Académique Documents
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Culture Documents
Grant R. Osborne
series editor
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D. Stuart Briscoe
Haddon Robinson
consulting editors
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INTERVARSITY PRESS
DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS, USA
LEICESTER, ENGLAND
InterVarsity Press, USA
E-mail:wp@uccf. org.uk
©2003 by G. K. Beale
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In memory of my father-in-law, Bob Garrott, the best
father-in-law anyone ever had
and a model of Christian character for his family
and all who knew him (1 Thess 1: 6-7).
We were sad to see him leave this earth.
Nevertheless, at some point we will join him in
God's presence, if the Lord Jesus tarries, and ultimately
we will all rejoice together along with
the rest of God's saints in our resurrection bodies,
"and in this manner we will always be with the Lord"
(1 Thess 4: 18), knowing that Bob
and all Christ's followers who experience bodily corruption
will eventually be raised again from the dead
in order to be in God's presence forever
and glorify him unto eternity (2 Thess 1: 10, 12).
General Preface
In an age of proliferating commentary series, one might easily ask why add yet
another to the seeming glut. The simplest answer is that no other series has yet
achieved what we had in mind—a series to and from the church, that seeks to
move from the text to its contemporary relevance and application.
No other series offers the unique combination of solid, biblical exposition and
helpful explanatory notes in the same user-friendly format. No other series has
tapped the unique blend of scholars and pastors who share both a passion for
faithful exegesis and a deep concern for the church. Based on the New
International Version of the Bible, one of the most widely used modern
translations, the IVP New Testament Commentary Series builds on the NIV's
reputation for clarity and accuracy. Individual commentators indicate clearly
whenever they depart from the standard translation as required by their
understanding of the original Greek text.
We offer the series in hope that pastors, students, Bible teachers and small
group leaders of all sorts will find it a valuable aid—one that stretches the mind
and moves the heart to ever-growing faithfulness and obedience to our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Author's Preface
I am indebted to my wife, Dorinda, who has encouraged me in the writing of this
commentary and who has helped me to think through Paul's thoughts much more
clearly. I am also thankful to the congregation of the Orthodox Congregational
Church of Lanesville, Massachusetts, for their patience in listening to a series of
sermons based on part of this commentary and their helpful comments.
In order to understand any biblical book or ancient writing, one must discover as
much as possible about the situation addressed and the historical context. Who
wrote the work? To whom was it written? Where and when was it written? Why
was it written, and for what occasion was it written? Answers to these questions
are difficult to discover for some biblical books, but when they are available they
generally provide crucial clues to solving interpretive problems.
While in Athens Paul grew concerned about the stability of the Thessalonians'
new faith in the face of the trials they were enduring. Consequently, Paul sent
Timothy to determine their welfare and to build them up. Timothy returned with
a positive report that greatly encouraged Paul (1 Thess 3: 1-9). Leaving Athens,
Paul went to Corinth, where his proclamation of the gospel prompted Jewish
opposition once again (Acts 18: 1-17). This time certain Jews brought Paul
before Gallio, the Roman proconsul, on trumped-up charges. Documentary
evidence indicates that Gallio's time in office lasted at least from July 51 to June
52, so we can assume that Paul's year-and-a-half residence there overlapped
significantly with Gallio's (see Williams 1992: 9-10). However, Gallio may have
entered office a year or so earlier (see Morris 1959: 26), so we can conclude only
that Paul wrote both letters to the Thessalonians from Corinth, the second
presumably a few months after the first, in 50 or 51 (see Marshall 1983: 20-23;
cf. also Richard 1995: 7-8 for a date in the mid-40s).
Much debate revolves around why Paul wrote this epistle. No one seriously
disputes that Paul was worried about the welfare of his readers' faith and wrote
to encourage his new converts (so 3: 1-5). What is debated, however, is whether
or not Paul was encouraging them by offering an "apology" against accusations
undermining the integrity of his apostleship (especially in 2: 1-12) and by giving
them instruction deriving from Christian tradition. The material in 2: 1-12 fits
well into such an apology, but others understand this material merely as general
instruction by which Paul presents himself as an example to be followed. This
commentary argues that Paul intended to build up his readers both by defending
his integrity (e. g., 2: 1-12) and appealing to them to follow his own ethical
example and that of prior Christian tradition.
Some do not see this letter as apologetic in part because they downplay the
historical relevance of Acts 17, where both Jews and Gentiles in Thessalonica
oppose and accuse Paul of sedition. According to Acts 17: 7, the pagans of the
city viewed Paul as a traitor to Caesar both politically (as head of state) and
religiously (as head of the imperial cult). Moreover, the Jews would have seen
Paul as a defector from the true religion and as an illegitimate representative of
God. Though some scholars see nothing in Thessalonians to corroborate the Acts
account of Jewish opposition, there is good reason to see reference to such
adversaries in Thessalonica itself (1 Thess 2: 15-16; see also 3: 3-4).
On the other hand, among some of the strongest arguments supporting the
priority of 2 Thessalonians are the following (e. g., see Wanamaker 1990: 38-
39): (1) persecution that appears to be occurring in the present in 2
Thessalonians 1: 4-7 seems to belong to the past in the first epistle; (2) the
mention in 1 Thessalonians 5: 1 that the Thessalonians need no instruction about
the time of the parousia appears appropriate if they already had knowledge of 2
Thessalonians 2: 1-12 which explains signs that must occur directly preceding
the end; (3) the problem of the church's disorder seems like a new issue facing
the church, whereas it could be viewed as if it were an already existing problem
in 1 Thessalonians 4: 11-12 and 5: 14.
The problem with the arguments on both sides is that they are subjective and
can easily be understood by either perspective. The arguments either way are not
completely determinative. Nevertheless, the priority of 1 Thessalonians has the
most telltale objective support in the explicit mention of Paul's earlier "letter" to
Thessalonica (a reference Wanamaker, unsuccessfully in my opinion, attempts to
nullify by several counter arguments). This commentary agrees that the
arguments of the traditional view have more cumulative weight than the
opposing arguments. Consequently, the discussion throughout will assume that 1
Thessalonians preceded the second epistle. Some interpretations in the
commentary will depend to an extent on the traditional view, but ultimately none
stands or falls because of it. The general approach is that the two epistles
mutually illumine one another.
To understand the New Testament in its fullness, we must be familiar with how
the biblical authors viewed the "end times. " This may sound like an extreme
proposition, since many Christians only think of the end times as a period at the
very end of history. After all, can we not have an excellent understanding of the
New Testament without knowing exactly how the world is going to end? Are not
questions about the time of the rapture, tribulation and millennium secondary to
the salvation that Christ accomplished at the cross? We would answer these
questions affirmatively if the end times were a period coming only at the final
phase of history. Indeed, many Christians assume that Christ's death and
resurrection are events that happened at his first coming and thus are not closely
connected with events leading up to his second coming. But is this correct?
I believe not. The popular understanding in the church today that the latter
days concerns only the yet future end of the world needs correction. Both
nonevangelical and evangelical scholars increasingly recognize that the New
Testament authors understood the latter days not merely as future but as
beginning with Christ's first coming. Still, New Testament scholarship has been
atomistic and disjointed enough to prevent serious broad theological reflection
on the entire New Testament corpus. A good place to begin studying New
Testament eschatology is to survey briefly its explicit eschatological language,
though the concept of the end times is not restricted to where the actual
phraseology occurs. The phrase "latter days" and similar phrases occur about
twenty-five times in the New Testament, and only exceptionally do they refer
exclusively to the very end of history. They are used the majority of the times to
describe the end times as beginning already in the first century! Consequently, a
survey of these phrases in the New Testament demands that we reassess the
church's popular view of eschatology as dealing only with the future. The
purpose in this survey is to lay the foundation for the idea that all doctrine in the
New Testament is essentially eschatological in nature. This may be a radical
proposal in some Christian circles, and the following discussion may raise
questions that will not be able to be answered in this brief treatment. But the
hope is that the main point will be established as plausible (see further Beale
1997a and 1997b).
The New Testament repeatedly uses the same phrase ("latter days") as found
in the Old Testament prophecies, and the meaning of the phrase is identical,
except for one difference. In the New Testament the end days are understood to
find their beginning fulfillment with Christ's first coming. All that the Old
Testament foresaw would occur in the end times has begun already in the first
century and continues on into our present day. This means that the Old
Testament prophecies of the great tribulation, God's deliverance of Israel from
oppressors, God's rule over the Gentiles and the establishment of his kingdom
have been set in motion by Christ's death, resurrection and the formation of the
Christian church. The resurrection marked the beginning of Jesus' messianic
reign, the Spirit at Pentecost signaled the inauguration of his rule through the
church (Acts 1: 6-8; 2: 1-43), and the persecution of Jesus and the church
indicated the beginning of the final tribulation. What Old Testament writers did
not foresee so clearly from their vantage point was the reality that the kingdom
and the tribulation could coexist at the same time (see Rev 1: 9). Therefore, the
latter days do not take place only at some point in the future but occur
throughout the whole church age.
The formal plural wording "last days" first appears in the New Testament
canon in Acts 2: 17. Here Peter understands the tongues being spoken at
Pentecost as a beginning fulfillment of Joel's end-time prophecy that a day
would come when God's Spirit would gift not merely prophets, priests and kings
but all of God's people. Paul later says that the Old Testament was written to
instruct the Corinthian Christians about how to live in the end times, since upon
them "the fulfillment of the ages has come" (1 Cor 10: 11). He also refers to
Jesus' birth as occurring "when the time had fully come" in fulfillment of the
messianic prophecies (Gal 4: 4).
The author of Hebrews also proclaims that in his own day—"in these last
days"—Jesus had begun to fulfill the prophecy that God's Son would judge the
world's evil kingdoms and receive the earth as an inheritance (Heb 1: 2-5; cf. Ps
2: 1-12). In like manner, Hebrews 9: 26 says that Christ "has appeared once and
for all at the end of the ages" (see also Jas 5: 1-9; 1 Pet 1: 19-21).
This brief and incomplete survey demonstrates that the last days predicted by
the Old Testament began with Christ's first coming. Christ's death, resurrection
and the formation of the church have ushered in the fulfillment of the Old
Testament prophecies of the tribulation, the Messiah's conquering of Gentile
enemies, Israel's deliverance and the long-awaited kingdom. In this initial phase
of the end times, Christ and the church begin to fulfill the prophecies concerning
Israel's tribulation, deliverance from oppressors and kingdom, since Christ and
the church are seen by the New Testament as the true Israel (see, e. g., Rom 2:
25-29; 9: 6, 24-26; Gal 3: 29; 6: 15-16; Rev 1: 6; 3: 9; 5: 9-10).
Many evangelicals do not believe the Great Tribulation is here yet because
things do not appear bad enough. But what could be worse than the killing of
God the Son on a cross in the first century? That seems to be an appropriate
event to signal the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Certainly at the end of the
church's history there will be universal severe persecution more intense than
anything the church has ever experienced (Rev 20: 7-9), but this will be an
intensification of the already-present eschatological tribulation inaugurated at
Christ's first coming.
Of course, many end-time prophecies have not yet been fulfilled but will be
when Christ returns a second time (e. g., the bodily resurrection of all people, the
destruction of the present cosmos, the creation of a completely new heavens and
earth, the final judgment). As Christians we presently experience only a part of
what will be completely experienced in the final form of the new heavens and
earth. There is what some call an "already and not yet" dimension to the end
times. But the point of the present discussion is that the great end-time
predictions have already begun the process of fulfillment.
Indeed, the resurrection was predicted by the Old Testament to occur at the
end of the world as part of the new creation. God would make redeemed
humanity a part of the new creation by re-creating their bodies through
resurrection (Dan 12: 1-2). Of course, we still look forward to the time when our
bodies will be raised at Christ's final coming and when we will become part of
the consummated new creation. However, Christ's resurrection caused him to
become the beginning of the new creation. The resurrected Christ is not merely
spiritually the inauguration of the new cosmos but is literally its beginning, since
he was resurrected with a newly created physical body. Likewise, Paul says the
resurrection launched in Christ will be consummated when he returns (1 Cor 15:
22-24).
In the light of what has been said, the overriding idea of New Testament
theology can be stated as follows: Christ's life, death and resurrection through
the Spirit launched the end-time new creational kingdom for God's glory. The
kingdom of the new creation is the controlling conception of eschatology, and all
other eschatological ideas flow out of it. We can think of Christ's death and
resurrection as a diamond that represents the new creation. The various doctrines
of theology are the facets of the diamond, which are inseparable from the
diamond itself. It remains to be shown elsewhere how precisely this notion of
eschatology radically illumines and enriches the various major doctrines of the
New Testament, as well as how such doctrines relate to our own lives (see
further Beale 1997a).
In 1 Thessalonians we will find that this "already and not yet" notion of
eschatology is crucial to understanding such things as faith, hope and love (e. g.,
1: 3; 5: 8), sufferings (1: 6; 3: 3-4), Christian existence (5: 5-10) and false
teaching (5: 21-22). Likewise in the second epistle this eschatological lens will
help to bring into better focus that the expectation of the antichrist's coming has
already begun fulfillment (2: 1-7). The same lens will also provide a clearer
picture of such a mundane problem of people not wanting to work (3: 6-15).
The Argument, Its Development and the Major Theological Themes While
some have attempted to trace the themes in 1 Thessalonians, more recently
others have attempted to discern the development of the argument by means of
appealing to rhetorical or epistolary patterns. None of these has been satisfactory.
What is needed is a study according to a "discourse analysis" methodology.
"Discourse analysis" here means discerning the main logical point of each
literary unit (paragraph) through a logical analysis of the development of the
propositions in each unit and then tracing the logical development of the themes
from paragraph to paragraph and attempting to discover the main point of the
entire epistle. The only attempt to analyze the two Thessalonian epistles along
these lines has been done respectively by J. Callow (1982) and R. H. Sterner
(1998).
The main interpretive idea and theological emphases of the entire first epistle
can be formulated as follows: Paul thanks God for the Thessalonians' salvation,
gives them further instruction to complete their faith and prays for this in order
that they might please God by being holy and thus pass through the end-time
judgment.
Paul introduces the argument of the epistle by thanking God for the
Thessalonians because he sees in them the traits of God's end-time people, which
they should also recognize in him as Christ's authentic eschatological apostle (1:
2-5). This introductory thanksgiving extends beyond 1: 5 to at least 2: 12 and
probably beyond that, being explicitly picked up again with the thanksgiving of
2: 13- This opening section is the root from which the remainder of the letter
grows.
Paul implicitly continues to offer thanks for the readers' election in 1: 6-10
because he perceives that they have become imitators of him and of the Lord by
trusting in God despite suffering (1: 6). Consequently, they are effective
witnesses to the community around them because they are examples of believing
in Christ despite trials (1:7). The Thessalonians have done such a good job of
witnessing in the surrounding regions that Paul has no need to evangelize in
those areas (1: 8). Indeed, those to whom the Thessalonians have witnessed are
witnesses themselves (1: 9). Moreover, Paul's own powerful testimony among
the Thessalonians has inspired them to be similarly impressive witnesses. In
particular, Paul's unswerving desire to please God and his desire that others
please God impelled his own proclamation and left its indelible mark on the
readership, so that they are acting likewise (2: 1-12).
Paul begins a new segment in 2:17. The main idea of this section moves from
the thanksgiving of the previous segment to Paul's concern for the Thessalonians'
welfare, expressed by his desire to return to build up their faith and by his desire
that God establish their faith (2: 17—3: 13). Paul emphasizes his longing to be
with the Thessalonians again (2: 17-20), explaining that his assurance about their
triumphant faith forms part of his confidence concerning the victory of his own
faith at the eschaton. However, Satan somehow thwarted Paul's attempts to
return and might also be putting stumbling blocks in the path of their faith as
well (3: 5). So Paul sent Timothy to find out how their faith was continuing, to
strengthen their faith in the midst of trials (3: 2-4) and to report back to Paul (3:
1-2). In short, Paul was still concerned that the past effectiveness of his ministry
continue on into the present and future and thus not be in vain (3: 5).
Paul's anxiety about the faith of his flock (3:1-5) was joyously alleviated by
Timothy's report (3: 6-10). Instead of being concerned about the ongoing effect
of his ministry (3: 1-5), Paul was encouraged in his own faith by Timothy's
report. Paul thankfully acknowledges God's hand behind the readers' faith and
his own joy over this report in the context of prayer (3: 9), as he returns again to
the main point of thanksgiving. Almost in the same breath, Paul moves on to a
greater point than thanksgiving for divine blessings in the recent past, as he and
his colleagues pray that they will again see the Thessalonians in order to
continue to complete their faith, especially their love for others (3:9-11). The
great goal of completing their faith and the main point of all of 1: 2—3:13 is that
God would establish them in holiness in order that they would stand blameless
and pass successfully through the test of the final judgment (3: 13).
Paul begins the second major section of the epistle by indicating that it is
based on the first half of the epistle ("therefore" in 4: 1). He begins by building
on the preceding section, where he underscored his desire that God strengthen
the Thessalonians' faith in order that they weather the test of the last judgment
(3:11-13). In the remainder of the epistle Paul commands the new Christian
community on the basis of his confidence that God will empower them to
believe and obey. Thus, strengthening to endure the final eschatological
judgment is the major logical catalyst of this section. God promises to give
people ability to obey him and actually imparts that ability to them (1: 2— 3: 13)
and then issues commands to his people that they are able to obey (4: 1—5: 28).
To begin, in 4: 1-8 Paul develops the earlier themes of holiness (3: 3; 4: 3-4,
7), walking worthily of God in order to please him (2: 4, 12; 4: 1) and receiving
Paul's word as God's word (2: 13; 4: 2, 8). These things have become realities for
the readers because of God's gracious work in them, but they need further
development. Paul urges the readers to excel in pleasing God, since God has
already begun to work in them and they have already begun to please God in
response to earlier teaching and exhortations (4: 1). They are to continue to
please God by following God's commands to abstain from immorality and by
pursuing his call to holiness (4: 2-7). The alternative is to reject God and
displease him (4: 8) and thus incur his judgment (4: 6). Thus, everything in 4: 1-
8 (and up to at least 5: 11) supports the main point of pleasing God in 4: 1, so
that all that follows 4:1 are various ways saints are to please God.
After developing the notion of holiness in 4: 1-8 from the prayer at 3: 13, 4:
9-12 expands on another aspect of Paul's petition in 3: 12. Specifically, love for
those inside the church (4: 9-10) will result in loving the outside world by
providing a good witness to them (4: 10-11). In 4: 13-18 Paul continues his last
admonition in 4:11-12 that saints behave properly before the world in order to be
a good witness. Behaving properly and quietly further includes not grieving
about the death of loved ones like the world grieves (4: 13). Just as 4: 1-8 and 4:
9-12 expanded Paul's prayer for holiness and love (3: 12-13), so 4: 13-18
answers his prayer that God strengthen their hearts in faith and hope until Christ
comes again. Increasing in hope will cause an increase in holiness and result in
encouragement in present faith. As with holiness and love in 4: 3-12,
maintaining the hope of resurrection at Christ's coming and the resulting
encouragement of faith is likely still part of accomplishing the great goal of
pleasing God (4: 1).
Paul reaches the logical culmination of the epistle in 5:12-24. The beginning
of the section (5:12-22) expands on the preceding exhortations to encourage one
another (4:13; 5:11), which still echoes the goal of pleasing God. Paul designs
the initial part of the section, however, to promote his ultimate aim: sanctifying
saints in order to achieve peace in the community so that they will be preserved
to pass successfully through the test of the final judgment (5: 23-24). The final
grand purpose of the epistle, therefore, is weathering the eschatological test,
which returns to the same final main point of the first half of the letter in 3: 13.
By the time of the second epistle, the overconfidence about the end that Paul
opposed has now developed into an "overrealized" eschatology, a belief that in
some way Christ's second coming has already happened. Some apparently
believe that Christ's final appearing and the last resurrection of the saints have
already happened in some spiritual manner. Paul rejects this, noting at least two
signs that must occur before Christ's final return: the great apostasy and the
appearance of "the man of lawlessness" who will set himself up in the temple.
The end has not yet come since these two signs have not yet occurred. Some
have even stopped working because they believe the eternal Sabbath rest of the
new creation has begun. The problem of not working was also present in the first
epistle: some were so certain of the date of the end that they saw no reason for
mundane work but merely were preparing themselves for Christ's coming and
spreading their teaching about this imminent coming. This problem has become
exacerbated by the time of the second letter because of the overrealized end-time
perspective. Paul, therefore, responds to it in more depth (3: 6-15) than he did in
the first epistle, where it is barely touched upon (4: 11-12). Paul continues in the
second epistle to exhort his readers to work because the consummated new
creation and final resurrection have not yet come.
The general answer to the tension, then, is not to posit two different authors
but to see two different responses to two different eschatological belief systems.
One approach may be so emphasized in response to one kind of a situation that it
may be difficult to reconcile it with a different emphasis addressed to a different
situation. This, I believe, is the case in the two Thessalonian epistles. One can
explain the differences in eschatology as due to a change in circumstances. How
can Paul, however, still be considered to be consistent with himself, since his
teaching could be explained by some as self-contradictory and not merely a
matter of difference in emphasis? For this the reader is directed to the
commentary discussion at 2 Thessalonians 2, where the conclusion is reached
that indeed it is a matter of subtle differences of emphasis that are ultimately
reconcilable. The point to be made here is that Paul's apparently different
teaching does not have to be attributed to a different author.
There are other reasons given in support of an anonymous author of 2
Thessalonians, among which are that the second epistle appears to be a slavish
imitation of the first. Consequently, it is sometimes assumed that Paul would not
write a second letter in this manner; only a pseudonymous author would so
imitate another prior letter. Upon further reflection, however, the parallels are not
as strict as sometimes argued. But even if they were, one can ask why an author
should not have the liberty, for reasons unknown to us, to pen another letter to
the same group and follow the pattern of his earlier letter. Could this not be the
case especially if he were trying to get them to recall the content of the first
letter?
Other lesser important reasons are proposed for differences in authorship, but
the scope of the present introduction does not allow for thorough evaluation of
these. Most significant are: (1) other purported theological differences in
addition to the eschatological one noted above; (2) differences in tone, style, and
vocabulary from that of the first letter; and (3) differences in style and theology
in 2 Thessalonians in comparison to Paul's other epistles outside the
Thessalonian correspondence. These arguments are very close to the arguments
against Pauline authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus and can be responded to
in the same manner. Suffice it to say that the evidence adduced for an unknown
author of the second letter are subjective and depend upon one's interpretive
perspective. They make sense if one first assumes a pseudonymous author, but
other explanations of the same evidence make equally good sense. Indeed, I
believe the content and argument of the second epistle make better sense when it
is assumed that Paul wrote both epistles (on which see Marshall 1983: 28-45,
which I have broadly followed above and directly below; see also, e. g., Jewett
1986 for arguments favoring Pauline authorship of both epistles).
The Argument, Its Development and the Major Theological Themes The
above conclusion reached with respect to the contribution of rhetorical and
epistolary analysis to an interpretation of 1 Thessalonians applies equally to 2
Thessalonians. While some facets of such approaches may shed some peripheral
light, they are not crucial to the interpretive task in these epistles nor in any of
Paul's other writings. As with the first epistle, a discourse analysis will prove
more beneficial. Consequently, again we will trace the logical development of
the main point of each paragraph from paragraph to paragraph. In so doing, the
main point of the entire epistle may even be discovered. Simply put, the main
interpretive idea and theological emphases of the entire epistle can be formulated
as follows: God's people will not be judged but will achieve peace and God's
glory if they are not deceived by false teaching about Christ's final coming by
standing firm in the truth of Scripture and not forgetting it.
Such an analysis of the first chapter, though difficult, reveals that the
overriding idea to which everything else in chapter 1 points is the glorification of
God as expressed in 1: 10-12. Paul begins the chapter by giving thanks because
of the readers' faithfulness in the midst of suffering (1: 3-7), which God is
ultimately sending them through. The ungodly, who persecute believers, will
accordingly be punished by God, which will serve to vindicate the faithful saints
and also contribute to the divine glory (1: 6-9). Thankfulness and faithfulness in
trials now will lead them to be counted worthy of God's kingdom and will lead
them to glorify God later (1: 10-12).
Having established the main point in chapter 1 that God's glory will be
consummately accomplished at Christ's final coming, Paul responds to a
misguided understanding of both the nature and the timing of Christ's glorious
coming in 2: 1-2. In 2: 3-4 Paul summarizes the initial two verses and explains
why the false teaching mentioned in 2: 1-2 should not mislead saints. One can
know that the consummation of the ages has not yet taken place because two
signs remain to be seen: the final apostasy and the appearance of "the man of
lawlessness. "
The Thessalonians should not become deceived by this false teaching because
they should remember and stand firm in the truth Paul taught them. The apostle
has told them that there must be certain signs before the end can come. On the
other hand, Paul does not want them to become complacent and think there is no
serious threat to their faith until the end-time opponent makes his appearance on
the scene of history. Therefore, in 2: 6-7 Paul informs them that, even though the
antichrist has not yet come in person, he still can mislead them now. The reason
they are in real danger even before the physical coming of "the man of
lawlessness" is because "the [mystery] of lawlessness is already at work" (2: 7).
That is, the Old Testament prophecy that the antichrist will come and attempt to
deceive God's people has already begun to be fulfilled through the presence of
false teachers who are inspired by the spirit of the end-time fiend who is still to
come himself.
Paul then turns to what will happen exclusively in the future in 2: 8-12. God
is the one who ultimately holds back the antichrist from entering on the scene of
history (2: 6-7), so that when he finally appears, it is only because God has
decided that it is the right time (2: 7) to judge him. When the antichrist makes
his long-awaited appearance, his purpose will be to deceive the church on a
massive scale. If true saints are able to withstand the deceptions now, they will
not be judged with him and his followers later at Christ's final coming. At that
time, others within and outside the community will be deceived by the end-time
opponent and will be judged by Christ along with him.
Though it is possible that there is not a close thematic or logical link between
the preceding and 3: 1-18, certain links show that chapter 3 continues the
eschatological themes related to the false teaching of the preceding chapter.
Generally, chapter 3 builds on the subject of chapter 2 (false teaching about
Christ's return) and Paul's response in appealing to the church to stand strong
against such teachings by holding to the truth. For example, a discernible
connection between election (2: 13) and its effects (2: 14-17) continues in
chapter 3: not only will the elect be enabled to be obedient to God's precepts (2:
14-17), but they will desire to pray for and to carry out the evangelism of those
who have not yet heard the gospel (3: 1). Therefore, the commands of 2: 15 and
3:1 are logically parallel to each other, both having their ground in election and
being achieved ultimately by divine empowerment. Both 2: 13-17 and 3: 1-5
show that God's elect do God's bidding by God's power. The link to the directly
preceding context suggests that the motivation to pray (3:1) for the spread of the
gospel comes from realizing that the only hope for lost humanity is that God has
chosen them. This connection to the preceding passage also implies that, as a
consequence, God will work in their hearts so that they will believe.
Paul likely regards some of the "out of place and evil men" in 3: 2 from
whom he requests prayer for deliverance as spiritual relatives of the deceivers
spoken of in 2:1-3, 7. Paul probably conceives of the lawless spirit spreading
beyond the borders of Thessalonica, since false teaching arose in other churches.
On analogy with the parallel of 3:1, the broader sense of 3: 2 may be, "pray that
we may be delivered from out of place and evil men [just as you yourselves need
deliverance from such people), for not everyone has faith. " If so, the implied
phrase (in brackets) including the readers serves as the bridge for the directly
following statement in 3: 3a: "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and
protect you from the evil one. " The means by which Paul and his readers will lie
delivered from wicked and evil men is through God, "who will strengthen you
and protect you from the evil one" who inspires wickedness and false doctrine (i.
e., Satan, 3: 3). Because the Lord is faithful (3: 3) to his commitment to save his
elect by strengthening and protecting them throughout their lives from the evil
one's attempts to destroy their souls (3: 3), Paul can express "confidence in the
Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command" (3: 4).
As a consequence of this confidence, Paul is motivated to pray in 3: 5, "May the
Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. "
The relation of 3:1-5 to chapter 2 is difficult and deserves recapping. The first
paragraph of chapter 3 (3:1-5) begins with prayer for the advancement of the
gospel to unreached peoples (3: 1). The continued prayer of 3: 2 for deliverance
from evil men is a request that God remove obstacles from the expanding
movement of the gospel and achievement of divine glory. Then, 3: 3-5 give the
further means by which obstacles to the gospel will be removed. First, not only
will God remove opposition from Paul's ministry (3: 2), but also he will deliver
the Thessalonians from the same impediments, which ultimately originate with
the devil (3: 3). That is, the readers will continue to resist Satanic opposition
from within ("you are doing and will continue to do the things we command")
because God will empower them to do so (3: 5, to love and persevere in this
manner). The section concludes with a prayer (3: 5) that God will complete the
salvation of those whom he has begun to reach (so also 1 Thess 5: 23-24). The
goal of the first prayer (3: 1) is that God and his gospel will be honored, and this
is probably the implicit goal of the second prayer (3: 3) and thus the main point
of all of 3: 1-5.
Even the final greeting and farewell likely relate to the problem of false
teaching in the letter. Paul signs the letter to authenticate it and its teaching in
contrast to the false teaching and to circulating fraudulent epistles attributed to
him that also contain erroneous doctrine. This further underscores that the letter's
directives have Paul's authority and inspires confidence in the readers to fulfill
what Paul has enjoined upon them in order that they would arrive at the peaceful
condition in which Paul wants them. Similarly, the farewell invocation of grace
upon the community indicates, in context, that they will need God's grace to
carry out the instructions of the epistle in order that peace will he achieved. The
achievement of peace will bring glory to God, which is the final main point of 3:
1-5, picking up again the same main point of chapter 1, so that the main point of
the entire epistle is God's glory.
Outline of 1 Thessalonians
1: 1-----------Greeting
1: 2-5 -----------Paul Thanks God for Readers Who Display the Genuine
Characteristics of God's End-Time People
4: 1-8-----------I)o Not Reject God and Incur His Judgment but Desire to
Please Him
5:14-22-----------We Should Act Toward One Another in Ways That Make for
Peace
5: 25-27-----------Final Instructions
5: 28-----------Final Farewell
General Preface
Author's Preface
Introduction
Outline of 1 Thessalonians
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians
Outline of 2 Thessalonians
Commentary on 2 Thessalonians
Bibliography
COMMENTARY
1 Thessalonians
Greeting (1: 1)
We are all familiar with the way we introduce letters to one another: "Dear so
and so. " The word dear means "beloved, " but in most cases do not mean that
when we begin a letter. The word has become a mere polite form of address that
we use to introduce letters to anyone, known or unknown, to whom we write.
Paul, on the other hand, never pens introductory greetings as mere formal,
stylistic formulas but means every word he says. He cares deeply about the
people to whom he writes, and there is much feeling packed into his introductory
greetings. This is especially true of his letters to the Thessalonians.
Paul's greeting is not only from himself but also from Silas and Timothy. The
mention of these two people indicates at least that they are his fellow-workers in
the ministry, but it may also imply that they are his secretaries (see further Rom
16: 22; 1 Pet 5: 12; cf. 1 Cor 16: 21; Gal 6: 11; Col 4: 18; 2 Thess 3: 17). Both
Silas and Timothy accompanied Paul in his travels (Acts 15: 40—20: 2) and
preached alongside him (2 Cor 1: 19). Thus, although it is possible that they may
have had some part in writing this letter, it is just as likely that this is Paul's way
of commending them as faithful fellow-workers in the ministry or of indicating
that they were formally commissioned by Paul to deliver his letter (so Doty
1973: 30).
Paul's reference to the church (ekklēsia) is too often viewed through modern
lenses: a local group of Christians who meet on Sunday to worship God and
learn from his Word. The word church, however, must also be understood
against the background of the Greek Old Testament, where the word repeatedly
refers to the gathered congregation of Israel (see Schmidt 1972). In this light, the
Thessalonian church was part of the true Israelite congregation of God's people
who had been established by Messiah Jesus' latter-day redemptive work.
Further, Paul does not merely say that he is writing to the church of the
Thessalonians but to that church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
(see also 2 Thess 1: 1; cf. 1 Cor 1: 2; Eph 1: 1; Phil 1: 1; Col 1: 2). This fits into
one of the main purposes of the letter: to reassure the readers about the
genuineness of their faith in God and Christ as well as the genuineness of the
apostolic party as ambassadors of the true God. The Thessalonians have turned
from the old, false, idolatrous world in which they were spiritually located and
have entered "into [God's] kingdom" (2: 12) in order "to serve the living and true
God" (1: 9). They have exchanged the citizenship of one country for another,
better one, so that whether they are "awake or asleep, [they] may live together
with [Jesus]" (5: 10).
The point of Paul's close connection of God and Jesus Christ is to point to the
deity of the latter, which is further suggested by calling Jesus Lord (kyrios). The
clear implication is that the Father and Son are two divine persons (later clarified
in church history as two divine persons subsisting in one divine being). This
particular connection is also apparent throughout the two epistles, where the
names are similarly linked in order to indicate that the position or function of
God is also the position or function of Christ (1: 3; 3: 11-13; 2 Thess 1: 1-2; 2:
16; 3: 5; especially see below on 1 Thess 3: 11 in relation to 5: 23 and 2 Thess 2:
16 in relation to 3: 16; see further Warfield 1952).
What is the resulting benefit of the Thessalonians now standing in the realm
where God and Christ dominate? Paul's answer comes at the end of verse 1: that
grace and peace [should come?] to you. Is this a wish, a statement of fact or a
prayer? Perhaps it is best not to make these distinctions, since the context of both
letters makes it clear that the readers now benefit from God's grace and that Paul
also prays that God would continue to extend his grace to them in the future (for
the former, see 1 Thess 1: 3-6; 2: 13; for the latter, see 2: 11-12; 3: 10-13; 5: 23-
24). Hence, both the fact of their present blessed condition and their hoped for
future state is in mind in verse 1. Of course, the only way one can ever have
grace and peace is if one is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, a
relationship that one enters by turning from sin and unbelief to belief in "the
living and true God" (1: 9).
Indeed, this is the only letter of Paul's in which the introductory thanksgiving
is not limited to the opening paragraph but covers the span of the first three
chapters (see O'Brien 1977: 141-53). His opening thanksgiving extends from 1:
2 to 2: 12 and is formally picked up again in 2: 13 and 3: 9. The thanksgiving not
only assures Christians of the reality of their faith but also demonstrates that
Paul is an authentic spokesman of God.
As noted in the introduction (pp. 15-16), Paul wrote this letter because
opponents in Thessalonica were apparently casting doubt on his motives for
preaching the gospel and questioning the legitimacy of his claim to be God's true
spokesman (2: 1-6). Whether then or today, the confidence of one's own faith
can waver when there is no confidence in the sincerity and integrity of the
leaders who impart that faith. Consequently, Paul's discussion in the first three
chapters of this letter enforces a central concern that Christians be assured about
the reality of their faith. Paul begins to address this overall concern in 1: 2-5 by
thanking God for the Thessalonians because they display the latter-day marks of
God's elect people, which they should also recognize in him. Paul initially gives
thanks for the evidence of their genuine Christian experience (1: 2-3) and for
their election (1: 4-5) and concludes by urging them to reflect on how his own
apostolic calling and authentic faith were demonstrated among them (1: 5).
Thanksgiving Arises out of an Attitude of Prayer (1: 2) Paul gives thanks for
the Thessalonians because he discerns in them the traits of authentic Christian
living. As elsewhere in his letters, his introductory thanksgiving arises out of a
prior attitude and activity of prayer. The prayers placed directly after the opening
thanksgivings in his other letters almost always include some recollection of
God's gracious work in the lives of the Christian readers followed by various
expressions of concern that aspects of their faith grow and become increasingly
established (Rom 1: 8-11; Eph 1: 15-17; Phil 1: 3-6; Col 1: 3-11; Philem 4-6; cf.
2 Cor 1: 11). From this pattern we can discern that Paul first prayerfully
meditates on the experience of divine grace in the lives of believers and then
thanks God for it. Likewise, in 1: 2-5 Paul prayerfully remembers God's grace
that has been imparted to his readers (cf. 1: 6-10; 2: 13-14) but notes that he also
is concerned that their faith grow stronger (3: 1-8).
Paul gives thanks, then, because of what he prayerfully recalls about the
Thessalonians (1: 2). In fact, without a prayerful contemplation of divine
blessings, there can be no attitude of thanksgiving. If reflection on these things
does not occur continually or unceasingly, our thankful perspective will be
inconsistent and intermittent. The statement that Paul's thanksgiving occurs
always and that he remembers them continually is not to be taken in woodenly
literal terms but as figurative of a habitual activity or attitude (Best 1972: 66).
Paul is a spiritual parent to the Thessalonians (2: 7-8, 11), and just as little
children are never far from the thoughts of their parents, so Paul is continually
mindful of his children, the Thessalonians.
Thankfulness arises from at least three aspects of prayer (see also 5: 16-18;
Eph 5: 20; Phil 4: 6): (1) from reflection on how God has answered our prayers
in the past (whether with "no" or "yes"); (2) from adoration of God's person,
faithfulness and providential provisions for us in many spiritual and material
ways; and (3) from the occasions when we confess our sin and remind ourselves
that Christ paid the penalty of sin and overcame that penalty by rising from the
dead (cf. 1 Cor. 1: 4-6). Just as the Thessalonians were guilty of doing, we
impoverish ourselves when we do not prayerfully reflect on what it means that
we have experienced God's grace, and such theological impoverishment
produces an unthankful attitude. 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.
The first characteristic marking the Thessalonians out as God's true people is
their work produced by faith. This likely is not a mere reference to good works
but to deeds done in overt service to God, since this is the typical meaning
elsewhere for the word. In particular, their work of evangelization may be in
mind (1: 8; 2 Tim 4: 5). The second attribute Paul observes among the Christians
is their labor prompted by love. Labor, although a different word from work, is
also something done in service to God. The love Paul speaks of (agapē) includes
love not only for God but also for fellow Christians (3: 6, 12; 4: 9; 5: 13) and
even for those outside the church (3: 12). God's unconditional love poured out in
our heart is the unique force impelling us to love him (Rom 5: 5) and others and
to express such love concretely (1 Jn 3: 14-8). Genuine faith and love produce
works, without which people cannot say they have authentic faith and love.
Paul describes the last quality of the ethical triad as endurance inspired by
hope. Endurance refers to a faith that persists even through trials because of the
end-time hope in Christ's coming and related events. The fact that this threefold
clause concludes with hope and not love has a strange ring, since we are more
familiar with the formula "faith, hope and love" (1 Cor 13: 13). In all likelihood
Paul varies the order to match the circumstances and problems of his readers.
The danger for the Thessalonians lay in losing hope in Christ and his coming
because of false teaching, so Paul underscores endurance inspired by hope in our
Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim 6: 11; 2 Tim 3: 10; Titus 2: 2).
People sometimes think of faith, love and hope as mere traits of the so-called
"spiritual" Christian, but this foundational phrase describes how any Christian is
able to weather the stormy trials of the end-times. But why does Paul say that the
first-century Thessalonian Christians had these end-time qualities, since many of
us in the twenty-first century do not even think that the end-times have yet
begun? The straightforward answer is that the latter days had already begun even
in the first century (see "The Theological Context of the Thessalonian Epistles"
in the introduction). Hope is thus placed last after faith and love to emphasize
the latter-day character of the whole triad, which is made clearer by the context
of the letter. Each chapter of the epistle concludes with reference to Christ's
imminent coming and related events, which further develop the last phrase of 1:
3 ("steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and
Father, " NASB).
