss the Day of the Lord. This has several meanings, one of which includes the Second Coming, as we discuss below. “Apparently, the Thessalonians were informed fully about the Day of the Lord judgment (cf. 5:1, 2), but not the preceding event—the rapture of the church,” writes John MacArthur. “The Rapture was kept secret prior to Paul disclosing it as God’s revelation to him—the only prior mention is Jesus’ teaching in John 14:1–3.”45
Paul now discusses the Day of the Lord. He tells the brothers that the precise date of Christ’s return should not be their concern, echoing Jesus’ admonition to the apostles before Pentecost that “it is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). They well know that the Day of the Lord “will come like a thief in the night,” meaning it will happen unexpectedly.46 People will believe they have peace and security, and suddenly, inescapable destruction will descend on them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman.
The Thessalonian brothers, however, being children of light and not of darkness, will not be caught by surprise, for they are already in Christ and will already be with Him.47 The present world is sometimes described as a place of darkness (Eph. 6:12). But God “has qualified [the believer] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1:12–13). He brings light to the hearts of those in darkness (cf. Luke 1:78–79; Acts 26:18)48 and has “made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6 NIV).
The phrase “the Day of the Lord” is used some nineteen times in the Old Testament (e.g., Amos 5:18; Isaiah 13:6; Jer. 46:10) and four times in the New Testament, (Acts. 2:20; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10). It can be confusing because the term has multiple meanings. Old Testament prophets used the phrase variously to describe either judgments that would come in the near future, such as the fall of Babylon to the Assyrians as prophesied by Isaiah,49 or judgments that would come in the distant future (end times).50 These are God’s judgments for man’s sinfulness and sometimes His blessings for his obedience.
Paul is referring in this epistle to the Day of the Lord that will occur in the end times, so let’s narrow our discussion to that context. Some scholars believe this future Day of the Lord has two distinct components, both involving horrifying judgments from God for the consummate sinfulness of the world.51 The first is Christ’s Second Coming, which these scholars believe will occur at the end of the seven-year tribulation period that immediately follows the Rapture (cf. Rev. 19:11–21), and the second, approximately a thousand years later, is God’s judgment that will occur at the end of Christ’s thousand-year millennial reign on the earth (cf. 2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 20:7–15).52 Scripture teaches that in both instances—Christ’s coming in judgment at the end of the seven-year tribulation, and the judgment at the end of Christ’s millennial reign—the Day of the Lord “will come like a thief in the night.” The phrase, as noted above, is never used in connection with the Rapture of the Church.53
Other scholars believe the Day of the Lord is a more general term to describe a continuous thousand-year period that begins with Christ’s Second Coming and ends with His millennial reign.54 The main difference between the views seems to be that one considers the Day of the Lord and the Second Coming to be two separate events that begin and end Christ’s millennial reign, while the other believes it includes the whole period. The important thing for our limited purposes here is to understand that the future Day of the Lord includes Christ’s Second Coming to the earth and is distinct from the Rapture, in which Christ does return but draws believers up to meet Him in the clouds rather than coming down to the earth to begin His millennial reign. (For a brief outline of major end time events, see the footnotes.)55
Regardless of the timeline and order of events, the brothers must remain sober-minded, vigilant, and aware, ever shielded by their breastplate of faith and love and their hope of salvation, which is their helmet; for they are destined for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, not for God’s wrath. As such, they can rest assured of their eternal life in Him, whether they are awake (alive) or asleep (physically dead) when He returns. Therefore, they must continue to uplift one another.
