Annotations for 2 Thessalonians

1:1–2 Opening. This is very similar to the opening of 1 Thessalonians (see notes on 1 Thess 1:1).

1:1, 2 in/from God our/the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In both phrases God and Jesus function as the double object of the single preposition “in”/“from.” Paul, though steeped in Jewish monotheism, without comment connects Jesus so closely with God that he not only implies that Jesus is God but also takes for granted that his readers affirm it.

1:1 our Father. God has adopted the Thessalonians as his children (Rom 8:14–17; Gal 3:26; 4:4–7), so they constitute his family.

1:3–12 Thanksgiving and Prayer. Paul typically adds prior to the body of the letter a thanksgiving that serves three functions (see note on 1 Thess 1:2–10). These functions are at work throughout the thanksgiving of vv. 3–12, which falls structurally into three sections: commendation (vv. 3–4), comfort (vv. 5–10), and challenge (vv. 11–12).

1:3–4 Commendation for Spiritual Growth in the Face of Persecution. Paul commends the Thessalonians for their remarkable spiritual growth despite experiencing strong opposition.

1:3 ought. Paul does not view thanksgiving as an onerous obligation but rather acknowledges the need to thank God. Paul knows that it is God—not his own apostolic labor or the labor of the Thessalonians—who is responsible for the church’s remarkable spiritual growth in the face of persecution. This God-centered theology parallels Paul’s thanksgiving in the first letter, which is ultimately grounded in God’s work of election (1 Thess 1:4). faith. In Christ. love. For each other. Paul was particularly concerned about their faith and love in his previous letter (see note on 1 Thess 3:6).

1:4 boast. The Thessalonians’ spiritual growth despite being persecuted is so remarkable that Paul boasts about them to other Christians in Macedonia, Achaia, and elsewhere (1 Thess 1:8). persecutions and trials. See note on 1 Thess 1:6. Their suffering started at their conversion (1 Thess 1:6; 2:2; Acts 17:5–7), continued during Paul’s absence and Timothy’s later visit (1 Thess 3:1–5), and had not ceased when Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians.

1:5–10 Comfort Concerning the Just Judgment of God. Paul comforts the Thessalonians about God’s just judgment, which will involve punishing those persecuting church members and rewarding those being persecuted.

1:5 evidence. Given in vv. 6–10. God’s judgment is right. This is seen in how God will (1) punish the persecutors and (2) reward the persecuted. Paul first presents this double truth in brief (vv. 6–7a) and then repeats it in the same order at greater length: the punishment of the persecutors is described in vv. 7b–9 and the reward of the persecuted in v. 10.

1:6 He will pay back. The principle of divine retribution, the lex talionis (“an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”), is often associated in the OT with the day of the Lord. This principle is not appropriate for human conduct (Matt 5:38–48; Rom 12:17–21), since a person may act vindictively. Such a danger, however, does not exist in divine conduct, since “God’s judgment is right” (v. 5). Paul uses this principle to comfort his readers by pointing them to the future judgment when God will justly punish their persecutors and vindicate their faith.

1:7 Whereas the primary actor in vv. 5–7a is God and his just judgment, this shifts in vv. 7b–10 to the Lord Jesus, who carries out this just judgment. revealed. Stresses the revelatory aspect of Christ’s return: that Jesus the Judge will come to carry out God’s just judgment is currently hidden from those persecuting the Thessalonians, but the believers in Thessalonica know this truth. This enables them to endure persecution until Jesus “is revealed from heaven,” when these hidden things will finally become manifest to all.

1:8 This judgment will apply not just to those persecuting the Thessalonian Christians but more broadly to “those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel.” This refers not to two distinct groups (e.g., Gentiles and Jews) but to one, since this involves a parallel description of those whom God will justly punish for failing both to acknowledge him and to respond with obedience to the gospel.