The only other place in the epistle in which these three attributes occur in
almost identical form is 5: 8, where together they refer to the spiritual armor
needed by Christians to survive the turmoil of the last days (cf. 3: 10-13). As we
will see later, even this period of waiting is part of the "last times, " since Christ's
coming could occur at any moment. The Thessalonian Christians were faced
with a kind of false teaching in the form of slanderous propaganda against Paul
and their own faith, but they had endured such end-time trials because of their
faith, love and hope. While one of the themes of the epistle is to commend them
for this, Paul's ultimate motive is to urge them to continue to endure because of
mounting opposition to their faith in Christ and his return (cf. 1: 6; 2: 2, 14).
The recollection in verse 3 of the triad of attributes serves together with the
prayerful reflection of verse 2 to continue to undergird the giving of thanks at the
beginning of that verse, so that thankfulness continues to be the primary point.
Too often churches today tend to give thanks only for visible and quantifiable
realities such as a new building, an increase in membership and an increase in
giving. Paul gives thanks for more unquantifiable realities such as faith, love and
hope, which are needed to inspire good works on the visible level (see Gaventa
1998: 15).
The fact that Paul thanks God, not the readers, for their election shows that
they contributed nothing to accomplishing their own salvation but that they were
the object of an unconditional divine act (see Best 1972: 70-71; 2 Thess 2: 13,
15). The statement that they had been loved by God emphasizes either the idea of
election or gives the divine motivation of it. Such an idea of election is foreign to
many today because of the mentality that emphasizes individual self-
determination and autonomy. We often think that self-determination apart from
any other influence is a necessary presupposition for humans to have moral self-
worth. On the contrary, Paul sees that human significance has its foundation only
in God's free grace (see 1 Cor 4: 7). Granted, interpreters debate whether
salvation is rooted ultimately in a human decision of independent self-
determination or in God's absolute choice of people. This commentary believes
that the evidence of Thessalonians, and of Paul in general, reflects the latter
view.
Some of the Puritans anticipated later queries about election by a hyper-
introspective questioning of whether or not anyone could have assurance that
one is elect. But William Hendriksen is likely correct in viewing 1: 4 as a
"repudiation of the position of those who say that one can never really know
whether he or whether anybody else is included in God's eternal decree of
election" (Hendriksen 1979: 48). The apostle claims knowledge of this reality
among the readers and so implies that they and we should also have assurance of
it. Likewise, 2 Peter 1: 10-11 states: "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more
eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you will do these things
[good works] you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the
eternal kingdom. "
Paul explains in 1: 5 that he discerns their election, not only because of their
faith, love and hope, but also because of the effective working of God's word
that was present in the apostolic preaching and that led to their conversion
experience (cf. 2: 13-14). The word was effective because the power of God's
Spirit had produced a great conviction of faith in the preachers and such
conviction spilled over into the hearers. That both the proclaimers and the
hearers are in mind is apparent from the phrase our (the proclaimers) gospel
came to you (the hearers).
The triad of power, Holy Spirit and deep conviction is probably related to the
triad of 1: 3, since the external work, labor and endurance of 1: 3 appear to have
their source in the internal, effective working of God's word that was active in
the proclamation and carried over into the hearts of those who received the
message. We can expect to have no works of faith, labor of love or endurance of
hope without the gracious work of God's Spirit in our lives, as 1: 6 also makes
clear (see also Rom 15: 13, 18-19; 1 Cor 2: 4-5; 2 Cor 6: 6-7). When we discern
such attributes in ourselves, we may have assurance of the Spirit's work in our
salvation. This was Paul's rationale in helping the Thessalonians not to lose hope
but to be assured of God's true work in their lives. As F. F. Bruce says, the deep
conviction refers to "a deep inward persuasion of the truth of the gospel, a token
of the Holy Spirit's work in their hearts, more impressive and more lasting than
the persuasion produced by spectacular or miraculous signs" (Bruce 1982: 14).
Could Paul have conceived of this? One answer lies in Paul's explanation that
the only way he has of knowing that people are truly believers and elect is not
because of some supernatural apostolic gift but because the preaching of the
gospel was delivered with such power that it did not return void (1: 4-5; cf. Is
55: 11). Paul knew that such powerful preaching was accomplishing God's
effective call to the elect in Thessalonica (see also 2 Thess 2: 13-14). Paul's
proclamation was not merely heard and given lip service, but there was
discernible spiritual effect. The effect of power and the Holy Spirit and deep
conviction evident in the preachers was also evident in the Thessalonian
Christians, as Paul reiterates in 1: 6-10.
Thus, the lifestyle traits of 1: 5-10 are an expression of works of faith, love
and hope (1: 3), without which we cannot have assurance of our salvation.
Professing Christians who lack such qualities as a bent of their lifestyle really
reject "God, who gives you his Holy Spirit" (4: 8). Likewise, the ethical
imperatives throughout the epistle reveal Paul's assumption that the readers are
truly saved, since unregenerate hearts are unable to respond to commands
intended only for true members of Christ's church. Augustine acknowledged this
reality in his well-known autobiography: "Give me the grace to do as you
command, and command me to do what you will!" (Confessions 10. 29). Paul
would heartily concur that confession of faith with the mouth contradicted by a
disobedient life reveals an unbelieving heart that needs regeneration in order to
obey God (see 5: 23-24).
The main point of 1: 4-5 must not be lost from sight. The primary point of
thanksgiving in 1: 2-3 continues on into 1: 4-5: recognition of the evidence of
one's election is the ground from which thanks to God swells up; since God is
the one who elects and ultimately inspires good works in people (see Phil 2: 13),
he, not they, is the one deserving to be thanked.
Thus the last clause of 1: 5 underscores further Paul's desire that the
Thessalonians be assured of their own faith by perceiving that Paul and his co-
workers are genuine divine messengers. This assurance is to come through their
reflection on how the apostles' message was communicated with the effective
power of God's Spirit. The phrase for your sake indicates that Paul's preaching
was for the readers' advantage and not for selfish motives (Frame 1912: 82).
Paul's divinely powerful and effective proclamation illustrated by his godly way
of living should reassure the readers that they really are elect and loved by God
(similarly Calvin 1984: 242).
Verses 2-5 form the beginning of Paul's initial thanksgiving, which extends
all the way to 2: 12. Yet already Paul has set the tone for the entire epistle and
provided the "seed-bed" from which all of the major ideas of the letter grow. In
sum, Paul gives thanks to God for the readers' end-time faith, which is grounded
in recognition of the genuine traits of godly character in them and in the
messengers who originally proclaimed the gospel to them. If there was no true
message delivered by authentic and legitimate divine spokesmen, there could be
no genuine faith on the part of those who hear, and there would be nothing about
them for which to give thanks.
Too often Christians become bitter toward God, depressed or weak in faith when
severe trials come upon them. Some Christians wonder why they are struck with
a terminal or debilitating illness; others wonder where God is when their
business collapses and they have to declare bankruptcy; still others feel that they
have lost touch with God when they experience the breakup of a marriage or the
death of a loved one.
Such trials are not limited to modern Christians. Though suffering is part of a
fallen world, 1 Thessalonians 1: 6-10 explains that it is not accidental nor out of
control but that God has a purpose for it. God has good reasons that not only
individual Christians should suffer but that even entire churches should
experience severe trials. According to these verses, an effective witness results
when the church becomes an example of faithfulness in the midst of suffering by
imitating Christ and the apostles.
The Thessalonians imitated the pattern of faithful living that had been
displayed by the apostles and Christ. The apostles are mentioned first because
the Thessalonians had first become attracted to the "model copies" of Christ and
then through these apostolic representatives to Christ. Thus Lenski writes, "so it
is the reflection of Christ in us that today induces others to become Christlike"
(1937: 228).
The phrase in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the
joy given by the Holy Spirit explains precisely how they became imitators. The
Christians in Thessalonica received the apostolic message in the same faithful
manner as Christ and the apostles had lived their lives. That is, both Jesus and
his disciples had maintained joy in the midst of trials, especially persecution.
Jesus himself had "endured the cross, scorning its shame" because of "the joy set
before him" (Heb 12: 2). Paul likewise could sing for joy while suffering in
prison (Acts 16: 25; see further Mt 5: 11-12; Acts 5: 41; 2 Cor 7: 4; 8: 2; Phil 2:
17; Col 1: 24; 1 Pet 1: 6; 4: 13; Rev 1: 9; 2: 9-11). The Thessalonian saints could
walk no other path than that which Jesus and the apostles had already trod.
The Thessalonians needed this exhortation because they had undergone and
were undergoing persecution (Acts 17: 1-9; 1 Thess 2: 14-15; 3: 3-4; 2 Thess 1:
4-7). They had begun to respond to persecution in the right manner, and Paul
wanted them to continue to do so. How had they responded properly in the face
of suffering? They had received God's word with joy, not because they were able
to draw from their own innate resources but because they were the beneficiaries
of divine resources: their joy was given by the Holy Spirit. Just as faith is a gift
of God (Eph 2: 8; Phil 1: 29), so is the joy that Christians are able to display,
even when they are suffering. Indeed, suffering itself is a divine gift (Phil 1: 29)
that God plans for his people (1 Thess 3: 2-3).
From the divine perspective, believers are able to respond with joy because
God's Spirit inspires it in them. From the human perspective, however, why
would anyone take pleasure in suffering? First, suffering is God's will, and we
are to rejoice in God's will (see 5: 16-18). True joy comes only from knowing
God and his will and then doing his will, the outcome of which is certain. Like
soldiers in the final days of a winning campaign, we are driven on to endure
suffering, propelled not only by the present pleasure from beginning decisive
victories but also from knowing that the great final victory will bring
unimaginable joy. Paul has already alluded to such a "hope" of victory on the
Thessalonians' part (1: 3), and he will return to it repeatedly in the remainder of
this letter (1: 10; 2: 19-20; 3: 13; 4: 13-18; cf. Mt 5: 11-12; 1 Pet 4: 13).
Although we should take joy in suffering because it is the divine will, that is
not what is foremost in Paul's mind here. He has a second, more explicit reason
about why we should have joy in trials. What happens when Christians are not
begrudgingly faithful but actually take pleasure in afflictions? Verses 7-10 give
two results of such an unusual response to sufferings.
Joyous Faith in Affliction Provides a Model of Faith for Others(1: 7-8) The
effect (hōste) of the readers imitating the apostles' and Christ's faith was that
they themselves became examples of faith for others in the outlying region. The
Thessalonians were influenced particularly by Paul's own reaction to suffering
with faith and joy, which resulted in an effective witness to others (Acts 5: 40—
6: 1; 16: 22-34; 2 Cor 4: 7-16; Col 1: 24; 1 Thess 2: 2). As already noted, the
Thessalonian Christians had believed in Christ despite suffering and persecution
(Acts 17: 1-9; 1 Thess 3: 3-5), and as they continued to persevere, they
influenced others in the surrounding towns to believe in Christ and to continue to
live a faithful life, despite whatever persecution might come.
The readers were a witness not only by their exemplary lives but were also
effective in their verbal testimony: the Lord's message rang out from you. It is
significant that the lifestyle model of the Thessalonians is mentioned first as
influencing others before their actual activity of proclaiming the gospel. God has
ordained that the proclaimed gospel be effective when it is backed up by the
godly examples of the proclaimers. Thus God may bring suffering on many in
the church in order that it have a corporate witness and, hence, an effective
witness (cf. 3: 3-4). When a group of Christians faces trials with joyous faith,
unbelievers take notice because it is an amazing exception to the way the
unbelieving world faces suffering. Such faithful living shows the supernatural
power of God.
To the degree that people elsewhere had heard and been influenced by the
Thessalonians' faith, to that degree Paul did not have to start from scratch in his
evangelistic efforts in those areas. Paul's Thessalonian converts imitated his faith
to such an extent that his own evangelistic efforts were greatly aided in areas that
they had evangelized or that had heard of their faith. In fact, the focus is not only
on how the Thessalonians had believed but also on how fruitful Paul's visit had
been among them, so that this report was making the people whom he visited
more willing to receive him with eagerness and to hear what he had to say
(Marshall 1983: 56). The reason (gar, 1: 9) for this favorable reception was that
the Thessalonians' own converts were now proclaiming both the gospel and how
the Thessalonians themselves had first believed.
What was it about the Thessalonians that their own disciples had heard? They
likely had heard and seen that the Thessalonians had faith and joy in affliction.
Furthermore, they had heard what the Thessalonians had believed that enabled
them also joyfully to endure suffering: they had turned to God from idols to
serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he
raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath (1: 9-10).
This is a threefold description of the genuine Christian life: turning from earthly
idols to serve God and to wait for Christ's deliverance of his people from final
judgment at his second coming. This was the message that the new converts of
the Thessalonians were preaching. Since the language of this description is
typically un-Pauline, it may be that Paul is quoting those circulating the report
about the Thessalonians (Richard 1995: 73-74; though cf. Paul in Acts 14: 15:
"turn from these worthless things [idols] to the living God"). The threefold
aspect of Christian living here may be a further reflection of the threefold
description of faith, love and hope found initially in 1: 3.
That they were now serving the living and true God, in contrast to their
former loyalty to idols, indicates that the idols represented spiritual death. These
false gods did not exist (Morris 1959: 63; cf. Ps 115: 3-8), though behind the
idols were demons who sought to keep people deceived and separated from God
(see Deut 32: 15-18; Ps 106: 36-37; 1 Cor 10: 19-21). Jeremiah 10: 10 is the
closest Old Testament parallel to 1: 9-10: "But the Lord is the true God; he is the
living God" (Marshall 1983: 57; Ellingworth and Nida 1975: 15). Paul is
probably even alluding to Jeremiah, since the next part of Jeremiah 10: 10 says
"at His wrath the earth quakes" (NASB), and the entire context is an explicit tirade
against idolatry, contending that idols are false. Thus the Christian church, the
continuation of the true Israel to whom Jeremiah spoke, is to turn from the idols
of this world and to serve God until the end of time. In this light, the awkward
phrase of 1: 8, "your faith toward [pros + article "the") God" (smoothed out in
NIV as your faith in God) foreshadows the readers' act of turning "toward [pros +
article "the"] God from idols" in 1: 9 (Richard 1995: 72-73).
Those who persist in idolatry do not await one who will save them from the
coming wrath but rather one who will express his judicial wrath toward them
(see also Eph 5: 5-6; Col 3: 5-6). Christ has already suffered the end-time wrath
for his people at the cross, so at the final end of history he will return to deliver
them from suffering along with unbelieving humanity. Paul mentions Jesus'
resurrection here because this is what preceded his ascent to heaven, from where
he will appear to raise his people from the dead (Marshall 1983: 59).
In the larger context, we learn that Christians become models of faith when
they maintain joy and faith in affliction. One of the divinely intended purposes
of suffering for God's people is that they should become examples of faith. Such
faithfulness in suffering and persecution also shows that Christians have a loose
grip on things of this world because they live with the continued expectation of
Christ's imminent coming (see also Rom 8: 23; 1 Cor 1: 7; Phil 3: 20; Gal 5: 5;
Tit 2: 13). Yet Paul also continues to underscore his own authentic character as
God's true spokesman in these verses by focusing on the fact that the readers
imitated his faith (1: 6) and by the recollection that his ministry among them was
effective in that they believed in the true God (1: 9-10).
Desiring to Please God Results in Bold and Effective Witness (2: 1 12)
Ironically, one of the greatest obstacles to the spread of the gospel is the
church itself. It is not hard to recall Christian leaders from the past twenty years
who have been so immoral and greedy that even the world itself has been
repulsed. Many Christians might think they are above such gross sins, but Paul
warns them, "if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall" (1
Cor 10: 12). So how can Christians prevent themselves from the infection of
moral decadence that influences the world not to be attracted to the gospel? Paul
explains in this section what kind of motives Christians should have to enable
them to remain pure and effective witnesses in a dark world. Simply put, Paul
teaches that desiring to please God and desiring that others please God results in
a bold and effective witness. He elaborates on the first motive in 2: 3-4 and on
the second in 2: 5-12. Both motives are given as reasons for the boldness and
effectiveness of Paul's ministry in Thessalonica (2: 1-2), which then undergirds
the narration of the Thessalonians' own amazing witness in 1: 7-8.
Paul's witness was not a failure because, despite opposition to his preaching,
he dared to tell the gospel of God. The word kenos can be rendered "in vain" and
mean that the content of Paul's preaching was not empty of truth or that the
effect of his ministry was not empty, since there was much fruit (NIV and most
translations follow the second option). The former would form a better contrast
with we dared to tell you his gospel in 2: 2 and would be an appropriate
argument against accusations of underhanded motives in preaching (Moore
1969: 33). However, several arguments favor the latter understanding. First, as
noted above, 2: 1 is parallel with 1: 9, which focuses on the effect of Paul's
preaching on his hearers. Consequently, the meaning here likely relates to the
effect of Paul's visit, namely, that it was not in vain. In addition, the meaning
"empty effect" is more typical of Paul's use of kenos elsewhere (six times),
though the notion of "empty content" does occur (1 Cor 15: 14; Eph 5: 6; Col 2:
8). Finally, Paul's only other use of the word in the Thessalonian epistles
expresses his fear that his labor among the readers had been in vain (3: 5; NIV
"useless"; see Marshall 1983: 62-63).
Where did Paul's boldness come from? Verse 2 says literally that he "was
bold in our God to speak. " This could mean that Paul was able to proclaim
boldly with the help of God, so that it was divine power that provided Paul's
boldness (so NIV and other translations; cf. 4: 1, 15). More likely, however, is the
idea that Paul was bold, not merely toward people, but even in God's presence
(en to theō or "before God"). That Paul has in mind boldness before God is
apparent only two verses later, where he states: "we speak as men approved by
God,... who tests our hearts" (2: 4). Similarly, the notion of speaking boldly in
the sphere of God's presence is evident, since the end of 2: 2 clearly expresses
with the same grammatical construction the sphere in which Paul was bold to
speak, literally, "in the midst of much opposition. " It was in this sphere that Paul
dared to tell, a phrase that carries the idea of feeling free or fearless to speak.
Paul spoke frankly in the presence of the God who witnessed to his integrity (see
2: 5, 10).
Boldness in Witness Derives from Pure Motives (2: 3-4) At times Christian
leaders and speakers are persuasive and effective in their preaching but are found
out to be leading a lifestyle caught up in financial corruption or sexual
immorality. Clearly, such individuals have corrupt motives for being in the
ministry. Such a thing is not unique to our age and Christian culture. Some in the
first-century church had corrupt reasons for wanting to be teachers. The New
Testament describes these teachers as having "eyes full of adultery.... They
seduce the unstable.... They mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to
the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people.... They promise
them freedom while they themselves are slaves of depravity" (2 Pet 2: 14, 18-19;
cf. Jude 7-8, 16; Rev 2: 14, 20).
Paul was likely also being accused of having bad motives for being in the
ministry. His confident words in the eyes of his antagonists were, no doubt,
"empty, boastful words. " Why, then, was Paul bold before God and people in
telling the gospel to the Thessalonians? Two reasons are given (2: 3-4, 5-12).
The first reason was "because" (note the repeated use of gar in 2: 3, 5) his appeal
was not from error or impure motives or an attempt to trick them. The apostle's
preaching was not motivated from a desire to lead people into error nor from an
appetite for immoral sexual gratification or designs to deceive anyone.
What motivated Paul zealously to carry out his mandate to spread the gospel?
The answer lies in 2: 4, which is set as an explicit contrast with the impure
motives of 2: 3: above all else, Paul sought to please God. This was why he had
a bold (2: 2) and effective witness (2: 1). Sin occurs when we want to please
people so badly that we sometimes do so in wrong and worldly ways. But when
we want to please God, concerns for pleasing the world do not affect us as much.
We need to align our thinking with Paul, who was not trying to please men but
God (see also Gal 1: 10).
Paul's message originated, not from corrupt intentions, but from a God-
approved heart. The words approved and tests at 2: 4 are identical in the Greek
(from dokimazd) and can mean "examine, test" or "approve. " Sometimes,
however, the verb carries both nuances, which is viable here, so that "approve as
a result of examining or testing" may well be the thought. Approved is used in
the past tense to indicate that the examining and approval had occurred in the
past, but tests is in the present tense, "emphasizing the continuing aspect of
God's testing" and approving (Ellingworth and Nida 1975: 25-26).
Paul underscores God's ongoing attesting activity by twice noting that God is
a witness in the following verses (2: 5, 10). Though his motives were
condemned in the world's courtroom (e. g., Philippi: 2: 2; Acts 16: 11-40;
Thessalonica: Acts 17: 5-9), Paul is vindicated in heaven's courtroom. Armed
with the knowledge that he is backed by divine approval, Paul has robust
confidence in being God's legal ambassador (see 2 Cor 2: 17; 4: 2; 12: 19; cf. 11:
13). The language of testing the heart has parallels in the Old Testament and
implies that Paul has confidence like the Old Testament prophets before him,
whose hearts were tested by God and who went forth boldly knowing they had
been approved by God as authorized prophets (dokimazd + kardia in 2: 4 and Ps
17: 3; 26: 2; Jer 11: 20; 12: 3; 17: 10). Paul is not confident and courageous
about vague theology, but he is so about the specific truth of the gospel, which
he has already partly defined in 1: 9-10.
In contrast to many today, including some in the church, who gain confidence
from the approval ratings of polls, Paul was concerned only about one person's
approval—God's. The source of our proclamation should be a heart that is
confident before God because God himself knows our heart and that our sole
motive is to please him. With such assurance of God's approval, neither worldly
nor evil superhuman powers should tempt us to quiver about taking a high
profile in our faith.
Put another way, the sole motive in evangelizing is not trying to please men
but God. Paul uses the same word for "pleasing" (aresko) to speak of a loyal
soldier pleasing a superior officer by not becoming entangled in worldly things
that distract from one's military service (2 Tim 2: 4). A military officer is
delighted to see enlisted soldiers obeying orders in the midst of battle and not
distracted by other civilian concerns. God delights in us when we are loyal to
him despite worldly pressures impinging upon us. Thus we should always ask if
what we are doing pleases God. Efforts to expand the kingdom by disseminating
the gospel in integrity particularly give God pleasure. Those, however, who
thwart such expansion (see 1 Thess 2: 15-16) or who have worldly motives
behind their efforts to evangelize (as seen, e. g., in 2: 1-7) are especially
displeasing to him. Our only motive in doing anything as a Christian should be a
heartfelt desire to please God. May we not be people who honor God with our
lips but whose hearts are far from him (see Mk 7: 6).
Boldness in Witness Derives from Love (2: 5-12) Most of us have probably
seen evangelists and other Christian speakers on television. Unfortunately, some
of them have engaged in ministry, at least in part, out of greed or for self-glory.
These people have been concerned more with their own self-interests than with
ministering to the needs of the audience. Some have been so engrossed in self-
seeking that they have even broken the law and been imprisoned or defrocked
from their ministerial denominations.
Such religious charlatans existed before the media age. Indeed, there have
been religious frauds throughout history, including Paul's day. Some pretended to
be Christian, but many represented other religions and philosophies, traveling
from town to town and seeking their own benefit. The goal of all was generally
to deceive people in order to obtain selfish advantages such as money, sexual
favor or self-glory. The problem was so prevalent that the second-century satirist
Lucian wrote an entire work about those who "went about the country practising
quackery and sorcery, and 'trimming the fatheads'—for so they style the public in
the traditional patter of magicians" (see Alexander the Quack Prophet 6-8).
Paul traveled in the midst of this world. Those who rejected Paul's message,
persecuted him and ran him out of Thessalonica (cf. Acts 17: 1-10) likely viewed
him in the same category as the false teachers. The fact that there were also
purported Christian teachers within some of the churches acting similarly to the
pagan pseudoprophets would only have compounded the suspicion surrounding
Paul (cf. 2 Cor 11: 13-15; 2 Pet 2: 1-3, 13-19, Jude 16; Didache 11-12). To
"preach Christ out of selfish ambition" was certainly not an unknown
phenomenon even in Paul's own churches (Phil 1: 17).
How should one respond to such accusations? The Stoic philosopher Seneca,
who lived in Paul's day, advised that people should allow only those to influence
them "who teach us by their lives, who tell us what we ought to do and then
prove it by practice, who show us what we should avoid, and then are never
caught doing that which they have ordered us to avoid" (Epistulae Morales 52.
8, cited in Wanamaker 1990: 108). Paul, for his part, truly practiced what he
preached. Thus 2: 5-8 give a second reason (note the gar ("for"], omitted in NIV)
that Paul was so valiant in speaking the word in the face of opposition: Paul
loved the Thessalonian Christians as if they were his own children—indeed, they
were so spiritually—and he sacrificed everything in order that they would know
and grow in the truth.
Paul's goal was not to seek glory from anyone. When people become
Christians, they sometimes think too highly of those through whom they came to
Christ. Paul did not want that to happen to his children in the faith. This is why
he says, in 2: 6-7, that even though as apostles of Christ we could hai>e been a
burden to you,. we were gentle among you. Paul could have "thrown his weight
around" for financial (see 2: 9) or other selfish advantages, but he did not, since
this would have been a misuse of his powerful position.
Pastoral laborers are worthy of their hire, but they must avoid becoming
consumed with ministering primarily for financial gain. Likewise, preachers and
teachers should be circumspect about trying to get the attention of their hearers
by telling invented dramatic stories or by speaking with false emotion. One of
the ways God works through his messengers is by the sincere conviction of the
messengers themselves. An old Puritan prayer says, "It is my deceit to preach,
and pray, and to stir up others' spiritual affections in order to beget
commendations, whereas my rule should be daily to consider myself more vile
than any man in my own eyes.... Let me learn of Paul.... Lord, let me lean on
thee as he did, and find my ministry thine. " What is the ultimate goal of our
ministry or life of proclaiming the gospel? To the degree that one's purposes
arise from selfish motives, whether in preaching, teaching, praying, Bible
reading, church attendance or any aspect of the Christian life, to that degree one
is a charlatan—out for personal gain.
In contrast to the impure motives he did not have, Paul underscores his pure
desires in 2: 7-8. First, he says, literally, "we became babes in your midst. " This
does not seem to be a balanced antithesis to throwing one's authoritative weight
around, but the image of children makes better sense when one realizes that it is
associated elsewhere with innocence. The notion here is that Paul did not have
underhanded plans but became as innocent as a young child among them (see 1
Cor 14: 20; cf. 3: 1-2; 13: 11; the metaphor is also positive in Mt 11: 25; 21: 16).
Also in contrast to throwing his weight around and making selfish demands,
Paul explains that he was like a mother caring for her little children and then
immediately interprets this in 2: 8 to mean that we were delighted to share with
you not only the gospel of God hut our lii>es as well. Why? Paul explains that it
was, literally, "because you were dear to us,... because you became beloved to
us. " Notice that the main point of 2: 7-8, the sharing of Paul's life, is sandwiched
in between two synonymous expressions of Paul's love for the readers. The two
clauses are not redundant but underscore that his commitment of love toward
them was the motivating factor in his being willing to give or impart his own life
to the Thessalonians.
In short, Paul's witness originated from a true familial concern for the new
converts: he was willing to sacrifice his life for them. His bold ministry (2: 2)
was expressed ironically with tender care. The image is not merely of a mother
but of a "nursing mother" (trophos) who intimately and sensitively "cares"
(thalpō) for her young. The word thalpo occurs in the Greek Old Testament for a
mother bird caring for her newborn young or her eggs. She conforms her life to
meet the needs of the new lives of her young, just like human mothers do. The
mother must take the initiative to pattern her life around the life of the newborn
in order properly to meet the child's needs. Ultimately, she sacrifices her needs to
meet the needs of her offspring. She is "delighted to give of her life" to her
children because she loves them.
Paul may have applied the maternal image to himself because he represented
the true God (1: 9), whose relationship with Israel was sometimes portrayed as a
mother caring for her young (cf. Is 49: 15; 66: 12-13; Hos 11: 1, 3-4; cited by
Elias 1995: 73-74). Paul reflected God's character before his newborn converts,
and so should we toward new Christians and generally toward one another.
Christians in a local church need to know one another well enough in order that
they can know, pray for and even meet one another's needs. Such behavior
breathes the air of the first-century church. We in today's impersonal
technological age need to be more like our first-century ancestors in the faith.
Paul has begun to explain in 2: 5-8 that another reason for his intrepid
testimony (2: 2) lies in his sacrificial commitment inspired by love. He now
gives in 2: 9-12 a fuller explanation of the commitment just narrated. Paul gave
of himself (2: 8) through toil and hardship by working unceasingly in order not
to be a burden to anyone. As an apostle, he could have demanded support from
the new converts (1 Cor 9: 14), but he did not take advantage of his status (as
first stated in 2: 6; see also Acts 20: 34-35; 1 Cor 4: 12; 9: 15; Thomas 1978:
254). He did so in order that no questioning of his motives would hinder the
advancement of the gospel. This selfless demeanor is the manner in which Paul
preached the gospel of God among them. In fact, Paul's trade of tentmaking
(Acts 18: 3) in a "workshop" probably provided not only support but also a
convenient setting for sharing the gospel to unbelievers (see Hock 1979).
Both the readers and God were witnesses... of how holy, righteous and
blameless Paul was (2: 10), which is an interpretive summary of his selfless
lifestyle described in 2: 9. Paul did not conduct himself this way merely "to you"
or among you but "for you" (hymin) or "for your benefit" (a dative of advantage;
Lenski 1937: 252), that they would live lives worthy of God and his kingdom (2:
12). This is the second time that God has been called a witness (see 2: 5), but the
readers are also called witnesses, which assures them about Paul, just as do his
references to them "knowing" or "remembering" (as in 1: 5; 2: 1, 5, 9, 11). Like
Paul, we should be blameless (amemptōs) before God's witnessing presence
while awaiting Christ's imminent, end-time coming, since at that time such
behavior will be perfectly consummated and demonstrated before the judicial bar
of God's heavenly court (see the use of the same root in 3: 13; 5: 23).
Earlier Paul compared his selfless care to that of a mother caring for her
infants. Now he likens his concern for them to a father who deals with his own
children by encouraging, comforting and urging them (2: 11-12). Like a good
father, Paul did not burden his children to support him (2: 9) but provided
spiritual leadership and protection for them.
The crescendo, however, of 2: 5-12 has not yet been reached. Paul states the
purpose toward which this section is aimed at the end of 2: 12, literally, "in order
that you walk worthily of the God who calls you into his own kingdom and
glory. " The phrase "how to live" in 4: 1 is synonymous with live lives worthy
here, and the purpose of such a walk is in 4: 1 "to please Iareskō, see 2: 41 God"
(see also Col 1: 10; 2 Thess 1: 11-12; 1 Jn 3: 22). Just as Paul did not come to
Thessalonica out of underhanded motives but wanted to please God (2: 4), he
expended himself for the readers in order that they would live in a manner
pleasing to God. If God has truly called us into his kingdom and glory, then we
will live in a manner delighting him in order to be qualified to enter into that
"glorious kingdom" (as some commentators render the phrase).
Paul sometimes refers only to the present phase of the kingdom (Rom 14: 17;
1 Cor 4: 20; 15: 24; Col 1: 13) and other times to its future, consummate reality
(1 Cor 6: 9-10; 15: 50; Gal 5: 21; 2 Thess 1: 5; 2 Tim 4: 1, 18). Both aspects may
be included here, though the future is likely at the forefront, given the futuristic
references elsewhere in the epistle (see 1: 10; 2: 19; 3: 13; 4: 13-17; 5: 1-7). In
short, Paul wants his converts to live lives worthy of God and please him so that
they become worthy to inherit God's "own" (heautou) end-time kingdom in
which they will reflect God's "own" glory (not glory that is inherently their
own). This does not mean that they must "earn" their way into the kingdom but
that "walking worthy" is the external evidence of a person truly saved by Christ,
a badge necessary for entrance into God's kingdom. If there were any element of
autonomously earned merit, the glory would not be all of God's own. But since
those whom God calls he also enables to believe and do works of sanctification
(1 Thess 5: 23-24), all the glory at the end of the ages must be acknowledged as
belonging only to him.
The main point of 2: 1-12 is that Paul's witness among the Thessalonians was
effective (2: 1) because it was based on his bold proclamation of the truth of the
gospel (2: 2). The two motives undergirding and inspiring this testimony were
that Paul wanted to please God (2: 3-4) and wanted others to please God in order
to glorify him (2: 5-12). That the first motive is stated before the second is
significant: one must want to please God before one can truly desire others to
want to please God. The kind of attitudes and lifestyle that Paul depicts in 2: 2-
12 were pleasing to God and resulted in influencing others for the gospel
because the life he lived was inextricably linked to the truth he preached. When
we do not live in a manner that demonstrates the truth of the good news, we do
not please God and do not have godly boldness. Rather, what we say about the
gospel with our lips may have no lasting persuasion and effectiveness for the
lives of the hearers, with the result that they will not please God and inherit his
glorious kingdom.
Thank God for the Faith and Perseverance of the Saints (2: 13-16)
Anyone involved with education has probably observed that one of the
differences between those who do well academically and those who do not lies
in the student's attitude. Students who want to do well in order to please their
parents, teachers or even themselves usually are successful. On the other hand,
those who do not care about their studies typically have difficulties. Whatever
we do in life and how well we do it is linked to our desires and our motives.
Paul has elaborated on two primary motives for an effective Christian witness
in 2: 1-12: to want to please God and to want others to please God. The first
motive is foundational for the second. The well-spring for everything in the
Christian life comes from a person's desire to please God. But how can people
acquire the desire to please God if they do not have it? If we have begun to have
such a motive, how can we allow that motive to increase? This section explains
how people can have sincere motives to please God.
Thank God for His Word at Work in Believers (2: 13) Paul begins 2: 13 by
stating that it is "for this reason" (dia touto, omitted by the NIV) that we also
thank God. The reason lies in the prior overall main point of 2: 1-12, the
effectiveness of the preached word (2: 1-2). Paul thanks God that his ministry
bore fruit among the Thessalonians (so Best 1972: 109-10). Whereas in 2: 2-12
Paul explains what he did to produce that effect, in 2: 13-14 he shows what the
effect actually was among the readers, which itself is an amplification of the
effect of Paul's proclamation in 1: 6-10. His thanksgiving extends to the
elaboration of this effect: we also thank God continually because, when you
received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the
word of men, hut as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who
believe. Just as the primary point of 1: 3—2: 12 was on the thanksgiving of 1: 2,
Paul returns to that same point again in 2: 13 and expands on the reasons for it in
2: 13-14.
In what way does thanking God for salvation shed light on how the desire to
please God can be engendered? The connection with Paul's preoccupation with
pleasing God in 2: 3-12 is not immediately obvious.The answer lies in a further
analysis of 2: 13. The word the Thessalonians received was the "gospel" (1: 5-6).
We cannot desire to please someone we do not know. Non-Christians do not
desire to thank or please God because they personally do not know God (Gal 4:
8; 2 Thess 1: 8). Only those who know God by believing in the gospel (Gal 4: 9)
are able truly to thank him for salvation and to want to please him. If people
have truly received Christ's forgiveness for their sins, there should well up in
their hearts a feeling of gratitude for what Christ has done for them. This
gratitude issues into giving of thanks, which is the origin of good motives. The
proper response to receiving a gift is to thank the giver. This act of thanking is
not a far cry from desiring to please the person who gave the gift, since
thanksgiving is pleasing to the one being thanked. It is similar in our relationship
with Christ.
As earlier in 1: 2-5, Paul thanks God rather than the Thessalonians for their
ability to receive God's word. Thanking God for something assumes that what
we are thanking him for is something he has done for us and not something we
partly brought about by ourselves (see also 3: 9, 12-13; 5: 18, 23-24). Paul
thanks only God because without God's prior inward work the readers would not
have been able to receive the word. For this reason, giving thanks to God is
virtually the opposite to boasting in oneself (see 1 Cor 4: 7; Eph 2: 8-9). A
thankful attitude that Christ has died for one's sins, including lack of faith and
antagonism to God's will, is the fertile spiritual ground from which godly
attitudes grow and from which the desire to please God comes.
Some people may think of themselves as Christians, but if they never have a
desire to thank and to please God, then it may be because they do not really
know him. Such people need to trust in the gospel with both heart and mind,
since "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek
him" (Heb 11: 6). Those with faith have a thankful attitude because they know
that God will reward them with salvation and that, in fact, their faith is a gift of
God.
On the other hand, too often Christians are not consciously thankful to God or
desire to please him by the way they live. This may be because they do not
continually remind themselves about what God has done for them in Christ.
Such a continual reminder should lead the true Christian to thanking God
continually. Some Christians may not delight in giving God joy because, while
they have believed in the gospel, they have not grown much in their relationship
with God. Such believers sometimes view their Christian life as mere duty or
obligation. When people dutifully obey the laws of the federal, state or local
government, such obedience does not imply that they personally know or love or
want to please the president, governor or police chief of their town. Obedience to
these authorities is motivated only by duty. If Christianity is not to be a religion
of mere outward duty, then Christians must be people who inwardly desire to do
what God wants.
In his reference to the word of God, Paul has uppermost in mind the word of
the gospel, but included in his thought would be the apostolic tradition about
Jesus, which was at the very time becoming part of early Christian Scripture (cf.
1 Tim 5: 18) and was appealed to by Paul throughout his epistles (see Wenham
1995). The word Paul proclaimed had effect in the Thessalonians because it was
the word of "the living and true God" (1 Thess 1: 9) and as such was a living and
true word that was able to transform their lives (see Heb 4: 12). Jonathan
Edwards is known for his early eighteenth-century sermon "Sinners in the Hands
of an Angry God, " which he preached on one occasion at Enfield, Connecticut,
by reading from a manuscript in a monotone voice. As he preached the sermon,
there was a rousing effect of repentance in the hearers, which was not due to his
oratorical ability but to the power of God working through the words he
preached. The same was apparently true with Paul's ministry of the word at
Thessalonica.
From the human vantage point, 2: 13 implies that to know God better, we
must know his word in Scripture; as we get to know his word, we begin
increasingly to think God's thoughts after him and to do what pleases him.
Scripture exposes our bad motives so that we can confess our sin and be in a
position to develop good motives. God's word in the Bible also influences our
hearts and minds through the Spirit so that we begin to desire the things God
does (cf. Rom 12: 2; likewise Ps 119: 9, 11, 36-37). The same word for work
(energeō) in 2: 13 is used elsewhere of God working in his people through the
Spirit to bring about what pleases him (1 Cor 12: 6, 11; see also Eph 3: 16-20).
Though the Spirit is not mentioned, Philippians 2: 13 affirms most clearly how
God enables us to give him pleasure: "God is the one working in you, both to
will and to work according to what pleases him" (my translation; see Louw and
Nida 1988-89: 1. 299). In short, God works through his word to enable his
people to know him intimately and thus to do what is pleasing in his sight.
An example from the human realm illustrates what Paul has in mind. My
father-in-law had an illness that caused him to lose his ability to speak. We could
still converse with him and ask him questions, but his wife had to answer. When
she gave an answer, he would give a "thumbs up" if her answer represented his
thoughts or a "thumbs down" if he thought differently. Usually he gave a
"thumbs up" because his wife had lived so many years with him that she knew
his thoughts about life. It is the same with one's relationship with the Lord. He
typically does not speak audibly to us, but if we live in his presence in his word,
we will begin to think his thoughts after him. We will increasingly do what he
wants and be better able to represent his mind before the world. This is the
transforming notion that Paul has in mind at the end of 2: 13.
Evidence That God's Word Was at Work in the Thessalonians (2: 14) Verse
14 provides the proof (indicated by the word for) that the readers truly accepted
God's word and that God was at work in them through his word (Elias 1995: 84):
they persevered through suffering. Such endurance is the outward manifestation
of God's inner working in their lives (2: 13; Frame 1912: 105; cf. Calvin 1984:
258), which also explains how they received God's word (2: 13), all of which
continues the content of what Paul is giving thanks for. The internal operation of
God's word was manifested by the believers enduring through suffering by
becoming imitators of God's churches in Judea, who earlier had suffered from
the Jews in the same way as the Thessalonians had from their own countrymen
(which included both Jews and Gentiles, Acts 17: 5-9). This means that they
received Paul's message by believing it despite persecution. Though 2: 14 does
not explicitly mention their faith, it is certainly implied, as is evident from the
parallel with 1: 6. The same pattern of persecution observed among the
Thessalonians occurred with both Christ On 18—19) and Paul (cf. 2 Cor 11: 24-
26). The Thessalonians' positive reaction to the word in the midst of oppression
shows that this was not a mere human word, as the persecutors contended, but
that it was God's word, through which he worked in them (Frame 1912: 105-6).