Paul implores the brothers to respect their fellow Christians and spiritual leaders in love because of their work. They must remain in peace. Further, they should admonish idle and unruly people (and correct their behavior), encourage those struggling in their faith, aid the weak and fainthearted, and be patient toward them all. Patience is included in Paul’s list of characteristics of the Spirit-filled person (fruit of the Spirit—Gal. 5:22) and is an oft-touted Christian virtue (1 Cor. 13:4; 2 Cor. 6:6; 1 Thess. 5:14; Eph. 4:2; Col. 1:11; James 5:7, 8; Rev. 2:2). Those who are further along in their faith walk must not be puffed up and disrespectful toward less advanced believers. They must be gracious, patient, and supportive of them. As taught by Jesus (Matt. 5:44) and the Old Testament (Prov. 25:21), they must not respond to evil with their own evil (cf. Romans 12:17). They should strive to treat everyone well, believers and non-believers alike (Gal 6:10). This is consistent with Paul’s earlier prayer for the growth of the Church and for their increasing love for one another (1 Thess. 3:12).
The brothers must constantly rejoice and continually pray, thanking God for everything because this is His will for them in Christ. They should not be condescending and judgmental toward others and taint the Church’s positive spirit. Rather, Christian assemblies should be infused with God’s love, and His spirit of goodwill should contagiously infect the congregation (cf. 1 Cor. 14:15–17; Eph. 5:19–20; Col. 3:16–17)56—which is not to say that preachers should avoid tough issues of sinning.
For Paul, joy is essential to a healthy Christian life.57 Further, thankfulness—giving thanks to God—is not just the Christian’s duty, but should be his privilege. Even in difficult times, we must be grateful for our unearned salvation. Ingratitude is characteristic of the rebellious, unrighteous, and hard-hearted (cf. Romans 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:2).
The brothers dare not “quench” (suppress) the Holy Spirit, which is God’s gift to believers to empower them to overcome sin and to escape its bondage. Elsewhere, Paul admonishes Christians not to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph. 4:30), meaning we should not resist Him or sadden Him through our sinning.58 Some scholars reject the notion that people’s actions can affect God’s emotions, and I concede it is paradoxical that an omniscient being would react emotionally to events he foresees. Nevertheless, I believe it marvelously demonstrates that we worship a personal and interactive God. To grasp this concept, we can refer to the prophet Isaiah’s description of the Israelites rebelling and grieving the Holy Spirit in their wilderness wonderings (Isaiah 63:9; cf. Judges 10:15–16). “God was afflicted and saddened,” Gary Smith notes, “when his people sinned and did not trust him to give them the land.”59
Specifically, the Thessalonians must not disrespect the Spirit’s gift of prophecy, though they must test prophecies against the truth. Prophecy doesn’t just include predictive utterances, but any authoritative messages from God. These are usually from Scripture but sometimes from His prophets’ spoken revelations.60 The Bible repeatedly addresses the testing of prophets and teachers. Moses says, “And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, this is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously” (Deut. 18:21–22). Jesus warns us to beware of false prophets who come to us in sheep’s clothing but are like ravenous wolves. We will recognize them by their fruits (Matt. 7:15–16). John counsels that true prophets confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and “every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:1–3). And Peter writes that false prophets “will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who brought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction (2 Peter 2:1). Scripture is consistent: we must use our Spirit-led discernment and weigh the prophet’s words against the inviolable truth of Holy Scripture to determine whether he is speaking truthfully.
Paul further instructs the believers to abstain from evil in all its forms—another admonition from Old Testament prophets (cf. Isaiah 1:16–17) that Paul stresses in his other letters (cf. Romans 12:9).
In closing, Paul prays they continue their process of sanctification so they will be blameless when Christ returns—which He will, because the God who called them is faithful and will fulfill His promise to send Him. Paul asks for their prayers and instructs them, under oath before God, to read this letter to all their fellow believers.