1:9 everlasting destruction. Paul has in view not the annihilation of unbelievers but their unending punishment. This is suggested by three factors: this is the teaching of Jesus (Matt 5:29–30; 12:32; 18:8–9; 25:41, 46; Luke 16:23–25) with which Paul would have been familiar; the eternal punishment of the wicked was a common idea in the apostle’s Jewish heritage; and the parallel phrases in this verse (“shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might”) presuppose the ongoing existence of the wicked rather than their annihilation.

1:10 glorified . . . marveled at. OT allusions (Pss 89:7 and 68:35, respectively) in which Paul takes references to God and applies them to Jesus, reflecting his high view of Christ expressed throughout 1-2 Thessalonians. in his holy people. In contrast to the fate of unbelievers, who will be “shut out from the presence of the Lord” (v. 9), believers will experience Christ’s glorification (see v. 12). This includes you. Paul’s readers belong to those whom God will reward at Christ’s coming; Paul thus reassures those who were unduly anxious about their own status on the day of the Lord (see note on 1 Thess 5:1–11).

1:11–12 Challenge: Prayer for God to Work in the Thessalonians’ Lives. Paul challenges the Thessalonians to live up to the standard of conduct he spells out in his prayer for them.

1:11–12 we constantly pray . . . We pray. Paul sometimes ends his thanksgiving with a prayer report (Rom 1:10; Phil 1:9–11; Col 1:9–14) summarizing what he prays for his readers. He comforts his persecuted readers by stressing God’s initiative in their salvation: “Our God” is the one who will make them worthy of “his calling” and who “by his power” will complete their every good desire and deed. God will thus ensure that “the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him.” The Thessalonian believers are again (see note on 2 Thess 1:10) comforted with the promise that their faith will be vindicated by being personally present in the end-time glorification of Christ (“in you”), and they will also themselves be glorified (“and you in him”).

2:1–17 Comfort Concerning the Day of the Lord. The first major topic of the letter concerns a false claim about the day of the Lord that caused the Thessalonian church to become greatly alarmed. Paul’s purpose is not to predict the future but to pastor his readers by giving them a word of comfort about this end-time event.

2:1–2 Crisis: Fear Over the Claim That “The Day of the Lord Has Already Come.” Someone has falsely claimed that the day of the Lord has already come, thereby causing the young church to fear that they might not avoid the wrath of God connected with the day of judgment.

2:1 our being gathered to him. The immediate reference is to the comforting concept of how all believers, both deceased and living, will be gathered to Jesus at his return (1 Thess 4:16–17; 5:10). But this idea goes back to the OT hope in the gathering of the scattered exiles to their own land on the day of the Lord (e.g., Ps 106:47; Isa 11:10–12; 27:13; 43:4–7; Jer 31:8; Joel 3:1–2).

2:2 alarmed. Jesus issued the identical command (Mark 13:7). Paul is not merely satisfying his readers’ curiosity about the end times but providing desperately needed pastoral comfort to a church frightened about the day of the Lord and unsure about their salvation on that day—a fear that also lies behind 1 Thess 5:1–11 (see notes there). prophecy . . . word of mouth . . . letter. Paul seemingly suspects that the source of the false claim about the day of the Lord was the first member of the triad: a prophecy (see second note on v. 15). has already come. Asserting that the day is actually present, not that it is imminent (as in the KJV: “is at hand”). The Thessalonians may have viewed the day of the Lord as consisting of several events of which Christ’s coming was just one part. Although the claim is false, the Thessalonian church—already apprehensive about the day of the Lord (1 Thess 5:1–11)—became alarmed. Fear is often irrational and contagious.

2:3–12 Correction: Events That Must Precede the Day of the Lord. Paul corrects the false claim by reminding the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord will not take place until certain clearly defined events take place first.