Like Paul, all Christians should give thanks for trials. Corrie ten Boom relates
in The Hiding Place an incident that taught her to be thankful continually. When
she and her sister, Betsy, were taken to a horribly inhumane German prison camp
named Ravensbruck, they had to live in flea-infested and overcrowded barracks.
The morning they arrived, they read together 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, "be
joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances. " Afterward,
Betsy told Corrie to thank God for every aspect of their new lodgings. Corrie
initially would not thank God for the fleas, but her sister persisted, and Corrie
finally gave in. As the ensuing months passed, they were surprised to discover
how freely they could conduct Bible studies and prayer meetings without the
guards interfering. Later they found out that they could do so many things
openly because the guards would not come into the barracks for fear of
becoming infested with fleas (cited from Green 1989: 376-77).
The ten Booms learned through experience what Paul states elsewhere, that
suffering is a gift from God (Phil 1: 29), a gift for which one can and should give
thanks. When Christians understand that suffering is the "stadium" in which they
run the race of faith and that God himself will provide them with the ability to
complete the contest, they are motivated better to endure in the race and to thank
God in the process.
The Thessalonian Church Suffered Just as God's Churches in Judea (2: 15-
16) The lengthy description in 2: 15-16 of the way the Jews persecuted Christ
and Jewish Christians is meant to help the Thessalonians understand the nature
of their own persecution. The kathōs ("just as, " omitted by NIV) near the end of
2: 14 introduces 2: 15-16 as a comparison to be made with the Thessalonians'
suffering. As they view their suffering within the wider perspective of the church
at large, it allows them better to be thankful for the fact that they were able to
sustain their faith through persecution. In this manner, 2: 15-16 ultimately
support the main point of thanksgiving in 2: 13- That the persecutors displease
God is the logical result of their actions of persecution: they killed the Lord Jesus
and the prophets and also drove us out [or "persecuted us"]. God is pleased
when people spread the gospel (see 2: 4) but displeased when they oppose the
forward march of the good news. Just as 1 Timothy 2: 3-4 affirms that prayer for
the Gentiles' salvation "pleases God... who wants all men to be saved, " 1
Thessalonians 2: 15-16 relates God and Paul's desire that Gentiles... may he
saved. The Jews, however, were hostile to all men in that they were trying to
thwart the advance of God's truth, which had power to redeem all people, both
Jews and Gentiles.
One of God's grand goals in history is that people may be saved. The great
commission to Adam (Gen 1: 28), Noah (Gen 9: 1-7) and Israel was to subdue
the earth for God. After Adam and Noah failed, God commissioned Israel to do
the same (cf. Gen 35: 9-12 with Ex 19: 5-6), but they failed as well.
Nevertheless, Christ, the last Adam and true Israel, was given the same
commission, and he perfectly obeyed it. Jesus began to carry out the commission
originally given to Israel (Is 42: 6; 49: 6; Lk 2: 32), and he passed it on to Paul
(Acts 26: 16-18 in allusion to Is 42: 6-7) as well as to all of the apostles (Mt 28:
19-20; Acts 1: 8) and his body, the church (Phil 2: 15-16; 1 Thess 5: 5; 1 Tim 2:
1-4; Rev 11: 3-7; see further Beale 1997a: 28-29, 43-44). If we do not align
ourselves with the goal of spiritually subduing the world with the gospel, we set
ourselves against what pleases God and against God himself, and we align
ourselves with the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles who were hostile to the early
Christians.
A number of translations do not formally translate the eis to that precedes the
infinitive "fill up" (some paraphrase it "in this way" [NIV, GNB], while others omit
it altogether [NEB, JB]). The NASB comes closest to the meaning by reading "with
the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. " Almost without
exception Paul uses the prepositional phrase eis to plus the infinitive to indicate
purpose, though sometimes the idea of result is expressed. Consequently, the
best translation is "so that, " with the sense of intended result.
Most translations do not express the clear sense of the Greek because it
causes a serious theological problem: it makes Paul portray the Jews' persecuting
activities in 2: 14-16 as having the intended effect (by God) that they "always fill
up [anaplēroō]their sins. " How can God include in his plan activities that he
designs to culminate in sin and punishment? The answer lies in observing that
the concept of "filling up sins" occurs elsewhere at significant redemptive-
historical epochs to describe the opponents of God's plan to subdue the earth
with his truth by his redeemed people. God stated in each case that his enemies
had to complete a certain amount of sin before they could be considered ripe for
definitive judgment, which would always conclude a particular epoch and launch
another. For example, God prophesied that Abraham's descendants would not
emerge from Egypt until the sin of the Amorites was "filled up" (anaplērō, Gen
15: 16). Similarly, Daniel 8: 23-25 states that judgment will come at the end of
the age when sins have been "filled up" (plēroō; see also 2 Macc 6: 14; Wis 19:
1, 3, 4).
The Gospels and Acts likewise indicate that while Jesus was inaugurating the
new redemptive-historical epoch, Israel was completing the prophesied sins that
its ancestors had begun to commit and for which Jesus' generation of Jews would
receive a climactic punishment. Israel's rejection of Jesus "fulfilled" or
"completed" the prophecy that God would blind the nation spiritually (Is 6: 9-10;
cf. Mt 13: 13-15; Jn 12: 38-40; Acts 28: 25-27). Israel's hardening is a decisive
judgment that has come upon the majority of the nation (Rom 9: 18; 11: 7-10;
11: 25). The closest New Testament parallel to our verse is in the Gospel
material, especially Matthew 23: 31-38 (likewise Lk 11: 47-51; see Bruce 1982:
43;Wenham 1995: 319-27, 336-37). There Jesus tells the Jewish religious leaders
to "fill up" (plēroō) the measure of their ancestors' sin (Mt 23: 32), which
included killing and persecuting or pursuing God's prophets, sages and teachers
(Mt 23: 34; see 1 Thess 2: 15). As a result filling up the sin (the hopōs of Mt 23:
35 and the hina of Lk 11: 50 show purpose, just like the eis to of 1 Thess 2: 16),
judgment was sure to come.
That they fill up their sins always or continually (pantote) suggests that more
than the Jewish generation of Paul's day is in mind. All prior Israelite
generations who sinned "throughout time" (a possible translation of pantote) in
the same way are in view, though the present generation is the focus, since in
them the sin of the nation as a whole comes to climactic conclusion in the
rejection of Christ. Thus, the aorist verbal infinitive "fill up" in 2: 16 has in mind
"an act... already in progress [i. e., in the past history of Israel] and... then brings
the action to a conclusion" (Wallace 1996: 559).
The last sentence of verse 16 is the result of corporate Israel's sin, which has
reached its peak in Paul's day: the u'rath of God has come upon them fully and
finally. There is disagreement about how Israel experienced this wrath.
The verb has come upon could be used like some past-tense verbs in the Old
Testament called "prophetic perfects. " Such verbs in the past tense would be
used in prophetic sections to refer to future events: such events were so certain to
happen that the prophet would underscore this certainty by referring to them in
the past tense, as if they had already happened. Applied to 2: 16, the judgment
on Israel is not something that has taken place in the past but will happen at
some point in the future. Thus, perhaps this future event described with the
"prophetic" aorist tense (ephthasen) is the destruction of Israel in A. D. 70 (from
Paul's perspective) or the future day of final judgment (Frame 1912: 114; Juel
1985: 233; Williams 1992: 49).
Others contend that the text should be paraphrased "the wrath has drawn very
near but not yet come. " Marshall believes this might be supported by the use of
the same verb phthanō in Matthew 12: 28 and Luke 11: 20, where Jesus could be
saying that the power of God's kingdom has drawn near but still has not yet quite
come (Marshall 1983: 80-82). Marshall identifies this imminent event as the
final judgment and second coming of Christ.
Most plausible is the idea that the wrath has been inaugurated as a past event,
probably God's punitive hardening of Israel's hearts, resulting in Jesus' death and
the subsequent persecution of his servants, the climax of the nation's sin (see, e.
g., Cranfield 1979: 215-26; Hendriksen 1979: 73; for New Testament evidence
of inaugurated end-time wrath, see Elias 1995: 93-95; Beale 1997a: 32-34, 42).
This last interpretation is attractive for a number of reasons.
First, uses of the verb phthanō in Matthew and Luke do not refer merely to an
imminent future event but to something that has actually begun to happen, with
more to come (see, e. g., Mt 12: 28; Lk 11: 20). Second, this interpretation fits
well the conclusions reached above about the connection between 2: 16,
Matthew 23 and Isaiah 6. In particular, 2: 16 appears to describe the fulfillment
of Matthew 23: 31-38, where Jesus tells Israel to fill up the measure of their
ancestors' sins by persecuting Christian prophets. Thus, "the wrath has come
upon them fully and finally" refers to their persecution of Christ and his
followers, which represented a blinding judgment itself and which would be
consummated by the eternal punishment at the end of the age. Execution of the
coming wrath of 1 Thessalonians 1: 10 has been set in motion in Israel's sin
(Bruce 1982: 48) as a climactic blinding judgment (note the definite article, "the
wrath, " in 2: 16), as well as in the destruction of Jerusalem in a. D. 70, which
was a redemptive-historical token of Israel's judgment as a nation (see Wenham
1995: 321-26). Their judgment, along with the rest of unbelieving humanity, will
be completed when Jesus returns, though the final judgment of unbelieving
Israel has been "signed and sealed" by their persecuting activities.
As the Thessalonians remember these great champions of the faith who were
not daunted by persecution, they will be all the more encouraged to do the same,
knowing that they have the power to do so because they, like their Judean
brothers, are "in Christ" (2: 14). Paul also suggests that their persecutors will be
judged just as the Jewish persecutors of the Judean churches. The Thessalonians
were persecuted not only by Jews but also by Gentiles, since "fellow
countrymen" is a local and not racial designation (Marshall 1983: 78-79).
Therefore, both groups of persecutors in Thessalonica will experience the
punishment that the Jewish antagonists in Judea have begun to experience and
that will be consummated at the final judgment. In addition, the contrast between
the Thessalonians' and Paul's enduring faith with the unbelief of the Jewish and
Gentile opponents serves to encourage them about the legitimacy of their own
faith and of Paul as a legitimate divine spokesman. All this fits well within the
larger context of 2: 13-16 to teach the Thessalonians that they are to thank God
because his word worked effectively in them to keep them believing despite
persecution, which will result in their vindication through the judgment of their
persecutors.
Confidence in One's Own Salvation Inspires Faithful Service (2: 17-20)
In this technological age people are better able to communicate but are ironically
becoming more isolated from one another. We look at a computer screen and
communicate through e-mail or through online chat rooms. We send a fax
instead of talking to someone in person. A Christian speaker not long ago
recommended that churches that do not have outstanding preachers should watch
video tapes of well-known teachers for their Sunday morning sermons. Some
theological seminaries, part of whose purpose is to train pastors to disciple
others, are becoming increasingly enamored with "distance learning" through
computer technology. The result of all this is that personal relationships are
being de-emphasized.
The problem in Paul's day was not technology, but other forces at work
within the Christian community encouraged lack of genuine care for others.
Some "preached] Christ out of selfish ambition" and not out of loving motives
for the spiritual welfare of others (Phil 1: 17). Why was Paul so concerned, not
only to preach the gospel, but to spend time personally with new converts and to
disciple them in their new faith? These four verses give one of Paul's most
significant answers to this question.
Paul is separated from his readers. As we have seen, some Gentiles and Jews,
the latter claiming to be the true Israel and the exclusive inheritors of God's
blessings, persecuted the Thessalonians (2: 15-16). In contrast, Paul shows that
he is a genuine Israelite and true representative of Israel's God because of his
sincere pastoral concern to advance the gospel among the Thessalonians and to
be reunited with them for their welfare (similarly Morris 1959: 93).
Because His Faith Is Linked to Theirs, Paul Desires to Be Reunited with the
Thessalonians (2: 19-20) Paul considers the new believers to be a present and
future fruit to lay at Christ's feet at his final coming, so he hopes, rejoices and
glories in their persevering faith as part of the successful outcome of his own
faith. Paul is anxious to be with them again in order to discover whether or not
they are enduring in their belief (cf. 3: 5) because his confidence in their faith
will give him confidence in his own victorious faith at Christ's coming. The
words hope, joy and glory all express the idea of confidence in the victorious
fruition of their faith (Best 1972: 128). Thus in 2: 19 Paul asks: What is our
hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord
Jesus when he comes? He answers his question at the end of the verse by stating
another question that expects a positive answer: Is it not you? Then 2: 20
straightforwardly gives the answer: Indeed, you are our glory and joy (or "you
are whom we glory in and take joy in").
Paul's confidence in his own salvation at the end of time includes knowing
that his faith is genuine because it bears fruit in the present, and the
Thessalonians' victorious faith is what he hopes to lay at Christ's feet as part of
the evidence of his own faith. It may sound surprising that part of Paul's
assurance about his own Christian belief comes from his assurance in the
genuine, enduring faith of those to whom he has ministered. Nevertheless, he
says the same thing to the Philippian Christians: "you whom I... long for, my joy
and crown... stand firm in the Lord" (Phil 4: 1) "in order that I may boast on the
day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing" (Phil 2: 16). A crown in the
ancient world was a picture of victory, so Paul is anticipating glorying in the
successful completion of their faith as a part of the successful outcome of his
own at Christ's final coming. Because his faith is linked in this manner to theirs,
he desperately wants to be reunited with them to see how they are doing.
The victory Paul has in mind is not limited merely to enduring in one's faith
to the end despite persecution and Satan's opposition (cf. 2: 18 with 3: 5) but
rather to prevailing through the final judgment in the presence of our Lord Jesus
when he comes (2: 19; Richard 1995: 137-38; Thomas 1978: 262). The idea of
judgment, while not explicit in 2: 19, is implicit in the Greek word parousia
("presence, coming"). The word is used outside the New Testament to refer to
the coming visit or arrival of a king to a city, whose "visitations" were revered
and sometimes even feared. More to the point, Jesus' activity as judge is in view
when Paul and other New Testament writers apply parousia to Christ's final
coming. Thus Paul describes Christ's revelation from heaven to judge and to
vindicate believers before the eyes of their oppressors, referring to this event as
"the coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess 1: 5-10; 2: 1; see also
2: 8). This is why Paul prays that God will strengthen the Thessalonians so that
they will not be found tainted by sin and deserving of the "coming wrath" at the
final bar of Christ (1 Thess 1: 10; 3: 13; see also 5: 23).
The point is that both unbelievers outside the church and professing believers
within the church will go through the final judgment in which Jesus will
pronounce people either guilty or innocent, the former to undergo punishment
and the latter to receive the reward of salvation (see further Jas 5: 7-9; 2 Pet 3: 4,
11-14). Thus Paul is focusing in here on all in the church who will be examined
at the judgment (2 Cor 5: 10; Eph 6: 8-9; Col 3: 24-25). Those who fail the
examination will not be given, as some suppose, a lower standing in the eternal
kingdom but will be excluded from the kingdom itself. Paul stands in line with
Jesus' own assessment that those who profess membership in the covenant
community but who are found wanting will be consigned to eternal punishment
(Mt 7: 15-23; 24: 51). This analysis is a telling polemic against those today who
say that people can he saved by a mere profession of faith without consideration
of their fruits. Paul believed that an internal genuine faith in Christ's death and
resurrection inevitably manifests itself in outward works and that without the
latter the former cannot be considered viable.
Just as parents have hope and confidence that the raising of their children will
reach a successful result, so Paul has hope and confidence in parenting his
spiritual children. And as parents have great joy when their children accomplish
goals for which the parents have hoped and prayed, so Paul will have similar joy
when his children finally have their true faith demonstrated and vindicated by
victoriously weathering the storm of judgment at Christ's final coming. Not only
Paul's joy but also his hope lies in the victorious eschatological outcome of his
readers' faith, which is inextricably linked to the triumph of his own faith.
But this conclusion raises a theological problem: How can Paul's glorying in
his converts' faith be harmonized with his unconditional resolve not to "boast
except in the cross of... Christ" (Gal 6: 14)? F. F. Bruce replies: "His glorying in
his converts, as he saw the grace of God manifested in them, was but a phase of
his paramount glorying in the cross. They were the fruit of the preaching of the
cross" (1982: 59). That they were the fruit of the preaching of the cross includes
the fact that God's word was at work in them, enabling them through the Spirit to
believe and obey (see 1: 6; 2: 13; 3: 9-13; 1 Cor 4: 7; 15: 10; Eph 2: 7-10; Phil 1:
29; 1 Tim 1: 13-16). Therefore, the focus of Paul's joy, hope and glorying is not
merely in the readers' persevering faith but ultimately in the sovereign power of
God at work that has enabled faith to arise in the lives of Paul's flock. He
believes of his little church in Thessalonica that "the one who calls you is
faithful and he will do it (1 Thess 5: 24; see also Phil 1: 6). Thus "Paul can
legitimately boast of a victory, won through him by God, and represented by his
converts" (Best 1972: 128).
Prepare Others to Endure Inevitable Hardship and the End-Time Test (3:
1-13)
Strengthen the Faith of the Flock (3: 1-5) American Christian culture is
sometimes obsessed with a "health and wealth gospel" that teaches that, if people
are faithful, God will favor them with material blessings and they will not suffer
trials. Others have disagreed with such a perspective. These five verses speak
definitively to this issue in a quite surprising way.
Godly Anxiety for Others Results in Helping Them Grow in Faith (3: 1-2)
In 2: 17-20 Paul has expressed an intense passion to be reunited with the
Thessalonians because his confidence about their faith is part of his assurance in
his own victorious faith on the last day. The main point of this preceding section
is that "out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you" (2: 17).
Paul's efforts, however, have been thwarted in some manner by Satan. The
continued absence caused Paul's desire for reunion to increase even more, so that
when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to he left in Athens and sent
Timothy... to strengthen and encourage you in your faith (3: 1-2; Marshall 1983:
89). The resolve to send Timothy lay also in the recognition that if Satan were
hindering Paul from coming, he might well also be trying to put stumbling
blocks into the way of the Thessalonians' faith (Gaventa 1998: 42). In light of
this, Paul's determination is redoubled to discover how they are doing in their
new faith, especially because of the inextricable link between the genuineness of
their belief and confidence in his own Christian commitment.
Paul did not minister alone but in "teams" (see Phil 2: 19-24; 2 Tim 2: 1-2).
Part of the way God has designed that ministry be effective is that there be
ministry teams or "fellow workers" with people who complement one another's
gifts. Too often churches assume that only one person should be the minister, but
they should be open to a plurality of ministers. Sometimes this is due to the fact
that some churches are so small that they do not have the financial resources to
support more than one person to do the work of the ministry. Even in such cases,
however, the "minister, " with the encouragement of the church, should be
committed to discipling others in order to prepare them to share in part of the
work of ministry.
Strengthening the Faith of Others Is a Godly Goal (3: 3-4) The goal of
Timothy's strengthening and encouraging is that no one would he unsettled (or
deceived) by these trials (3: 3). The Greek sainō can mean "deceived" (e. g.,
Lenski 1937: 284; Milligan 1908: 38; Frame 1912: 128; Hendriksen 1979: 84-
85), though the NIV translates it unsettled, which many commentators and other
translations also prefer (some using the synonym "shaken" or "moved"; so KJV,
NEB, nKJV, NRSV, Douay, net). Perhaps better than both is the compromise
rendering "that no one turn back from his beliefs because of these persecutions"
(Louw and Nida 1988-89: 1. 374; Richard [1995: 141-42] plausibly prefers
"dissuaded"). The problem with the translation "unsettled" or "shaken" is that it
can too easily refer to trials in general and does not adequately reflect the
opposing forces of Satan and of the unbelieving community at Thessalonica at
work to wreck the faith of the readers. Satan was responsible for detaining Paul
from returning to them and for producing tribulations (3: 3) that were designed
to tempt the new converts to throw over their faith (3: 5).
The word trials or tribulation (thlipsis) refers to a recent past, present and
characteristic reality for believers (see the noun and verb forms in Jn 16: 33;
Acts 14: 22; Rom 5: 3; 8: 35; 12: 12; 2 Cor 1: 4; 4: 17; 6: 4; 7: 4; Col 1: 24; 2
Thess 1: 2-7; Rev 1: 9; 2: 9-10). Paul understands that Christ launched the
beginning of the end times, which includes both the initial phase of the long-
awaited kingdom and the inception of great tribulation. Paul and other New
Testament writers repeatedly refer to their own days as the "latter days" of final
trial (1 Tim 4: 1-5; 2 Tim 3: 1-5; 2 Pet 3: 3-7; 1 Jn 2: 18; Jude 18-19). These
ordeals are not random trials but are part of a redemptive-historical design by
which history will conclude with the Messiah's establishment of a kingdom and
resistance to it. According to Old Testament expectation, Israel would undergo
tribulation in the latter days: persecutions from without and deceptive teachings
from within. God would eventually defeat Israel's persecutors, judge her
compromisers and bequeath an eternal kingdom to Israel. Since Jesus summed
up true Israel in himself, the trials he endured began to fulfill the prophecy that
Israel would suffer eschatological trial. Those who follow Jesus in the present
age are "in Messiah Jesus" (1 Thess 2: 14) and are identified with him as true
Israel. This means they must also tread the same prophesied path of end-time
tribulation before their own final resurrection.
Paul underscores in 3: 4 the reason (gar) the readers should have known that
they were truly destined for these troubles: he kept telling them that they would
suffer tribulation. The imperfect tense of the vert') kept telling (proelegomen)
indicates a continuing action in the past of repeatedly reminding the readers of
the certainty of coming ordeals. Moreover, what Paul repeatedly predicted about
imminent hardship has, in fact, turned out that way, as you well know. Many
Christians do not think that the church is yet experiencing the end-time
tribulation, but Scripture, and especially the present text, testifies otherwise. The
difference between the present tribulation and its future phase lies not in its
nature but in its extent. The beginning phase is marked by selective persecution
and false teaching, whereas the culminating stage will witness universal
persecution and worldwide heresy (see, e. g., 2 Thess 2: 3; Rev 11: 7-10; 20: 7-
10; Beale 1999a: 587-96, 1021-31).
Too often Christians who suffer do not view their suffering within a
redemptive-historical context. They may rightly see their suffering as a test of
their individual faith and as something through which they need to endure in
order to grow in their faith. When, however, we are able to view our afflictions
through a wide-angle lens as part of the great trial that was prophesied to come
upon God's people at the end, our endurance takes on more significance, since it
identifies us with Jesus' (i. e., true Israel's) own victorious forbearance in
suffering, climaxed by his death and resurrection. We become identified with the
redemptive-historical story line of Scripture and, in particular, with the great
messianic victory over evil, which will be concluded at the second coming.
These verses also pose another theological difficulty, though one of a more
practical nature. How can Paul express such great anxiety for others and yet tell
others not to "be anxious about anything" (Phil 4: 6)? The best answer is found
in understanding the infinite complexity of the divine mind. God's mind has the
capacity to look at the world through two lenses, a narrow and a wide-angle lens.
John Piper explains:
When God looks at a painful or wicked event through his narrow lens, he sees
the tragedy or the sin for what it is in itself and he is angered or grieved...
(Ezek. 18: 32).
But when God looks at a painful or wicked event through his wide-angle lens,
he sees the tragedy of the sin in relation to everything leading up to it and
everything flowing out from it. He sees it in all the connections and effects
that form a pattern or mosaic stretching into eternity. This mosaic in all its
parts—good and evil—brings him delight. (Piper 1986: 29)
Faith Is Encouraged When Others Endure Trials (3: 6-10) The contemporary
saying "Get a life!" is often spoken to someone who finds pleasure in something
that others regard as insignificant. In 3: 6-10, Paul explains the right perspective
on "getting a life" and what is one of the greatest things in life in which true
believers should take pleasure. In fact, Paul tells us here what it means to him
truly to "get a life. " His perspective on living is the opposite of ancient and
modern unbelieving hedonists who say "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we
die" (1 Cor 15: 32). His understanding of a fulfilling life differs not only from
modern conceptions but also from those within some sectors of the
contemporary church that focus on styles of management or marketing to pump
new life into the church.
These verses report that Paul's anxious concern about the viability of the
readers' faith (3: 1-5) was joyously alleviated by Timothy's report. Consequently,
Paul's thought moves on to focus on his response to that good report. Paul uses
the word euangelizō (has brought good news) to characterize Timothy's account,
a word commonly rendered "announce the gospel" elsewhere in the New
Testament. The word has the same meaning in the other twenty-one times Paul
uses it.
Paul and his colleagues were encouraged in the midst of distress (anankē)
and persecution (thlipsis) because (dia touto) they heard this good news about
the Thessalonians. What trials could be in mind? It is unlikely that the past
persecutions in Philippi or elsewhere are in view (e. g., 2: 2, 15-16; 3: 4; Acts
17: 5-9). Satan, however, repeatedly thwarted Paul from returning to pastor his
young flock (2: 18), and he would certainly have considered this a "thorn from
Satan, " which he closely links with "hardships [anankē]... persecutions... [and]
difficulties" (2 Cor 12: 7, 10). Furthermore, the hardship of being kept away
would have been enhanced by Paul's fear "that in some way the tempter might
have tempted" them (3: 5). Paul's knowledge that unbelieving Gentiles and Jews
in Thessalonica were continuing to slander him was also likely a contributing
factor to his sense of undergoing trial. Finally, the reference to all our distress
and persecution may include other tribulations Paul experienced after leaving
Thessalonica (cf. Acts 17: 10-15; 18: 12-17; 1 Cor 4: 11-13; 9: 12), some of
which we have no further information about.
Paul may refer to his suffering with the language of distress and persecution
to identify further the trials of the present with the end-time tribulation, which he
just elaborated on in 3: 3-4. In doing so, he appears to be echoing the identical
expression in Zephaniah 1: 15, which refers to the latter-day distress
accompanying the "day of the Lord" (1: 14), another phrase that Paul uses to
describe the eschatological woes in this letter (5: 2). Interestingly, Paul uses the
words distress and persecution elsewhere to describe how "this world in its
present form is passing away, " which gives further eschatological tone to the
phrase (1 Cor 7: 26, 28, 31; see Wanamaker 1990: 135).
What this means is difficult to say at first glance. The word zōmen (literally
"we live") is parallel with the preceding mention of we were encouraged in 3: 7,
though it is not synonymous with it. We really live may be an interpretation of
what it means to be encouraged: Paul's anxiety has now been removed because
of the report of his readers' enduring belief. This could imply, however, that
"living" is a mere figure of speech for not being anxious (e. g., JB: "now we can
breathe again"; NEB: "It is the breath of life to us"). Elsewhere Paul is invigorated
by his readers' spiritual growth (Rom 15: 32; 1 Cor 16: 18; 2 Cor 7: 2-3, 13;
Philem 7, 20; so Marshall 1983: 96), but it is not clear how these general
parallels shed further light on 3: 8.
The mention of living, however, is probably not figurative but refers to actual
salvific life in relationship with God. But how can Paul say that now he really
lives, if he had spiritual life before? Continuing the thought of 2: 17-20, the
readers' unflagging persuasion of the truth is a crucial ingredient in Paul's own
steadfast fidelity to Christ in carrying on his new life's task of taking the good
news of Israel's Messiah beyond the boundaries of Israel. Paul's salvific life " in
Christ" (1: 1; 2: 14) is not merely a past reality experienced at the Damascus
Road but an ongoing condition about which he receives confidence through the
knowledge that his converts are continuing in the reality of their new life. As in
2: 17-20, the successful outcome of their life in Christ is a fruit demonstrating
the genuineness of Paul's own life in Christ. The phrase now we really live
expresses this confidence because they are standing firm in the Lord and have
not been moved from their commitment to Christ.
God's work among the readers, therefore, is the ultimate contributing cause to
Paul's sense of the continuing viability of his own authentic life in the Lord.
Even all the joy Paul has in the presence of... God because of the readers he
attributes to God's work by thanking him. The double reference to Paul's own joy
(literally "the joy with which we rejoice") picks up the double reference from 2:
19-20, where it referred to his joyous confidence in the strength of the readers'
enduring faith as part of the victorious outcome of his own Christian life. If God
is the cause of the apostle's tribulations (3: 3, 7), he is also the creator of his joy
(see 3: 12-13; 5: 23-24). Indeed, the phrase "rejoice... before the Lord" supports
God's gracious hand as the cause of the readers' condition because it is a typical
phrase in the Greek Old Testament to indicate "a joy which is conscious of the
divine origin of the good things of life and expresses itself in thanks to God
instead of becoming selfish" (Marshall 1983: 97; see Deut 12: 12, 18; Lev 23:
40; Is 9: 3).
Paul thankfully acknowledges God's hand behind the readers' faith and his
own joy in the context of prayer, as he and his colleagues pray most earnestly
that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. As in 1: 2,
Paul understands that it is out of the fertile ground of continual prayer that
thanksgiving originates. The purpose of the prayer is that he be able to return in
order to complete their faith. It is unclear whether the lack is the fault of the
readers in not following the apostle's prior instructions or whether it is due
merely to the fact that they have only received initial instruction and need more.
Both are probably in mind, though the former may be the focus (see 1 Cor 16:
17; Phil 2: 30; cf. Best 1972: 145). Still, because of the brevity of Paul's stay, the
readers need more teaching to establish them and enable them to persevere in all
facets of their faith. Within context, 3: 11-12 form the primary focus of what is
lacking in their faith, and these points are elaborated further in the discussions on
holiness (4: 1-8), love (4: 9-12) and Christ's final coming (4: 13—5: 11). Paul
intends that the remainder of the letter from 4: 1 on meet these deficiencies until
he himself can come in person (so Best 1972: 145).
Pray That Others Be Strengthened to Endure the Last Judgment (3: 11-13)
One of the greatest responsibilities of the servant of God is to pray to be used in
the life of God's flock. Whether 3: 11 begins a new prayer or continues the
prayer of 3: 10, the initial petition that Paul could see his readers again (3: 10) is
amplified by his request that God ... and our Lord Jesus clear the way for him to
return to the readers (likely answered in Acts 20: 1-4). Timothy's good report
about the young Christians does not make Paul complacent but fuels his desire
all the more to return in order, no doubt, to help them to grow further in their
faith.
Paul's prayer is directed not only to our God and Father himself hut also to
our Lord Jesus. This conjunctive relationship between the Father and Christ and
the fact that Paul's prayer is directed to both suggests strongly that Jesus shares
the same divine status as the Father. Further, that both the Father and Jesus are
the subject of the singular verb clear (or "make straight") highlights the unity of
their position (Wanamaker 1990: 141-42). Jesus' name of Lord (kyrios)
underscores his divinity, since the name derives from the Greek Old Testament
designation of Yahweh. Elsewhere Christ's deity is also implied because a
function or position of God is likewise a function or position of Jesus (1: 1, 3; 2
Thess 1: 1-2; 2: 16; 3: 5). The application of Zechariah 14: 5 ("the Lord my
God") to "our Lord Jesus" strikingly confirms this conclusion (see below).
Paul requests that, until he returns, God grant grace to the believers so that
they continue to develop in their faith (3: 12-13). But this is only partly what is
in mind. While 3: 11 is part of the content of the prayer in 3: 10, 3: 12-13 also
expand on Paul's petition in 3: 10 that he be enabled to "supply what is lacking
in [their] faith. " Therefore, Paul believes that his prayer in 3: 12-13 will be
answered in part by God enabling him to return and to strengthen them further.
Paul is an agent under the hand of God who will strengthen the people by means
of God's power (see 5: 23-24). Just as Paul "planted the seed" of the gospel and
Apollos "watered it" but "God made it grow" (1 Cor 3: 5-9), so similarly here
Paul prays that he can return in order to be an instrument of God in grounding
the saints in their new faith. Human agents such as Paul and Timothy make
efforts to strengthen people (eis to stērixai ["to strengthen"] in 3: 2), but only
God can cause such efforts to be effective (eis to stērixai in 3: 13).
The primary way the young converts will become rooted in faith is by God
making their love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (3:
12). This may be a reference to loving believers within the church and
unbelievers outside the church (see Gal 6: 10). When Christians love even their
enemies, they are like their heavenly Father, who is merciful even to evil people
(Mt 5: 43-48; Lk 6: 32-36; see Marshall 1983: 101). One loves one's family
more intensely than others, and it is likely the same for the family of faith (see
Calvin 1984: 180-81). This does not mean that Christians should love one
another and not the world but that they must show love for each other first,
which suggests practically that more energy will be expended in loving Christian
family members than in loving the world. Indeed, God intends that the love
Christians have for one another be a witness to the world (Jn 17: 23). In this
respect,
the Christian community is the school in which we learn to love. Like great
musicians who practice tedious drills for long hours, Christians practice their
scales at home in order to sing in public. In the community love is
commanded and modeled, and here is where it must be lived out and
practiced. This does not mean that love is limited to the boundaries of the
community. But if the community does not live by the model and teaching of
its founder, Jesus, how can it expect others to do so or to hear its call to join
with them? (Thompson 1992: 59)
Indeed, the concluding phrase of 3: 12 not only shows that the readers will
learn how to love from Paul's own example (as unbelievers should learn in the
same way from the Thessalonians' example) but places the tone of the whole
verse on Christians loving one another. Everyone else may even refer to
Christians outside the church of Thessalonica in other cities and areas (see also 2
Thess 1: 3). For example, 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-10 appears to define the everyone
else (pantas) of 3: 12 as all Christians in Macedonia outside Thessalonica.
Likewise, the phrase "be kind to each other and to everyone else" in 5: 15 should
be understood in the same way as 3: 12. At the least, these two parallel passages
underscore that the focus of 3: 12 is on Christians loving one another. It is
intriguing that, though Paul is concerned about the truth of the gospel throughout
the Thessalonian epistles, here toward the climax of 1 Thessalonians 1—3 he
focuses on love. One need not go far to seek the reason: "Truth is hard if it is not
softened by love, and love is soft if it is not strengthened by the truth" (Stott
1991: 70).
Paul asks God to increase love among the Thessalonians with a specific goal
in mind: to strengthen their hearts so that they will he blameless and holy at
Jesus' return. This is the central point of 3: 11-13, but it also continues the
explanation of Timothy's mission to "strengthen" the readers (3: 2-3; Morris
1959: 113). Paul prays that, after Timothy's departure, God will continue to
establish the Thessalonians in Christian love in order to strengthen their hearts so
that they successfully pass through the end-time gauntlet of judgment. The point
is that unless love grows, selfish desires increase and will turn our love toward
ourselves and not toward God, which results in an ungodly character and
lifestyle (Thomas 1978: 268). The phrase when our Lord Jesus comes has
already occurred in 2: 19, where it referred to the time of judgment at Christ's
final coming. Christians can sustain the judicial testing only if they have
demonstrated evidence of true faith in their lives, in this case blameless and holy
characters.
The focus here is not on what God does to his people at the end of history but
on God's work in the lives of his people until they share Christ's glory at his final
coming. The further development of holiness in 4: 1-8 also places the emphasis
on the believers' growth in godliness in the present life, and living in such a holy
manner ensures that one will not be caught off guard when Christ unexpectedly
returns (5: 1-11). If this is a correct analysis, then saints pass through the final
test by means of the badge of their holy lifestyle, and the ethical perfection of
believers will take place immediately after the judgment (for support, see 2 Cor
5: 10).
Passing successfully through the test of the last judgment forms the main
point of 3: 11-13 and is, in fact, the climax of the chapter as a whole and of the
entire letter to this point. The penultimate point of the chapter is the thanksgiving
of 3: 9, which moves on to the great concern for the Thessalonians' welfare,
expressed in the prayer for the victorious outcome of their faith in 3: 13. Thus G.
P. Wiles correctly concludes that the prayer in 3: 11-13, together with that of 5:
23-24, summarizes and "placets] the spotlight on the central message of the
letter" (Wiles 1974: 68). The prayer of 3: 10-13 reflects one of the main purposes
of the letter: to serve as a temporary communication until Paul is able to return.
Then the apostle will be able to fill in any remaining gaps in their foundational
Christian instruction. In the meantime, chapters 4—5 will address more urgent
concerns that need to be attended to immediately (Bruce 1982: 66). Finally, 3: 1-
13 also continue to highlight Paul's purpose of defending his integrity and
authenticity as a representative of the true God by showing his overwhelming
concern for the readers' welfare.
Do Not Reject God and Incur His Judgment but Desire to Please Him (4:
1-8)
With 4: 1 Paul begins the second major section of his letter. The word finally
(loipon) typically introduces a new, sometimes concluding section in Paul's
letters (2 Cor 13: 11; Phil 3: 1; 4: 8; 2 Thess 3: 1). Moreover, the word
"therefore" (oun, omitted by NIV and some Greek MSS) at the beginning of 4: 1
indicates that what Paul is now about to elaborate as a new and concluding
section is based on the preceding. As noted earlier, chapters 4—5 expand on 3:
10-13, especially 3: 10, by providing what will complete what is lacking in their
faith so that they "abound" more in love and faith (3: 12; 4: 1). Paul now issues
imperatives to the readers on the basis of his confidence that God will so
strengthen their faith. As elsewhere, Paul does not give commands such as these
to unbelievers but to those who have believed and in whose lives it is clear that
God is working. The Thessalonians could be confident that God had been at
work in them, and the prospect that he would continue that work in their lives to
the end (5: 23-24) would motivate them to obey Paul's command and please
God... more and more (4: 1). As noted before, the relationship between the
indicative reality of God's work in his people (3: 11-12) and the imperatives that
he imposes upon them (4: 1-8) has been well summarized in Augustine's dictum,
"Grant what Thou dost command and command what Thou wilt" (. Confessions
10. 29; see Phil 2: 12-13). On the other hand, 4: 1-8 will also lay accountability
for breaking God's commands at the feet of the readers (4: 6).
We must not fool ourselves and think that things were radically different in
the first century. A few years ago I went to Turkey (old Asia Minor) to see the
ancient sites of the towns where the seven churches of Revelation were located.
At Pergamum I visited the ruins of an ancient Roman health spa, where, among
other things, people would go to be rejuvenated emotionally because of
depression. There were even rooms where a patient could rest; in the ceiling
were little holes through which the priestly attendants of the spa would whisper
encouraging things to help the victims recuperate psychologically.
Whether in the ancient world or today, the chief end of humanity has often
been to take pleasure in this life. In contrast, our passage begins by affirming the
opposite: humanity's chief goal ought to be to take pleasure in pleasing God.
Such passages in Scripture as this fueled the great confession, "The chief end of
man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. " Granted, Christians enjoy the
material pleasures of this life, but only as a gift from the gracious God whom
they serve (1 Tim 4: 4). This world is not an end in itself to be enjoyed.
On the basis that God has begun to work in the readers and that they are
beginning to live in order to please God, Paul appeals to them to excel in this:
we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. The main
point of 4: 1 is that the ultimate purpose of living as a Christian is not to please
oneself but increasingly to please God (Rom 8: 8; 15: 1-6). This develops further
the earlier reference to pleasing God (2: 4) and walking worthily for the goal of
achieving God's glory for which they have been called (2: 12).
The Greek text of 4: 1 reads "just as you received from us how it is necessary
for you to walk so as to please God. " Although the NIV leaves out "it is
necessary" (dei; so also Moffatt 1970 and NLT), most other translations attempt
to express it, typically by "you must" or "you ought. " Some readers may
understand this to mean that Christians should live in the way Paul had
instructed, but if they do not they will not experience the full blessing they could
otherwise. Paul's urging of them to excel, however, suggests that there is a
necessity that his readers live this lifestyle and that such living is not optional for
less seriously minded Christians. Indeed, this necessity is heightened by the fact
that such a lifestyle is a divine commandment (4: 2), that God has called
believers to this conduct (4: 7), that God has given true believers the power to
fulfill this commandment (3: 12-13) and that to reject living in this manner is
tantamount to rejecting God (4: 8). Consequently, it is necessary that God's true
people live this way if they want to avoid the inevitable last judgment (4: 6).