Certain critics have disputed Paul’s authorship of this epistle, but he mentions his own name twice in the body of the letter (1:1; 3:17), and the early Church fathers attribute it to Paul.61 As with 1 Thessalonians, Paul includes Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy in the salutation because they are his close coworkers. Scholars believe Paul writes this letter from Corinth shortly after he wrote his first letter to this church (around 50 AD). Having evidently received a report that conditions at the church had deteriorated (3:11), he writes this letter to correct the believers’ misapprehension that the Day of the Lord has already come, to reassure them in view of their ongoing persecution, and to address their reported idleness.62 The church members, believing they were to be exempted from God’s judgment, fear their persecution indicates that the Day of the Lord has already come.63
Paul sometimes writes with a more direct, authoritative voice than in the first letter, but he still shows warmth and affection.64 For example, he refers to the letter’s recipients as “brothers” about as often as he did in the longer first letter. Paul’s bluntness probably stems from his urgency to address the congregation’s unresolved problems. In his first letter, he strongly encouraged them to live in the Spirit, to be joyful and thankful, and not to grieve the Holy Spirit. Yet they are anxious and gloomy, and don’t seem to be exercising the Spirit-filled characteristic of self-control. This letter is a wake-up call to correct their errors and reorient them to the path of Christian living.65
Paul begins this epistle by saying, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers.” Some question Paul’s sincerity here,66 but I do not, seeing as Paul quickly compliments the congregants on their abundantly growing faith and their increasing love for one another. Though their theology is confused, they are growing in the Lord, which Paul specifically prayed for in his first letter to them (1 Thess. 3:12; 4:1). He praises them for remaining steadfast in their faith even under persecution, and notes that he boasts about them to other churches.
Their perseverance through suffering is evidence of God’s righteous judgment and their worthiness of the kingdom of God. They are Christ-centered, honoring Jesus’ command to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33), which has enabled them to cope with their persecution.67 The great evangelist John Wesley was convinced that suffering is a gift from God that authenticates one’s Christian walk. He told an anecdote illustrating this point: one day, as Wesley was traveling, he became alarmed when he realized he had gone three days without suffering. He fell to his knees and asked God to show him where he had gone astray. A cantankerous man across the hedge recognized Wesley and said to himself, “I’ll fix that Methodist preacher.” He threw a rock at him, which missed but fell beside Wesley, who leapt to his feet and exclaimed, “Thank God, it’s all right. I still have his presence.”68
Of course, it’s not their persecution alone that proves believers’ worthiness. John Stott argues that it’s both their suffering for Christ and their faith, love, and endurance during trials that prove God’s judgment is righteous.69 Leon Morris concurs, writing, “We should not understand the evidence to be the sufferings. It is not the persecutions but the attitude of the Thessalonians in their troubles that is the decisive thing. Such constancy and faith could come only from the action of God within them.”70
Paul assures the Thessalonians their suffering is not the final chapter in this story. God will eventually vindicate them, bring their tormentors to judgment, and provide relief to the afflicted brothers and others who have endured persecution for His sake. This will occur when Christ is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God or obey the Gospel. Paul is not describing the Rapture but Christ’s Second Coming (or the Day of the Lord) as he’s discussing Christ’s judgment, and no judgment accompanies the Rapture.71 The brothers can rest assured that Christ has not yet returned, because when He does, there will be no mistaking it—He will come with great fanfare and judgment and with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30). Ever since Christ’s ascension there have been false Messiahs, just as Christ predicted (Matt. 24:24), but none of them has or could remotely simulate the glorious supernatural nature of His return.72
Paul declares that those who do not know God will be subject to eternal destruction, away from God’s presence and glory. As difficult as some may find this language, it is clear. Paul is not describing the permanent annihilation of the godless (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 14:9–11),73 but their unending punishment in which they remain in a conscious state, aware of their predicament and their separation from God’s presence (Rev. 20:14, 15). Like it or not, Jesus taught precisely the same thing (Matt. 5:29–30; 8:12; 12:32; 18:8–9; 22:13; 25:30, 41; 46; Luke 16:23–26). This has been the predominant view among believers, Church fathers, and theologians throughout Christian history, including Tertullian, Augustine, Anselm, and Jonathan Edwards.74
When Christ comes on that day, He will be glorified in his believers who will marvel at Him, because they have believed in Him. Don’t miss the significance here. Believers, in the process of sanctification through the power of the indwelling Spirit, manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23), as they are progressively transformed into Christ’s likeness (cf. Eph. 4:23–24; Col. 3:10).75 They “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18), but when they meet Christ they will be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17) and will reflect His light and attributes immeasurably more than during their earthly Christian walk. At this point, their sanctification will be complete. “Every vestige of sin will have been banished from their soul,” notes William Hendriksen. “They will mirror forth his image and walk in the light of his countenance (Ps. 89:15–17).”76 Christ will rejoice in His reflection in the believers and in their joy (cf. Zeph. 3:17).77 This description would surely reassure the believers, which is one of Paul’s primary aims in writing this letter.