2:3 Two events must precede the day of the Lord: (1) the rebellion. It is not Christians who rebel against God (Paul expects his readers to persevere in the faith to the end; see vv. 13–14; 1:3–4, 10–12; 1 Thess 1:3, 6; 2:14; 3:6–8; 5:4, 9) but the rest of humanity. This rebellion will be primarily religious in nature, but any rebellion against God will naturally also involve a revolt against the general laws and morals of society. (2) the man of lawlessness is revealed. He is not Satan, as v. 9 makes clear, but is typically identified with the antichrist (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7). This figure’s description in vv. 3b–4 has striking similarities to OT texts (Isa 14:12–14; Ezek 28:2; Dan 6:7) and events from the Second Temple period (Antiochus IV desecrating the Jerusalem temple in 167 BC, Roman general Pompey entering the Jerusalem temple in 63 BC, and Roman emperor Caligula seeking to set up a statue of himself in the Jerusalem temple in AD 40). Paul employs a familiar theme to portray the supreme evil character of the coming lawless one.

2:4 God’s temple. Almost certainly the historic temple of Jerusalem (see Matt 24:15 and note), not the heavenly temple or the church. But Paul likely uses this sanctuary metaphorically by picking up the well-known theme of desecration by foreign kings. If so, this says more about the character of the man of lawlessness than where he will appear.

2:5 I used to tell. This verb highlights the repeated nature of the action: Paul delivered several sermons about events connected with the day of the Lord during his visit to Thessalonica.

2:6–7 what. Neuter (i.e., the thing). secret power of lawlessness. A rebellion against God and his will that is hidden and unobservable to unbelievers but revealed by God to believers and so readily known to them. already at work. Distinct from a future rebellion that will precede the day of the Lord (v. 3). the one. Masculine. This complicates the already difficult task of identifying the “restrainer.” See “Who is the Restrainer?”

2:8 overthrow with the breath of his mouth. Paul interrupts the description of the lawless one to describe this evil figure’s ultimate demise by Jesus, thereby comforting his readers. This imagery from Isa 11:4 emphasizes not the ease with which the returning Christ will “destroy” (the Greek conveys the stronger act of destruction rather than a mere overthrow) the man of lawlessness but the power of his breath as a potent and fearful weapon of war.

2:9 coming. Greek parousia, the same word used of Christ’s coming. Satan enables the man of lawlessness to perform counterfeit signs and wonders (Matt 24:24).

2:10–12 Paul shifts from describing the lawless one to his deceived followers “who are perishing” (v. 10). This message of their judgment ultimately comforts the Thessalonian church since it vindicates their faith and demonstrates that God is just (1:5–10). they refused to love the truth . . . have not believed the truth. The blame for their destructive end rests on themselves because they rejected the truth of the gospel message that Paul preached. For this reason. God’s action does not cause people to reject the truth but is a consequence of their previous rejection. God sends them. Paul elsewhere similarly speaks of God giving sinners over to their own sin (Rom 1:24, 26, 28; 11:8; 2 Tim 4:4). The apostle’s words here are difficult, yet his purpose is not to give a theological explanation of God’s role in the judgment of sinners but to comfort the persecuted Christians in Thessalonica.

2:13–17 It is crucial to connect these verses with the preceding ones. If one reads only up to v. 12, the passage ends with judging unbelievers. But if one reads all the way to v. 17, the passage closes with comforting the Thessalonian believers.

2:13–14 Comfort: God Ensures the Salvation of the Thessalonians. Paul comforts the Thessalonians with a thanksgiving about God’s election that guarantees they will not receive judgment on the day of the Lord but salvation.

2:13 ought. See note on 1:3. loved by the Lord . . . God chose . . . sanctifying work of the Spirit. All three persons of the Trinity are involved: the Son loves, the Father elects, and the Spirit makes holy. firstfruits. In the OT, this refers to the first produce or animal that one offers to God. God chose the Thessalonian church as the first (of many others whom God has also chosen) fruit at the great end-time harvest. saved . . . through belief in the truth. Contrast the unbelievers who “refused to love the truth and so be saved” (v. 10).