Paul says the basis for his appeal that they please God is grounded in the
authority of the Lord Jesus himself (literally, "through the Lord Jesus"). This
reiterates and emphasizes the statement in 4: 1 that his appeal was in the Lord
Jesus. This appeal is none other than a renewed encouragement for them to obey
the commandments given earlier by Paul. The main point of 4: 1-2 thus lies with
Paul's exhortation to please God, which should be heeded because the entreaty
really comes with the authority of Christ himself.
Avoid Immorality and Pursue Holiness (4: 3-8) In 4: 3 Paul gives a second
reason (gar, omitted by NIV) for pleasing God: the command to please God is
grounded not only in Christ's authority (4: 2) but also in God 's will, which is
immediately defined by the phrase that you should he holy. Paul uses the word
will (thelema) elsewhere predominately to refer to God's decretive will. This
may be the idea here, since Paul has just prayed that God would strengthen their
hearts so that they would be holy (3: 13). Likewise, he prays later that God
"sanctify you [make you holy] through and through" (5: 23). If this is the case,
then 4: 3 is speaking of God's unthwartable plan that the readers be made holy.
Sometimes, however, Paul employs the same word for God's commanding will,
which is certainly how he uses it in 5: 18. Both notions of God's will likely
include the notion of divine pleasure that underlies his decree or his commands.
Here the "commanding" will is clearly in focus, since 4: 3-6 consist of
commands, and 4: 8 says these commands can be "rejected. " But when people
obey God's commands, it pleases him (4: 1).
God's will is that they become holy (hagiasmos), a word repeated two more
times in the following verses (4: 4, 7). The notion of holiness or sanctification
summarizes the various commands given in 4: 3-7, and these verses define what
holiness is in this context. The word in the Greek Old Testament is a translation
of the Hebrew qadds, which has the sense of holy or holiness with overtones
sometimes of being set apart from the unclean. The idea of separateness from the
unclean or from sin corresponds to many of Paul's uses of the word, which
involve being separated from sin and set apart to righteousness (Rom 6: 19-22; 1
Cor 1: 30; 2 Thess 2: 13-16). This notion of separation from sin is confirmed
from 5: 22-23, where after commanding the readers to "avoid every kind of evil,
" Paul immediately says, "May God... sanctify you through and through. "
On the face of it, 4: 4 defines the precise kind of immoral activity Paul has in
mind: "that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification
and honor" (lit. trans. ) This verse, together with 4: 5-7, is one of the most
difficult verses in the New Testament. At least four interpretations have been
offered (see further Marshall 1982: 107-12).
2. A second view is virtually identical to the first except that the word skeuos
is not understood as a "person" or "body" but specifically as the male sexual
organ itself (Bruce 1982: 83; Ellingworth and Nida 1975: 79). The Hebrew word
in the apparent parallel of 1 Samuel 21: 5 carries this connotation ("Surely
women have been kept from us... and the vessels [skeue in the Greek translation]
of the young men were holy, " NASB). Like the first interpretation, this view also
accords well with Paul's warnings against immoral relationships with prostitutes
(1 Cor 6: 12-20).
Some contend that the usual ingressive meaning of ktaomai ("to acquire, gain,
take") does not fit the first two interpretations, which demand the sense of an
ongoing keeping or possessing (see, e. g., Stott 1991: 83). However, the verb can
sometimes be translated "keep, " and even the nuance of "gain mastery" or
"possess" is suitable to the first two interpretations (so Moulton and Milligan
1930: 362; Milligan 1908: 49). Thus, those not presently living holy lives must
begin to do so, that is, take possession of their bodies and begin to control them
and then continue to do so. Paul's emphasis may well be on the beginning of the
process of sexual holiness for those who do not have it, with the continuance of
that process implied.
There are several objections to the third interpretation. First, some believe
that it implies a low view of the wife as a human, since she is understood
primarily as a sexual instrument of gratification. In fact, however, the third
interpretation has Paul stressing sanctified and honorable relationships in
marriage. Second, the rabbinic parallels supporting the view are not clear or
come from a time after the New Testament period (see Marshall 1982: 108-9).
Third, if such a view were in Paul's mind, he would plausibly have had a dative
construction (heautō) directly linked to the verb ktaomai ("acquire for oneself").
Fourth, this explanation assumes that the males addressed were independently
considering marriage, much the way this occurs in the modern world today. The
vast majority of marriages in the Greco-Roman world, however, were arranged
by parents often for social or economic reasons. In this light, it is unlikely that
Paul had unarranged marriages in view (McGehee 1989: 84). Finally, the
purview of 4: 3 and 4: 5-6 seems broader than the marriage context. In particular,
to wrong and take advantage of at first glance are more suitable for a wider
application to different kinds of immoral relationships than merely to only one
kind of relationship. These objections are not fatal, but they have cumulative
force.
law... required the marriage of a daughter to somebody of near kin who would
be regarded as a "son" for purposes of inheritance. Such a marriage might not
only be contrary to Jewish law with its forbidden degrees of union, but the
possibility of it could lead to legal squabbles between different relatives who
wished to marry the heiress. Paul counsels that Christians must avoid incest
(vv. 4ff. ) and legal disputes. This view requires that in this matter be taken to
mean "in the lawsuit" (cf. 1 Cor. 6: 1). (Marshall 1982: 111, summarizing H.
Baltensweiler's position)
Similarly, some contend that the phrase in this matter (en tō pragmati, 4: 6)
refers generally to business affairs in which Christians are in danger of sinning
(see Douay, RSV margin). However, the context supports a more general idea of
immorality and does not provide any substantial hints of either of these narrower
legal or economic meanings (Best 1972: 164). In particular, (1) there is no clear
transitional wording to indicate the beginning of a new theme in 4: 6; (2) the
presence of the word impure in 4: 7 shows that the topic of sexual uncleanness is
still in mind; and (3) 4: 3-6 is a single sentence with three infinitival clauses, the
first two pertaining to sexuality, which makes it unlikely that the last infinitival
clause deals with a different subject (Weima 1996: 109). The words in this
matter and wrong his brother or take advantage of him could fit a context
concerning business lawsuits or legal disputes in connection with marriage, but
they also make good sense as a continuation of the topic of 4: 4-5 (Wanamaker
1990: 154).
There is, however, another generally unnoticed context within which the first
and second interpretations are best seen. The thrust of this passage is that the
readers are to abstain from those things characteristic of the heathen, who do not
know God, a lifestyle generally characterized by porneia and deserving God's
wrath (see the Old Testament parallels in Ps 79: 6; Jer 10: 25). In particular, 4: 1-
8 may well refer to that immoral lifestyle associated with contexts of Gentile
idolatry, which would be a development of 1: 9. Thus Paul is commanding that,
just as they "turned to God from idols" (1: 9), they also must break off all
associations with their idolatrous past, including all immoral customs such as
cult prostitution and the sexual immorality associated with idolatrous temple
festivities (see also Donfried 1985: 337-42). That this is what Paul is thinking is
indicated by New Testament parallels where idolatry is present along with the
unique wording and ideas pertaining to immorality found here.
In Acts 15: 19-20, 29 and 21: 25 porneia and other key phrases are associated
with idolatry. The former passage says that Jewish Christians should not trouble
"the Gentiles who are turning to God" (see 1 Thess 1: 9) but should tell them "to
abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality Iporneial, from the
meat of strangled animals and from blood. " All these descriptions relate to
idolatry, including even the last phrase, which is another way of referring to
sacrifices made to idols.
Then, as now, there would have been many opportunities for Christian
brothers and sisters to be conformed to pagan practices and commit immorality
with one another, whether in idolatrous contexts or elsewhere (see, e. g., 1 Cor 5:
1; 6: 15-19). To do so, Paul says, is to wrong or take advantage of the other
person. The precise idea of the Greek word pleonekteō is to take advantage of
people by wrongly taking something from them through deceptive means (see 2
Cor 12: 17). The idea is that of defrauding, taking something that is not one's
own through deceptive motives.
Paul gives a good reason for heeding his instruction in 4: 3-6: "because the
Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and
solemnly warned you" (4: 6 NASB). Those taken advantage of have a divine
defender who will avenge the wrong done to them. It is generally acknowledged
that, following his pattern elsewhere, Paul uses "Lord" to refer to Jesus (see 1: 1,
3; 2: 15, 19; 3: 11; 4: 1-2). If Marshall's proposal (1983: 112) that Paul is
alluding to Psalm 94: 1 ("The Lord /kyriosj is a God of vengeance [ekdikēseōn]
"; 93: 1 in the LXX) is correct, then Paul has omitted "God" from the reference
and left Lord (kyrios) in order to highlight Jesus' divine position of end-time
judge together with his Father. The psalm speaks of God's vengeance in judging
the earth and Gentiles (94: 2, 10). Thus Paul is saying that those who disobey his
instructions deserve judgment because they live like Gentiles, who do not know
God (see also 2 Thess 1: 8).
The judgment Paul considers here is not some mere disciplining procedure of
genuine believers. Rather, those who do not break off from their former pagan
ways of living should not be considered truly Christian and should certainly not
be given assurance that their faith is genuine. Such people who confess to be
Christians but live like Gentiles will be judged like unbelieving Gentiles (see
also Eph 5: 3-6; Col 3: 5-6). Paul underscores his warning by reminding them
that he has already cautioned them repeatedly about this kind of sin and its
consequences (the indefinite aspect of the aorist verbs probably are best taken
with the continuous aspect of the imperfects used similarly in 3: 4).
We have seen that Paul grounds the command to please God (4: 1) not only in
the authority of Christ (4: 2) but also in the authority of God's will, namely, their
sanctification (4: 3). This sanctification consists of avoiding sexual immorality, a
telltale emblem of the idolatrous lifestyle of unbelieving Gentiles that deserves
divine judgment (4: 3-6).Given the repetition of wording between 4: 3 and 7 (e.
g., "holy"), it is most likely that they form an inclusio or "bookend" encasing the
warning about immorality, all of which undergirds the reason Christians should
please God (Bruce 1982: 81): it is God's authoritative will that his people should
live a life pleasing to him.
It is often said that churches would be great places if it were not for the people in
them. Of course, when people become Christians, they do not become
"perfected" saints, and all too often factions arise over insignificant issues or
fellow Christians interrelate no differently than the rest of the world, holding
grudges against one another and gossiping about each other.
Strive to Love One Another (4: 9-10) Just as 4: 1-8 expands on the concept of
holiness from the prayer of 3: 13 as that which pleases God, 4: 9-12 develops
another aspect of Paul's prayer in 3: 12 that "the Lord make your love increase
and overflow for each other and for everyone else. " As in 1 Corinthians, the
introductory phrase "now about" (peri de) introduces new topics that were likely
raised in some form by the Thessalonians and communicated through Timothy
back to Paul (see, e. g., 1 Cor 7: 1, 25; 8: 1; 12: 1; 16: 1, 12; 1 Thess 4: 13; 5: 1).
Nevertheless, this section is not unrelated to 4: 1-8 and 3: 12-13- Paul hopes that
his instructions here will be one of the instruments used by God to begin to
answer his earlier prayer at the end of chapter 3-
Why put instructions about love at this point? Love was the primary thing in
3: 12-13 that Paul prayed would "strengthen" their hearts in holiness. Paul does
not want the Thessalonians to reject his instructions about holiness (4: 2-8) but
knows that if they increase in love, they will be strengthened in holiness. Indeed,
all the interpretations of 4: 4-6 involve the underlying notion that to maintain a
condition of holiness there must be love and respect for others, all of which will
fulfill the grand goal of pleasing God (4: 1). This notion of love now becomes
explicit in 4: 9-10.
From one perspective, they needed no more instruction from Paul about
loving one another, since they themselves had been taught by God to love each
other. Presumably this teaching came from Paul himself when he was among
them. The statement that they had been taught by God underscores Paul's earlier
statement that the instructions he gives do not ultimately derive from his own
authority but from Christ's authority (4: 2, 8). This instruction to love each other
derives not only from Jesus' present authority but also from Jesus' Upper Room
discourse, where he told his disciples three times to "love one another" (Jn 13:
34; 15: 12, 17; see also 1 Jn 3: 11; 2 Jn 5; Bruce 1982: 90). Paul, as often
elsewhere, is passing on and developing Jesus' teachings for his readers. In this
light, the phrase taught by God refers to Jesus as the divine teacher.
The Holy Spirit's influence inducing Christians to love one another may also
be implied in the expression, since the phrase "God, who gives you his Holy
Spirit, " has directly preceded (4: 8; see also Rom 5: 5; Gal 5: 22). The use of
theodidaktos (taught by God) and similar expressions elsewhere further suggests
the internal teaching by the Spirit (see Frame 1912: 158, who cites Barnabas 21:
6; Is 54: 13; Jer 31: 33-34; Jn 6: 45; Psalms of Solomon 17: 35). These other uses
speak of God directly teaching a person in some apparently internal manner.
That both Jesus and the Spirit may be included as the subject of the teaching is
apparent from the observation that the Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. In short, Jesus
taught the love command during his earthly ministry and then sent the Spirit to
continue to teach it to his people and to empower them to fulfill it.
In addition to the fact that Paul's readers have already been taught by God to
love each other, a second reason (note the causal gar, in fact in NIV) they need no
further instruction is that they are actually applying the earlier instruction to their
lives (4: 10). Not only have the Thessalonian Christians genuinely begun to
practice love toward each other but their love flows over even to all the brothers
throughout Macedonia.
One might think that Paul would be content with this and stop to thank God
for it. He is, however, so desirous that they keep on loving that he urges them not
to be satisfied with their past performance but even to do so more and more in
the future (4: 10). The sense is that although they do not need to be written to
about love because they are practicing it so well, nevertheless they need to excel
even more, which is the main point of 4: 9-10. Paul knows that perfect
sanctification in any area of life is impossible this side of heaven, so he
encourages them to keep advancing in their growing love.
Though Paul supplies no formal signal for how 4: 9-10 and 11 could be
logically related, love for one another may be the context from which people are
propelled to go out as a light into a dark world by conducting themselves with
wisdom "toward outsiders, [making] the most of every opportunity" (Col 4: 5;
see also Richard 1995: 214). When love takes a high profile among God's
people, they assume a low, humble profile before one another and others
(aspiring to lead a quiet life and to mind their own business; 4: 11). Christians
loving one another is the launching pad for motivating them to want to live a
honorable life attractive to unbelievers.
That Christians leading a quiet yet industrious life will result in winning the
respect of unbelievers is understandable, but how Christians loving one another
will have the same result is not immediately obvious. In addition, one must
explain the relation of the phrase not being dependent on anybody to the idea of
a witness to the outside world and to the exhortation to further love.
Paul later asks that "the Lord direct [their] hearts into the love of God" and
then launches into a discussion of living properly, with focus on working "in [a]
quiet fashion" (2 Thess 3: 5, 12 NASB). In this later passage also it is possible that
there is no logical connection between love and working quietly, but it is just as
plausible that love is to be the fuel that fans the flame of good works in general
(see 2 Thess 3: 13). As Christians work with their own hands, they do not
become selfishly dependent on others to help them and do not "impose on their
generosity" (Morris 1959: 135); rather, they demonstrate love by contributing to
the needs of truly needy saints so that the needs of all are met (see Eph 4: 28).
Indeed, the first mention of love in 1 Thessalonians is inextricably linked with
labor: "we continually remember... your labor prompted by love" (1: 3). Love for
God and one another inspires the doing of good works, including doing literal
work in the world to which God has called one.
R. Jewett (1986: 172-78) contends that some church members believed that
Christ's final coming had already occurred (see 2 Thess 2: 2), so they did not
need to abide by the structures of daily life characteristic of the "old world, "
such as a working, upholding sexual ethics (4: 3-8) and living under the
authority of church leaders (cf. 5: 12-14). A. L. Moore (1969: 66), however,
thinks that since the main topic of 4: 9-11 is "brotherly love, " some of the
Thessalonians misunderstood the implications of what such familial love
entailed, supposing "they could invade their 'brethren's' privacy and also be
supported by their 'brethren. ' " Paul's response is that true love does not express
itself in this manner but in respect for the privacy of others and taking "one's fair
share in work to support oneself. "
While these perspectives represent part of the situation, most agree that the
problem is Christians not working to support themselves because of a mistaken
belief that Christ would return within the near future. The fact that the warning
against slackness in working occurs both directly before and after (5: 14) Paul's
explicit teaching about Christ's final coming (4: 13—5: 11) supports this
conclusion (Marshall 1983: 117). Many guilty of such laxness would have
become dependent on the charity of other church members as well as possibly on
whatever welfare may have been available in the surrounding culture. This
scenario best explains the admonition to mind your own business and to work
with your hands. Paul's earlier mention that he had worked "night and day in
order not to be a [financial] burden to anyone" (2: 9) is the positive example to
follow (see also 2 Thess 3: 7-10; Williams 1992: 77; Juel 1985: 240). The last
phrase of 4: 12 (that you will not be dependent on anybody) is an extension of
the topic of 4: 11, both of which support winning the respect of outsiders (4: 12)
as the logical zenith of 4: 9-12. Ernest Best concludes that while Christians will
not please everyone, they should be sure that they behave according to the
accepted standards of secular society, such as the civil order of society, not
infringing on the rights of others, the integrity of financial self-support, and
providing for one's own family. "Non-Christians will recognize such conduct as
good and will not therefore be put off by the wrong 'scandal' in Christianity"
(Best 1972: 177).
As noted in the discussion of 3: 12-13, Christians must first love one another
before they can effectively attract the world to become members of the
community of believers. The same progression is observable here, since 4: 9-12
develops 3: 12-13- Just as musicians practice privately in order to be ready for
public performance, Christians need to learn to live harmoniously with one
another in love and then demonstrate that love to the public outside the church
community. If the church is not a truly loving entity acting out God's love in
Christ for humanity, then those outside the church will never glimpse that love
and be attracted by it.
Encouragement for Godly Living Leads to Readiness for Christ's Coming
(4: 13—5: 11)
Just as 4: 1-8 and 4: 9-12 were intended as a means by which Paul's prayer
for holiness and love would be answered (3: 12-13), so 4: 13-18 is meant to
answer his prayer that God would strengthen their hearts in faith and hope until
Christ comes again. That hope is an implicit part of the prayer in 3: 13 is
apparent from comparing the virtually identical wording in 1: 3, 2: 19 and 3: 13-
A further link between 2: 19, 3: 13 and 4: 13-18 is that the word for Jesus' final
coming (parousia) occurs in all three texts, as it does also in 5: 23, itself a
development of 3: 13- Further, increasing in hope will cause an increase in
holiness, which was true also with an increase in love, as we saw in 4: 9-12.
Finally, as with holiness and love in 4: 3-12, maintaining hope is part of
accomplishing the great goal of pleasing God (4: 1).
The problem with this view is that it is hard to understand why the
Thessalonians would be tempted to grieve like unbelievers merely because
deceased believers would experience a delayed resurrection (see Martin 1995:
142). Furthermore, the concluding point of 4: 15-17 is that all believers will be
with the Lord forever, not merely that living saints will not precede those who
have fallen asleep. This conclusion addresses grieving over dead believers who,
it was feared, would never be resurrected, not the problem of a delayed
resurrection.
An alternative explanation notes that Paul, and Judaism along with him, had
formerly held to a belief in only one final resurrection. When Christ rose alone
without any other saints, this likely produced the problem of why or how one
person could fulfill the Old Testament prophecies of the resurrection of all of
God's people. Paul later resolves this by affirming that Christ's resurrection was
the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" and that when he returns a
second time, "those who belong to him" will then be raised (1 Cor 15: 20, 23).
The same thing may well be in mind here. Paul is clarifying that the prophesied
resurrection is fulfilled not in one event but in two: Jesus... rose again (4: 14),
and he will return to raise the believing dead and translate the living (4: 14-17).
In conjunction with this, it is apparent later that there was confusion about
Christ's final coming and believers being resurrected (2 Thess 2: 1-2). Some
were contending that somehow Christ's coming and, presumably, the final
resurrection had already occurred. We know there was confusion in the early
church about the expectation of Christ's return (e. g., Jn 21: 22-23; Acts 1: 6-8).
Some also denied that there would be a final, physical resurrection of all God's
people (1 Cor 15: 12; 2 Tim 2: 18). The reason for such a denial may have been
that some believed Christ had already finally returned in some invisible or
spiritual manner and that in some way the resurrection of the church had also
occurred in a kind of spiritual way. Similarly, some may have affirmed that,
since the Old Testament predicted only one physical resurrection, Christ's
resurrection was representative for the church. Consequently, when one believed
in him, one was identified with the risen Christ and at that time experienced a
spiritual resurrection, after which no physical resurrection was needed or could
be expected.
The false proclamation of "peace and safety" in 5: 3 may well reflect those
false teachers within the church who believed the final resurrection of the saints
had already occurred spiritually and that the peaceful and secure conditions of
the new creation had also come about (see Is 11: 6-9; 54: 10-15; 60: 17-22; 66:
12-22). In short, this false teaching may have arisen over a misunderstanding of
how Old Testament prophecy had begun to be fulfilled in the inaugurated phase
of the eschaton. Something like this may well have been an incipient problem
that Paul addresses in the first letter and which may have blossomed by the time
of the second letter, especially since some teachers in the church were claiming
that "the day of the Lord has already come" and therefore that "the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered (i. e., resurrected] to him" has also
taken place (2 Thess 2: 1-2). That 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-17 addresses just such
an inchoate confusion is apparent from noticing that three crucial phrases there
also appear in 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-2: "the coming of the Lord" (4: 15), "God
will bring with Jesus" (4: 14 - "our being gathered to him" in 2 Thess 2: 1), and
"the day of the Lord" (5: 2).
If this analysis is on the right track, then the Thessalonians would have been
grieving like the Gentiles because they were beginning to doubt the final
physical resurrection of the dead, perhaps affirming only some shadowlike
existence of deceased believers in another realm, similar to some pagan
mythologies. On the other hand, there was also apparently the belief that those
living at the time of the parousia would be translated bodily and gloriously but
would not be bodily reunited with their dead fellow-Christians. The conclusion
of 4: 15-17 (we will be [bodily] with the Lord forever), while not addressing
adequately the problem of a delayed resurrection, does address admirably the
problem of grieving about deceased saints who were thought never to be
resurrected with physical bodies (see also 5: 10).
How, then, should Christians respond to death until Christ comes back? They
should not grieve with hopelessness or despair. Grieving is natural even for
Christians when the death of a loved one occurs (Jn 11: 35; Phil 2: 27), but it
must be mingled with hope within the Christian community.
Paul describes believers who have died as those who fall asleep. Sleeping is a
euphemism for death in ancient pagan writings and in the Old Testament. The
description itself, however, may imply some degree of hope, since here it is a
metaphor not merely for those who have died physically but for those also who
are, in some sense, still conscious and alive (see further on 5: 11). Jewish
literature of the time could use "sleep" with the double sense of physical death
and ongoing existence. In the context of this letter, Paul implies that though a
believer dies in body, the spirit and soul live on (so 5: 23; see also Lk 16: 19-31;
23: 42-43; Phil 1: 21-23). They "live" in this life and on into the next because
they are "in the Lord, " who himself presently exists as the risen Lord and who
enables them to enjoy already the beginning phases of eternal life. Those who
have fallen asleep in Jesus are the dead in Christ in 4: 16 (so Whiteley 1969:
70), which means that they continue to reside within the sphere of his life-giving
power after physical death (so 4: 14). Likewise, the ones who "sleep" in 5: 10 are
also considered "alive, " especially if the subjunctive "we may live together with
him" is not a reference only to the future but includes an inaugurated
resurrection existence.
Why should anyone have hope in reaction to death? The reason is that Jesus'
resurrection has launched the final resurrection of all saints. The main reason
(gar) saints must maintain hope is because we believe that Jesus died and rose
again (4: 14). The Greek text has "for if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, then, in the same manner [houtos, NIV "so"], God will bring the ones
having fallen asleep through [NIV "in"] Jesus with him. " The inevitable result of
believing that Jesus died and rose is the belief that God will raise and bring with
Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him (a first-class conditional sentence in
Greek in which, assuming for the sake of argument the reality of the first clause,
the truth of the second clause necessarily follows). Of course, since Paul knew
and assumed his belief about this was true, the thought really is that the
necessary effect of God raising Jesus is God subsequently raising all who have
identified with Jesus! But why doesn't Paul merely say it this way in the first
place? Why does he insert the notion of belief? The likely reason is that, while
Paul certainly affirms the theological reality of the statement, here he is
concerned that they believe it with all their hearts, so that it would affect their
responses to life's vicissitudes, especially the death of other saints.
Therefore, we have hope even in the midst of death because those who die "in
Christ" will live again. Physical death is not the end of our existence nor that of
our loved ones and friends who are believers. Those who believe that this is the
only life there is must despair and grieve without hope because there is no hope
apart from Christ.
The reason Paul's readers should believe that deceased saints will be raised in
the same way as Jesus and will be brought with Jesus at his return (4: 14) is
because (gar) this is what Jesus himself affirmed (4: 15). Some think that the
Lord's own word refers to the heavenly Lord inspiring Paul to say what he does
in 4: 15-17 and does not refer to the words of the earthly Jesus. While it is
certainly true that Paul was an inspired writer here and elsewhere (see, e. g., 4:
1-2, 8), the likelihood is that Paul is recollecting the words of the earthly Jesus
and paraphrasing him. This is apparent from noticing that 4: 15—5: 7 has
numerous parallels that demonstrate a high probability that Paul is dependent on
Jesus' teaching on the last things (see below for a list of the parallels).
The probability is that 4: 15-17 describe generally the same end-time scenario
as 5: 1-11. Specifically, Paul narrates the resurrection at the end of the age and
then recapitulates in chapter 5 by speaking about the timing of this event and
about the judgment on unbelievers, which will also happen at the same time.
That both 4: 15-18 and 5: 1-11 explain the same events is discernible from
observing that both passages actually form one continuous depiction of the same
narrative in Matthew 24, as apparent from the chart on page 137 (following Bell
1967: 249-50; see also Orchard 1938: 23-30; Wenham 1995: 303-14).
Other significant parallels include: the use of the word parousia for Christ's
coming; reference to Christ's advent as "that day" (Mt 24: 36) or "the day of the
Lord" (1 Thess 5: 2); and a description of someone coming to "meet" another
(eis apantesin autou, virgins coming out to "meet" the bridegroom in Mt 25: 6;
eis apantesin tou kyriou, believers "meeting" the Lord in 1 Thess 4: 17; see
further Waterman 1975).
Comparison of 1 Thessalonians 4—5 with Matthew 24
There is some question about whether or not Jesus literally will come down
from heaven (4: 16). The description of a descent from heaven here has been
referred to in 4: 15 as the coming of the Lord. The word for coming is parousia,
which ordinarily means either "presence" or "coming. " The former appears best
in this context. Comparing other descriptions of Christ's coming, it is apparent
that motion from heaven down to earth may not be the precise way in which
Christ manifests his end-time presence. Revelation 6: 14 refers to the end of the
present cosmos in terms of "a scroll that has been split and each of the two
halves then rolled up" (Beale 1999a: 396). If John were living today, he might
use the analogy of a stage curtain with pictures on it, which is drawn from both
sides to reveal the actors behind it. In short, the present physical reality will in
some way disappear and the formerly hidden heavenly dimension, where Christ
and God dwell, will be revealed (see further Rev 11: 19; 19: 11; 21: 1-3).
Paul is using the same imagery in 4: 15-17. What has been traditionally
understood as the second coming of Christ is best conceived as a revelation of
his formerly hidden, heavenly "presence. " The old-world reality will be ripped
away, and the dimension of the new, eternal reality will appear along with
Christ's "presence. " The references to parousia in 2: 19, 3: 13 and 5: 23 also
carry the same connotation. When Christ appears, he will not descend from the
sky over Boston or London or New York City or Hong Kong or any other
localized area. When he appears, the present dimension will be ripped away, and
Christ will be manifest to all eyes throughout the earth (see Mt 24: 27). Just as
one can lay flat a map of the whole world and see it all at one glance, so Christ
will appear and be able to behold humanity at one glance and they him. How this
is possible in literal geographical terms is certainly unclear, but the answer lies in
recalling that a new dimension will break into the old physical dimension, and
the possibilities of new kinds of perception and of existence beyond present
understanding will then be realized. Interestingly, Revelation 21: 3, 22 say that
directly following Christ's final coming, God and the Lamb will form a
"tabernacling" presence over all redeemed believers.
Some scholars have thought that Paul's repeated reference to we who are still
alive (4: 15, 17) means that Paul believed mistakenly that he and the readers
would definitely witness Christ's final coming in their own lifetimes (or, at least,
quite soon thereafter; so, e. g., Best 1972: 194-96). The expression could just as
easily be understood to mean that Paul did expect Christ to return at any moment
and hoped for it but still would not have set a definite date (even a date within
his own lifetime), since in 5: 1 he tells the readers that no one but God knows
when Christ will return. It is implausible that Paul would contradict himself in
the short space of only two verses on his topic of main concern. Those who
contend that 4: 15 and 17 show that Paul certainly believed he would remain
alive until Christ returned overlook 5: 10, which indicates that he entertained the
possibility of death and the possibility of surviving until the parousia (so Moore
1969: 78-79).
Furthermore, the expressions "through the Lord, " "in Christ, " and "with the
Lord" in this passage express not only the notion of the corporate solidarity of
Christ with his people but also the corporate continuity of God's people. This
continues the similar Old Testament concept whereby a present generation of
Israel could be addressed as participating in events of the past or in the future in
which the individuals did not or would not actually participate. For example, in
Deuteronomy 4: 20-31 Moses addresses the second generation of Israel by
saying that "the Lord took you and brought you... out of Egypt" (4: 20, which is
true only primarily of the first generation). Then Moses says to this same
generation that they will experience exile from the promised land but then
subsequently be restored from captivity, which, of course, was to happen
hundreds of years later (4: 27, 30). The second generation may well have
expected the fulfillment of the "latter-day" prophecy to be imminent, even within
their own generation, though it was fulfilled much later. Likewise, Paul, in good
prophetic tradition, addresses the body of Christ, the true Israel, represented by
first-century believers. This body of Christ will experience his final coming,
though the particular individuals actually to experience this coming may (from
Paul's perspective) not be the Thessalonian audience but a later generation of
those in Christ (I am indebted to my former colleague D. K. Stuart for these
insights; for a profitable approach to the various problems associated with the
expectation of Christ's imminent coming, see also the approach of Hoekema
1979).
The last phrase of 4: 17, so we will be with the Lord forever, is the ultimate
goal of God's work of resurrection in 4: 14-17 and is thus the main point of these
verses. Being with the Lord forever is the main support for not grieving over
death and having hope in 4: 13. Christ's resurrection leads to our resurrection,
which results in being with the Lord forever.
Paul has said in 4: 13-17 that believers are to have hope when encountering
the reality of death because Jesus' resurrection guarantees our future resurrection
and, ultimately, our eternal fellowship with God. Verse 18, the main point of all
of 4: 13-18 (see also Sterner 1998: 113), explains what effect such hope should
have upon the Christian community: we are to encourage each other with these
words. The basis for encouragement is the hope of being raised with Christ and
being with the Lord forever. When death comes, we should not grieve hopelessly
but mourn with hope. It is not wrong to grieve over death; the curse of death
brought by Adam's sin is a worthy thing over which to lament. To say goodbye
to a loved one or friend whom one will not see for a long time is sad.
Nevertheless, the true Christian should cry with tears of hope.
So what was the real difference between my father's funeral and that of my
Christian colleague, Nigel Kerr? One could quickly respond by saying that my
colleague was a Christian and my father was not. But what that really means is
that there was no true "hope" for my father's future at his funeral. I recollect with
sadness that he openly confessed for years leading up to his death that he did not
believe in Christ. After death, as far as I know, he would only be awaiting
judgment at the day of the future resurrection (though I would be most happy to
discover on that day that he had trusted in Christ directly before his unexpected
death). On the other hand, my faculty friend's family, while grieving, were also
rejoicing because they believed that Nigel was in God's presence, and they had
real hope that they would see him again and rejoice with him at the final trumpet
call when Christ returns.
Encouragement to Live Faithfully and Be Ready for Christ's Return (5: 1-
11) The history of the church is checkered with people and communities who
believed they knew beyond doubt when Jesus' second coming would occur. A
most notable episode took place in Korea, where a group of Christians believed
that Christ would come again in October 1992. Some people believed this so
fervently that they sold their homes and gave away their possessions. When the
date came and went, there was despair on the part of some; a few even
committed suicide. Obviously, without exception, the expectations of each of
these groups throughout history have been dashed. Such overly definitive
expectations did not arise only in later centuries but have plagued the church
from its earliest beginnings. Paul's opening statement in 5: 1 addresses this
potential problem in the church at Thessalonica: Now, brothers, about times and
dates we do not need to write to you. The "times and dates" refers to Christians
attempting to set up timetables in order to ascertain the specific point at which
Christ will return (see also Acts 1: 7).
Christ's Return far Unbelievers Will Be Unexpected (5: 1-3) Paul begins
another new section, again indicated by the initial phrase "now concerning" (peri
de; see 4: 9, 13), though, as we will see, this section continues the general theme
of the preceding paragraph. The segment of 5: 1-11 can be broken down into
three discernible sections (following Richard 1995: 260-61) based on three
virtually identical introductory markers: (1) "but concerning" (peri de, 5: 1); (2)
"but you" (hemeis de, 5: 4); and (3) "but you" (hemeis de, 5: 8). Furthermore, the
three sections deal with different topics: (1) the unexpected coming of the "day
of the Lord" when unbelievers will be judged (5: 1-3); (2) the preparedness of
believers because of who they are in relation to God (5: 4-7), and (3) the vigilant
faithfulness of God's people that is ultimately rooted in their election, all of
which is the basis for "encouraging one another" (5: 8-11). Finally, each section
ends with an inference to be drawn from the directly preceding material.
After highlighting that Christians are to encourage one another because of the
hope of resurrection and eternal life with God (4: 13-18), Paul moves to the
related question of whether or not we can pinpoint the precise time Christ will
return to conclude history and raise the dead. His answer is clear. Paul does not
need to write them about the precise timing of Christ's final coming, for they
themselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the
night (5: 2; see Mt 24: 36, 42-43).
The day of the Lord is a well-known phrase throughout the Bible and without
exception refers to God's judgment of and defeat of his adversaries, including
those who claim to be his people but really are not (see Acts 2: 20 [citing Joel 2:
31] and 2 Pet 3: 10; above all, see Zeph 1. 14-16, which mentions destruction,
darkness, and trumpet, features in common with 1 Thess 4: 16—5: 8). Together
with judgment, the phrase sometimes also includes the notion of deliverance for
God's people (Obad 15-21; Zech 14). Christ will come, not only to raise his own
people from the dead (1 Thess 4: 13-18), but also to judge his antagonists.
Paul continues the thief metaphor in 5: 3 (Best 1972: 208), but it also merges
into a picture of a woman writhing in birth pangs: While people are saying,
"Peace and safety, " destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a
pregnant woman, and they will not escape. Those in the house not prepared for a
thief and who think they have peace and safety will be surprised by Christ's
coming. Some commentators understand the destruction mentioned here to be
the birth pangs of the final "Great Tribulation" that will continue for several
years until it is concluded by the coming of Christ (Thomas 1978: 280-84), but
the reference is to Christ's coming itself, at which time the ungodly will be
surprised by the final judgment inflicted upon them (described in 2 Thess 1: 6-9;
2: 8-12, where olethros ["destruction"] also occurs, as in 1 Thess 5: 3).
The shift in focus from a thief to that of a pregnant woman enhances the
former metaphor. Ordinarily, even in our modern age, an expectant mother never
knows when labor pains will begin. She may think she has peace and safety but
is sometimes surprised by the onset of labor pains. In this manner, Christ's
appearance will catch people off guard.
Too many people, including those who profess the name of Christ, live
without due awareness of God in the ordinary decisions of life. Such people's
lives will be interrupted unexpectedly by Christ's coming, for they will be judged
because of their lack of faith in and obedience to the Lord. In all likelihood, the
pictures of the thief and the pregnant woman suggest, not only the
unexpectedness of Christ's return, but also, for those who are not ready, the
undesirability of his coming, since they will be judged. Finally, the pregnancy
metaphor suggests both unwelcome pain and the inevitability of the coming
judgment from which no unbeliever can escape. Thus, the lack of escape for
unbelievers is the main point of 5: 1-3-
Though no one knows when Christ will return, 5: 5-10 give at least two
reasons why Christians should be appropriately prepared to meet their savior. In
contrast (But you) to those unprepared in 5: 2-3, the Thessalonian Christians
should not be caught off guard (5: 4). Paul continues to expand the notion of
Christ's unexpected coming. The main point of 5: 5-7 is being alert and self-
controlled (5: 6). The reasons they are to be this way is explained by the
application of the metaphors of light, darkness and drunkenness.
To be sons of the light and sons of the day is to be "sons of the Lord. " This is
implicit from 5: 2, where Paul calls Christ's coming the day of the Lord (cf. also
v. 4). The "day" is so closely related to the "Lord" that Paul may be substituting
day for "Lord" in 5: 5. This is implied by noting that "children of light... were
once [in] darkness, but now... are light in the Lord" (Eph 5: 8; see also Phil 2:
15). Similarly, Romans 13: 12, 14 affirm that the saints must "put on the armor
of light, " which is then equated in parallel fashion by the command, "clothe
yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. " Light throughout the Old and New
Testaments represents either an attribute of God (or Christ) or his revealing
activity; sometimes the two notions merge (as in 1 Jn 1: 7 and throughout John's
Gospel). In particular, in John 12: 35-36 Jesus identifies himself with "the light"
and says that people need "to trust in the light... so that [they] may become sons
of light' (i. e., of God or of Christ) and not be overtaken by darkness. Likewise,
in our verse Paul substitutes light and day for Christ to emphasize the fact that if
the readers truly are identified with Christ, they will live in a godly manner,
according to God's light of revelation and in reflection of his attributes. Such
godly living will enable them to be prepared for their Lord's coming.
The contrast of darkness and light in the Old Testament often reflects the light
of the first creation breaking into the darkness of the world (Gen 1: 1-5) and later
refers to the light of the end-time new creation that will shine into the realm of
the old, fallen world of darkness (Is 60: 1-3, 19-20; cf. Rev 21: 23-25; 22: 5).
The New Testament uses the similar light-darkness contrast also to depict the
inauguration of the in-breaking latter-day new creation through Jesus (Jn 1: 1-5)
and his followers (Eph 4: 22-24; 5: 8-13; Col. 1: 12-13). So light sometimes
refers to the light of the new creation, which is likewise in mind here.
We concluded above that light (and day) is a reference to Christ, so how can
it refer both to the new creation and to Christ? Christ in his resurrection is the
beginning of the new creation (Rev 3: 14; see also Jn 1: 1-5; 2 Cor 5: 14-17; Gal
6: 14-15; Col 1: 15-18). People become identified with Christ as the new
creation when they believe in him (2 Cor 5: 17), which enables them to
"evaluate" reality by God's standards and not from the perspective of the
ungodly world (so 2 Cor 5: 16). Satan "has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so
that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, " but God
"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor 4: 4, 6). It is the light of this revelation
that enables believers to become a new creation and not to evaluate "from a
worldly point of view" (2 Cor 5: 16).
The translation others in 5: 6 reflects the Greek hoi loipoi, which also occurs
in 4: 13, where Paul referred to "the rest... who have no hope. " In both cases, the
term refers to unbelievers. Ironically, in 5: 6 they are spiritually asleep, in
contrast to deceased believers, who, though physically asleep (i. e., dead) are
spiritually awake with the Lord (4: 14; 5: 10). To be asleep while physically
living is to be spiritually anesthetized and dead, but to be asleep while physically
dead is to be spiritually alive with the Lord.