In anticipation of these events, Paul and his companions always pray for the brothers, that God may make them worthy of His calling, give them the power to live holy lives, and accomplish good works through their faith in Him. Then the Lord Jesus’ name will be glorified in them and they will be glorified in Him, which is made possible by the grace of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
In his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul assured the brothers that, contrary to their fears, believers who had already died would not miss the resurrection. In this epistle, he addresses a different fear—that they have missed the Rapture because they understand it will occur prior to the Day of the Lord, which they assume has already occurred because they are suffering persecution.
Paul tells them that in reference to Christ coming and gathering all believers to Himself (the Rapture), they don’t need to be alarmed if they learn from a spirit, the spoken word, or even a letter purportedly from him, that the Day of the Lord (Christ’s Second Coming) has already occurred.78 When Paul told them about the Rapture, he had assured them that they, as believers, would be spared the Day of the Lord, and he meant it. They must not allow anyone to deceive them, for certain events, which have not yet transpired, must precede the Day of the Lord. (Here he’s referring not to the Rapture, but probably to Christ’s coming in judgment at the end of the seven-year tribulation.)79 These events include 1) the rebellion and 2) the revealing of the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist, or the one who brings destruction).
The New Testament frequently warns of this great rebellion or “apostasy” that will occur prior to Christ’s Second Coming.80 Jesus taught that many will fall away and betray and hate one another. False prophets will lead people astray, lawlessness will spread, and the love of many will grow cold. But those who endure will be saved, and His Gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world before the end will come (Matt. 24:10–14). Paul issues similar warnings in his other letters (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1–5; 4:3–4), as do James (5:1–8), Peter (2 Peter 2; 3:3–6), Jude (1:18–19), and John (Rev. 3:10).
Many scholars contend that this rebellion will feature people inside the Church turning away from God and worshipping the Antichrist.81 F. F. Bruce emphasizes this will involve more than just an internal Church issue. It will likely be a “general abandonment of the basis of civil order … a large-scale revolt against public order”—a rebellion against “the whole concept of divine authority over the world.”82 There was a period of apostasy that preceded Christ’s first coming, but it was nothing compared to that which will precede His Second Coming. The next one will be vastly worse because Christ’s death on the cross will have already occurred, whereby God demonstrated His infinite love by sacrificing His only Son so that sinners may live.83 To affirmatively rebel against such love and to incite others to do the same is beyond description.
The Antichrist will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. Paul asks the brothers to remember what he said about all this when he was with them. Specifically, the lawlessness of the Antichrist has already begun in secret, and it will remain secret until what is restraining him now steps out of the way, at which time the Antichrist will be revealed—but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of His coming. Paul doesn’t specify what is holding back the Antichrist and his lawlessness, and commentators offer various possibilities ranging from the government and law, to Satan, to the Holy Spirit. It seems likely that it is, in fact, the Holy Spirit, because only He has sufficient supernatural power to accomplish it.84
This Antichrist will come to do Satan’s work, using false signs and wonders to deceive those who are perishing because they refuse to love truth and be saved by faith. Because of the unbelievers’ hard-heartedness, their rejection of the truth, and their delighting in unrighteousness, God will send them a strong delusion, so they will believe what is false and be condemned. Satan’s main goal is to ensnare people in his pit, and this “father of lies” uses all sorts of trickery to do it.