2:14 called. The theme of election or God’s initiative in the readers’ salvation is important in both letters (v. 13; 1 Thess 1:4; 2:12; 3:3b; 4:7; 5:9, 24). glory. The ultimate goal of God’s redemptive work in believers’ lives is not their justification but their glorification (Rom 8:30).

2:15 Command: Stand Firm by Holding Fast to Paul’s Teachings. Paul corrects the crisis that has arisen from a new assertion about the day of the Lord by commanding the Thessalonians to hold fast to those traditions which he previously taught them.

2:15 stand firm. A fitting antidote to the problem of being “unsettled” (v. 2). hold fast to the teachings. Clarifies how the Thessalonians are to stand firm: by holding fast to the teachings that Paul personally gave them, either orally (“by word of mouth”) or in written form (“by letter”). Significant by its omission is the third possible means of transmission: “by a prophecy” (v. 2), which Paul likely considers to be the source of the false claim about the day of the Lord.

2:16–17 Concluding Prayer: Prayer That God Will Comfort the Thessalonians. Paul concludes with a prayer that emphasizes his intention throughout the passage to comfort the Thessalonians.

2:16–17 encouragement . . . encourage. Paul’s prayer includes a double reference to encouragement, which reflects his overall goal to comfort the persecuted and frightened Thessalonian church.

3:1–15 Exhortations Concerning Idle Church Members. The second major topic of the letter concerns idle church members. Paul issues various exhortations: general ones (vv. 1–5), which are preparatory for the specific ones (vv. 6–15) that deal with idle believers.

3:1–5 General: The Lord’s Work in Paul’s Ministry and the Thessalonian Church. Paul’s general exhortations, though covering disparate topics, are joined together by their common function of preparing the readers to obey the specific exhortations about disciplining believers who are living idly (vv. 6–15).

3:1 spread rapidly. Or “runs”; combined with “be honored,” this suggests that Paul depicts the “message” (gospel) as a victorious runner in the athletic games who justly receives honor. just as it was with you. Paul commends his readers and so makes them predisposed to obey the specific exhortations of vv. 6–15.

3:2–3 A clever contrast: Paul prays to be rescued from “wicked and evil people” because “not everyone has faith,” but he reassures his readers that “the Lord is faithful” and so will protect them “from the evil one.” In this way Christ’s faithfulness is sharply contrasted with people’s lack of faith.

3:4 We have confidence. An expression frequently used in letters of Paul’s day to persuade readers to comply with the writer’s request and so live up to the confidence the writer has in them. Yet Paul’s confidence is grounded not in the Thessalonians’ native talents but in the Lord, who is “faithful” (v. 3). you are doing and will continue to do. Not a generic affirmation of the Thessalonians, but as in the previous letter (cf. 1 Thess 4:1, 10; 5:11), an acknowledgment of a specific thing the church is doing well: working and not being guilty of idleness. This additional commendation (see note on 2 Thess 3:1) further induces the readers to obey the upcoming exhortations in vv. 6–15. things we command. Refers not back to the command to remember Paul in prayer (v. 1) but ahead to instructions about working and disciplining the idlers (vv. 6–15), where the key verb “command” occurs three more times (vv. 6, 10 [NIV “rule”],12).

3:5 Elsewhere Paul similarly uses a prayer to close his discussion and transition to the following topic (2:16–17; 1 Thess 3:11–13; Rom 15:5–6, 13). God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. If the Thessalonians remember how God loves them (cf. 2:16) and how Christ endured for them, they will readily obey the commands given to them by Paul.

3:6–15 Specific: Discipline the Idlers. Paul frames his specific exhortations with opening (v. 6) and closing commands (vv. 13–15) to avoid those who are idle. Between these framing commands he sandwiches appeals to both his example (vv. 7–9) and his teaching (v. 10) and to the application of this double appeal to the specific situation in Thessalonica (vv. 11–12).