In addition to sleep (i. e., what one does when it is dark), Paul employs the
picture of drunkenness (5: 7; see Mt 24: 45-51; Bruce 1982: 112). Like sleepy
people, those who are drunk are not alert. If a thief comes into someone's house
who is drunk, the thief can get away with quite a bit before the drunk person
sobers up. Paul says one can be spiritually drunk. To be drunk spiritually is to
imbibe too much of the world's way of looking at things and not enough of the
way God views reality. To be intoxicated with the world's wine is to be numbed
to feeling any fear in the present of a coming judgment. Then, when Christ
finally comes and shocks people out of their spiritual paralysis, they will be both
cognitively and ethically surprised and mournful over their punishment.
If we cannot pinpoint the precise timing of Jesus' coming, does that mean that
we should not live expectantly for that coming? Paul underscores in 5: 2-10 that
Christ's final coming will happen unexpectedly and that Christians, nevertheless,
should live in such a way that they will not be surprised by it. Though we cannot
narrow Christ's return to any particular date, we should expect him to come at
any time. This way of expectant living is compared to the way one must live in
order not to be surprised by a thief's sudden break-in. That is, since we know that
"the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" (5: 2), this day should
not surprise us like a thief (5: 4). How does the picture of a thief help us to know
how to live expectantly for Jesus' parousia?
Many people have had the unfortunate experience of having a thief break in
and rob them. This happened to me a few years ago. We lived in a rural part of
Massachusetts and thought it was such a safe area that we sometimes did not
even lock our doors. Unexpectedly, one afternoon a burglar broke into our house
while we were gone and stole some things that had been handed down to us from
our grandparents. How can we protect against this happening again? Do we
protect ourselves by staying in our house every moment and looking through our
window while holding a gun? I doubt that anyone tries to do that. Most people
protect against robbers by keeping their doors locked or installing alarms. In
addition, people may also keep expensive items in a safe deposit box. Most
people take ordinary and sensible measures to protect against theft; they do not
sit in their houses, looking out the window with a gun, waiting for a burglar to
come. To do so would paralyze our everyday lives.
Christ will come in similar manner as a thief, but our reaction is not to sit
around every moment of our lives with a Bible in our hands, looking out our
windows, and waiting for him to come at anytime. That would paralyze us. Just
as there is an ordinary and sane way to be ready for thieves, so there is a
reasonable way to be ever ready for Jesus' coming. According to Revelation 16:
15, Christians must stay awake and "keep their clothes on" throughout the night,
as one would do in order not to be surprised by a thief. At first glance, this
sounds literally radical. John's language here, however, is not to be taken in such
a pedantic manner. The key to the picture is properly understanding the "clothes.
" The clothes are obviously not literal but figurative. Revelation 19: 7-8 explains
that the church will make itself ready for Christ's coming by wearing "fine linen,
bright and clean, " which is then interpreted to be "the righteous acts of the
saints. " To "keep our clothes on" and always to be ready for Christ's return
means that we keep on doing those righteous things that please God (see also Mt
24: 45-46).
It is striking that Paul likewise describes the expectant attitude of his readers
with the figurative picture of being wakeful and wearing certain clothes: they are
not to he like others, who... sleep at night, but they are to he alert and self-
controlled,... putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation
as a helmet (5: 6-8). Paul's triadic formula for genuine Christian existence is
"faith, love and hope" (see 1: 3), which shows that here he is saying that the way
to be ready for the last advent is to live a life of trust in God and his promises.
Paul stresses faith, love and hope, since he is concerned about the readers'
attitude to death (4: 13-18) and to the Messiah's final coming (5: 1-11), which
require responses of faith, love and hope. If we do not have the helmet of hope,
things in life will come crashing down, cracking our spiritual skulls and
incapacitating us spiritually. If we are "uninformed" about what God's word says
and we are not living in close relationship to him and his word, then catastrophic
events like the death of one we care for can harm us (4: 13). We must love each
other by encouraging one another (4: 18; 5: 11) in our faith in order to build one
another up in our common hope.
Preparation for Christ's Return Through Godly Living and God's Election
Results in Encouragement (5: 8-11) Based on all he has said so far, Paul
reaches the final conclusion of this first segment of chapter 5. Paul first affirms
that Christ's coming should not be an unexpected event of judgment because
believers are God's children who should reflect his character (5: 8). True saints
are able to obey God because they have renewed natures enabling them to do so.
The explicit connection between being a part of the new age ("sons of light") and
being able to obey God's commandments is made in 5: 8: But since we belong to
the day and light has begun to dawn upon us, let us be self-controlled, putting on
faith and love and hope (5: 8). As in 5: 4-7, being self-controlled is the main
point of 5: 8-10.
On the basis that they have already begun to put on the armor, saints are
commanded to be self-controlled because, in contrast to those in darkness, they
have the ability to fulfill the command. Gaventa accordingly renders the verse
"Since we are children of the day, clothed with the breastplate of faith and love,
and as a helmet the hope of salvation, let us be sober" (1998: 72). If the armor,
indeed, is figurative for Christian virtues, then the question needs explicitly to be
asked why Paul exhorts the readers to be self-controlled. The answer is that Paul
is encouraging them to become what they already are in Christ and to grow even
more in him.
Paul draws the imagery of a breastplate and helmet from the armor that God
himself was prophesied to wear in judging and bringing salvation to his people
in the end-times (see Is 59: 17). Paul alludes to the same passage together with
other Old Testament "divine armor" prophecies in Ephesians 6: 10-17. There the
reference is to Christ's armor that believers also wear in conducting battle against
the satanic enemy. Consequently, if one has become truly identified with Christ,
then one has already put on the armor. The picture is of a soldier, who, after
having been clothed with armor, must now be watchful in order to conduct battle
and to avoid harm.
Hence, the latter days have been inaugurated, and the Thessalonians must be
watchful as they wear their armor in order to fight and protect themselves in the
midst of end-time trials and conflicts with the realm of darkness. There is a
battle of ideas over competing versions of what truth and reality are, as
suggested in the preceding section. Indeed, the armor of Ephesians 6 is to enable
saints to protect themselves from and to fight against the "devil's schemes, "
false teachings that are to be thwarted by the truth (Eph 4: 14-15). Here in 1
Thessalonians a similar conflict is in mind, and the armor needed to overcome is
faith, love and hope. What is the "scheme" or false teaching against which Paul
is exhorting them to do battle? It could be an attempt by some within to set
precise dates for Christ's return (see further 2 Thess 2: 1-3). Paul's point, then, is
that the way one should expectantly wait for Christ's return is not by trying to
calculate the time of that return nor by being carelessly unaware of one's
relationship with God but by thinking and living like a genuine Christian,
characterized by faith, love and hope.
For Paul, a righteous lifestyle is the best way to prepare for Jesus' return (5:
8), which leads him in 5: 9 to reflect on the deeper basis for such a lifestyle.
Why is the apostle persuaded that the majority in the church at Thessalonica will
be adequately prepared for Christ's return? Paul is convinced that most of his
readers are elect (1: 4) and that therefore God did not appoint them to suffer
wrath hut to receive salvation (5: 9). Moreover, Paul knows they are elect
because of the kind of fruit they bear in their Christian lives (see discussion at 1:
5; see also Jn 15: 16). It is no coincidence that one reason Paul knows the
Thessalonians are elect is because their lives are characterized by faith, love and
hope (so 1: 3) and that the same three traits are mentioned in the same order in 5:
8, also directly preceding a word for election (tithēmi, NIV appoint). Why when
Christ returns will some in the church be living in such a way, while others will
not and will suffer eternal judgment? God's elect will bear the marks of God's
work in them, but the nonelect will not (see further Eph 2: 3; 5: 6; Col 3: 6; 2
Thess 2: 13-17).
In 1: 10 Paul wrote that the Thessalonians "wait for [God's] Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath
[orgē]. " Now in 5: 9 Paul expands on this by saying that God did not appoint us
to suffer wrath forge] hut to receive salvation, which will be through our Lord
Jesus Christ. Here, instead of mentioning the resurrection as the basis of Jesus'
salvation of people (as in 1: 10), Paul first mentions Jesus' death: He died for us
(5: 10). Together Jesus' death and resurrection are the basis of the rescue and
salvation of people: he died, receiving God's wrath for his people, then
conquered death through resurrection. Faith (5: 8) is the means by which people
are able to identify with Christ's death and resurrection and benefit from his
redemptive work.
It is possible that Paul has in mind that all Christians, whether dead or alive,
are presently experiencing resurrection life, but the focus is likely on the main
point of the nearby 4: 13-17, namely, the future resurrection at the time of
Christ's coming. Still, could present resurrection existence be included? The final
judgment and destruction of the cosmos will lead to the consummated new
creation and resurrection existence of God's people. Could Paul conceive of this
final judgment as having been pushed back to the cross and inaugurated there in
Christ on behalf of those for whom he died, so that their resurrection life
spiritually begins already in the midst of the old world? That inceptive
resurrection existence is partly in mind may be apparent from recalling that the
readers "are not in darkness" but "are sons of the light. " As we have seen, this is
imagery of the end-time light of the new creation breaking into the old world, so
that the readers' identity has already begun to be bound up in the resurrection life
of the new age and not the death throes of the old cosmos.
Paul reaches the same conclusion and gives the same exhortation on the same
basis in 4: 13-18 as here. The identical conclusions suggest that 4: 13-18 and 5:
1-11 form one large unified literary and thought unit. The general identity of 4:
13-18 with 5: 1-11 means that the latter section functions in the broader context
in a similar way as the former. These verses elaborate on the lifestyle that serves
as an effective witness to the pagan world (4: 11-12). Living expectantly for the
Lord's appearing according to faith, love and hope is how one's "daily life may
win the respect of outsiders" (4: 12). Likewise, just as was partially true with 4:
13-18, this section (especially 5: 8) develops the prayer that the Thessalonians
increase in their faith (3: 10), love (3: 12) and hope (3: 13). The accent, however,
is on hope, since the theme throughout 5: 1-10 is on being prepared for Christ's
final advent.
Moreover, 5: 1-11 alludes back not only to 4: 13-18 but also to the beginning
of that chapter: the last phrase of 5: 11, just as in fact you are doing, is nearly
identical to "as in fact you are living" (4: 1; see also 4: 10). This is probably not
coincidental, since the phrase directly preceding "as in fact you are living" in 4:
1 is "how to live in order to please God, " the main point and goal of all of 4: 1-
12 and thus probably also of 4: 13—5: 11.
Therefore, Paul does not want the church to be uninformed about matters
pertaining to Christ's return (cf. 4: 13; 5: 1-2) in order that they know God and
his ways and what he expects of them. They do this to achieve the great goal of
pleasing God, whether it be in the midst of history or at its very end! We need to
pay attention to God's word in order not to be ignorant of God and his ways, as
the world is ignorant. To whatever degree we are uninformed about what the
Bible says, then to that degree we are "unclothed" (see 5: 8), walking in spiritual
darkness (5: 4-7) and stumbling because we do not have sufficient light shining
on our path.
In this respect, twice our passage has said that we must be "watchful" (5: 6,
10). "Watcher" was sometimes a name used for angels in biblical times because
they were always watching what was happening on earth (Dan 4: 13, 23 NASB).
They were watching from God's viewpoint and not from the sinful perspective of
the world. This is why angels are sometimes pictured with many eyes (Rev 4: 6-
8): they know God's will and carry it out; they know what is happening on earth
and how to evaluate what is happening from God's vantage point. We should be
like our angelic friends, "watching" and looking at all things from the viewpoint
of God's word.
God Will Sanctify and Inspire Peace in His People That They May he
Blameless at Christ's Coming (5: 12-24)
The thematic culmination of the letter is now reached. This section expands on
the directly preceding commands to "encourage one another and build each other
up" (5: 11), which is pointed to further by Paul's own command ("we urge you")
in 5: 14. Paul again picks up on saints living quietly before the unbelieving
world (4: 11-12) by underscoring that this begins with them living peaceably
with one another: 5: 12-22 shows the various ways in which peace is expressed
within the covenant community, then 5: 23 again explicitly mentions "peace" in
order to show that God's people can only have peace if he gives it to them.
Thus 5: 12-24 begins and ends with peace (5: 13 and 23 forming bookends
that set off the section). The purpose of the bookend-like structure is to
underscore that the theme of peace is threaded throughout all of 5: 12-24. The
fact that "brother" (adelphos), which underscores the church as a family, is
repeated so many times in 5: 12-27 (five times) points further to peace as the
dominant theme. If earthly families should be characterized by peace, how much
more the family of God.
Such peace, however, is not an end in itself. God influences the church
toward peacefulness by his sanctifying work for the goal of presenting it perfect
("blameless") at Christ's final coming (5: 23-24). The preservation of the church
as blameless at the return of Jesus further develops the prior focus on Christ's
coming in 4: 13—5: 11 and is the main point toward which all of 5: 12-24 aims.
Just as the main point of chapters 1—3 was that of believers successfully passing
through the test of the last judgment when Christ arrives (3: 13), so likewise is it
for chapters 4—5, as 5: 23 makes evident. These same main points of both
segments demonstrate that Paul's ultimate concern in the epistle is that the
readers be prepared for Christ's coming. In this respect, 5: 23-24 probably is the
conclusion to the whole book.
That being kept blameless is the main point of 4: 1—5: 24 is apparent from
focusing further on that broad context. We have seen that 5: 1-11 not only
alludes to 4: 13-18 but also to the beginning of that chapter. It has also been
argued that the phrase "how to live in order to please God" (4: 1) is the main
point and goal of all of 4: 1-12 and thus probably also of 4: 13—5: 11. But how
does the grand aim of pleasing God in 4: 1—5: 11 relate to the main point of
surviving the end-time judgment unscathed in 5: 12-28? Most likely pleasing
God leads to the eschatological climax of victoriously enduring the final
judgment. All that Paul discusses in 4: 2—5: 22 accomplishes the goal of
pleasing God (4: 1), including the theme of peace in 5: 12-23, and pleasing God
ensures that one will achieve the great objective of being blameless and not
suffering harm at the last judgment (5: 23).
Several commentators have observed that 5: 12-24 can be broken down into
the following divisions (see, e. g., Gaventa 1998: 79-80; Best 1972: 222-47): (1)
the relation of the church body to its leaders (5: 12-13); (2) the relation of the
church members to one another (5: 14-15); (3) attitudes of all in the church (5:
16-18); (4) the attitude of church members to prophetic revelation (5: 19-22); (5)
blamelessness before God's end-time judgment seat as the ultimate goal of 5: 12-
22 (5: 23-24).
Appreciating the Task of Church Leaders Results in Love and Peace (5: 12-
13) A few years ago, a church I know of excommunicated a woman who
stubbornly chose to continue in immorality. Even after being repeatedly
reminded by church leaders that such living was a contradiction of her Christian
faith, she remained intractable. She threatened to sue the church if they did not
rescind their action against her. In a similar case, a church threatened to
excommunicate a man for the same reason, and he considered suing. Instead, he
merely left the church and began attending another. Such circumstances make it
difficult for church leaders to exercise their shepherding roles over their
congregation.
One of the reasons for this predicament is that we too often view church
leaders as CEOs of the church "corporation, " whose purpose is to meet our
needs. If the church does not meet our needs in the way we think it should, we
find another "church store" to attend. Another reason for this situation is that the
American church has been so permeated with democracy and individualism that
these two great American ideals have been taken to an extreme. Too often
churches proclaim that their goal is that every believer become a "minister. " The
implication is that every believer is to be equal with every other believer and
that, ideally, there should be no one in an authoritative position over anyone else.
Of course, it is true that everyone in the church is equal in the sense of being in
the image of God and being in Christ as a citizen of the kingdom of God.
Accordingly, all should grow in their recognition and exercise of the diverse gifts
that they have received from God. But Christians are not equal in the sense that
they have functional equality in the church. Rather, they have different gifts that
entail different kinds of functions. Leadership is among these gifts (Eph 4: 11).
We need to be instructed about the important role leaders play in the church
and how others who have not been called to be leaders should look upon those in
authority over them. The Thessalonians needed the same instruction. Then, as is
often true today, the leaders of the church were not being appreciated for the
important work they had been commissioned by God to do. Likewise, in our
contemporary age of "equal opportunity, " we need to hear Paul's ancient
teaching about the way people in the church must view the position of their
church leaders.
Paul requests that the Thessalonians respect those who work hard, ... who are
over you in the Lord and who admonish you. These three activities do not refer
to three groups in the church but only to one group (in the Greek only the first
activity is prefaced with the article "the, " which likely does triple duty,
implicitly introducing the latter two functions). The following phrases are the
focus of the hard work (Frame 1979: 192). Instead of the NIV's respect, the NASB
has "appreciate. " This is closer to the Greek oida, which ordinarily means
"know" and here is best construed as "take cognizance of with a view to
respecting and appreciating. " The people to be appreciated are those who have
been placed in leadership to watch over the flock (proistēmi, literally "standing
before or in front of' in the sense of rank; NIV: who are over you). The idea is of
those in an authoritative position of "managing" or "shepherding" (see the same
word in 1 Tim 3: 4, 12; 5: 17). This is merely another way of referring to
"elders" (e. g., Acts 11: 30; 14: 23; 15: 2, 4, 6, 22-23; 16: 4; 20: 17; 21: 18; 1
Tim 5: 17, 19; Tit 1: 5; Jas 5: 14; 1 Pet 5: 1) or bishops (Phil 1: 1; 1 Tim 3: 1-2;
Tit 1: 7). Many scholars mistakenly think that the office of elder is not being
referred to, since church offices purportedly did not evolve until later when the
church had more time to develop. However, Stott (1991: 199) plausibly suggests
that Aristarchus and Secundus were leaders in the Thessalonian church (Acts 19:
29; 20: 4; 27: 2; Col 4: 10; Phlem 24). It is likely that the organization of the
earliest churches was modeled upon the synagogue, which had elders. This is
suggested further from the observation that Paul appointed elders even during
his first missionary journey (Acts 14: 23).
Elders are to be the doctrinal and ethical guardians of the church (Acts 20: 17,
28-30). They are, therefore, to expose false teachings (Tit 1: 5-16) and to correct
church members who, though confessing proper doctrine, do not live in a
manner corresponding to such a confession (e. g., compare 1 Cor 5 with 16: 15-
16; 1 Tim 5: 17-21). That their influence is needed in Thessalonica is evident
from the existence of believers living in a disorderly manner (5: 14) to such an
extent that they reflect badly on the faith. One form of their unruly conduct was
not working and earning their own living but being financial parasites on others
both within and outside the church, which resulted in unbelievers thinking badly
about the gospel. The elders need to admonish those living in this manner and, if
no change results, banish them from the church until they repent (on which see
further the discussion at 4: 11-12; 5: 14; 2 Thess 3: 6-15).
Consequently, the hearers are to recognize, respect and appreciate not only
the authority of the elders but also their hard work. Paul uses the same root
(kopiaō) elsewhere to describe his own hard work of manual labor by which he
financially supported himself (1 Thess 2: 9; 2 Thess 3: 8). The job of being a
church leader is not easy but requires work in order to be done properly. The
general task of elders is to shepherd God's flock (1 Pet 5: 2) in order to nourish it
and cause it to grow spiritually. They were to "work hard at preaching and
teaching" (1 Tim 5: 17 NASB), to be "a workman... who correctly handles the
word of truth" (2 Tim 2: 15), to be vigilant about false teaching and correct it
(Tit 1: 5-16), and to visit and pray over the sick (jas 5: 14).
Saints in the church need to submit to the divine authority invested in their
elders and to pray that God will give them grace and wisdom to carry out their
calling. Church members should not consider suing or leaving the church when
disputes arise but should try to work out the problem. Unless the elders are
involved in outright sin, believers under their care should acquiesce to their
collective wisdom. We should pray that God uphold the elders, especially in
their commitment to the faith and their godly lifestyle, since elders are human
and can fall like any other Christian.
What happens when people rightly recognize and appreciate the job that
church leaders do? Paul answers this question in 5: 13: they will hold them in the
highest regard in love because of their work. When we understand what leaders
actually do, love should well up in our hearts for them because of their sacrificial
work on our behalf.
At the end of 5: 13, Paul abruptly says that we are to live in peace with each
other. The command, however, is not a sudden, unconnected thought. Peace will
result when love increases among those in the church, especially between the
shepherds and the congregational flock. On the other hand, animosity grows
when dissension festers. Paul also shows the inextricability of love and peace in
2 Corinthians 13: 11, where he issues the same command and then says the result
will be that "the God of love and peace will be with you. " That such a link
between love and peace should occur in 2 Corinthians is relevant here, since the
main problem Paul addresses there is the rejection of his authority by many in
the Corinthian congregation. The thought naturally follows from the mention of
love, therefore, to encourage the readers to be at peace. In fact, peace is the
overall aim throughout 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-13- It is possible there was discord
in the church due to an unresolved conflict between the church leaders and those
they were warning to stop being idle and disorderly (see 4: 11-12; 5: 14; 2 Thess
3: 6-16). Therefore Paul encourages his readers in the following section to take
definite steps to create a climate of peace within the church.
We Should Act Toward One Another in Ways That Make for Peace (5: 14-
22) How many of us can say that we are at peace with members of our family or
with those we know in church, the workplace or school? We live in a litigious
society in which people zealously protect their individual rights by filing
lawsuits over ludicrous issues. While it is legitimate to impose reciprocal
repayment or penalty when someone's civil or economic rights are violated,
chaos results when this is rigidly applied to interpersonal relationships. When we
are offended, do we keep a grudge until we are able to "pay back" the one who
has hurt us? Unfortunately, this happens too often, not only among those outside
the church but also among Christians. Such selfish attitudes are not unique to
modern culture nor the contemporary church but were problematic in Paul's day.
So in 5: 14-22 Paul encourages the church in various ways to get along with one
another in order that peace dominate.
Particular Actions That Result in Peace (5: 14-15) Many commentators see
the remaining verses (5: 14-22) as final instructions unrelated to the preceding
context and to one another, especially 5: 14-18. More likely, however, these
commands are all catalysts for the Thessalonians to achieve peace with one
another. A hint in this direction is the concluding comments of this entire section
that mention "the God of peace" as the one who will give them the ability to
obey the preceding injunctions (5: 23-24).
Paul first urges the Thessalonians to warn those who are idle. Contrary to
some English translations (e. g., the NIV) and commentators, idle or "lazy" is not
a good translation of ataktoi, since the word never meant anything like that in
the ancient world, where it was used fairly abundantly. The word, which is the
negation of taktos, "ordered, what is prescribed, " typically meant "not remaining
in one's place, out of order, undisciplined, " and could refer to one who breaks a
commitment or to the "disorders of life in general" (Spicq 1994: 1. 223). Thus, a
better translation is "disorderly" or "disruptive" (so also 2 Thess 3: 6-7, 11).
The word in 5: 14, therefore, refers to Christians who do not remain in their
proper place and who are out of order and need to be admonished to walk
according to the order God has commanded. But how are they out of order?
They are undisciplined in their faith, which means that they break their
commitment to God, to the church and to one another too often. But how do they
get out of order and break their commitments?
Were these merely lazy people who did not work? While something like
laziness is involved, it is a laziness that is out of step with the apostolic teaching
that urged people to work for their own bread (2 Thess 3: 6-15). Furthermore,
these are presumably the same people in 2 Thessalonians 3: 11 who are not only
not working to support themselves but are working hard at being "busybodies. "
Paul tells them "to settle down and earn the bread they eat" (3: 12; see also 1
Tim 5: 13, 15; 6: 20-21).
It is clear how the following exhortation, he patient with everyone, will bring
about peace. Elsewhere Paul draws a close connection between patience and
peace (Gal 5: 22; Eph 4: 1-3; Col 3: 12-15). The everyone toward whom
patience is to be exercised refers to all in the church, though there is a likely
implication that believers should also have this attitude toward those outside the
faith community. Patience is needed for the disorderly, the fainthearted and the
weak who do not respond well to the church's ministering efforts on their behalf.
If God has shown patience with us, should we not also be willing to show
patience to our brothers and sisters in Christ?
Obedience to the command that nobody pays hack wrong for wrong (5: 15)
will certainly enhance harmony among the congregation. This is probably an
expression of patience: we must be slow to anger when someone offends us in
order to leave room for forgiveness (see Col 3: 13-15; Rom 12: 16-18). Just as
Romans 12: 17 concludes with doing "what is right in the eyes of everybody" as
a contrast to revenge, so 1 Thessalonians 5: 15 concludes with virtually the
identical contrast: "always pursue good both unto one another and to all" (my
translation). As in 3: 12, to each other refers to others in the local church in
Thessalonica and to everyone else refers to other Christians elsewhere, though
the implication is that they are to show consideration to non-Christians outside
the church community (as Rom 12: 14-21 confirms). Revenge is one of the most
instinctive and natural sins, and it was the early Christian practice of the radical
ethic of 5: 15 that likely had significant impact on the spread of Christianity
throughout the ancient world (Morris 1959: 170).
Particular Attitudes That Result in Peace (5: 16-18) At first glance, the next
three commands in 5: 16-18 appear to be stated in a series without any logical
relationship to one another or to what precedes or follows. For instance, one may
not see how the command to he joyful always fits into what so far has been
Paul's preoccupation with encouraging the pursuit of peace. Elsewhere, however,
Paul directly links joy and peace (Rom 14: 17; 15: 13; Gal 5: 22), implying that
joy is typical of those who are at peace with themselves and others. The attitude
of joy is to be continual, which means that even when tribulation occurs,
believers are always to respond with joy. Such joyful reflection in the midst of
hardship together with peace is a by-product of the confidence that the "God of
peace" is using such things to sanctify one according to his own purposes (see 5:
23-24; 2 Cor 6: 10; 13: 9; Col 1: 24; 1 Pet 4: 13). We are not peaceful people
when we react wrongly to difficulties, but one who rejoices even when things do
not go well will be a person at peace. The Thessalonians had already begun to
expresss such a joyful attitude in the midst of "severe suffering" (1: 6). Such a
response is not natural to humans, and this is why the "joy" in 1: 6 is said to be
"given by the Holy Spirit. "
Such joy is not primarily an "emotional high" consisting only of "feelings. "
Rather, the focus is on an inner, abiding attitude or disposition of taking pleasure
in recognizing that whatever one encounters, including trials, is God's will.
Therefore, to respond with joy in the midst of sufferings is to take pleasure in
knowing that faithfully enduring such things pleases God. For example, the
Thessalonians are not to grieve emotionally over the death of loved ones as the
world does but are to express sorrow mixed with hope and are to take pleasure in
the object of that hope, the future resurrection of all of God's people and their
eternal reunification in Jesus' presence. Indeed, they are to receive emotional
"comfort" from such hope and pleasure about the future.
Rejoicing is not the only activity that is to be conducted always, since Paul
commands the Thessalonians also to pray continually (literally "unceasingly").
Paul links prayer with rejoicing elsewhere (Phil 4: 4-6) and adds that "the peace
of God" is the result of rejoicing and praying about everything (4: 7; see also
Rom 12: 12-18; 1 Pet 3: 11-12). This points further to the contention that Paul
still has the grand goal of peace in mind in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-17. Philippians
4: 9 points even more to this by affirming that if the readers put into practice
whatever they have learned, received or heard from Paul, "the God of peace"
will be with them, the same title for God that occurs in 1 Thessalonians 5: 23-
Why is prayer crucial to obtaining peace? Perhaps the best way to answer this
is to see the relationship of prayer to Paul's next directive to give thanks in all
circumstances. As suggested in the comments on 1: 2, Paul thanks God because
of the things he recalls about his readers in prayer, and the same dynamic
probably exists between the two activities here in 5: 17-18. In particular, three
facets of prayer give rise to thankfulness: (1) consideration of how God has
answered our prayers in the past; (2) contemplation of God himself (his various
attributes) and the many different ways in which he has manifested his grace to
us by providing for us; and (3) continual confession of sin, as we remind
ourselves that Jesus suffered the end-time wrath for our sin and overcame death
by his resurrection, so that we might also overcome death. To the extent that we
have a prayerful attitude we will have a thankful one.
Thanksgiving and rejoicing are also related. Already in 3: 9 Paul has said that
he gives thanks "for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of
you. " Thus joy before God leads to thanksgiving, just as prayer to God does (see
also Phil 4: 4-6). Thanksgiving and joy are virtually synonymous but are still to
be distinguished. Joy is a pleasure in experiencing the good gifts of God, which
gives rise to thankful acknowledgement that God is the giver. Therefore, in this
light, while it is true that joy and prayer foster peace, more precisely they lead to
thanksgiving, which then generates peace. As we have seen in Philip-pians 4: 4-
7, 9, joy, prayer and thanksgiving also culminate in peace (for similar links, see
also Rom 12: 12-18 and 1 Pet 3: 11-12). The same is true here, since the larger
context of 1 Thessalonians reveals that a significant number of the readers are
undergoing sufferings and need to respond to these trials with an attitude of joy
and thanks. Paul adds in 5: 17 that these circumstances demand also a posture of
prayer, all of which will issue into a condition of peace.
The reason (gar - for) for giving thanks is that this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus. This is not God's decretive will by which he plans history but
rather his "commanding" will by which he obligates and desires that his people
serve him (see further on 4: 3). God has placed upon his people the duty to be
thankful, and he desires that they take pleasure in fulfilling that duty. This is not
mere gratefulness to God for bestowing blessings on us but a gratitude that
comes from being identified with our Messiah (in Christ Jesus) and receiving
blessings because of our union with him. The fact that we are to thank God
reveals that only he is the source of all blessings for which we thank him (see
further on 1: 4-5).
Diligence to Discern the True Work of the Spirit Leads to Peace (5: 19-22)
The next injunction—do not put out the Spirit's fire— is more clearly related to
peace than the previous three, though "do not quench the Spirit" is a more strict
translation of the Greek. In fact, the NIV's addition of fire to the original Greek,
supported by a number of commentators, may be misleading metaphorically,
since the point is how to create peace in the community, a notion seemingly
incompatible with a picture of raging fire. The explicit expression "extinguish a
fire" (or flame) is found often in biblically related Hellenistic Greek (LXX,
Josephus and Philo) and usually conveys a picture of putting out a literal fire.
However, it also can refer to suppressing tumultuous human activities or to a
sinner's very existence or various kinds of bad or good desires. Sometimes
"extinguish" is used as part of a mixed metaphor without explicit mention of
"fire" to refer to the suppression of diverse kinds of passions. The use of the verb
without the explicit picture of fire in Greek in our passage falls in line with the
mixed metaphorical uses, so that a portrayal of fire for the Spirit is likely not
intended. If we say that someone "put a wet blanket on the party, " we do not
necessarily picture the putting out of a fire. Indeed, even the portrayal of
"quenching by water" may not be conveyed, but mere "suppression" or "stifling.
"
That the Spirit (pneuma) generates "peace" (eirēnē) elsewhere in the New
Testament and in Paul's own writings points further to the notion that 5: 19
continues to be part of ethical instruction on how to bring about peace. Among a
number of examples, Romans 8: 6 is clearest: "The mind of sinful man is death,
but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. "
This entire unit focuses on the regulation of prophecy in the church and is a
subsection within 5: 12-22. Verse 19 may be transitional, generally referring to
the need not to stifle the Spirit in all the ways it manifests itself. In particular, the
apostle wants the readers to be careful not to suppress the working of the Spirit
through prophets, which is suggested by the fact that one of the three
occurrences of Spirit up to this point in the letter refers to prophetic revelation
through Paul (1: 5) and another refers to the Spirit in genuine saints, which
should cause them to accept and not reject God and his revelatory instruction
through the apostle (4: 8). The directly following command in 5: 20 hints further
that 5: 19 is transitional, with prophecy in its purview: do not treat prophecies
with contempt. The word Spirit in 1 Corinthians 14: 1-2, 12, 15-16 refers
especially to divine revelation through tongues and prophecy, so that the close
link between Spirit and prophecies here points to the same thing (see also Num
11: 25, 29; 2 Pet 1: 21; 1 Jn 4: 1-2; Rev 19: 10).
How does prophecy relate to the overarching concern with peace that so far
has been traced in 5: 12-18? In Paul's most extensive treatment of prophecy (1
Cor 14), he notes, among other things, that prophecy is preferable to the gift of
tongues, that both gifts are to be exercised in an orderly way, and that some in
the church are to "pass judgment" on (NASB) the various prophecies that are
heard (14: 29), judging whether they are consistent with sound doctrine or not.
As in 1 John 4: 1-6, this refers, not to determining what part of a prophetic
message is from God and which is not, but which prophets are from God and
which are not. Important for our passage is the underlying reason Paul gives for
issuing the instructions about tongues and prophecy: "For God is not a God of
disorder but of peace" (1 Cor 14: 33). Beyond that, Paul concludes the entire
chapter by saying that "everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way"
(14: 40). This is another way of saying all things should be done peacefully.
Wanamaker (1990: 190) comes close to the mark by saying that the series of
injunctions in 5: 12-22 "has as its primary goal the ordering of community life
and relations within it, " though he does not explicitly relate this to peace.
To treat prophecies with contempt "dampens" the Spirit's work and thus
suppresses the peaceful effects of the Spirit. Disobedience and chaos occur when
God's prophetic word is disregarded (as is clear from reading 2 Thess 3: 6-15).
On the other hand, discord results when false prophecies are allowed to spread
throughout the church and "destroy the faith of some" (so 2 Tim 2: 14-18).
Therefore, Paul commands in 5: 21-22 to test everything (i. e., all prophecies), to
hold on to the good (that which derives from true prophecy) and to avoid every
kind of evil prophecy. If, however, ponerou is an adjectival genitive, the
rendering could be "Avoid every evil kind" (presumably "every evil kind of
prophet" a suggestion made by G. D. Fee to the 1999 NIV Revision Committee).
If the traditional translation of "avoid every appearance of evil" is preferred,
there is not a general reference to staying away from all appearances of evil in
the world but only those "appearances" of false prophecies. Since, however, the
Greek word eidous can also mean "kind, " the rendering of "avoiding every evil
kind" is more preferable in a context where true and false prophecy are in view.
Consequently, this verse is not primarily warning people to abstain from any
kind of sinful association with the outside world (though Scripture speaks to that
elsewhere) but to separate from false prophets within and to reject their
erroneous messages.
Similarly, Paul's prayer here demonstrates how the readers will be able to
fulfill the multiple precepts of the preceding verses that generate peace. Paul first
prays that God himself the God of peace, sanctify them through and through.
God is referred to as the God of peace because he is the only one who perfectly
possesses peace and he is the ultimate origin of peace for others. In contrast to
the "Gentiles who do not know God" and are unable to obey and be at peace
with him, the saints of Thessalonica will be able to obey the commandments in
5: 12-22 and achieve peace because God enables them to do so. Specifically,
they will obey to the degree that God sanctifies them (makes them holy), a
connection already stated in 3: 12-13 and implied in 4: 7-8. Therefore, the title
the God of peace is chosen to underscore that God's sanctifying work is the
instrumentation by which God gives peace.
Paul continues his prayer in the second part of 5: 23 and asks that the final
outcome of God's sanctifying work be that their whole spirit, soul and body he
kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God keeps or preserves
his people by progressively sanctifying them. One goal of sanctification is peace,
and the goal of both sanctification and peace is that God's people be kept
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This, together with the
preceding petition to sanctify, is almost a replica of the prayer in 3: 13, with
some variants in wording: "May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be
blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus
comes. " Just as this summarized the main point of chapters 1—3, so its
repetition in 5: 23 is the main point not only of 5: 12-24 but of chapters 4—5 and
hence of the entire book.
The goal of being kept blameless at Christ's coming is that of being able to
stand blameless at the final judgment and to pass through it unharmed. This may
mean either that we are perfected immediately before the final judgment and
have nothing for which to be judged or that our prior good works are a badge of
our true faith and justified condition, which enables us to weather the end-time
test. Probably, however, the thought includes both the process of sanctification as
a badge and the perfect culmination of sanctification at the end of history, both
of which ensure safe passage through the narrow gauntlet of judgment. God's
preserving of the believer is not merely spiritual but includes the resurrection
body, which is part of the process of overcoming the judgment of death. It is not
merely the believer's spirit and soul that will be kept blameless at the end but
also the Christian's new, redeemed body.
Paul reiterates in 5: 24 that God, not humans, will accomplish the grand
purpose of complete holiness and blamelessness (likewise Rom 16: 25; Phil 1:
6). God will be faithful and will accomplish the complete holiness of his people
(he will do it, NIV) by giving his Holy Spirit (4: 8) to them because he is the one
who calls them to holiness in the first place (4: 7). We are reminded once again
of Augustine's well-known saying: "Give me the grace to do as you command,
and command me to do what you will" (Confessions 10. 29).
Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for him and his colleagues perhaps because
his own preceding prayer for the readers has reminded him that he and his
companions also need prayer (5: 25) to be at peace with others and with God. He
then encourages them to greet all the brothers [i. e., one another] with a holy kiss
(5: 26). Paul encourages other churches to greet one another with a holy kiss,
usually in connection with exhortations about being at peace with one another
(Rom 16: 16-20; 2 Cor 13: 11-12; see also 1 Pet 5: 14). The close link between
the two suggests that a holy kiss is a symbolic expression of a condition of peace
among people. Klassen proposes that Paul repeatedly encourages Christians to
kiss to underscore that former antagonistic barriers of gender, race (Jew and
Gentile) and social rank (slave and free) have been broken down by Christ's
work and to express a new unity in Christ (1993: 133-35). Moreover, since
kissing in the Greco-Roman world was a sign of close familial relationship or, at
times, reconciliation between antagonists, it indicated for Paul that all diverse
people-groups in Christ are part of a newly constituted spiritual family at peace
with one another. Of course, this fits right in with the notion of peace woven
throughout 5: 12-24.
The church is to have this letter read to all the brothers (5: 27), if Paul's
purposes of peace and sanctification are to be achieved by all. The exhortation to
have a letter read is found elsewhere only in Colossians 4: 16. Here, however,
the letter is to be heard by all, which may allude to divisions in the church and
the need for peace and unity among them.
The phrase the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you (with minor
alterations) is a common farewell in Paul (nine times; elsewhere only in Rev 22:
21). Though this is a standard goodbye, the overall context of each letter shapes
to a degree what grace means in each instance. The word always has the general
sense of what God through Christ bestows on his undeserving people. In
addition to 5: 28, however, the grace farewell occurs elsewhere also in close
association with peace (Rom 16: 20; 2 Cor 13: 11-14; 2 Thess 3: 16-18). This
may indicate that grace here refers, at least, to God giving the undeserving
readers the ability to continue in their identification in Christ and the peace and
sanctification that are found only in him.
1: 1 R. F. Collins (1984: 285-98) offers two primary reasons that ekklēsia carries the notion of a group
that has been called together by God: (1) ekklēsia is the Septuagintal rendering of the Hebrew qāhāi. and
the two words have the etymological notion of "calling together"; (2) the theme of election and calling is
developed significantly throughout the Thessalonian epistles (e. g., 1 Thess 1: 4; 4: 7; 5: 9, 24; 2 Thess 2:
13-14).
Though the name "Lord" could be used often in a secular sense to refer to a master or human.
sovereign, this name was also the typical Greek translation of Yahweh in the LXX and was a word also used
by pagans of their gods.
Some early manuscripts have at the end of 1: 1 the phrase "from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. " The phrase, however, was likely added subsequently by a scribe who was attempting to conform 1:
1 to 2 Thessalonians 1: 2, where the phrase comes after the wording "grace and peace to you. "
1: 2 Commentators disagree about how the adverbial participles "making mention" (1: 2),
"remembering" (1: 3), and "knowing" (1: 4) are used to modify the main verb "we give thanks" (1: 2).
