Author: Jon Green

As Paul brings the second letter to the Thessalonians to an end, he includes a request, a reminder, and a closing. He asks that the church pray for his protection and for the Gospel’s reach to grow. He closes with his own prayer that the church would have peace and grace. And he issues a reminder that we need, as well: we are created for work.

Work was at the center of the city of Thessalonica. It was a major industrial and cultural hub connecting Europe and Asia. The bustling city boasted a large harbor to accommodate the trade ships and an acropolis to protect it from attacks. Prominence in trade and strategic military position led to it becoming the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. So work, whether it be trade, military, or politics, was a major element of every Thessalonian’s life. 

So it makes sense that Paul and his team made work a component of their ministry in this city. During their three-week stay in Thessalonica, the team worked (most likely as tentmakers) to fund their own needs. Paul reminds the church of this work in his first letter, as well. First Thessalonians 2:9 says, “Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.” He further explains in 2 Thessalonians 3:9 that they took this approach “in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.” 

Paul reminded his readers that we were created for work, and the city of Thessonilica was the perfect place to demonstrate this principle taught in the scriptures.

• Genesis 2:15: The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 
• Proverbs 12:11: Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

The world has perverted work to be a goal idolized itself or a burden to escape, but God created work to be one of the ways we glorify His creation and we worship Him. It is His plan for us to use the knowledge, skills, and abilities that He gave us. 

In Thessalonica, those who didn’t work were “idle and disruptive. . .  they are busybodies.” These terms describe a lack of purpose, causing trouble, and wasting time fixating on what others are doing, instead of doing what the person himself is supposed to do. When we don’t work for our good and His glory, we miss out on His design for us and open ourselves to the enemy’s attack. Paul reminds the Thessalonians, and us, that we are created for work and to “never tire of doing what is good,” because it is our way to glorify God and to worship Him.

In the second chapter of this letter, we get to read about how Paul addresses the people of Thessalonica believing the misinformation being spread about Jesus’ second coming. It seems like he had to do this because people were teaching them that Paul said Christ had already come. Second Thessalonians 2:2 says“…by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.” 

This is a big deal because if Jesus came back and the Thessalonians weren’t justified, then their faith wasn’t what they thought it was. They were facing persecution each and every day for what they believed and were counting on Jesus to come back and save them. Paul gently reassures them that they will know when Jesus comes and reminds them of two things that will have to happen before he does: the rebellion will occur and the man of lawlessness will be revealed.  

But isn’t it interesting that they so easily forgot what Paul had already said in his first letter about the second coming? Let examine Paul and the Thessalonians and see what we can learn from them. First, Paul has to be so patient with the people he is discipling from afar. He already told them in his first letter (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11) about what it will be like when Jesus comes back. What a good reminder as we disciple younger Christians (or our own children) that things we say (or what the Bible says) can be so easily forgotten or watered down as time goes on. Always be ready to gently and confidently correct a misunderstanding.  

Second, the Thessalonians were quick to forget what Paul said and believe false teaching. This could be because as they heard the false teaching, they didn’t go back to his letter to check what was said. We would never be that silly…right? Wrong. How easily do we give into anxious thoughts about what will happen in the future and if we’ll be alright and look at God’s word to remind ourselves what He says about the future (Matthew 6:34, James 4:13-15, Proverbs 16: 9, etc).  

Whatever we struggle with or whatever lie we are believing, we can be reassured by God’s Word. There is truth to combat every lie from the enemy that can so easily trap us. If you are drowning in the enemy’s lies and don’t know what is true about you or the Lord’s character, call a trusted Christian friend and ask them to remind you!

In reading this chapter, we notice Paul’s thankfulness that this church is remaining faithful to the Gospel message and is growing in their faith both (personally and corporately). However, similar to our world today, the culture of Thessalonica and other teachings led to a misunderstanding of Paul’s words over the end times and Christ’s prophesied return. Paul writes again to correct these in this letter.

Paul compliments this church by saying, “We ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in midst of persecutions and afflictions you endure” (v. 4). He continues on in his encouragement to them that Christ, in His glorious return, will deal with the wicked, the oppressors, and all who willfully reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

There are two messages for us in this short chapter. First, verse nine sums up the result of unbelief, both then and today. The Message translation of scripture says, “Those who refuse to obey the message will pay for what they have done. Eternal exile from the presence of the Master and His splendid power is their sentence.” The thought of eternal separation from Christ and heaven is sobering and must motivate our hearts to share the gospel willingly and often with others. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” These words of Jesus give never ending purpose and fullness of life now to all who accept Him along with the promise of eternity in heaven. What good news to be shared with our world!