Satan empowers the Antichrist to act as his agent to lure away as many people as he can from eternal life with God. Yes, Jesus also empowers His apostles to perform miracles, but this is completely different because the apostles’ actions are compassionate and beneficent, designed to bring glory to God. The Antichrist’s signs and wonders will serve evil and be designed to promote himself, not God.85 The Antichrist’s powers and activities are further described in the Book of Revelation, which speaks of a second beast, apparently empowered by the Antichrist, that “performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people” (13:13). Charles Ryrie observes that Satan, the Antichrist, and this second beast form an evil trinity.86
Some may wonder why God will send unbelievers a strong delusion to make them believe in the lie. Well, it won’t begin that way. Only after men repeatedly reject the Gospel and become increasingly rebellious will God give them over to their wicked ways. Relevant examples abound in the Bible. Pharaoh hardens his own heart (Exodus 7:13–14: 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) before God hardens it (Exodus 9:12); and only after King Ahab rejects God’s true prophets does God commission a demonic spirit to inspire other false prophets to deceive him (2 Chronicles 18:18–27). When unrighteous men grow increasingly rebellious and reject God in favor of idols, serving the creature rather than the Creator, God gives them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity (Romans 1:18–32).87
God is pure love. He does not gratuitously harden people, but after a point, He will accept their choice to harden their own hearts. Scripture assures us God wants no one to perish and all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). But, being omniscient, God knows in advance who will repent. My sense is that in some cases, after they repeatedly reject Him, He will give them over to the sinful behavior they chose as a form of imposing His judgment on them.88 “God righteously sends delusion,” writes G. K. Beale, “because it is a beginning part of his just judgment. As is clear elsewhere in Scripture, God punishes sin by sin (Deut. 29:4; Isaiah 6:9–10) … God causes these people to be deluded because they refused to love the truth and so be saved and because they have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”89 This is why we should all pray for discernment, for the humility to fear God, for His wisdom, for His gracious revelation to us of truth, and for the Spirit to intercede for us according to the will of God (Romans 8:27).
Paul next repeats his earlier expression, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you,” because God chose the brothers as the firstfruits to be saved—they were among the first to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. Paul is speaking of salvation from both the divine side (our regeneration through the Holy Spirit) and the human side (our belief in the truth and our faith in Jesus Christ).90 He is reassuring them that despite all the difficulties they’ve encountered in standing firm for Christ, they have been sealed by the Holy Spirit through their faith in Christ and are destined to be in His presence throughout eternity.
Paul explains that God called them to salvation when he and his companions presented the Gospel to them, and now they can share in Christ’s glory. They needn’t fear being swept up in God’s judgment of condemnation, but must stand firm and hold to the truths Paul taught them either verbally or through his letters. They must guard themselves against backsliding under the daily pressures and influences of the world, and the temptations of the flesh and the devil.91 Paul prays that Jesus Christ and God the Father will comfort their hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.
Paul requests the Thessalonians’ prayers that God’s Word be spread rapidly and honored, as happened with them, and that he and his missionaries be protected from evil men. I am fascinated that Paul, by now a veteran and learned Christian, solicits prayers from the newly minted believers. It shows that all Christians, no matter how established in the faith or how close to God, need prayers—note that Jesus Himself never ceased praying. It also demonstrates that we are all equal in Christ, and that no Christian is beneath God’s radar. God loves all of us; no one is too insignificant to pray. This is not a polite, perfunctory request, but Paul’s earnest entreaty for prayer warriors to lift the work of the Gospel by interceding for those who have dedicated their lives to sharing it.
Paul commonly requests prayers from congregations and shares his prayers for them (1 Thess. 5:25; Romans 15:30–32; 2 Cor. 1:11; Col. 4:2–4; Phil 1:19; Philem. 22). He strongly believes in the Christian brotherhood, which is united by a common love for Christ and for one another, and for the Word of God they are jointly committed to sharing in the face of intense worldly opposition. Not all people have faith, and many are inclined to resist the Gospel. But the Lord is faithful, and will strengthen and protect them against the evil one (Satan). Paul’s prayer for himself and his fellow missionaries certainly involves their own safety, but primarily reflects his earnest desire that their work in spreading the Gospel proceed unhindered.