Possibly they describe an activity also occurring during the time of the thanksgiving (especially the first
participle), the manner in which thanks is offered, or the means by which thanks are given. Most likely,
however, the participles give the reason or cause for the thanksgiving. A causal use is especially evident
from the observation that the verb "to give thanks" (eucharisteō) in Paul's other introductory thanksgivings
is always linked to a causal expression, which usually follows but sometimes precedes (see Rom 1: 8; 1 Cor
1: 4; 2 Cor 1: 11-12; Eph 1: 15-16; Phil 1: 3-6; Col 1: 3-4; Philem 4-5; see also 1 Thess 2: 13; 2 Thess 1: 3;
2: 13) The first participial phrase (mentioning you in our prayers) probably indicates the occasion when
Paul gave thanks, though at the same time it implies that what is prayerfully considered gives rise to the
thankful attitude.
1: 3 The genitive phrase tou ergou tēs pisteōs could be understood adjectivally ("faithful work") or
appositionally ("work that is faith") but is best taken subjectively ("work that faith does") or with a focus on
the source of the work (work produced by faith [NIV]). Either of these preferences is favored by observing
that faith is a major theme of the epistle (1: 8; 2: 10, 13; 3: 2, 5-7, 10; 4: 14; 5: 8; 2 Thess 1: 3-4, 10, 11; 2:
13; 3: 2), whereas although works are seen as necessary, they are derivative (see 1 Thess 2: 9; 4: 11; 5: 13; 2
Thess. 2: 17; 3: 8, 10-12). Likewise, the following genitival expression most likely designates love as the
subject of ("labor that love does") or the source of the labor (labor prompted by love). The next genitival
clause follows suit: endurance inspired by hope.
The Greek ergon often means work in overt service to God (e. g., 1 Cor 16: 10; 1 Thess 5: 12-13; 1 Tim
3: 1; 2 Tim 4: 5. The Greek kopos (labor) can have the same meaning (1 Cor 3: 8-9; 2 Cor 6: 4-5; 11: 23; 1
Thess 2: 9; 3: 5; 2 Thess 3: 8).
Best (Best 1972: 69) notes that the New Testament repeatedly uses hypomone (en-durance) for the trials
Christians face, especially in an eschatological context (Rom 8: 25; 2 Cor 1: 6). The Greek elpis (hope)
refers almost without exception to the believer's end-time hope (1 Thess 2: 19; 4: 13) of final glory (Rom 5:
2; 8: 20-25; Col 1: 5, 23, 27), righteousness (Gal 5: 5), resurrection (1 Thess 4: 13; 1 Pet 1: 3), deliverance
from judgment (1 Thess 5: 8-9) and eternal life (Tit 1: 2).
The basic triad of faith, love and hope and its alternate form of faith, love and endurance occur in direct
connection with a note of expectation of Christ's imminent coming (see 1 Cor 13: 7-8 and 10-12; Col 1: 4-5
and 3: 4; 1 Thess 5: 8; 1 Tim 6: 11 and 14-15; 2 Tim 3: 10 and 4: 1; Tit 2: 2 and 11-13). Most of the above
uses of the formula also are found in association with the idea that the "latter days" have already begun (1
Cor 13: 10; 1 Thess 5: 1-11; 1 Tim 4: 1; 2 Tim 3: 1). Some form of false teaching is also mentioned in the
majority of these same contexts (Col 2: 4, 8, 23) as an indication that the long-awaited trials of the "end
times" have been inaugurated (1 Tim 4: 1-3; 6: 20-21; 2 Tim 3: 1. 5-9; Tit 1: 2-3, 9-16).
1: 4 Best affirms that "since the emphasis in the NT lies on election to service we cannot conclude that
the elect are necessarily saved eternally; eternal salvation is rarely related to election" (1972: 72). This is a
surprising statement, since evidence within 1 Thessalonians itself runs counter to it. First, election in 1: 4 is
integrally related to the readers' reception of the gospel (1: 5, 8-9), which Paul terms faith (1: 3, 8). Those
who receive Paul's proclamation are delivered from the coming wrath (1: 9-10) and are said to be saved (2:
16). Faith, love and hope, which Paul views as evidence of election in 1: 3-5 are also conceived by him to
be part of salvation in 5: 8-9.
The very same phraseology of 1: 4 appears again in 2 Thessalonians 2: 13, where Paul also adds "God
chose you to be saved, " which is an "eternal encouragement" (2: 16). Furthermore, election (eklogē) and its
verb form are found elsewhere in Paul and the New Testament to refer to an unconditional choice resulting
in eternal salvation (Rom 9: 11: 11: 5, 7, 28; 1 Cor 1: 27-28; Eph 1: 4-7; Jas 2: 5; 2 Pet 1: 10). Forms of the
verb "to love" (agapaō) sometimes occur with a synonymous sense (Rom 9: 13; Eph 1: 4-6; 2: 4; Col 3: 12;
2 Thess 2: 13).
1: 5 Is 1: 5 affirming that the external evidence of their faith was works of miracles (- power) and
miraculous works of the Holy Spirit, which was a display of the "fullness" of the Spirit (the latter is a
possible translation of the word, but the NIV renders it better as deep conviction)'! Must miraculous works
of the Spirit be present in a Christian's life for that Christian to be assured of salvation? It is likely that with
power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction are associated generally with good works of the
Christian life, especially since it must be more than coincidence that three phrases also describe good works
of the Christian life in 1: 3: "your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance
inspired by hope. " Paul may use three phrases in 1: 5 so readers can identify them with the clearly good
threefold works of 1: 3. Perhaps the three descriptions of 1: 5 refer to inward power that produces the
external good works of 1: 3. This is confirmed from 2: 13, where "you accepted it not as the word of men"
is parallel to our gospel came to you not simply with words in 1: 5, and then 2: 13 continues with a reference
to the internal working of God's word: "the word of God lis) at work in you who believe. " Furthermore, the
word that the NIV renders deep conviction (plērophoria) everywhere else in the New Testament refers to an
internal, godly attitude (Col 2: 2; Heb 6: 11; 10: 22). Since deep conviction is in apparent parallelism with
power and Holy Spirit, they also likely refer to internal realities. That the descriptions of 1: 5 are associated
generally with good works and not specifically with astounding externally expressed supernatural works is
also apparent from 1: 6, where receiving the word in affliction is similar to endurance in 1: 3; "joy given by
the Holy Spirit" in 1: 6 may further explain the reference to the Holy Spirit in 1: 5. Indeed, joy as a godly
reaction to suffering is just as supernatural as miraculous works such as healing, raising the dead and
prophesying.
The phrase with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction explains primarily how Paul's
gospel came to the Thessalonians, since the use of the words elsewhere also refers to how Paul's gospel was
communicated to Gentiles (Rom 15: 18-19; 1 Cor 2: 4; 2 Cor 6: 6-7). As is the case here, so also the
purpose of the wording in the Romans and 1 Corinthians contexts is to underscore the effective impart of
the message with the hearers.
1: 5 The second-person plural of know (oida) is always used to underscore a reminder for assurance of
a truth in the Thessalonian epistles (ten times). Often, when introduced by kathōs, the reference is to
assurance of a truth about Paul's apostolic integrity and legitimacy that has just been stated (see 1 Thess 2:
2, 5; 3: 4). The same theme of apostolic legitimacy also occurs with the use of the second-person plural of
the same verb in 2: 1; 3: 3; 4: 2; 2 Thessalonians 3: 7.
1: 6 The question has been raised whether Paul's commendation of his own example in 1: 6 might not
express self-aggrandizement and pride (see, e. g., Gaventa 1998: 16). The answer is no. Paul's own
achievements are a result of God's grace and not his own autonomous good works. Consequently, Paul
cannot boast about anything inherently good in himself, including his ability to be a good example for
others to imitate. In connection with Paul's exhortation to "imitate me" (1 Cor 4: 16), he says, "For who
makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive
it, why do you boast as if you did not'" (1 Cor 4: 7; see also 15: 10; Phil 2: 12-13). Furthermore, 1: 7-10
show that Paul does not merely commend his own example but positively recounts how his new converts in
Thessalonica became examples to others. Such modeling lies at the essence of the Christian faith.
In contrast to the NIV's interpretative paraphrase in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message
with... joy, the verse is better rendered "in that you received the word with joy, " indicating the manner in
which the readers have begun to imitate Christ and the apostles (the adverbial participle dexamenoi
["received") indicates manner in contrast to the NIV's concessive notion).
Early Jewish tradition held that worthy models of imitation were the lives of loyal Jews put to death by
persecutors for refusing to disobey the Old Testament law (cf. "imitate" mimeomaiI in 4 Macc 9: 23; 13: 9
and "model" I typos] in 4 Macc 6: 19). The badge of faithfulness in the old covenant was loyalty in
following the law. Now that Christ has come to fulfill the law and modeled joyful perseverance through
suffering, our loyalty is to Jesus, not the law, and the way we show our loyalty to God is by imitating his
faithful life.
1: 7 A later scribe did not understand that Paul is commending the entire church as a group, and not just
some individuals within the church, and changed the singular "model" to "models, " thinking the plural
would better fit the preceding plural you (hymas), a notion unfortunately followed by Calvin 1984: 244.
1: 8 The NIV's The Lord's message obscures the idea of the original wording of "the word of the Lord"
(ho logos tou kyriou). Richard (1995: 71-72) contends that "word of the Lord" here refers to the Lord as the
source from which the word comes because that is the way he sees the parallel phrases functioning in 2: 2,
8, 9, 13: 3: 2. It is viable, however, that these genitive phrases include both notions of a genitive of source
and an objective genitive. Richard adduces as further support for his view that the phrase "the word of the
Lord" occurs as an idiom many times in the Greek Old Testament, and there it is clear that the "Lord" is the
source from which the word comes. While this is true, the phrase in the New Testament refers eleven out of
twelve times to the proclamation about the Lord Jesus based on the gospel traditions, and usage within the
early Christian community should take precedence over Old Testament use. The phrase is conceptually
equivalent to preaching the gospel (e. g., the words are in parallelism in Acts 8: 25; Eph 1: 13).
1: 9-10 The triad of 1: 3 and here (turned, serve, wait) could be formative for the structural pattern of
the entire epistle: (1) introductory thanks containing the letter's major themes (1: 2-10); (2) readers' past
faith established by the apostolic ministry (2: 1-20); (3) readers' present faith in relation to the apostolic
ministry (3: 1-13); (4) exhortation to serve God in the present and future (4: 1-12); (5) exhortation to live in
the light of Christ's imminent final coming (4: 13—5: 11); and (6) concluding admonitions about present
and future (5: 12-28; cf. somewhat similarly Marshall 1983: 10-11).
The reference to Jesus as the deliverer (ton rhyomenos) reflects Isaiah's prophecy of the deliverer (ho
rhyomenos) who was to come to "turn away ungodliness from Jacob" when "the wrath lorgel of the Lord
comes" (see the Greek of Is 59: 19-20). That Isaiah 59 is in mind is borne out by noticing that the coming
u'rath of 1: 10 is expanded upon in 5: 1-10, where part of the description of how believers will endure the
wrath (5: 8) is by wearing the armor prophesied in Isaiah 59: 17. The point of noticing this Old Testament
background is that Gentiles who turn from their unclean idols to the true God fulfill part of the prophecy of
Israel's salvation; they become the true Israel of God.
2: 1 The NTV's you know in 2: 1a is better translated "you yourselves know" to reflect the intensive
autoi. This picks up the initial reference to the readers' knowing in 1: 5 and underscores Paul's purpose of
reassuring the readers about the integrity and genuineness of his ministry, which is likely under attack and
upon which he focuses throughout the letter by appealing to what they should already know (see oida
("know") likewise in 2: 2, 5, 11; 3: 3-4; 4: 2; similarly see "remember" in 2: 9 and 2 Thess 2: 5). This
repetition is difficult to understand except against the background of accusations about Paul's integrity.
The verb propascho ("to suffer previously") occurs only in 2: 1 in all of the New Testament but is
related to the unprefixed verb form pascho ("to suffer"), which occurs about forty-two times, the majority of
which refer to persecution because of faithfulness in proclaiming God's truth.
2: 3 The words for error (plane) and trick (dolos) in 2: 3 can sometimes be synonymous and mean
"deceit. " If they have different meanings here, then the first might underscore the error into which false
teaching leads or from which it originates, while the second may highlight the persuasive subtlety by which
false teaching is conveyed. On the other hand, the two terms may well both have the mere sense of "deceit,
" which would emphasize that idea all the more. The middle term of the threefold description, akatharsia, is
a term Paul typically uses elsewhere in close association with impure sexual activity (Rom 1: 24; 2 Cor 12:
21; Gal 5: 19; Eph 4: 19; 5: 3; Col 3: 5), which is probably the idea here because of the same usage later in
4: 7. That such sexual suspicion could surround Paul by those outside the church is possible since charlatans
such as Lucian's Alexander had such impure aims.
2: 4 Does God, as a result of examining Paul and others, find something intrinsically good in them that
then merits his approval? Best (1972: 96) answers the question by saying that though God chose Paul
despite his sinfulness, it is also just as true that Paul was "fit for the task for which God had chosen him, "
as a result of his own independent volition. On the other hand, the notions of election and the Spirit's
imbuing of perseverance respectively in 1: 4 and 6 point strongly only to a negative answer to the question,
as do the implications of thanksgiving in 1: 2-5. In addition, see the use of pisteud in its unusual sense of
"being entrusted with" the gospel also in application to Paul, where there is the repeated assertion that God's
initiating grace qualified Paul to be approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel (1 Tim 1: 11-16; see
also 1 Cor 4: 7; 1 Thess 5: 23-24; 2 Tim 1: 9, 14).
2: 5 That Paul would have been considered by some pagans as a peddler of a new, bogus religion is
apparent from recognizing that the pagan world viewed Christianity as among many false religions that
were spreading. For example, the Roman historian Tacitus (latter part of the first century a. d. ) referred to
believers in Rome as "a class of men, loathed for their vices, whom the crowd styled Christians, " and says
that their "pernicious superstition was checked for a moment" by Pontius Pilate's sentencing of Jesus to
death, "only to break out once more, not merely in Judea... but also in the capital [Rome! itself, where all
things horrible or shameful in the world collect and find a vogue" (Annals 15. 44). I am grateful to Gordon
Fee, who first alerted me to the relevance of Lucian's Alexander the Quack Prophet for 2: 5-7.
2: 7 The rendering "we could have thrown our weight around" is based on a suggestion made by
Gordon D. Fee (in 1998) for future revision of the NIV, though the NEB has similarly "we might have
made our weight felt. "
There is a problem in Paul referring to himself as well as Silas and Timothy as apostles, since the latter
two were not a part of the official apostolate. Possible solutions are (1) the implied we in 2: 7 is an
epistolary we, referring only to Paul; (2) this is a secondary group of apostles outside of the "twelve"; (3)
Paul was including only Silas in the we, since he may have been on a prophetic par with the "twelve" (Acts
15: 32); (4) Paul did not have a clearly defined view of apostleship at this early point in his ministry, or
perhaps the concept was never clearly defined and could be used flexibly (see further Marshall 1983: 69-
70). Possibly the best solution is through an understanding of corporate representation, whereby the
authority of the representative can be extended to the ones being represented: Silas and Timothy enjoyed
temporarily the authority of the apostolic circle since they were working under the authoritative aegis of
Paul the apostle.
Some ancient Greek manuscripts have "we became gentle lepioil in your midst" (followed by NTV),
while other manuscripts have "we became babes (nepioi) in your midst. " Though most commentators favor
gentle, a number prefer "babes. " The latter is more likely original to Paul. (1) While gentle has some good
manuscripts in support, "babes" has better and earlier manuscript attestation. (2) It is more likely that
scribes would have changed an original "babes" to gentle, thinking that the former was a mistake by an
earlier scribe, since at first glance "babes" does not seem to be a good contrast with the first clause of 2: 7
(the only difference between the two words is an initial nu 1- n], so later scribes may have thought an earlier
copyist accidentally added a nu by recopying the na at the end of the preceding word "we became"
Iegenethemen]; it would have been easy, however, for scribes to add or omit a nu on the supposition
respectively that either the shorter or longer reading is original). (3) That "babes" makes sense in context, as
noted earlier, strengthens the likelihood that it is what Paul wrote (this observation is based on Fee 1992:
175-79). See further Wei ma 2000 and Sailors 2000, who argue decisively for "babes" on the basis of
external and internal evidence (see also their argument that "babes" is a contrast with the preceding phrase
about the apostolic "burden" [2: 71 and that the "mother" metaphor begins a new picture that is then
completed in 2: 8).
Paul also uses the word thalpō to refer to the Christian husband's "care for" his wife (Eph 5: 28-29) that
expresses itself through the sacrificial attitude and action of unconditional love (5: 25). The implication is
that husbands are to take the initiative to be close enough to their wives to know their various needs and to
try to meet them. It is a likely deduction that before people in churches can begin caring for one another's
needs, they must begin to function in this manner within their own families. This is especially true of the
church leadership (1 Tim 3: 1-6), as Paul is contending in 2: 7. 2: 8 Milligan notes that the Greek
homeiromai, best translated as "because you were dear to us" (we loved you in NIV), may have been
language common to the context of the ancient nursery. It has been found on a fourth-century a. d.
gravestone in which a mother and father express love for their deceased child: "the sorrowful father and
mourning mother... greatly desiring their son. "
2: 9 While it is true that that the Philippians sent financial aid to him more than once when he was in
Thessalonica (Phil 4: 15-16), such help was partial and did not alleviate his need to work continually and
support himself (see Bruce 1982: 35). 2: 11 Literally, 2: 11 reads, "just as you know how each one of you as
a father his own children. " Verbs need to be supplied, but there is debate about what to add. The NIV's
solution is as good as any other: For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own
children.
2: 12 The NIV renders martyromenoi as urging, but it is better translated "testifying, " since it is likely
a further development of martys in 2: 5 and 10, where Paul has appealed to God as a witness of his integrity
of faith, as a result of examining and approving him (2: 4). Paul's ministry to the Thessalonians is to be
God's legal-like intermediary so that through him God may testify to their faith on the basis of the same
kind of examining and approving activity.
2: 13 The initial dia touto ("for this reason") of 2: 13 could refer back to the main point of 2: 1-12, so
that the thanks refers both to the thrust of the preceding section and to the following content of 2: 13, or it
could refer only to the following material in 2: 13, so that a new reason is being given for offering thanks
(the latter would be translated, "Another reason we constantly thank God for you is... " (so JB; similarly
RSV; NRSV; Moffatt; NIVl). The former is preferable, since it likely still has in mind the preceding
material; this option could be paraphrased: "And we are thanking God that our ministry was effective 12:
1], which was apparent from how God's word worked effectively in you" (2: 13b). In 2: 13 he resumes the
thanks given in 1: 2 for what he narrates in 1: 3—2: 12, then expands on the initial reasons for giving thanks
(especially from 1: 6-8) in 2: 13b-14. Therefore, the also does not signal the introduction of an absolutely
new topic but the amplification of an earlier theme. The themes upon which Paul expands are: (1)
thanksgiving (1: 2); (2) the readers' reception of the gospel (1: 5); (3) God's work in effecting salvation (1:
4, 6); and (4) imitating other believers (1: 6) (see also Gaventa 1998: 34).
The NIV's translation of hos as which follows most translations and commentators: the word of God,
which is at work in you who believe. Richard (1995: 114-15), however, has argued cogently that "who" is a
preferable rendering, so that it is "God, who is at work in you who believe" (argued earlier by Ellingworth
and Nida 1975: 41). This is based on the observations that "God" is usually the subject of energed in the
Pauline epistles and that the verb and its noun form energeia typically have supernatural beings (whether
good or evil) as the subject.
2: 15 The majority of manuscripts (most of which are late) have in 2: 15 "who also killed the Lord
Jesus and their own /idious/ prophets. " "Their own" is likely not what Paul wrote originally because the
best and earliest manuscripts omit it and because it is understandable that a copyist thought it would be
appropriate to insert it, since the same word has just occurred in 2: 14 (your own [idiōn] countrymen). In
this light, the scribe may well have thought the prophets spoken of were Israel's own Old Testament
prophets.
2: 16 The last clause of 2: 16, eis telos, can be translated in a variety of ways: (1) as an expression of
temporal finality, at last (JB, gnb, RSV); (2) as having a sense of degree, such as "to the uttermost" (NASB,
KJV) or fully (NIV note); (3) as "until (or leading up unto) the end, " which would connote a temporal
process leading up to an end point (Wenham 1995: 324); (4) as "forever" or "through all eternity, " which
would refer to an unending temporal duration. The latter receives support from the continuous meaning of
the possibly parallel pantote Calways) in the preceding clause and from other parallels between pantote and
telos (Lk 18: 1, 5; Heb 7: 25). All four options are viable, but perhaps best is Marshall's conclusion that the
idea is "fully and finally, " which could also encompass the notions involved in options one, two and four
(1983: 81). The phrase eis telos occurs approximately fifty times in the LXX, about half of which refer to
potential or actual judgment, especially upon Israel, most of which are susceptible to the dual notion of a
judgment coming fully and finally.
While some see Paul as anti-Semitic, others believe that Paul could never have had such an attitude and
thus conclude that some later Gentile-Christian writer with an anti-Jewish bias "interpolated" 2: 14-16 into
Paul's letter at this point (see Richard 1995: 123-27, who also includes bibliography on the issue; see
Marshall 1983: 76-83 for the Pauline integrity of all of 2: 13-16, in line with the argument of the present
commentary).
Gilliard (1989) contends that the comma after Jews in 2: 14 should be deleted so that the following
clauses of 2: 15-16 are not a nonrestrictive but a restrictive definition of the Jews. That is, the whole nation
is not in mind but only those actual Jews who participated in killing Jesus and the (Christian) prophets and
who persecuted Paul and his circle and who are presently displeasing to God, hostile to all humans and an
obstacle to Paul in his gospel ministry. This would mean that the mention of "filling up their sin always"
relates only to these persecutors and that, therefore, the punishment at the end of 2: 16 applies only to the
persecutors. While actual Jewish persecutors are the focus, it is more likely that the actions of the
persecutors and their punishment represent the attitude and judgment of the entire nation. The notion of
corporate solidarity between the nation's leaders and the nation likely lies behind the condemnation of the
entire group (see also Mt 23: 36—24: 2).
2: 19 The NIV, along with other English versions, translates the interrogative pronoun lis in 2: 19 as
what. The Greek, however, is not neuter but could be masculine or feminine and thus could easily also be
rendered "who. " Because Paul has in mind people and not things that he hopes and takes joy in, as 2: 20
makes obvious (you are our glory and joy), "who" is a better translation.
2: 20 See Piper 1986 for full elaboration of the biblical and theological notion of "glorifying God by
enjoying him forever. " See also Piper 1991 for the notion that "God's chief end is to glorify himself by
enjoying himself forever. "
3: 1 While commentators are divided, the plural we in 3: 1 and following may not be literal but an
epistolary we, since Paul lapses into the first-person singular in 3: 5, using the very same terminology (see
similarly 2: 18; so Stott 1991: 71-74; Wanamaker 1990: 127).
3: 2 The NIV adds the marginal note that some manuscripts have "servant" (diakonon) instead of fellow
worker (synergon). The former has somewhat better manuscript support, but most agree that "fellow worker
of God" is what Paul originally wrote. It is the harder reading and best explains the origin of the other
variants as easily understood scribal corrections. The reading "fellow worker of God" could easily be
understood to indicate that Timothy was being viewed as an equal partner with God, so that an early pious
scribe either changed the phrase to "servant of God" or to "servant of God and our fellow worker" or added
"servant" and retained "fellow worker of God" as the following phrase. The 's identification of Timothy as
God's fellow worker could similarly mislead today's readers, since it might imNRVply that Timothy is on
the same level of God as a colleague. It is better rendered "our co-worker for [or under) God" (see NRSV).
The genitival phrase synergon tou theou is better taken as a genitive of subordination or of association. The
our before brother likely does double duty and is to be repeated before "co-worker, " indicating that
Timothy is an equal colleague of Paul and not of God.
See Neil 1957: 59-61, for a discussion of how 3: 1-6 accords with Acts 17—18, since Acts does not
mention that either Timothy or Silas were at Athens with him after departing from Thessalonica and Berea
but that they rejoined him only after he went on to Corinth from Athens. A possible solution is to view the
we of 3: 1-2 as an epistolary we referring only to Paul (see above); then neither Timothy nor Silas have to
be placed in Athens before joining Paul subsequently in Corinth (so Williams 1992: 56-57).
3: 3 The parallels between 3: 3-5 and 2 Thessalonians 2: 2-3 include: (1) a similar verbal construction
in Greek (a definite article to + a negative word ["no one" or "not"] + a passive infinitive, which appears
synonymous in meaning); (2) the reality of their "tribulations" (1 Thess 3: 3-4; 2 Thess 1: 4-7); (3) Satan's
activity (1 Thess 3: 5; 2 Thess 2: 2-3, 7-9); and (4) their need for strengthening and encouraging (cf. 1
Thess 3: 2, 13; 2 Thess 2: 17). Such parallels indicate that the two texts mutually inform each other and
reflect a similar situation.
Ellingworth and Nida (1975: 55) render the phrase You know quite well that we were destined for them
as "You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God's will for us. " However, they suggest as an
alternative rendering either "God has permitted these persecutions to come to us" or "God has allowed these
people to cause us to suffer, " explaining that they do not believe readers should "think that God himself had
purposely planned or even organized the persecutions against the Christians. " But this is just what Paul
wants his readers to think, since it, ultimately.brings comfort to think that God has ordained suffering and
that all afflictions are in the hands of a loving and infinitely all-wise God. Richard (1995: 148-49) a bit
more strongly contends that it is "ludicrous" to affirm that trials are normal for Christians, and he doubts the
eschatological notion of tribulation, as well as the implication that the trials of 3: 3-4 are due to being "in
the Messiah, " who himself suffered. However, the immediate context of the epistle bears out the presence
of these ideas, as do other biblical passages. For a general parallel to a decreed, coming trial in 3: 3, see
Colossians 1: 24, which refers to a decreed amount of end-time afflictions that Chris-tians who are in the
body of Christ are to endure (cf. Rev 6: 11). Other biblical passages expressing the same kind of causal
chain are Matthew 4: 1 and Luke 4: 1 (the Spirit leads Jesus to be tempted by the devil); Acts 2: 23 and 4:
27-28 (where wicked humans put Jesus to death, yet their actions were in accordance with God's sovereign
plan); 1 Peter 5: 10; Revelation 6: 1-8 (where trials brought by evil heavenly forces are ultimately unleashed
by the Lamb, Jesus). In the Old Testament, see likewise Exodus 4: 21; 7: 3, 13; Job 1: 10-12, 16, 20-22; 2:
5-10.
3: 8 The end-time notion of resurrection "life" is manifestly apparent from recalling that the Old
Testament prophesied that God would resurrect the saints at the end and they would live on eternally (e. g.,
Is 25: 8; 26: 19; Dan 12: 2; Hos 13: 14). The final resurrection of God's people will be the way they
participate in the new creation;that is, they will be given new creational bodies. Jesus' resurrection from the
dead was one of the reasons that his early followers believed that the latter days had been set in motion. To
be identified with Jesus is also to be identified with Jesus' own resurrection life, which appears to be the
kind of "life" Paul refers to here.
3: 11 J. A. Hewett [1975-19761 cautions that the use of the singular verb clear with two subjects Father
and Jesus does not demonstrate that the Father and Jesus have essential equality. In other instances of a
singular verb with two subjects there is not absolute identity between the two subjects (e. g., Mt 5: 18
[heaven and earth]; 6: 19 [moth and rust]; Mk 4: 41 [wind and waves); Jn 12: 22 [Andrew and Philip]; 1
Cor 15: 50 [flesh and blood]; Jas 5: 3 [gold and silver]). Nevertheless, he goes on to say that, because it is
clear that Paul did affirm Jesus' deity elsewhere (e. g., Rom 9: 5; Col 1: 15-20; 2: 9) and because the syntax
in 3: 11 is unusual, the uncommon construction maintains "the intimacy of the two elements, in order to
avoid either a complete separation or a complete merging of the two to whom he prayed: his God and his
Lord. " The other uses cited confirm a close relationship between the two subjects of singular verbs but not
exact identity. The construction, therefore, is certainly suited to trinitarian theology and walks the razor's
edge of maintaining a distinction of divine persons while affirming a unity of status.
3: 13 The word holy (hagiosyne) refers only to a divine attribute in the Greek Old Testament (Ps 30: 4;
96: 6; 97: 12; 145: 5; 2 Macc 3: 12), and it is used once in this manner in Romans 1: 4, while the only other
use is in 2 Corinthians 7: 1, where it refers to the process of the believer's growth in godliness. Such usage
could point to the idea that holiness in this letter refers to the final, perfected state of Christians in God's
eternal, holy presence (so Milligan 1908: 44). Nevertheless, Pauline usage is split, and there is not enough
occurrence of the word in Paul to establish a pattern of usage.
Some think holy ones (hagioi ) refers to angels, others that it refers only to human believers (Lenski
1937: 300-301). Either is equally possible. For arguments on both sides, see Marshall 1983: 102-3; Best
1972: 152-53; Milligan 1908: 45; Morris 1959: 114-15; and Bruce 1982: 73-74.
4: 2 The introductory touto ("this") may well refer to the preceding commands or to the godly lifestyle
mentioned in 4: 1, resulting in the following translation: "this [the commands just mentioned] is the will of
God, which is your sanctification. " This also closely associates sanctification with the commands and God-
pleasing lifestyle of 4: 1 (see similarly Richard 1995: 187, 195).
4: 5 Cult prostitution at the temples, especially of fertility gods and goddesses, was known in the
ancient world, not only among the Canaanites in the form of the Baal cult, but also in the Greco-Roman
world, such as at Corinth in the cult of Aphrodite. Given the backdrop of the Aphrodite cult in Corinth, this
is likely what Paul, at least in part, is warning the Corinthians about, since he exhorts them to keep the
"temple of the Holy Spirit" pure by not committing porneia (1 Cor 6: 13-19) and because the verbal form of
porneia is directly linked with idolatry in 1 Corinthians 10: 7-8. Likewise, some plausibly believe that "to
eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit immoral intercourse Iporneud1" (Rev 2: 14; 2: 20) reflects, at
least partially, a setting of either cultic prostitution or sexual immorality associated with idolatrous temple
festivities in Pergamum and Thyatira (see Beale 1999a: 248-50, 260-61). Such a cult background has been
documented for Thessalonica. The cult of Cabirus was present before the first century a. d. and was in all
probability the chief cult in Thessalonica during the time of Paul (see Jewett 1986: 127-26). The figure of a
male sexual organ was a fertility symbol commonly associated with the Cabin cult (Donfried 1985: 338-40),
and phallic rites were practiced as a part of the cult to promote fertility (see further Weima 1996: 105).
4: 3-5 continuing into 4: 6 as well as those who affirm that 4: 6 addresses a different topic than 4: 3-5,
namely, economic greed.
4: 11 The Knox New Testament Translation renders the first phrase of 4: 11 as "Let it be a point of
honor to you to keep calm. " This rendering of the word philotimeō is possible, since in extrabiblical Greek
it can have the notion of "love of honor" and because 4: 12 refers to winning the "honor" (euschēmonōs J of
outsiders (for support of the NIV's rendering of respect, see the use of euschēmon with the sense of
"honorable" in Mk 15: 43: Acts 13: 50; 17: 12). This may continue the theme of "honor" (time) from 4: 4,
where not participating in immorality is to be in a honorable condition. Alternatively, euschemonds likely
includes the notion of living a life "in good form" (eu + schēma-, see Hendriksen 1979: 106) or living
decently, so that unbelievers will be attracted to such a life and ultimately to the God who empowers people
to live such lives in reflection of his own character.
The Greek hēsychazō (to lead a quiet life) in biblical and Hellenistic literature carries notions of
restraint from foolish speech, a sea quieting down from a storm, calm, peace and tranquillity in contrast to
agitation, danger or war as well as order in contrast to chaos). The NIV's lead a quiet life is good, since the
focus is on a godly lifestyle, not on inactivity, in contrast to an active life that continually transgresses God's
will (see 4: 1-8; 5: 14-15, 22; 2 Thess 3: 6, 10-11, 14). The equivalent to leading a quiet life in 2
Thessalonians is working in a quiet manner and never tiring of doing what is right (2 Thess 3: 12-13).
4: 13 Different periods of Greek thought reflected differing conceptions of life after death. Compared,
however, with the robust hope of physical resurrection in early Judaism and Christianity, the vast majority
of Greek expectations were quite pessimistic. There were significant exceptions to the generally prevailing
pessimism about a person's existence after death. While Aristotle apparently denied any existence of a
person after death, Plato affirmed the ongoing existence of the soul. But even the prevailing pessimism
included notions of some kind of immaterial existence of a person in a shadowy underworld or some such
dark realm. Nevertheless, the point is that even the majority of beliefs affirming a continuing existence after
death were not a solid basis for a hope of any kind of physical resurrection (following Whiteley 1969: 68-
69).
It is true that "sleep" could be used generally of anyone who had died and does not have to imply that
one would awaken (see. e. g., Acts 7: 60; 13: 36; 1 Cor 15: 6; 2 Pet 3: 4). In some passages that speak of
resurrection, however, "sleep" appears uniquely appropriate, since resurrection can be viewed as an
awakening (so Dan 12: 2; 1 Cor 15: 18, 20), which is the case also here and later in 5: 10. Some sectors of
intertestamental Judaism also understood that the faithful would awake to life (Testament of Judah 25: 4)
from the "sleep" of death (Testament of Issachar 7: 9) and that the righteous would arise from their "sleep"
(7 Enoch 91: 10; 92: 3). For the notion in Jewish literature of "sleep" with the double sense of physical
death and ongoing existence, see Whiteley 1969: 67).
4: 14 The NIV has God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him, but the Greek could
possibly be read "God will bring with him, through Jesus, those who have fallen asleep" (see Martin 1995:
145-46; Elias 1995: 171-73). The latter alternative is sometimes preferred because it is unclear what the
notion of "falling asleep through [dia] Jesus" (or "in Jesus") might mean. However, since the prepositional
phrase "through Jesus" directly follows the participial construction those who have fallen asleep, it is most
naturally taken as an adverbial modifier of the participle and not of will bring. Further, the second rendering
produces an even more unclear meaning and is tautologous (if "with him" refers to Jesus); if the two
prepositional phrases are separated as in the NIV, then there is a nice symmetry: "Jesus died" -"those who
have fallen asleep through Jesus" / "Jesus rose" - "will bring with him" (so Thomas 1978: 11. 280). Hence,
just as Jesus' death was in the hands of God, so is the death of saints in Jesus' hands, and just as God raised
Jesus from the dead, so Jesus will raise believers (Marshall 1983: 124).
That God will bring with Jesus the dead does not mean that somehow they will come down from
heaven with him but that they will be raised from the dead and gathered to Jesus together with living saints,
as 4: 16-17 clarifies. "We may live... with him" in 5: 10 is parallel, not only with 4: 17 ("we... will be caught
up... with them") but especially with 4: 15, so that "living" is conceptually the same as "bringing" and
"being caught up. " For "bringing" or "gathering" with the notion of resurrection, see also 2 Thessalonians
2: 1 and Matthew 24: 31. In this respect, the NEB's paraphrase of axei as "will bring to life" is on the mark.
4: 15 Some believe that according to the Lord's own word (en logo kyriou) refers to the prophetic word
being spoken through Paul at the time he was writing, which could be supported by 4: 1-2. In addition, the
phrase occurs in the Greek Old Testament and supports the notion that the phrase refers to the Lord
speaking prophetically through Paul (see, e. g., 1 Kings 13: 1, 2, 5, 9). Richard (1995: 240) offers more
support for the prophetic nuance by contending that "this" (touto. untranslated in NIV) at the beginning of
4: 15 does not refer to the following content of that verse but to the content of 4: 14. The precise phrase
according to the Lord's own word, however, does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. The phrase
"word of the Lord" (ho logos tou theou) does occur, however, repeatedly in Acts and the Thessalonian
epistles and, without exception, refers to the preaching of the gospel traditions (see, e. g., 1: 8; 2 Thess 3: 1).
The phrase in the New Testament never refers to God speaking through a prophet. The uses of the phrase in
the New Testament and the
4: 6 See Collins 1984: 317 for a list of various scholars who see the sexual theme of obvious parallels
between 4: 15—5: 8 and Matthew 24 point to the probability that 4: 15 also refers to Jesus' words in the
Gospel tradition.
4: 15 I am grateful to Tom Wright for reminding me that parousia in 1 Thessalonians 4 might have the
notion of "presence" and that 4: 15-16 contains figurative apocalyptic language (lecture at Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary). For the possible nuance of parousia in 4: 15 as mere "presence, " see 3 Maccabees
3: 17; Josephus Antiquities 1. 296; 3-203; 18. 284. Elsewhere Paul clearly uses parousia to indicate mere
"presence" (2 Cor 10: 10; Phil 2: 12), so that the notion of parousia as the sudden eschatological
"appearance" of Christ from a formerly unseen dimension is not an unnatural understanding of the word
here. Interestingly, the apparent synonym for Christ's parousia in the Pastoral Epistles is epiphaneia
("manifestation" or "appearing"; 1 Tim 6: 14; 2 Tim 1: 10; 4: 1, 8; Tit 2: 13). This fits admirably with an
apocalyptic notion of Christ's final coming as a sudden appearing from a formerly invisible dimension to all
instead of some kind of directional return from a literal sky to the earth. Paul later refers to Jesus' coming as
"the appearance of his presence" (tē epiphaneia tes parousias. 2 Thess 2: 8, pers. trans. ), which could be
paraphrased as "the appearance, which is his presence" (an appositional genitive) or "manifesting his
presence" (an objective genitive). Intriguingly. Josephus paraphrases the episode of 2 Kings 6: 17, where
Elijah prays his servant would see the divine armies hidden in an invisible heavenly dimension, as follows:
"reveal... his power and presence [parousia] to his servant* (Antiquities 9. 55). A few lines later, Josephus
refers to this "power and presence" as the "manifestation [epiphaneia]... and the power" (Antiquities 9. 60).
This appears to be just the way Paul Is using parousia here with reference to Christ's final appearance.
4: 17 a number of commentators believe that reference to Christ's parousia (4: 15) together with
mention of resurrected saints meeting (eis apantesin) Christ in the clouds (4: 17) reflects the Hellenistic
background of the coming of kings or other dignitaries to a city. The king was typically met outside the city
by a welcoming party that conducted the royal visitor back into the city (i. e., the saints conduct Christ back
down to earth). It is certainly possible Paul intends such background imagery to be woven within the
broader framework of Jesus' coming. On the other hand, some see that 4: 14-17 depicts an opposite picture
of bringing in, not Christ, but the faithful, as God gathers them into his heavenly presence through Christ,
so that they are with the Lord forever in heaven or in the new cosmos.
5: 3 Commentators (and margins of translations) often cite Jeremiah 6: 14 ("'Peace, peace, ' they (false
prophets) say, when there is no peace") as a parallel to 5: 3, hut they rarely comment on it. Jeremiah 6 also
includes reference to the following elements in common with 1 Thess 5: 3: (1) the sound of a trumpet
signals the visitation of God (6: 1, 17; see 1 Thess 4: 16); (2) the sudden report of calamity for Jerusalem
has the result that "anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor" (Jer 6: 24), and (3) the
sudden coming of the destroyer (6: 26), "even terrible destruction" (6: 1), which occurs not during the light
of "day" but by "night" (6: 4-5; see 1 Thess 5: 4-8). If Paul is alluding to Jeremiah 6, then those whom Paul
depicts as being judged are false teachers and their followers within the covenant community. Such a
background in Jeremiah would be suitable, since Paul may well be addressing issues raised by an incipient
false teaching in 4: 13—5: 11.