The second message comes in verse 10 and reminds us of our hope as believers: “When He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” Paul emphasizes here that all who believe can live expectantly in the truth and promise of Christ’s return. To live expectantly means to live with excitement that something good is about to happen. Scripture reminds us here that it will be a glorious day filled with awe and joy watching Jesus establish His kingdom of righteousness over earth and heaven. Let us all allow His love, goodness, and power to move purposefully within every aspect of our lives in readiness to rejoice with Him face to face in His victory for all of creation, and may we invite as many people as possible to join us.

The Good News of the Gospel assures us that through the death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, our sins have been forgiven; we have been reconciled with God and receive the promise of eternal life in Jesus. This promise of living forever with Christ allows Christ-followers to live with hope. When our time on earth comes to an end, heaven and eternity with Christ await. Paul taught this truth to the Thessalonians, and this chapter reminds them that the date on which Jesus will return is unknown. It could be tomorrow; it could be next year; it could be in 1,000 years. We do not know. We do know, however, His return will be unexpected like a “thief in the night.”

So, as we await Christ’s return, Paul instructs the church to be awake and sober. When we are awake, we are alert and ready. Wakefulness aligns with daytime and light. God is light. Jesus-followers have the light of life (John 8:12). We are called to let our light shine before others (Matt 5:16). Having this light and being “awake” requires that we live each day aware of God’s presence with the readiness to welcome Christ’s return. “Be on guard, keep awake.” These are Jesus’ words (Matt 13:33). 

To be sober means “free from intoxicating influences.” Any influences that drive us away from God inhibit our ability to be sober. Instead, we are to think and act on whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). Just as the sun brings us light each morning, we must be vigilant and unwavering in our effort to be sober-minded. Let us fix our thoughts on truth and not be lulled into earthly ways of living and thinking.

Paul’s final instructions to the Thessalonians address how to treat various groups of people, ranging from hard-working leaders to disruptive and difficult individuals. He encourages believers to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. These verses should be written on our hearts, reminding ourselves with each sunrise. And while we do not know the day of Jesus’ return, we know with confidence that He will return. May we be faith-filled and put our trust in God until that day comes. 

As Paul is addressing the church in Thessalonica, he uses this section of his letter to give practical instructions on how God wants them to live as Christians. He specifically addresses in this chapter for them “to abstain from sexual immorality” (v. 3). It’s important for us to know that at this time in the Roman Empire, fornication and sexual impurity were very prevalent and acceptable in the culture. Paul is reminding these believers that the purpose of the way they live their lives is to please God, not man.  As a result, they are to take their standards from God and not from the culture surrounding them. 

Verse 3 reads, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” Sanctification can sometimes feel like a big and confusing word, but at its core it simply means set apart. So in this scripture, Paul is waving a red flag to the Thessalonians and reminding them that they are to be set apart from the godless culture surrounding them and its sexual immorality. These words have been preserved through scripture so that we can heed Paul’s same warning today and we can learn from this chapter as Paul continues to give four reasons why believers should pursue sexual purity.

The first reason is “because the Lord is an avenger in all these things” (v. 6b). We can trust that God will punish sexual immorality because scripture repeatedly tells us so. Hebrews 13:4 plainly tells us that “…God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” In addition, Paul reminds the Thessalonians in verse 7 that “God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” Believers in Jesus have been called to live a life that looks like his. All forms of sexual impurity are simply inconsistent with who Jesus is. 

Paul continues in verse 8 to say that “whoever disregards this, disregards not man, but God…” Paul knew the dangers of seduction and the low standards of the society at large, so he’s reminding them that it doesn’t matter how you rationalize it, you reject God when you sin sexually.  

The last reason that Paul gives for pursuing sexual purity is at the end of verse 8 when he reminds us that God is “..who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” God knows that temptation is strong and that holiness requires hard work so he provided us with a resource for victory. John 14:26 tells us “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit will help you not only remember the things of God, but he will help you to be victorious over the things of this world. May we heed the advice and reminders that Paul gives the Thessalonians in this chapter and strive to be a people set apart from the world in our pursuit of purity.