Expressing confidence in the Lord that they will follow his instructions, Paul asks God to direct the Thessalonians’ hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. Paul’s perspective is fundamentally Christ-centered, recognizing that the believers’ power doesn’t come from themselves but from their faith in God. He understands the proper relationships—it is God Who will build them up in faith, empower them to accomplish their own missionary tasks, and enable them to live their lives in loving obedience to Christ. It might seem odd for Paul to ask Christ—who is God—to direct them to the love of God, but we should take this to heart ourselves, for our appreciation of God’s love for us is enormously reassuring and reinforces our faith. As John Stott comments, God’s love for us arouses our love for him. Paul could also be asking that the Lord lead the Thessalonians into a love resembling God’s love and a steadfastness (or an ability to persevere)92 like Christ’s.93 When Christians meditate on God’s love and marvel at Christ’s patient endurance, they are inspired to obey His Word and stand firm through adversity.94
Paul warns against idleness in the Church, commanding the believers, under Christ’s authority, to avoid members who aren’t carrying their own load. John MacArthur comments on the Christian value of work. “There is no such thing as a secular job for a Christian,” writes MacArthur, “all work is a spiritual duty to be done as an opportunity to give glory to God (1 Cor. 10:31).”95 God exalts work by commanding it in the Fourth Commandment. (The flipside of keeping the Sabbath on the seventh day is working on the other six [Exodus 20:9]). Through His own work in creating and sustaining the universe—and in our redemption—God set an example for us to follow. Work is not just to enable us to procure life’s necessities, but a gift from God that provides value and fulfillment in our lives. It gives us a sense of self-worth.96
Paul commands the brothers to imitate the work ethic he and his missionaries exhibited among them. While ministering to the brothers, they supported themselves, so as not to be a burden. Though they were entitled to compensation, they forwent it to model sacrificial behavior in the Christian spirit. “If anyone is not willing to work,” says Paul, “let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”
This doesn’t violate the axiom that Christians should care for the poor. Paul is not reflecting an ungracious spirit toward the slothful, but is cautioning the brothers against cultivating an attitude of entitlement, as if the Church or anyone else owes them a living.97 It is the opposite of Christ-like to expect others to sacrifice for you while you remain idle, though able-bodied. That attitude is selfish, not selfless, and must be rejected. Paul is also concerned about “busybodies” flitting about and bothering those who are working, possibly because they are anxious about their misunderstanding that Christ has already come.98 They must mind their own business and get back to work, earning their own livelihood and not interfering with the livelihoods of others.
Paul says they must not tire of doing good. We should not lightly brush over this exhortation. As parents, we tell our children to be good, to do the right thing, to behave and treat others well. But it’s especially encouraging that we follow a Savior, whose apostles and whose Word repeatedly remind us to avoid evil and keep our hearts and minds focused on what is good, true, and right, and to shun evil (Philip 4:8; see also 2 Cor. 13:7; Gal. 6:9).
Paul tells the brothers to have nothing to do with those who disobey the instructions in this letter. They should not treat such people as enemies, but approach them in the spirit of brotherly love and lead them to repentance and corrective behavior, which will benefit them and the whole church.
Paul closes with a prayer that the Lord of peace be with the Thessalonians and give them peace always and in every way. He notes that He is writing this letter in his own hand to prove he is the author, as is often his practice (1 Cor. 16:21; Col. 4:18; Philem. 19).
Paul’s affection for the Thessalonians permeates these epistles, especially the first. It’s clear that in the midst of Paul’s persecution and hardships, he finds true joy in seeing congregations he founded grow wiser and more pious. They’re not perfect—they struggle to understand some theological questions and are prone to idleness, among other problems. Yet they seek Paul’s help to grow in Christ, and Paul is happy to oblige. Despite their challenges, the Thessalonians seem to be functioning as a close-knit, mutually supportive community. That is markedly different from the factionalism and sexual immorality plaguing the Corinthians, which we will turn to next.