5: 5 Some contend that the identification of the believers as sons of the light refers to a present
noneschatological status and that sons of the day (likewise 5: 8) refers to the status of the readers as
eschatological "inheritors" who have not yet begun actually to possess the blessings of the new age but are
destined to. However, it is probably best to understand sons of the light as a reference to the inaugurated
aspect of the Thessalonians' latter-day existence and sons of the day as the yet-future consummated phase of
that existence (see similarly Rom 13: 11-14). Day is most likely a reference exclusively to the
eschatological future because whenever Paul uses the singular day (hēmera) to refer to the end times, he
almost always has in mind Christ's final coming or the final judgment day. Further, the exclusively future
use of the "day of the Lord" occurs in the preceding verses (5: 2, 4). Finally, light is a pan of eschatological
imagery, namely, the light of the presently dawning new creation (see Moore 1969: 75).
5: 8 The NIV's putting on is a rendering of what is likely an adverbial participle in Greek, which in
some way describes the activity of being self-controlled Adverbial participles rarely function as commands,
so the participle likely connotes the basis for being self-controlled ("because we have put on") or the means,
manner or purpose of the verb. Probably, cause or basis is in mind, which is supported by a number of
translations: "But since we are of the day" (NIV, NRSV, JB).
5: 9 The word for appoint (tithēmi) expresses the notion of election of the disciples (Jn 15: 16), of
people appointed to have certain spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12: 28), of Paul as an appointed apostle (1 Tim 2: 7; 2
Tim 1: 11), of Christ whom God appointed heir of all things (Heb 1: 2) and of people who reject Christ and
stumble because that is what they are destined for (1 Pet 2: 8). All these uses, including that here, refer to
God's sovereign determination of someone for his own particular purposes. Ellingworth and Nida (1975:
112) argue that the verb here "does not imply choosing certain persons from among a larger group, " and
they suggest the following renderings: "God did not put us herer or "God has not done to us what he has
done to us in order to condemn us. " These renderings are too general, and, in the light of the above uses in
the New Testament, the idea indeed appears specifically to be appoint or "choose. " Some commentators
also argue that the election of believers here does not imply that others have been rejected, but Paul later
explicitly contrasts God's election of people to "be saved... through belief in the truth" with unbelievers who
"perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved" (2: 10, 13). The ultimate difference in the
contrasting responses to the truth lies in God's election of some and not others. This is not politically correct
theology that desires to democratize and to affirm various forms of universal inclusiveness (whether
potential or actual), but it is Pauline theology.
5: 10 One important early manuscript has "we are living together with him, " which may represent an
early interpretation of the original subjunctive.
Some argue that asleep means being not physically dead but ethically unalert. Thus, those asleep who
are Christians must be awakened to godly living before Christ's return in order to be able to live together
with him. While possible, the parallels with 4: 13-18 point to the likelihood that 5: 10 refers respectively to
living believers (who are awake and alert) and deceased ("sleeping") believers.
5: 12 The word the NIV translates admonish (noutheteō) and its cognates in the Greek Old Testament
never refer to mere teaching for the mind but to instruction intended to warn and correct. Thus, it is not
surprising that of the thirteen times the verb occurs in the LXX, eight appear in Job in contexts where
someone is being corrected, often Job himself.
5: 13 Instead of live in peace with each other (heautois), some very good manuscripts have live at
peace with them (autois, or "among them" or perhaps "by them" [i. e., by letting them lead appropriately]).
Either variant makes sense contextually. The first is a good transition to 5: 14-15 concerning proper
behavior of Christians toward one another in general; the latter makes good sense as a conclusion to 5: 12-
13: "be at peace with them" (i. e., the elders). Which was the original is hard to know, but possibly an
original autois was changed to heauiois under the influence of Jesus' saying, "be at peace with each other"
(Mk 9: 50). Most translations prefer each other. If heauiois is original, the command to be at peace might
include both the leaders and those subject to them (so Frame 1912: 195).
5: 14 The Greek ataktos and its different forms occur nowhere in the New Testament outside the
Thessalonian correspondence, but examples of the notion of "disorderly" or "disruptive" are abundant
elsewhere in the Greek world. For example, the word refers to military officers who neglect their duty or to
"an army in disarray" and out of its ranks, as well as to "undisciplined or insubordinate soldiers. " Likewise,
one ancient author uses the word to refer to the Roman authorities who "have the right to expel from the
[Roman] senate one whose life is licentious and disorderly. " The word can also describe a disorderly crowd
or a society that does not live "by laws and rules" in contrast to those societies that "observe order and
common law. " In this regard, the word can even refer to one who disturbs public order or "shirks an
obligation" owed to the state or city (examples from Spicq 1994: 1. 224-25; see also Testament of Naphtali
2: 8—3: 3, cited in discussion of 2 Thess 3: 6).
Those who contend for the meaning "idle" or "lazy" in 5: 14 do so partly on the basis of a few
purported examples in the papyri dated around the time of Paul. However, the examples most commonly
cited relate to a boy's failing to attend (literally "be out of place") an apprenticeship for the full, contracted
period. The notion of "lazy" is not necessarily involved, simply being out of order and not living up to a
contracted obligation. Another reason some prefer the idea of "lazy" here is because Paul does chastise the
Thessalonians elsewhere for not working and describes this with the adverb ataktōs (2 Thess 3: 6-11).
However, ataktōs is defined not only as "not working" but also as being "busybodies, " which from one
perspective is certainly not idleness. Furthermore, 3: 6 defines ataktōs as not living "according to the
teaching you received from us, " which likely includes more than merely not working for the bread one eats
(3: 12).
5: 19 For the Spirit as the cause of peace or inextricably linked with the condition of peace, see Romans
14: 17; 15: 13; Galatians 5: 22; Ephesians 2: 17-18; 4: 3- Outside of Paul, see also John 14: 26-27; 20: 21-
22; Acts 9: 31; 10: 36-38. Such uses are consistent with the idea that this entire section relates to Paul's
concern to promote peace within the Thessalonian church.
5: 22 The phrase avoid every kind of evil may echo Job 1: 1, 8 and 2: 3 (see also 28: 28), where a
strikingly similar Greek expression occurs. Also, like this text, all three Job texts closely link "blameless"
(amemptos) with "avoiding all evil. " In addition, Job 2: 3 joins the phrase "keep away from all evil" with
"but he still holds to good" (akakia), which is reminiscent of 1 Thessalonians 5: 21b-22. In both
cases,"holding" to good refers to rightly evaluating the work of God in human affairs. The broad context of
Job concerns rightly evaluating God's work in contrast to false evaluations by Job's wife and friends. This
background suggests that Paul's injunctions in 5: 21-22, while including the preceding issue of true divine
prophecy, may include reference to rightly perceiving one's relation to God in human affairs in general.
5: 23 Weima (1994: 176-86) contends that 5: 23 sums up all the letter's references to sanctification and
Christ's coming. This is probable, since 3: 13, which is the summarizing main point of chapters 1—3, is
virtually recapitulated in 5: 23; of course, since 5: 23 is the climax to the whole letter, the themes of
sanctification (especially 4: 1-8) and Christ's coming (especially 4: 13—5: 11) in chapters 4—5 are also
summed up there.
Some base a trichotomous view of humanity on 5: 23 (i. e., that humans are composed of a body, soul
and spirit), but others argue for a dichotomous perspective (spirit and soul both representing the incorporeal
part of humans, and body the corporeal). The latter view is confirmed by recognizing that 5: 23 clearly
restates and develops 3: 13, where God is said to strengthen their hearts, which is either a reference to the
entire person or, more likely, an allusion to the noncorporeal aspect of the believer (equivalent to spirit and
soul in 5: 23). For a survey of the possible interpretations of the threefold clause in 5: 23, see Hendriksen
1979: 146-50: Weima 1994: 183.
Outline of 2 Thessalonians
1: 1-2-------Greeting
1: 3-4-------Thank God for Enduring Faith and Love in the Midst of Trials
2: 3-4-------Christ's Last Advent Has Not Already Occurred Because the Final
Apostasy and Antichrist's Culminative Coming Must Precede It
2: 16-17-------God Commands and Then Gives the Desire and Power to Obey
3: 17-------Final Greeting
3: 18-------Final Farewell
COMMENTARY
2 Thessalonians
Paul's mention of Silas and Timothy indicates that they are his fellow-workers
and perhaps were formally commissioned by him to deliver the epistle, though
the comment may imply that they were also his secretaries. The initial mention
of Paul himself suggests that the letter ultimately represents his own apostolic
authority as a representative of the divine Messiah.
What makes a person happy? Money? Beauty? Popularity? Such things may
bring temporary pleasure but not long-lasting happiness. Unfortunately, our
culture too often defines happiness by the rolling tide of circumstances that flow
in and out of our lives: when we prosper materially, we are happy, and when we
do not, we are unhappy. Even many in the church believe that faithfulness to
God brings a reward of material blessings and happiness and that God withholds
blessings in response to unbelief. But is happiness a pleasure arising primarily
from good material circumstances? Paul tells Christians in 1: 3-12 what should
ultimately drive them and give them pleasure and happiness. What motivates
believers is also that for which they should be thankful. At the least, 1: 3-4 (and
possibly 1: 3-9) provide the basis of the initial thanksgiving at the beginning of
1: 3. If we can plumb the depths of the basis for this thanksgiving, we will
uncover the root cause of right and good passions.
Thank God for Enduring Faith and Love in the Midst of Trials (1: 3-4) Paul
first thanks God for the Thessalonians' growing faith and love for one another (1:
3). He is grateful not only that their faith produced love (1: 3) but also that their
faith inspired them to weather all the persecutions and trials they were suffering.
The mention of faith, love and endurance is in the same general order as in 1
Thessalonians 1: 3, where the third element is expanded to "endurance inspired
by hope. " Therefore, "hope" likely is implied in "endurance" here, so that Paul's
triad of faith, love and hope also commences this epistle (see further on 1 Thess
1: 3).
What precise form the persecutions took or exactly why they came is not
clear. Presumably, both unbelieving Jews and Gentiles were accusing the small
band of believers of practicing a religion that was incompatible with patriotic
and religious loyalty to the Roman emperor and his cult (see Acts 17: 1-9).
Because of their endurance, Paul boasts in them (1: 4), not as an expression of
proud confidence in their autonomous ability to generate their own faithful
endurance through trials but as an overwhelming "confidence in the Lord that"
their actions result from the Lord directing their "hearts into God's love and
Christ's perseverance" (2 Thess 3: 4-5). Consequently, boasting in the readers'
faithfulness is not meant to give them self-confidence apart from God but is
merely Paul's way of thanking God before other congregations. The way Paul
uses "boasting" in his other letters (thirty-five times) confirms that the true
people of God can boast only in God about their Christian character and never in
themselves (see, e. g., 1 Cor 1: 29-32).
Thank God for Faith in Trials, Which Leads to His Glory (1: 5-10) The
thanksgiving of verses 3-4 echo in these verses.
Unbelievers will "not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (1: 8) and will be
condemned because they do not believe the truth (2: 11). "They will be punished
with everlasting destruction, " which means being "shut out from the presence of
the Lord" (1: 9). Saints have been exempted from this judgment because they
believed Paul's apostolic testimony (1: 10), because of their "belief in the truth"
(2: 13) that Jesus died and rose again on their behalf (1 Thess 4: 14; 5: 10). Their
belief in Jesus enabled them to be identified not only with his resurrection but
also with his death, which was the judgment and wrath he suffered for them.
Consequently, they have been rescued from the coming wrath (1 Thess 1: 10)
and destined for salvation (5: 9), which includes both deliverance from final
doom and consummate resurrection.
Though 1: 6-7 will confirm this interpretation, the last clause of 1: 5 also
strengthens it: the believers' faithful endurance through trials is evidence that
God's judgment (passed in favor of the believer) is right, and as a result you will
be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. Their
enduring faith through suffering is the badge (the evidence or sign) by which
they will be counted worthy of not being judged but of inheriting the kingdom of
God at the end of history. One will not be able to enter the kingdom without the
badge of enduring faith and its accompanying good works. The significant
question is, Are we considered worthy to enter the kingdom because of faith in
Christ's death or because of our persevering good works? Are we saved by faith
in Christ plus good works? An analogy might help explain.
You must pay money to obtain entry to a professional football game. In order
to enter the stadium, however, you must present a ticket at the gate. Is it the
money that provides access to the game or the ticket? Both! But are the money
and the ticket equal "causes" that get you in? Ultimately, the money paid is what
really gets you in, but you must have the ticket as evidence that you really paid
the price for the game. Likewise, true Christians are those on behalf of whom
Christ has paid the penalty of sin, but they must have the badge of good works as
evidence that Christ paid their purchase price in order to be considered worthy of
passing through final judgment and entering the kingdom. Therefore, both faith
in Christ's work and human good works are absolutely necessary for being
considered worthy of salvation, but the former is the ultimate cause of the latter.
At the last judgment people will not be able to say that they have benefited from
Christ's redemptive work only because they have believed; they will haw to show
evidence of their belief through their good works (Mt 7: 21).
Part of the evidence for God passing a favorable verdict on behalf of the
readers is their persevering faith in the midst of persecution (1: 4-5). Such
ongoing faith until Christ comes is what will cause the readers to he counted
worthy of the kingdom of God. Christ established the pattern of faithfulness in
suffering leading to worthiness (see Rev 1: 5; 5: 9-12). The telltale sign of
genuine Christians is their willingness to identify with Christ in this way. The
ultimate divine reward for suffering is what Paul hopes will spur his readers on
to further perseverance and likely was already a basis for it.
Finally, the phrase from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his
power comes from Isaiah 2: 10, 19, 21, where the same phrase is repeated three
times (Isaiah adds "the fear of' before "the Lord"), though it appears nowhere
else in the entire Old Testament. Isaiah's phrase underscores that idolaters will be
forced to separate themselves from God's presence at the time of judgment.
Idolaters are likely in mind in 2 Thessalonians 1: 8-9, since 1: 8 identifies them
as those who do not know God, and the first epistle uses the same phrase to refer
to "the heathen, who do not know God" (4: 5), that is, idol worshipers (1: 9).
God's Verdict for Saints and Against Their Persecutor Leads to God's Glory
(1: 10) In contrast to the unbelieving reaction to Christ's coming as judge, he
will he glorified in his holy people and... marveled at among all those who have
believed. The first clause could refer to Christ being glorified in Christians, since
this is clearly the idea in the parallel phrase in 1: 12. However, this first clause
more plausibly indicates an activity of glorifying by Christians, since the parallel
phrase in 1: 10 expresses an activity of marveling on their part. In line with this
is the observation that the allusions from Isaiah 2 and 66 (see below) to God's
glory refer to "the Lord alone" being "exalted in that day" and to people
declaring his glory. This is the main point of all of 1: 3-10, since it is the end-
time goal toward which everything mentioned so far is working: both Paul's
giving of thanks and the readers' endurance through trials are acts considered
worthy (1: 3, 5) of salvation (1: 7) and culminate in the glorification of Christ.
Why, then, is Paul so fixed upon Isaiah in 1: 8-12? Likely it is because Isaiah
66 portrays the eschatological judgment of idolaters who do not seek God's
glory, in contrast to saints who glorify God (66: 5, 18-19). Isaiah 2 supplements
the Isaiah 66 picture because it too repeatedly highlights God's glory, especially
in contrast to idol worshipers, who do not want to be associated with divine
glory (2: 10, 19, 21; 66: 3-6, 17-18). Unlike those not magnifying God, true
believers will glorify God because they believe the apostolic testimony (2 Thess
1: 10; 2: 12-13). The mark of the Lord's people is that they do not honor him
merely out of duty but also from an intense desire to please him, whereas others
have "refused to love the truth and... have delighted in wickedness" (2: 12). This
notion of either desiring or not desiring to honor God is explicitly underscored
more than once in Isaiah 66 (w. 3, 5, 10, 11, 14).
When I first began to fall in love with my wife, Dorinda, I did not telephone
her, ask her to dinner or go to a movie out of a sense of duty. Instead, I desired to
do these things because I loved her and wanted to be with her. Why do we do
what we do as Christians, whether reading the Bible, praying, going to church or
obeying God's commands? True, we are duty-bound, but Paul says we ought to
do these things because we have a passion for God and a desire to please him. If
people confess that they believe but have no desire to read God's word, pray, be
with God's people on the day of worship or obey God's commands, it is an
indication that they have no yearning for God. Such people should receive no
assurance that they are Christians. It is possible, as was the case with
unbelieving Israel, that a professing Christian could have the outward form of
obedience but not the inward desire to love and please God.
So how does the glory of God relate to one's resolve for living? It may be
helpful to step back for a moment and reflect on what "glory-generally means in
the Old Testament in order better to understand what it means in the New
Testament and what it means for people today to desire to glorify God. The Old
Testament word glory can mean "weighty, heavy. " For example, Abraham is
said to have been "heavy" in camels, servants and silver (Gen 13: 2). As a result,
he was respected by the community because he had more riches than anyone
else. He became weighty with the respect that was heaped upon him by the
whole community; he became honored or glorified.
Therefore, the notion that God is to be glorified means that his people take
pleasure in heaping their respect on him since he is the only one intrinsically
worthy of such respect by virtue of his intrinsically weighty attributes.
Furthermore, the last section of this passage (1: 11-12) says that God's weighty
characteristics will be demonstrated in his people at the end of history, when
they will be perfected. His people will reflect his characteristics perfectly, and it
will be seen that God is the one who has made them reflect him, so that he, not
they, gets all the glory. This is intensely practical, since it means that we glorify
God not only by praising with our lips but also by being godly people who
reflect his character in all we think and do.
God Will Make His People Worthy of His Glorious Calling (1: 11-12)
Though Paul says that it is "worthy" for him and his colleagues "always to thank
God" for the Thessalonians' endurance through trials (1: 3-4), it is likely also his
intention that his readers become caught up in this thanksgiving for their own
uncomfortable situation so that they also will be "considered worthy. " In 1: 3-10
Paul has said that two activities now will result in Christians being counted
worthy later at the final judgment: thanking God in the midst of trials and a faith
that endures. At that final time, Christians' "worthiness" will then lead them to
be able adequately to glorify Christ (1: 10, 12), which is the zenith of this first
section of the letter. It is certainly possible that all of 1: 3-10 are the basis for the
initial thanksgiving, but it is plausible that the thanksgiving may have its ground
in 1: 3-9 or even only in 1: 3-5 and that the thanksgiving itself is a springboard
not only to the saints' "worthiness" but also to Christ's glory in 1: 11.
The initial wording of 1: 11, with this in mind, is best construed as referring
to the goal of glorifying (1: 10), resulting from God's deeming the saints worthy.
Such an understanding of the initial wording indicates that 1: 10 is the end-time
goal elaborated upon in 1: 11-12. The second section of chapter 1 (1: 11-12) thus
reiterates the same final point of divine glory from 1: 10, though this glory is to
be expressed in a particular way. That 1: 11 commences a new section is also
indicated by the parallelism of we constantly pray for you with "we ought always
to thank God for you" in 1: 3, which points further to "glory" being the main
point of all of 1: 3-10, since it is the point of the praying in 1: 11-12.
Intriguingly, Paul's activity of giving thanks is an aspect of prayer, so that the
two, while not precisely synonymous, are inextricably linked and overlap (Eph
1: 16, Col 1: 3, 1 Thess 1: 2; Philem 4). This suggests that there is a broad
conceptual parallelism of thanksgiving and prayer between 1: 3 and 11, which
strengthens the already-mentioned literary parallelism. Whereas the saints are
merely said to glorify and magnify Christ in 1: 10, 1: 11-12 specifies that they
achieve this not only by praising him with their lips but by reflecting his
character within themselves. Even if "thanksgiving" were the main point of 1: 3-
10, it would likely still lead, as a present-day activity, to the final latter-day
outcome of divine glory in 1: 11-12.
Paul prays in 1: 11 that God himself would enable the readers to achieve the
previously mentioned preeminent goal of giving God glory: with this goal of
glorifying God in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you
worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of
yours and every act prompted by your faith. Some translations have "that God
may make you worthy, " which conveys the idea of an infusion of existential
righteousness. Paul has used a related word (kataxioō) only a few verses earlier
with the courtroom sense of a judicial verdict to "count, consider or deem
worthy" (1: 5). We saw that the worthiness there implicitly was a judicial verdict
declaring people not guilty of the end-time punishment because of their
identification with Christ. Explicitly, the verdict was also grounded on the saints'
own work, as evidence of their identification with Christ's work. In this light, the
translation "make worthy" for the related verb in 1: 11 is not as probable as the
more forensic "count worthy, " especially since the other six uses of the verb
axioō in the New Testament clearly favor the later rendering.
What is the basis of our happiness and self-image? Are we happy because we
believe that God loves us as a result of finding something innately valuable and
worthy in us? Can we do anything by ourselves, apart from God, to deserve
being considered worthy and honorable by him? Paul indicates in 1: 11-12 that
God counts us worthy and glorifies us in Christ because of what he is doing and
will do in us. This is the biblical version of how Christians are to have a good
"self-image. " We need to trust God and not our own supposed power for doing
"good works. " Whatever our situation, we need to realize that we are unworthy
apart from Christ and that our worthiness lies in being vessels that can reflect his
glory by his empowerment.
How does the goal of God counting his people worthy relate all the way back
to the initial thanksgiving offered in 1: 3? We saw in 1: 5 that part of being
counted worthy was the "evidence" of the believers' ongoing faith and its fruits
in the midst of trials. The final phrase of 1: 11 explains how believers will be
able to provide evidence in their lives that they should lie counted worthy: they
are unable to produce good works by their own inherent ability, but by his power
God will fulfill every desire for goodness and every act prompted by their faith
(see also Phil 2: 13). Note that the focus is on external expressions of good
works as the evidence of inner godly desires and faith, all of which is brought
about by God's power (see also 2 Thess 2: 16-17; 3: 5). Consequently, we find
our happiness in God, who considers us worthy because of what he is doing and
will do in us. Furthermore, included in our worthiness is thanking God for the
various trials facing us and the "faith" and "love" we need to endure them (see 1:
3).
Paul notes again in 1: 12 that the goal of God counting believers worthy is
that they be transparent vessels prepared to reflect Christ's glory. The stress is
not on "the glorification of the saved [but] on the glorification of the Saviour in
the saved" (Stott 1991: 153). That the name of Christ is to he glorified in saints
may allude to his character being reflected in people and that character being
glorified, since name in both Testaments often connotes the character of a
person, which others may share. We observed earlier (1: 5) that the Messiah's
faithfulness through suffering resulted not only in his "worthiness" (axi-os) to
rule over a kingdom but also in his receiving "honor and glory" (see Rev 5: 9-12;
cf. 1: 5-6).
Paul shows in 1: 3-12 that true Christians will identify with Christ's model of
endurance through trials that determines their worthiness and issues into a
kingdom and glory. The apostle prays in 1: 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus
may he glorified in you, and you in him. God performs his artwork upon his
people throughout their lives and throughout history (see 1: 11), which is finally
brought to perfection at the very end of time. At Christ's coming, they will be
perfected pieces of art, like sculptures, perfectly reflecting God's marvelous
handiwork and radiating back upon Christ the glorious virtues that Christ,
together with the Father, worked in them. This is why saints will "marvel" at
God on that day. Similarly, Ezekiel 39: 21 says that God will place his "glory" in
his people at the time of the final judgment of the nations, which together with
Isaiah 66: 5 reflects the same combination of eschatological ideas in 1: 8-12.
Though a number of commentators contend that 1: 12 refers only to glorification
in the present, in view of 1: 8-10 and the use of the eschatological texts from
Isaiah 66 and Ezekiel 39, it likely includes the present process of inaugurated
end-time glorification but focuses on its culmination on the last day (so Menken
1994: 94).
Not only is Christ glorified in his people, but they are glorified in him. Does
this mean that there is something inherent in Christians for which they will
receive glory? An affirmative answer would go against the force of the context
and Pauline theology in general. But then what does 1: 12 mean? In the same
manner that God will be glorified in his people because of what they have
become through his handiwork, so they will be glorified in their Messiah
because of what he is and has accomplished for them. Only in Christ will we be
glorified; if we are outside of Christ, we will be judged. Because he is truly
glorious, we will share in his glory because we are identified with him and, thus,
are a part of him (i. e., in him). Finally, at the end of time, when we are
perfected, we will be a perfectly transparent vessel that is so close to Christ that
his glory fills us and we flawlessly reflect his grandeur. We will be like a clear
sheet of glass placed directly in front of Jesus, and all that will be seen through
the glass is Jesus and his majesty (see also 2: 13-14). That the glory ultimately
falls back on Christ because the saints' character has ultimately been shaped by
him is underscored by the concluding phrase that the glory of Christ that
believers reflect is based not on their own autonomous efforts but on the grace of
our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (1: 12).
We saw above how the believer's giving of thanks in 1: 3 led to the believer's
worthiness, but how precisely does Christ receiving glory in 1: 12 relate to the
same thanksgiving? The likely response is that we are to thank God because our
faithfulness in suffering now will not only render us worthy but also manifest
Christ's glory in us now and in the future.
We opened discussion of this section by asking what 1: 3-12 says that should
ultimately drive us and give us a resolve to live our lives from day to day. It is a
desire for God himself and his character to be manifested in his people and to
others through them. Paul says in 1: 11 that God will bring about every desire for
goodness, and 1: 12 tells us that the ultimate good is that God and Christ be
glorified! Our most cherished desire should be to have Christ's character
reflected in us now and at the end of time in order that it would reflect back on
the triune God as the only truly glorious being in the cosmos (see also Mt 5: 16).
The thrust of this chapter is that God brings us trials in order that we should
faithfully endure through them, so that at the end only God is glorified as the one
who imparted to us Christ's character to endure and who will count us worthy of
his kingdom.
How do we react when trials come? When people exercise and diet in order
to lose weight, they endure hardship because they have their goal continually
before their mind's eye. They change their whole lifestyle in order to achieve this
goal. Do God's people have such commitment like that spiritually? The
endurance people need to achieve physical goals is similar to the kind of
endurance Christians need spiritually when trials come upon them. We are
willing radically to change our lifestyle and endure hardship for our physical
well-being, but we are not often enough willing to endure things spiritually for
our eternal well- being. At such times, we have no eternal perspective that God
will be glorified. Enduring in faith now has as its goal not merely salvation and
rest in the distant future but ultimately the glorification of God through our
endurance in the present.
Nothing, however, is new under the sun. The church at Thessalonica was
being affected by a similar "dumbing down" problem. How so? The first
segment of 2 Thessalonians 2, particularly 2: 1-7, gives us some significant
clues, the first of which comes in 2: 1-2.
That the erroneous instruction was a claim about eschatological events that
had already come (2: 2) is apparent from observing that Paul's use of enistemi
("to be present, come") in his other letters, in line with the typical contemporary
Hellenistic usage, alludes to the present time in contrast to the future (e. g., Rom
8: 38; 1 Cor 3: 22; 7: 26). All his uses (except for 2 Tim 3: 1) are adjectival or
substantival participles in the perfect tense, which suggests that the focus is on
present time as a continuation of part of a period that has already been in
existence. Therefore, the use of the perfect-tense verb here likely has the classic
"perfect nuance" of an event occurring in the past, the effects of which continue
into the present. Thus, the false claim is that Christ's coming and the final
resurrection have already happened, so that there should be no present
expectation of any future occurrence of either of these events. This conclusion is
contrary to the view of those who think that enistemi has the notion of
imminence, with the sense "to be about to take place. "
This conclusion is supported by the parallel from Corinth, where some denied
that there was to be a final, physical resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15: 12-24).
The false teachers apparently believed that spiritual resurrection from the dead,
which Paul would affirm happens to all at conversion as an inaugurated end-time
event (Rom 6: 1-9; Col 2: 12; 3: 1), is the only resurrection there will ever be.
This may have entailed a belief that there would be no final coming of Christ at
all. Paul combats such a notion by contending that all dead believers will be
physically resurrected at the end time when Christ comes to conclude history (1
Cor 15: 20-58). Likewise, Paul says that false teachers in Ephe-sus taught that
"the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some" (2
Tim 2: 18; for evidence of a similar problem elsewhere, see 2 Pet 3: 3-13;
Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 7: 1; cf. Jn 21: 22-23).
A false teaching much like this has penetrated the Thessalonian church.
Apparently there, as elsewhere, false teachers are claiming that Jesus' future
coming has already happened in some spiritual manner, either by his coming in
the person of his Spirit (perhaps at Pentecost) or in conjunction with the final
(spiritual) resurrection of the saints. That both Christ's coming and the saints'
resurrection are in mind (and are the content of the day of the Lord in 2: 2) is
evident in the wording of 1: 1: the coming of our Lord Jesus and our being
gathered to him. These phrases allude to Christ's coming to gather saints at the
final resurrection (1 Thess 4: 14). The common wording and theme show that
this section is a further unpacking of 1 Thessalonians 4: 14-17 and that the false
teaching is an overrealized distortion of that part of Paul's first letter.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the aberrant teaching is that "the day of Lord"
has begun in some nebulous manner apart from Christ's coming and the final
resurrection. Some speculate similarly that the only events associated with the
day of the Lord here are the trials the Thessalonians are experiencing. Although
1 Thessalonians 5: 1-4 is adduced as support, this refers, as we have seen, to the
trial of the last judgment that occurs at the time of Christ's return narrated in 4:
13-18. Further, 2 Thessalonians 2: 8 suggests that the day of the Lord is
equivalent to Christ's final coming, since Christ's parousia there occurs right on
the heels of the revelation of the lawless one, which is best understood as an end-
time event. It is argued further, however, that Christ's final physical appearing
could not have been misconceived as already having happened because, if it had,
Paul could not dispute it. This, however, does not address the plausible
alternative argued above that the false teachers were spiritualizing not merely the
saints' final resurrection but also Christ's own resurrection. This perspective also
fails adequately to address the possibility that some mistakenly may have been
claiming that Christ indeed had come back bodily and was on the verge of
performing the task of raising the dead (see Mt 24: 24). Thus, although there
may be some uncertainty about the precise nature of the false teaching, there is
no reason to speculate about the issues involved: Christ's parousia and the saints'
resurrection (2: 1).
Some today might think such heresies are only part of ancient history, but the
first century did not corner the market on heresies. For example, in 1914 the
leader of the Jehovah's Witnesses claimed that Christ's final coming had
occurred invisibly on October 1 of that year (see Stott 1991: 157). Similarly,
some years ago I was invited to a meeting of theologians in order to discuss a
teaching that was spreading 2 thessalonians 2: 1-2 (and continues to spread)
among a number of churches, namely, that there will not be a final, general
bodily resurrection of Christians at the end of the age and that Christ's second
coming and the resurrection of saints already happened in some figurative and
invisible manner in a. d. 70. It was the same false teaching as was propounded in
Corinth, Ephesus and elsewhere in the first century.
The lesson to be learned is that the contemporary church, like the early
church, is plagued with deceptive teachings. Paul explains in 2: 2 what happens
when deceptive ideas seep into the minds of God's people: they become easily
unsettled or alarmed. Literally, such errant notions result in people being
"shaken" and "disturbed" in their faith. Paul aims his instruction at preventing
the foundational faith of his readers from being shaken to its roots and mortally
injured by their reception of heretical notions (see also Eph 4: 14-15). Paul is
encouraging the Thessalonians to persevere in the faith, without which one
cannot enter the kingdom (see on 1: 5). Within the larger context, 2: 1-2 develop
the earlier theme from 1: 5-12 that a person's enduring faitb in the redemption of
Christ's death and resurrection is evidence that God's righteous judgment has
been passed in one's favor.
When Christians become "shaken" and uncertain about the verities of their
faith, they become alarmed or disturbed (throeō). The same Greek word can
refer to the disturbed feeling people have when their lives become uncertain,
such as in the unsettled situation of a society racked by "wars and rumors of
wars" (Mt 24: 6). There Jesus says that his followers should not be disturbed
because such things are part of God's plan, and they should find their stability in
God and not in the apparent stability of the world. Paul's point here is similar and
has been anticipated in his first epistle, where he says the purpose of the
apostolic circle's ministry to the Thessalonians was "to strengthen and encourage
you in your faith, so that no one turn back from his beliefs because of these
persecutions. You know quite well we were destined for them" (1 Thess 3: 2-3,
my translation). If Christians' confidence is in anything other than God's truth,
then they will be shaken and disturbed.
Psalm 16: 7-8 (Greek Old Testament) states that David would not be "shaken"
(the same Greek word as here) because he constantly listened to and heeded
God's Word. That the idea of the psalm corresponds to Paul's intent is clear from
2: 15, which Paul intends as the specific response to the threat of destabilizing
false teaching: "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed
on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. " Paul's own divinely inspired
"word" or "letter" is the cure-all to any pseudo- prophecy, report or letter
allegedly coming from him. It is just possible the prophecy, report or letter
actually came from Paul but that some have misunderstood what he had said
about the Lord's coming and were passing on this misunderstanding as Pauline
teaching. A similar phenomenon happened earlier when Jesus' teaching about his
final coming was misconstrued in an "overrealized eschatological" direction (Jn
21: 21-23). If so, presumably those having distorted the original Pauline message
are passing it on in distorted form and are tantamount to false teachers (see 2 Pet
3: 16).
The first reason they should not be misled is because Christ will not come
back finally until there has "first" come a "falling away" from the faith (2: 3; Niv
renders prōtos as until and apostasia as rebellion). Though the word apostasia
can refer to a political or a religious crisis, the latter Ls the only use in the Greek
Old Testament (Josh 22: 22; 2 Chron 29: 19; Jer 2: 19; 1 Macc 2: 15) and New
Testament (Acts 21: 21; see verbal form in 1 Tim 4: 1; Heb 3: 12), and that is its
meaning here. Such a meaning is apparent because of the immediate context of
false teaching (2: 1-2, 9-12) and the clear allusions to Daniel's prediction of an
end-time opponent who will bring about a large-scale compromise of faith
among God's people. The apostasy will not occur primarily in the non-Christian
world but rather within the covenant community, as is clear from four
observations. (1) A "falling away" assumes some sort of prior turning to God. (2)
This is consistent with the above-noted usage of apostasia in the Old Testament.
(3) It is also consistent with the immediate context of deception within the
church. (4) It is supported by the closest verbal parallel to this passage, namely,
Martyrdom of Isaiah 2: 4-5, where "the angel of iniquity" empowers evil
Manasseh "in causing apostasy [apostasia], and in the lawlessness [anomial that
was disseminated in Jerusalem, " that is, among God's people.
Some contend that apostasia means a "departure" in the sense of the church
being gathered bodily (in development of 2: 1) at a "rapture" directly preceding
the Great Tribulation and the coming of the antichrist. The following
observations point to the implausibility of this identification (see further Gundry
1973: 112-18). (1) The word apostasia in the Greek Old and New Testaments
always refers to a "departure from faith" and never to a "bodily resurrection. "
(2) A negatively religious nuance of "departure" is also probable, since in 2: 3 it
is conjoined with the man of lawlessness, and in 2: 8-12 deception and departing
from the faith also appear in conjunction with "the lawless one. " (3) The
"gathering" of 2: 1 is an allusion to Paul's earlier teaching on the final
resurrection of all God's people (1 Thess 4: 14-17). Thus, the readers shouldnot
be misled because a sure sign of Christ's return (apostasy) has not yet taken
place.
A second reason the readers should not be misled in believing that Christ has
already come is because the eschatological appearance of the antichrist must also
precede the Messiah's last advent. Therefore, since these two signs have not yet
come about in their full and final form, Christ has not yet returned. Paul's use of
"first" may mean that the apostasy will come before the man of lawlessness, but
most agree that "first" probably applies to both events happening before Jesus'
final coming.
At the same time that there is a falling away from the faith, the antichrist
himself will make his appearance in history. The falling away may occur first,
the antichrist then appearing and taking advantage of the falling away, but it is
more probable that his coming will instigate the apostasy (see Dan 8; 11;
possibly apostasy will come first, setting up the fertile situation from which the
antichrist arises, and be followed by an intensification of the apostasy through
the antichrist's deception). This is supported by recalling that Antiochus IV
Epiphanes instigated "apostasy" in Israel (e. g., 1 Macc 2: 15), which is
significant since many believe his activity was the first fulfillment of the Daniel
11: 31-45 prophecy.
In 2: 4, Paul develops the prophecy about the antichrist from Daniel 11, as the
parallels noted in the following comparison makes clear.
Dan 11: 31, 36
"His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish
the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation"
(11: 31; also see 9: 27; 12: 11)
"he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of
things against the God of gods" (11: 36)
2 Thess 2: 3-4
"the man of lawlessness... who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called
God or object of worship, so that he sits in the temple of God, proclaiming
himself to be God" (my translation)
According to Daniel 11: 30-45, a final enemy of God will attack the covenant
community. The attack is to take two forms. The first will be a subtle attack of
deception by influencing with "smooth words" some within the community "who
forsake the holy covenant" and "who act wickedly toward the covenant" (11: 30,
32 nasb). All of this stands behind Paul's reference to "the apostasy" in 2: 3. The
antichrist will influence these people to become godless themselves (Dan 11:
32), fostering deception and compromise among others. Second, the end-time
foe will persecute those who remain loyal to God's covenant (11: 33-35, 44).
This eschatological antagonist will appear openly before the community, "exalt
and magnify himself above every god" (11: 36), then meet his final end under
God's judicial hand (11: 45). The parallels between Daniel's prophecy and Paul's
teaching in 2: 3-4 are clear.
What, then, does Paul mean when he says that the end-time adversary of
God's people will set himself up in God's temple to do his deceiving work? Many
believe this refers to the rebuilding of a literal, physical temple for Israel in
Jerusalem at the end of time and the setting up of the antichrist in that temple to
deceive and to be an object of worship. The problems with this view are
manifold. First, 2: 3 does not appear to be talking about an apostasy from the
faith in a geographically conceived Israel. The majority of Israel has not and
does not believe in Christ and is thus incapable of "falling away. " It is also
difficult to conceive of 2: 3 as alluding to an "apostasy" of unbelievers among
the nations who are not part of the visible church, since they possess no belief
from which to fall away. Rather, 2: 3 appears to be alluding to a yet future
massive falling away in the community of faith, the church, throughout the
world.
Therefore, what does it mean that the antichrist will sit in the temple of God?
It does not refer to some future rebuilt temple in Israel, nor is it likely to refer to
some past desecration of the temple in Jerusalem. Marshall (1983: 192)
concludes that no particular temple is in mind, arguing that 2: 4 is speaking
metaphorically only "to express the opposition of evil to God. " While this is
possible, it is more probable that the temple is a more specific metaphorical
reference to the church as the continuation of the true cultus. As argued above,
(1) the use of the phrase "the temple of God" elsewhere in Paul without
exception refers to the church; (2) the Daniel 11 prophecy and its initial
fulfillments (with Antiochus IV Epiphanes and then the Romans) took place
within the covenant community and revolved around the temple in that
community; and (3) the "apostasy" and its uses elsewhere in biblical literature all
have to do with a falling away by those within the community of faith from a
former confession of loyalty to God.
Consequently, 2: 3-4 teaches that the latter-day assailant will come into the
midst of the church and cause it to become predominantly apostate and
unbelieving. He will then try to take control of the church by carrying out further
deception in it. That the end-time antagonist will "display himself as being God"
(nasb; proclaiming himself to be God in niv) could mean that he makes himself
out to be God, which is the epitome of blasphemy. On the other hand, the idea
may be that the antichrist assumes so much influence and religious authority in
the worldwide community of faith that he might as well be calling himself God.
This is more consistent with the description of the eschatological adversary in
Daniel 11, which says that he will "magnify himself above every god" and yet
will honor a false god himself (11: 36-39). He must not be claiming that he is an
actual god, since he still worships some false god or idol. The point is that there
are some ways that he sins so intensely that he is putting himself in the place of
God. For example, he changes God's laws in Scripture and teaches other laws
that contradict divinely revealed truth (Dan 7: 25; 8: 11-12; 11: 30-32). This is
one reason he is called the man of lawlessness. In essence, the antichrist pretends
to be the ultimate Lawgiver, and the laws he gives contradict the God of the
Bible's laws.