Paul longs to see the Thessalonians again but there is someone stopping him: Satan (1 Thessalonians 2:18). The church was dealing with continuous persecution, and he is afraid that Satan’s tactics have taken root and distracted the church. In suffering, Christ followers are to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) knowing that God has something better in front of us (Romans 8:18). In other words, we have to be anchored and rooted in God’s eternal promise. In order to assess their spiritual health, despite his direct inability to go, Paul trains, equips, and sends Timothy. Timothy is to go establish and exhort them in their faith so that no one is “tempted and labors in vain”. If the enemy cannot keep us from eternal life with Jesus, he will distract us from experiencing that eternal life here and now (John 10:10, 14:6).

Paul was not simply content with them coming to salvation. He wanted them to grow in their faith, too. He knew well that no one stays stagnant in their faith. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14). 

Timothy returns with good news: the church is marked by faith and love. Their faith had indeed taken root and Paul simply rejoiced at God’s work in their lives. He desires to see them again and begins to pray for them. Of all the things Paul could have prayed for them, he prays for increasing love and confidence. “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” Love for one another is not something that can be fabricated by will power–it is drawn from the deep well of God’s love. The deeper we grasp God’s love for us, the more we love from the overflow. God’s love revealed in Christ victory is what anchors believers amidst suffering.

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is one of encouragement. It’s easy to see how deeply he cares about this body of believers and how eagerly he longs to see them again. In this chapter, Paul reminds his friends of his motive and method for preaching the Gospel in an effort to defend against criticism. He also reminds them of their eager reception of the Gospel to encourage them to stand firm in their faith. Let’s take a closer look at the method and reception of the Gospel in the following verses. 

The Method

• Not without results (v. 1)
• In the midst of suffering and opposition, toil and hardship (v. 2, 9)
• Not from error or impure motives or trickery (v. 3) but approved by God and entrusted with the gospel (v. 4)
• Not seeking to please people, but God (v. 4, 6) 
• Not with flattery or greed (v. 5)
• With gentleness & care (v. 7-8) 
• With integrity (v. 10)
• With encouragement (v. 11-12)

The Reception

• Accepted not as human word, but God’s word (v. 13)
• The word is at work in the lives of believers (v. 13)
• Became imitators of God’s churches (v. 14)
• Through suffering (v. 14)

Both Paul and the Thessalonian church can be examples for us today. When we receive the good news of the Gospel, do we accept it as God’s Word? Is it at work in our lives? Have we become imitators of God’s church? And as we share the Gospel with others, are we doing it with integrity, gentleness, and encouragement? Are we sharing with others absent of pride, people pleasing, flattery, and greed? These are questions for us to ponder as we seek to not only be hearers of the word, but doers of the word also (James 1:22). 

Verse 8 is a beautiful picture of the integration of evangelism and discipleship: “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” He shares the good news and he shows them the good news through his life. They get invited in to see first-hand what it looks like to live a life worthy of God.

First Thessalonians 1 consists of Paul’s prayer and deep gratitude towards the church in Thessalonica, their example in the faith, and their reputation. The letter starts with Paul addressing himself along with Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy. It is not clear why Paul added their names, but we do know that they were Paul’s co-workers in the work of the gospel on his second missionary journey. Something to note is that Paul’s ministry was marked by discipleship. He didn’t do it alone; he raised up leaders to pass on the ministry. Paul had the ministry of multiplication, which was the ministry Jesus intended as he commanded us to “go and make disciples” in Matthew 28. 

Paul continues saying, “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 2-3). Paul had a sincere love and concern for this church. He is thankful for their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in Christ Jesus. Paul reflects on God’s grace and goes to Him in prayer to show his gratitude for their faith. G.K. Beale, in his commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians, addresses this saying: “We will have a thankful attitude to the degree that we have a prayerful attitude. We will give thanks to the extent that we prayerfully consider God’s grace.” Thanksgiving towards God’s grace should lead us to prayer. 

Paul points to the reputation of the church in Thessalonica. What were they known for? They were known for being both receivers of the gospel and responders to the gospel. The gospel came to them in word, power, and in the Holy Spirit with full assurance. In response to hearing the message of good news, they became imitators of Christ despite persecution. Paul says, “And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (v. 7). They were the example to many others, and they set the pace for faithfulness. The work of God was evident in their lives. Paul continues saying that their faith in God has become known everywhere, and they have turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. Like the Thessalonians, would we be a people who are both receivers and responders to the gospel. Would we be marked by prayer, thanksgiving, and discipleship. Would we be known for our example and our faithfulness!