3:6 command. The problem of some believers living idly became worse, so Paul switches from the softer language of “urge” (1 Thess 5:14) to the stronger “command” (here and also in v. 12). keep away. This verb, along with “do not associate with” in v. 14, refers to social ostracism or excommunication: exclusion from corporate worship and the meal that was part of the Lord’s Supper celebration (1 Cor 5:11; 11:17–34). Such exclusion would be devastating for the idle in Thessalonica, who lived in a communal culture in which honor and shame were powerful forces controlling social behavior. idle and disruptive. Translates one Greek word whose root (atakt-) occurs three times in this passage (vv. 6, 7, 11). See note on 1 Thess 5:14. Paul never states why some were living in idleness. One possibility is that the Thessalonians’ excitement over the imminent return of Jesus caused them to abandon ordinary earthly activities as not worthwhile. Another possibility is that some were merely lazy and took advantage of the generosity of wealthier believers and then used their free time to meddle in the affairs of others (v. 11; 1 Thess 4:11).

3:7 For. Paul grounds his command to discipline by appealing firstly to his example of self-sufficient work (see note on v. 10).

3:8 eat . . . food. A Hebraism (Gen 3:19; 2 Sam 9:7; Ps 41:9; Ezek 12:18–19; Amos 7:12) that refers to providing primarily food but also housing, clothes, or any daily need. we worked night and day. See note on 1 Thess 2:9.

3:9 not because we do not have the right. As an apostle, Paul had the right to demand that churches provide him with housing and food (1 Cor 9:3–7). But he refused this right as part of his missionary strategy: to provide an example of self-sufficient work for his converts to follow, to avoid becoming a financial burden (2 Thess 3:8; 1 Thess 2:9), and to rebut any charge that his ministry was selfishly motivated (1 Thess 2:1–12).

3:10 For. Paul grounds his command to discipline by appealing secondly to his teaching about self-sufficient work (see note on v. 7). we gave you this rule. Contextually, the Greek emphasizes the repetitive nature of Paul’s teaching: “we were repeatedly commanding you.” unwilling to work. Those who rebelliously refuse to work, not those who cannot work because of infirmity or unemployment.

3:11–12 Paul applies his example (vv. 7–9) and previous teaching (v. 10) about self-sufficient work directly to the idlers within the Thessalonian church.

3:11 busy . . . busybodies. This translation nicely captures Paul’s clever wordplay: instead of being “busy” (Greek ergazomenous) with their work, the idlers are “busybodies” (Greek periergazomenous), spending their free time meddling in others’ affairs and so causing unrest (see also 1 Thess 4:11).

3:13–15 This second command to “not associate with” (v. 14) the idlers parallels the first command of v. 6, thereby framing the whole discussion of vv. 6–15.

3:13 never tire of doing what is good. The church, although disciplining believers who refuse to work, must diligently help believers who are genuinely in need (Gal 6:10; Eph 4:28; 1 Tim 5:3–8; Titus 3:14).

3:14 feel ashamed. The goal of discipline is not to punish but to restore: the offending believer will feel ashamed and then hopefully repent and be restored (see 1 Cor 5:5).

3:15 not . . . as an enemy, but . . . as . . . a fellow believer. Discipline must be done in a loving manner (cf. Gal 6:1), never harshly.

3:16–18 Closing. Paul makes subtle changes to the epistolary conventions typically found in his letter closings so that this ending relates more directly to issues raised in the body of the letter.

3:16 peace . . . peace. Looks back to Paul’s exhortations concerning the rebellious idle members and the resulting internal tension.

3:17 in my own hand. Paul takes over from his secretary and writes the closing greeting himself—an “autograph” (see note on 1 Thess 5:27). distinguishing mark. Although the function of Paul’s autograph may be to authenticate the letter as genuine (cf. 2:2), it more likely conveys his presence and authority, especially for the idlers whom he fears will not obey his exhortations (3:14a).

3:18 all. This addition to the grace benediction (elsewhere in Paul’s letters only in 2 Cor 13:13; Eph 6:24; Titus 3:15) stems from the apostle’s desire to include all members, including the idlers (see also 2 Thess 3:16b).