The spirit of the antichrist already may be found hovering in the midst of the
temple, the church, today (as will become clearer in 2: 7), for some leaders in the
church change God's Word and even contradict its meaning. For example, some
confessing Christians contend that unrepentant homosexuals should be ordained
into the ministry. Likewise, it is sometimes argued that regular members of the
church can maintain a good standing in it even if they are unrepentant in
practicing forms of immorality. This is clearly against Scripture—it is
lawlessness. In addition, many church leaders today say that we need to be
accepting of other faiths, contending that sincerity in any kind of faith may be a
legitimate path to God. The exclusivist claim of Christianity sounds narrow and
harsh to many, yet Jesus himself said, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me" (Jn 14: 6). His follower Peter
said, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4: 12). In all these cases we
need to beware of the spirit of the antichrist and to confront it by standing firmly
on God's truth (2 Thess 2:15).
Beware of the Deceptive "Already and Not Yet" Antichrist (2: 5-12)
Sometimes Christians think false teachings come from cults outside the true
church. Unfortunately, however, errant doctrine often originates from within the
church itself. A group known as "Re-Imagining" is a movement composed
mostly of women that has arisen within mainline Christian denominations since
1993- The main assumption of Re-Imagining is that the men who wrote the
Scriptures "imagined" who God was based on their own male experience. These
male writers did not consider women's experience when they imagined God, so
now the time has come for women to "re-imagine" who God is in light of their
own unique experience. The Re-Imagining movement denies that a gay lifestyle
is sinful. Some deny that Jesus was divine or that he rose from the dead. Some
are repulsed by the idea that the male Jesus was an adequate representative for
women in his atoning death, since he was male. Nevertheless, the Re-Imagining
movement still claims to be a Christian movement. They want support and
acceptance from the church. Paul's opponents also arose from within the
Christian community and claimed authority for their false teachings, which were
just as threatening to true Christian faith as that of the Re-Imagining teaching.
Remember Earlier Taught Truths and You Won't Be Deceived (2: 5) Paul
has said in 2: 3-4 that the readers should not be led astray in thinking that
Christ's coming has already happened because the final apostasy in the church
and the final appearance of the antichrist have not yet happened. A third reason
they should not be deceived about this is because what Paul has just told them is
not new. Paul has repeatedly told them about the coming apostasy and antichrist:
Don't you remember that when 1 was with you I used to tell you these things?
Thus, 2: 3-4 were a reminder of what they already knew. The implication of the
reminder is that Paul has perceived that the readers are becoming vulnerable to
false teaching because they are in the process of forgetting the truth he has
already taught them. They are "dumbing themselves down" by not reminding
themselves of these crucial facts about the future. Peter says something quite
similar to readers also threatened by false teaching about Christ's future advent:
"So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and
are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your
memory.... And I will make every effort to see that... you will always be able to
remember these things" (2 Pet 1: 12-13, 15).
We saw in 2: 3-4 that Daniel 11: 30-45 prophesies that a final foe of God will
attack the covenant community in the eschaton. The attack is to take two forms:
persecution and deception through the subversion of divine truth. Paul first says
in 2: 6 that this antagonist has not yet come in full consummate form because
something is holding him hack, so that he may he revealed at the proper [future]
time. The purpose of the restraining force is to hold back the appearance of the
lawless one until it is the right time for his appearance. This also they should
know because it is part of the instruction he has given them during previous
visits (so 2: 5).
Commentators are greatly divided about the identification in 2: 6-7 of the one
who... holds... back (niv's rendering of ho katechon in 2: 7, though also possible
is the translation "the one who restrains"). Any identification faces the problem
of explaining the change from referring to the "restrainer" with the neuter gender
in 2: 6 (to katechon) to the masculine gender in 2: 7 (ho katechon). Most of the
proposed solutions attempt to isolate an impersonal force in 2: 6 and then link it
with a personal one in 2: 7. There are at least seven different identifications of
the "restrainer" (following, for the most part, the summary and evaluation of
Marshall 1983: 196-200).
2. Some try to salvage the first view by saying that no specific empire is in
mind but that the restrainer represents generally the civil order of law inherent in
Rome and also characteristic of other political kingdoms. The problem with this,
however, is that, while the neuter reference to a political system in 2: 6 makes
sense, the same system becomes personified in 2: 7, where it more naturally
seems to refer to an actual individual. A viable response to this objection is that
succeeding political kingdoms would likely have individual leaders, as was true
with Rome.
3. The Jewish state is the restraining power. This has the same problems as
the first view.
4. Satan or one of his evil (angelic) agents is "the one who restrains" the
"man of lawlessness. " A contest between two evil forces opposing one another,
however, would be unusual and bears a greater burden of proof (although Rev
17: 16-18 portrays such an apocalyptic scenario, it is not sufficiently parallel to
illuminate the present passage). Further, the disappearance of one evil force to be
replaced by another seems unlikely without other germane parallels adduced in
support.
7. The restraining force is the proclamation of the gospel, above all, by Paul's
preaching. The strength of this identification is its compatibility with Mark 13:
10, which says that "the gospel must first be preached to all nations" before
Christ's coming and, apparently, before the appearance of " 'the abomination that
causes desolation' standing where it does not belong [i. e., in the temple]" (Mk
13: 14). This view, on the other hand, falters in the same way Giblin's above
view does: it is hard to conceive that Paul's individual missionary work would
have such a worldwide effect in bringing about the consummation of all history.
The theory, nevertheless, becomes much more viable if Paul is replaced by a
divine force such as an angel who represents God's sovereignty in making the
gospel proclamation effective in establishing the church throughout the
interadvent age, so that the gates of hell do not prevail against it (Mt 16: 18). At
the very end of the age, God will remove the angel (or its restraining influence),
and "all hell will break loose" (as described in 2 Thess 2: 3-4, 8-12).
This is further in line with Revelation 20: 1-9, where during the church age an
angel restrains (literally "binds") Satan's power to decimate the church. Then, at
the end of the age, the restraining power is removed, so that Satan unleashes
against the church his antichrist, who will deceive and cause apostasy on a
worldwide scale. When he is on the verge of destroying the covenant
community, he himself will be destroyed at Christ's final coming (see Page 1980:
34-35, 40-41 for the otganic parallels between Rev 20: 1-10 and 2 Thess 2; cf.
Rev 20: 1-9 with Rev 19: 11-21, which are parallel accounts of the same final
events, as argued in, e. g., Beale 1999a: 973-1028). Consistent with this
perspective is the Apocalypse's repeated allusion to evil figures being "given
power" by God to carry out wicked actions (Rev 6: 4, 8; 7: 2; 9: 13-15; 13: 5, 7,
14-15).
This last version of view 7 is ultimately preferable over the others, though
view 2 is also quite plausible. Hendriksen's (1979: 182) version of view 2 posits
that the order of civil law in states is ultimately influenced by angels (in light of
Dan 10: 13, 20-21; 12: 1). If this is plausible, it could bring view 2 quite close to
our own conclusion. Possibly comparable to the activities of Paul's "restrainer" is
the observation of the following pattern of actions in Daniel 10: 13, 20-21: (1) a
heavenly being together with Michael withstand (» restrain?) a malevolent
angelic head of an evil world kingdom; (2) the two (together apparently) then
depart from resisting the wicked angel; (3) afterwards, the two return to continue
resisting the same hellish angel, who quickly passes from the scene only to be
followed by another demonic heavenly being with whom they begin again their
resisting activity. The word used for their withstanding is antechō (also possibly
rendered "hold, " "hold against, " "resist, " "cling to"), which could in some
contexts overlap with the meaning of katechō, the word Paul uses in 2: 7. What
further favors the angelic identification of the "restrainer" is the fact that Paul
has already alluded to Daniel 11: 31, 36 in 2: 4 and the reference to "mystery" in
2: 7 also ultimately derives from Daniel 2, which is the only place in all of the
Old Testament where "mystery" occurs with an eschatological meaning (see
Beale 1999b: 215-21, 250, 255-256, 265, 269). This enhances even more the
possibility that Paul had in mind an angel like that in Daniel 10 who was
resisting supernatural evil forces. Furthermore, Paul has had angels in mind
already, where they will accompany the revelation of Christ at his final coming
in judgment (1: 7).
In the meantime, the restrainer will continue to hold back the appearance of
the final opponent till he [the restrainer] is taken out of the way, when it is at last
time for the antichrist to he manifested (2: 7). Literally, the last part of 2: 7 reads
as an incomplete sentence: "hut the one who now holds it back till he is taken out
of the way. " The line is best translated by supplying a verbal clause after holds it
hack, as in the niv: hut the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till
he is taken out of the way. Possibly, the last part of 2: 7 could be translated, "only
until the one who is now prevailing is out of the way" (Wanamaker 1990: 256).
This, however, depends on moving the Greek word till (heds), which appears in
the Greek text after the phrase "only the one who restrains now, " after "only. "
This is possible, but none of the examples elsewhere in Paul offered to support
such a rearrangement of word order contain the word heds. Therefore, the latter
part of 2: 7 provides the basis for the main point of the latter part of 2: 6: the
manifestation of the lawless one is based on the restrainer's removal.
Though Paul says the prophesied "man of lawlessness" has yet to come in
fullest form, he nevertheless claims there is a sense in which he has already
come: "the mystery [mysterion, inaccurately translated secret power in niv] of
lawlessness is already at work" (nasb). What does Paul mean by this? As with
the majority of New Testament uses of mysterion, this one also is placed in close
connection with an Old Testament reference, this time to Daniel 11 in 2: 4. The
word elsewhere, when so linked to Old Testament allusions, is used to indicate
that prophecy is beginning fulfillment but in an unexpected manner in
comparison to the way Old Testament readers might have expected these
prophecies to be fulfilled (see Beale 1999b: 215-72). Though unexpected, the
fulfillment can be seen as a consistent and organic development from Daniel
when viewed retrospectively in the light of Christ's coming and the
establishment of the covenant community, the church, as the true temple.
Jesus refers to the same prophecy from Daniel in Matthew 24 (see Mt 24: 4-5,
10-13, 23-26). Just as Paul's main point in 2: 1-7 is "don't let anyone deceive
you" (2: 3), Jesus' main point is that no one mislead his followers about his
second coming (Mt 24: 3-4). Jesus predicts that before he comes many
antichrists will indeed come. He is focusing not on the final coming of one
antichrist but on the coming into the church of many antichrists who are the
semifulfillments and forerunners of the final predicted opponent of God (Mt 24:
5, 10-15, 24). These are the same false prophets referred to in 1 John 2: 18 and 2
Thessalonians. Jesus even says in Matthew 7: 21-23 that some regarded as
teachers of the church will be judged as false teachers and as unbelievers at the
final judgment. Note that Jesus refers to them as those who practice
"lawlessness" (anomia, "evildoers" in Niv), the same word Paul uses in 2: 7 in
the phrase "the mystery of lawlessness. "
Thus, Paul is saying that even now the false teachers who have been
prophesied by Daniel and Jesus are with us. The prophecy of the "apostasy" and
coming of the "man of lawlessness" has started to be fulfilled. Indeed, the sign of
Jesus' death together with what 1 John 2: 18 and 2 Thessalonians 2: 6-7 have
said makes it clear that the Great Tribulation, when antichrist would come, has
already begun to take place. The prophesied latter-day temple has also started to
appear in the form of the church community (see on 2: 4), into which 2: 7 says
the antichrist has already begun to enter and defile. Daniel predicted that there
would be two telltale marks of the Great Tribulation: persecution and deception
through false teachers within the covenant community, which especially corrupts
and defiles the temple. It is clear that persecution and deception started in the
first century and have continued ever since, so the Great Tribulation has been
going on throughout the age of the church. To be sure, this tribulation has not yet
reached its climax. There will be an escalation of the present tribulation when
the last individual, incarnate antichrist appears. At that time, persecution and
deception, which have formerly affected only part of the church, will be present
throughout the worldwide church, at which point Christ will return (see Rev 11:
1-13; 20: 1-10).
Christians too often feel they are not in danger of being hurt badly in their
faith, since, from all outward appearances, the Great Tribulation does not yet
seem to be here. They conclude that they do not need intensely to guard their
faith by holding to God's Word with all their might. Life's sometimes-
comfortable circumstances make people feel falsely secure, just as riggers
working in high rafters of huge auditoriums with fake ceilings directly below
may be lulled into a false sense of security that a fall might not hurt them.
Indeed, Satan's method "is not so much in scaring us to death as persuading us
that the danger of a spiritual fall is minimal" (Larson 1993: 275). Paul wants to
keep us from being lulled to spiritual sleep, so that we will not be deceived. The
Great Tribulation has begun, and saints need to guard their souls with all their
strength with God's Word because God's people must make every effort to "stand
against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against... the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6: 11-12). How
do we do this? By holding closely to the Bible, which is one of our offensive
weapons against the devil (Eph 6: 17).
Paul tells the readers in 2: 1-7 that they should not be deceived by false
teaching about the future or false teaching in the present, offering reasons why
they should not be deceived. In particular, in 2: 5 he gives the ultimate reason
why they should not be deceived: he has told all of this to them before. The
antidote to the poison of the antichrist's deception is remembering and believing
what God has said through Paul.
It is the Word of God that makes one strong to resist false teaching. As we see
in 1 John 2: 18, the only way to conquer false teachers in the church
("antichrists" and, collectively, "the antichrist") is by being strong in God's word:
"I write to you... because you are strong because the word of God dwells in you,
so that you have conquered the evil one" (2: 14 my translation). It is reported
that "when the FBI trains staff members to identify counterfeit bills, they are not
required to study fake money. Instead they undergo a thorough study of genuine
currency as the best preparation to identify counterfeit money. Believers should
approach false teaching in the same way. If they do, they will experience similar
results" (Green 1989: 88). May God give us grace to see the need to focus
continually on his word in order that we can recognize counterfeit teaching.
Don't Be Deceived Now and You Will Avoid Judgment Later (2: 8-12) Paul
turns to what will happen exclusively in the future in 2: 8-12. The antichrist will
make his long-awaited appearance on the scene of history in order to deceive the
church on a massive scale. While the antichrist's deception in this age is partial
and incognito (through false teachers), his deceit at the end of history will be
more universal than ever (as 2: 3 has said). He also will incarnate Satan's
character in his person more than anyone hitherto. At this time, the entire
believing church will probably be forced to go "underground, " much as has
happened in the Soviet Union and still happens in China. While the antichrist's
design is to accomplish a worldwide delusion, God's purpose is that the lawless
one will he revealed in order that the Lord Jesus will overthrow him with the
breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming (2: 8). God is
the one who ultimately holds back the antichrist from appearing (2: 6-7), so that
when he finally appears it is only because God has decided that it is "the proper
time" (2: 7) to judge him and bring history to an end. God (or Christ) is always
the subject of the verb "reveal" throughout the New Testament, and 2: 8 is no
exception. God causes the revelation of the lawless one in order to judge him
(fulfilling Is 11: 1-5).
The end-time enemy will also be revealed so that his followers are further
deceived and judged along with him. Satan will inspire him to do all kinds of
counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders (2: 9) and "every kind of deception
leading to unrighteousness" (2: 10 my translation). The devil incarnate aims this
deception at unbelievers who are perishing. The reason that they are perishing is
also the reason why they will be deceived further and ultimately judged: because
they refused to love the truth and so he saved. For this reason (their rejection of
the truth] God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie
and so that all will he condemned who have not believed the truth but have
delighted in wickedness (2: 10-12). The final judgment of unbelievers living on
earth at the final phase of history will occur in two stages: they will be deceived
further by the antichrist and then he condemned. Paul may have in mind people
who reject God's truth revealed in nature (Rom 1: 18-32) but more likely is
focusing on those who reject the gospel, both those outside the community of
faith and confessing Christians. The latter appear to accept, but on the last day it
will be revealed that they refused to love the truth they professed. The deceived
will believe the lie by accepting the claims to deity by the lawless one, which is
the epitome of eschatological idolatry.
There is, however, a theological problem with the first phase of the judgment
(2: 11). How can God be good and just and still send them a powerful delusion
so that they will believe the lie? The answer is that God righteously sends
delusion because it is a beginning part of his just judgment. As is clear elsewhere
in Scripture, God punishes sin by sin (e. g., Deut 29: 4; Is 6: 9-10). Paul
confirms this in 2: 10 and 12: 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 hut have delighted in wickedness. Our text thus pictures the completion
of the process portrayed as having begun in Romans 1: 18-32 (see also 1 Kings
22: 18-23).
The second phase of the unbelievers' judgment is that all will he condemned.
The nature of this condemnation is best understood in conjunction with Christ's
overthrow (or "slaying") of the lawless one with the hreath of his mouth (2: 8; an
allusion to Is 11: 4). But what literal reality is being described? Jewish
commentators around the time of Jesus interpreted Isaiah 11: 4 ("with the breath
of his lips he will slay the wicked") to refer to the words of the Messiah's mouth
punishing and convicting the ungodly at the final judgment (e. g., 4 Ezra 13: 10-
11, 37-38). This early Jewish interpretation is likely on the mark: Jesus' slaying
and judging will take place in a kind of courtroom atmosphere in which he
pronounces by "the verbal breath of his mouth" people guilty of having broken
God's moral laws and not believing in Jesus as their Lord (see also Rev 1: 16; 2:
16; 19: 15).
Why does Paul want the Thessalonians (and us) to know that at the end the
antichrist and his followers are going to be decisively judged? To highlight the
main point of all of 2: 1-12: we should not be deceived by false teaching (2: 3,
the main point) because we should stand firm in the true teaching we have been
taught (2: 5, the secondary point). If we remember this well, we will not be
judged along with the rest of deceived humanity. We need to be alert, both now
and in the future, in order not to be deceived, and that happens by continually
reminding ourselves about the truth of God's Word.
What is it that continually energizes the lawless and worldly spirit of the age
throughout history? Why do culture and some sectors of the church promote
moral and religious relativity? What is it that makes the spirit of worldliness so
attractive and compelling? Paul explains in 2: 1-12 that the spirit of the
antichrist, "the man of lawlessness, " is already presently working to influence
and deceive not only our culture but also the church about the truth. This spirit
will effectively deceive some throughout the age, and the deception will reach a
climax at some future point. Like the proverbial "frog in a kettle" that is unable,
because of its cold-blooded nature, to sense gradual increases in water
temperature until it is too late (and it is boiled), God's people sometimes fail to
perceive subtle shifts away from God's truth. When the spiritual heat of false
teaching or deception comes, we sometimes do not readily recognize it because
of our spiritual cold-heartedness. Are we like the frog that is beginning to boil?
If people have not truly believed that Jesus suffered on the cross the punishment
they deserve and that he rose again from the dead to give life, they are presently
in a state of deception that could be the beginning of final punishment. Those
genuinely having believed need to keep recalling the truth of God's Word in
order to prevent deception.
Thank God for Salvation Through Election, Regeneration and Faith (2:
13-14)
I know of someone who, when he was a young adult, was a rather mean person.
Then one day, while riding a horse, he fell off and hit his head. Remarkably, his
personality changed, and ever since then he has been a nice and kind person.
This kind of thing has happened enough in real life that novels and movies
sometimes have such personality changes as an essential part of their storyline.
One such movie, Regarding Henry, tells about a ruthless lawyer who enjoys
winning big legal cases unethically. One night, however, he goes to buy
cigarettes, and a robber shoots him in the head. The injury affects his personality
so that from then on he is not ruthless but kind.
The Bible also talks about changes in how people think and act, though the
changes involve a transformation of the heart and mind rather than a blow to the
head. Specifically, 2: 13-14 explain how God takes us from a deceived state of
mind that refuses "to love the truth" and that delights "in wickedness" (2: 11-12)
to belief in the truth (2: 13), which leads to doing good deeds (2: 17). These
verses also clarify how those who are already Christians are able to withstand
the deceptions by the spirit of the antichrist in this age and at the very end.
Finally, 2: 14 also explains why God transforms deceived people into
enlightened people and why he keeps them in such a condition.
The main point of 2: 13-14 is thanking God, including three reasons why God
is to be thanked. The thanksgiving becomes the main point of 2. 1-14 in that it is
a response to the preceding: Paul thanks God that his flock will obey by faith (2:
13) his command not to be deceived (2: 3) and that they will consequently
experience salvation and glory (2: 14), in contrast to the deceived, who "will be
condemned" (2: 11).
The first basis for thanksgiving is God's choosing of them to be saved. The
word Paul uses (haired) has the idea of "take" and is synonymous with "choose,
" but elsewhere it can also have the meaning of "prefer, " which is based on what
one desires. That the word in 2: 13 refers to a choice motivated by love is clear
from Paul's reference to the Thessalonians as brothers loved by the Lord (see
also the parallel in 1 Thess 1: 3). God's election of Christians is an explanation of
what it means that they have been loved by God. In fact, the word Paul uses in 2:
13 appears to have been part of an idiom in first-century Greek outside of the
New Testament to express that someone liked something ("if you lik^ Moul-ton
and Milligan 1930: 14). Therefore, when 2: 13 says God chose you, it refers to
God's love that motivated him to prefer and choose the Thessa-lonian Christians
(and all Christians; see also Eph 1: 4-5).
Why does God love anyone in particular? We do not know. The reason for
God's love to one over another is hidden in the deep recesses of his own
inscrutable mind. Deuteronomy 7: 6-8 affirms that "God has chosen you... to be
his people.... The Lord did not set his affection on you [Israel] and choose you
because you were more numerous than other peoples.... But it was because the
lord loved you. " The tautological reason for God's love is that he loves us.
Paul goes on to say in 2: 13 that God chose them from the beginning. What
beginning is in mind? Ephesians 1: 4 says that this was "before the creation of
the world. " The point is that God elects those whom he plans to redeem as a part
of his design for the entire creation (see also Rev 13: 8).
Moreover, Paul says that God chose people with the goal that they be saued
(2: 13). The concept of salvation in the Bible and in Paul's writings entails at
least the following: (1) being delivered from judgment (1 Thess 1: 10; 5: 8-9; 2
Thess 1: 7-9; 2: 12); (2) being made whole in faith, righteousness and,
ultimately, full resurrection health (1 Thess 4: 13-18; 5: 8-10; 2 Thess 2: 1); and
(3) being reconciled to God and coming into intimate relationship with him. The
word salvation (soteria) can refer to security, guarantee for safety, preservation,
or deliverance. In addition, its noun and verb forms were typically used in the
ancient Greek world to connote deliverance from perilous situations and mortal
dangers. All these meanings, to one degree or another, have particular relevance
here: God's election and calling through the Spirit guarantees our security and
safety and preserves and delivers us from deception, and thus delivers us from
the final judgment to come upon those who are deceived and follow the spirit of
the antichrist now or at the end of the age.
Paul adds in 2: 14 that God elected for an even grander purpose than
salvation: He called you to this salvation through our gospel, that you might
share in the glory of our Lord fesus Christ. God has chosen his people for
salvation in order to bring about his glory (see also the discussion at 1: 10-12).
Not merely salvation but the way in which God brings us to salvation highlights
his glory: God elects us to salvation (see also Rom 15: 9; Eph 1: 4-6, 11-12).
God's ultimate purpose is not human-centered but God-centered.
Within this light, one might question the niv translation of 2: 14, namely, that
God's call causes Christians to share in (or "obtain, possess") the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ. The original Greek could just as well be translated, "God
called you through our gospel so that he would obtain glory for our Lord Jesus
Christ" (the subject of the verbal noun "obtain" or "possess" could be Christians
or God). But even if the correct translation is that of Christians sharing in
Christ's glory, the idea would be that Christ's resurrection glory will be
demonstrated in his resurrected people at the end of history. Saints will be
perfected and thus reflect God's glory perfectly. When it is seen that God is the
one who has made them to reflect him, only he will get all the glory. Paul has
come full circle back to the same point about divine glory that he made earlier in
1: 10 and 12.
Why does electing people to salvation bring God glory? The reason is that it
emphasizes that only God is to be glorified for saving humans. Believing
humanity cannot be glorified for achieving any part of their salvation (see also 1
Cor 4: 7). Is there anything in ourselves that can merit salvation? Are some
saved because they are better able to muster up belief in contrast to others who
do not have the same inherent ability? If belief has its ultimate source in humans,
people can boast about themselves before God because they are the ones who by
their own goodness and power made the initial difference between whether or
not they were saved. Such people would not suffer judgment like others because
they would be inherently "better" than unbelievers.
The first part of 2: 13, together with 2: 14, says that God is glorified in saving
his people because he has elected them. A second way people are saved and God
is glorified is given in the second part of 2: 13: through the sanctifying work of
the Spirit.
The phrase sanctifying work is one word in Greek, which can be translated
"sanctification. " This would refer to the Spirit empowering us to be holy and
righteous (accordingly, of the Spirit would be a subjective genitive: "sanctifying
by the Spirit"). This idea is partly involved, but the Greek word may also mean
"consecrate" or "setting apart as holy, pure or sacred. " The latter is more the
focus for two reasons: (1) the initial salvation of the believer appears to be more
in mind, as 2: 14 makes clear (he called you}, (2) "setting apart" better fits the
context, in that 2: 13 informs us how God's people are protected from the
deception described in 2: 8-12. How? By the Holy Spirit "setting individuals
apart" from the harmful and deceptive influence of the devil, the spirit of the
antichrist and the world. While 2: 11 says that "God sends [unbelievers] a
powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, " 2: 13 says that God sends
the Spirit to others to set them apart from falsehood so that they have faith in the
truth.
We have seen in 2: 13-14 two ways in which people are saved and God's
glory is achieved: by God electing and the Holy Spirit setting people apart to
become a new creation walking in righteousness. The third way people are saved
and God's glory obtained is given at the end of 2: 13: through belief in the truth.
The truth is the gospel (2: 14) that people must obey or else face eternal
punishment (1: 8-9). The essence of what is to be obeyed is that Jesus the
Messiah came to die for his people and to rise again, showing himself to be
equal to God (see discussion on 1 Thess 1: 1; 3: 11-12) and demanding
obedience from his followers (see comments on 2 Thess 2: 5). Contemporary
society says that as long as one is sincere it does not matter what religion or
nonre-ligion one believes. According to many today, what is crucial is that we
respect any kind of sincerely held belief and accept it as legitimate and true for
whoever holds it, though it may not be so for us.
Such opinions are akin to the following scenario. Imagine having a child who
awakes in the middle of the night with a terrible attack of asthma. When you call
the doctor, the doctor says that, to save the child's life, you must go to an all-
night drugstore for special medicine that will open the child's bronchial tubes.
You rush to the drugstore and get the medicine, then hurry home and administer
the medicine. Nevertheless, your child dies. The reason the medicine does not
work is because the druggist made a mistake and gave the wrong prescription.
Although you had a resolute faith that the medicine would save your child and
sincerely administered the medicine, your faith could not save your child
because the object of your belief was vain. The voices of the world tell us that
earnest faith in anything is the key and that it does not matter what one believes.
The Bible, however, tells us that it does matter. Indeed, what we believe makes
the difference between heaven and hell (see Jn 14: 6; Acts 4: 12).
If faith is so central, one might ask, why is it placed in 2: 14 after the mention
of God's election and the Spirit's work of setting people apart? Because faith
arises as a gift from God. Not until our stone heart is taken out and a spiritual
heart is put in can we exercise saving faith in Christ. As Paul writes elsewhere,
"it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this [i. e., the faith] not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2: 8; see likewise Acts 16: 14; Rom
9: 15; Phil 1: 29; 1 Jn 5: 20). Granted, we are the ones who exercise faith, but it
is nevertheless God who gives a new heart and the ability to exercise faith.
Without a new heart we have no power but are spiritually dead (see Eph 2: 1-5;
Phil 2: 13). We are all spiritual cadavers until God changes us by taking our
spiritless heart out and putting a new spiritual heart in, thus making us alive.
The text of 2: 13-14 says that God's election and calling, the Spirit's
separating work and our faith accomplish salvation and have the ultimate goal of
achieving God's glory—and for all this Paul says we should be thankful.
Many questions arise whenever one discusses the idea of election. Prominent
among them are: Why should a Christian be motivated to do anything if, in the
end, God elects and predestines? How can anyone ever have assurance that he or
she is among the elect? Other questions are often asked, but these are
representative of the issues raised in response to Paul's teaching on election. I
believe that 2: 15-17 gives excellent answers to the questions about the basis of
motivation to live and the assurance of salvation (limitations of space prevent
addressing the problem of divine justice here, though see the discussion of 2: 8-
12 above and Beale 1984; prayer for evangelism will be addressed in the
comments on 3: 1-5).
God Commands His People to Obey Him as a Sign of Election (2: 15)
Immediately after Paul's assertion of election and the Spirit's calling of people to
faith in 2: 13-14, he gives a command in 2. 15 to remain anchored to the true
faith. This command states positively what 2: 3 commanded negatively and
serves as the main point of the entire segment of 2: 1-17, which has come full
circle back to 2: 3, the main point of 2: 1-12 (see also Callow 1982: 52-53). "On
the basis that" (So then in niv) the readers really are elect and saved and the
Spirit has called them to believe, they will not be deceived by false teaching but
will obey Paul's command to stand firm and hold to the teachings... passed on by
him. The phrase whether by word of mouth or by letter clearly contrasts with 2:
2, where Paul tells his readers not to be quickly shaken or disturbed by false
teaching that comes to them through a "word" (niv "report") or "letter supposed
to have come from us. " If the readers truly have faith "in the truth, " they will
stand firm and hold to the truth that Paul has taught them by word of mouth
when he was with them or by his first letter. As a result, they will not be
misguided by any counterfeit teaching. This involves both continually recalling
what they have been taught (see on 2: 5-6) and consistently obeying it.
God Commands and Then Gives the Desire and Power to Obey (2: 16-17) It
is our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father who will encourage your
hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. God and his Messiah
give believers the ability to obey what they command them to do. This reiterates
Paul's similar teaching earlier: "May the Lord make your love increase and
overflow" and "strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy" (1
Thess 3: 12-13). Especially similar is Paul's command to "hold on to the good"
(5: 21), which is followed by the means to obey the command: "May God
himself... sanctify you through and through" (5: 23; see also 5: 24; Heb 13: 20-
21).
When one knows that God is going to give the strength to obey, such
knowledge does not lead to inaction but creates a desire to do what God wants.
Paul knew this from his own experience of God's grace (1 Cor 15: 10), and he
applied the same notion to other Christians (2 Cor 9: 7-8). Knowing we have the
moral power to obey instills in us a desire to comply with God's precepts.
Those who have never embraced the gospel, however, have no desire to obey
God because they have no moral ability to do so. They have no compulsion to
rise up from their spiritual coffins to please and obey God. They are spiritually
"dead in [their] transgressions" and are inspired not by God for good but by "this
world and... the ruler of the kingdom of the air [Satan], the spirit who is now at
work in those who are disobedient. " Consequently, they are dominated by their
"sinful nature and follow its desires" (Eph 2: 1-3).
But sometimes Christians who have begun to obey God question whether or
not they are among the true elect. Such a question about assurance of salvation
can thwart peoples' confidence that God is really at work in them and could
stymie their motivation to obey the divine commands. That the Thessalonians
themselves were having some kind of doubts or were on the brink of entertaining
doubts about the gospel is evident, as we have seen from 2: 1-3. Paul aims to
give the antidote to such uncertainties here.
Building on the statement that God's love is the reason he has chosen people
(2: 13), Paul explains in 2: 16 what happens to those whom God loves and calls
to himself: God... loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and
good hope. The Greek word that the niv translates encouragement (paraklesis) is
rendered "comfort" or "consolation" elsewhere in the New Testament. All three
nuances are not far from a concept of assurance. In particular, it is eternal
encouragement, which suggests an encouragement about a salvific condition that
lasts eternally. That this is what Paul has in mind is evident from the directly
following phrase, good hope, which appears to be a further explanation.
The word hope (elpis) also directly follows encouragement three times
outside this letter, and each time it indicates that encouragement about present
salvation fuels assurance or hope about future salvation (see Rom 15: 4-5; 2 Cor
1: 3-11; Heb 6: 17-19). Hebrews 11: 1 reflects the same idea: "Faith is being sure
of what we hope for. " Paul employs this Greek word for hope about thirty-five
times throughout his writings, always to refer to a faithful waiting or expectation
with confidence for various aspects of future salvation. He especially uses the
word in the Thessalonian letters to allude to Christ's final coming to deliver his
people and complete their salvation (see 1 Thess 1: 3 and 10; 2: 19; 4: 13-17; 5:
8-10; 2 Thess 1: 7-10; 2: 14).
Paul does not merely refer to hope but to a good hope. This phrase was used
in the ancient world to allude to an expectation of happiness resulting from a
desired good (reunion with relatives or friends, material prosperity, etc. ). The
desired good for Christians is their consummate resurrection union with Christ
and reflection of his glory at his final coming in the future (1: 10-12). Moreover,
present possession of this good hope inevitably expresses itself in every good
deed and word (2: 17). Such a hope, as well as eternal encouragement, can only
be by [God's] grace. People cannot accomplish it by their own autonomous
efforts. God must give it in order that he, not his creation, get all the glory.
The point is that the Christian's confidence about present and future salvation
is inextricably linked to one's awareness of God's Word. I know of a six-year-old
boy whose parents would explain to him the meaning of the Lord's Supper
before the elements were passed around. They would say, "If you believe that
Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead as the God-man, you can
eat and drink this. " Then they would ask him if he wanted to eat and drink of the
elements. For a long time the boy would not participate in the Lord's Supper
because he was not sure he really believed. He had always assumed he was a
Christian, but he sometimes doubted. In fact, at one point he told his father, "I'm
not sure that Jesus rose from the dead because I have never seen anything like
that happen today. " The church that the family attended had a tradition of
distributing new Bibles to children at the commencement of second grade. When
the young boy received his Bible, he began reading it every day. After about six
weeks of fervently reading the Scriptures, the family went to church on another
Lord's Supper Sunday. This time, after his parents asked the same question about
the gospel, as so many times before, the boy answered "Yes, I want to have the
Lord's Supper with you. " What had happened? Romans 10: 17 says, "faith
comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (nasb).
There is something about the Bible that can instill confidence in God in a way
that nothing else can. This is as true for adults as it is for children. As we read
the Scriptures, God speaks to our hearts through his Spirit, and we come into
closer relation to him. And as we grow closer to him, our hearts are assured that
he is true. To avoid being filled with doubts about God's electing love, God's
people must spend time in his Word and prayer, both of which enable them to
know him well and do what pleases him. This is what Paul is commanding and
encouraging the Thessalonians to do in 2: 15, and in 2: 16-17 Paul prays that
Christ and God give his flock motivation to carry out the command. The prayer
itself should incite them to "stand firm and hold" on by informing them that it is
God alone who can give them confidence in his Word (2: 16) and ability to obey
it (2: 17). Peter likewise says, in response to the threat of false teaching, "be all
the more eager to make your calling and election sure. " One of the ways we can
do so is by paying attention to the apostolic testimony to Christ and to "the word
of the prophets" (2 Pet 1: 10-21).
Though it is possible that there is not a close link between the preceding chapter
and this one, a discernible connection between election (2: 13) and its effects (2:
14-17) appears to continue in chapter 3- This is observable, for example, by
surveying Paul's use of "finally" (to loipon and its variant forms) in his other
writings. The phrase does not introduce completely new material that comes in
nonlogical sequence after previous, unrelated instruction or admonition (see 2
Cor 13: 11; Gal 6: 17; Eph 6: 10-17; Phil 3: 1; 4: 8). The use of "finally" in 1
Thessalonians 4:1 is one of the most obvious examples of the word's logical
function to relate preceding material to what follows (see comments at 4: 1-2).
As we will see, 2 Thessalonians 3 reveals links to chapter 2 and continues the
eschatological themes related to the false teaching of the preceding chapter. In
this respect, Jewett argues that 2 Thessalonians is "a tightly organized
deliberative letter" and that it is probably best to render to loipon as "therefore"
(Jewett 1986: 80), indicating that the directly preceding is the logical basis of
what follows in chapter 3-
Pray for the Advance of the Gospel in Order That God Be Glorified (3: 1-2)
As noted earlier, people often respond to the notion of election with a series of
probing questions. Paul answered two of these questions in 2: 15-17, but other
questions can also be raised, several of which are addressed in this section: Will
God not carry out his plan of election despite the prayers and evangelizing
efforts of his people? Why should one pray for or witness to the lost? Paul gives
part of the answer to these questions in 3: 1: Finally, brothers, pray for us that
the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with
you. Prayer and evangelism are two marks of God's elect people.
Some may think that election and prayer for the salvation of the lost are
incompatible ideas, but Paul puts them right next to one another, as do other
biblical authors. Paul and other New Testament writers juxtapose notions of
divine sovereignty and human accountability without so much as giving a hint
that there is any tension. Thus Jesus says, "No one knows the Father except the
Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Mt 11: 27), and then,
almost in the same breath, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest" (11: 28). Paul follows suit throughout his epistles. In
Romans 10: 1 he says, "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the
Israelites is that they may be saved, " yet only a few verses earlier he says that
salvation "does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's
mercy" (9: 16). Indeed, Paul commands his flock to "pray continually" (1 Thess
5: 17) and then says that "the one [God] who calls [them] is faithful and he will
do it" (5: 23-24). What the Bible has joined together, let no one put asunder.
Therefore, while it is true that God elects people, saints are to pray for the
evangelization of lost humanity because Scripture tells them to do so. Jesus and
his apostolic spokesmen endorse both ideas equally.
But can no logical connection be discerned between election and prayer for
evangelism? Are these two realities to be believed even though they appear to
be incompatible? A close look at our passage in context reveals a connection.
Paul introduces the conclusion of this letter in 3: 1 with finally, brothers, pray
for us, which we have just seen has the sense of "on the basis of what has
preceded, I am commanding you to pray. " Consequently, what follows is not
unrelated to 2: 13-17. The command to pray for us in 3: 1 arises partly out of
Paul's prayer for them in 2: 16-17 (see also 3: 5). More precisely, the prayer of 2:
16-17 is based on election in 2: 13: whom God elects, calls and saves (2: 13-14),
he commands to obey (2: 15); as a result, prayer is to be offered that God will
give the readers the desire and ability to obey (2: 16-17). The command to pray
in 3: 1 likewise has its basis in election unto salvation (2: 13-14) and is followed
similarly by prayer that God would give them the right desires from which true
prayer arises (see 3: 3, 5). Therefore, the commands of 2: 15 and 3: 1 are
logically parallel to each other, both having their ground in election and being
achieved ultimately by divine empowerment. Both 2: 13-17 and 3: 1-5 show that
God's elect do God's bidding by God's power.
The link to the directly preceding context suggests that the motivation to pray
in 3:1 for the spread of the gospel comes from realizing that the only hope for
lost humanity is that God has chosen them and that, as a consequence, God will
work in their hearts so that they will believe. Indeed, election is the springboard
for prayer that unsaved people be saved. The knowledge of 2: 13-17 that God
calls his elect, sets them apart from the world, gives them commands and works
in their hearts imparts confidence that the only way one can come to faith is if
God brings one to faith. Hence, Paul tells his readers in 3: 1 to pray to God that
the message of the Lord may spread effectively because he is the only one who
can make it advance by causing the conversion of others. It is consistent to pray
that God convert sinners if we really believe that God is the one who elects
people and changes sinners' hearts so that they desire to believe in Christ (see
Acts 13: 48). This is why Paul elsewhere asks for prayer "that God may open a
door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ"
effectively (Col 4: 3). The message is effective only if the God who elects also
paves the way for his elect to believe.
God's electing power and the Spirit's energizing work guarantee the victory of
the gospel. This is why Paul requests prayer in 3: 1 using the image of victory.
Unfortunately, the Niv completely obscures this. The Greek reads, "pray for us...
that the word of the Lord should run and be honored. " The image here is that of
a runner competing triumphantly in the Greek Olympic games, a metaphor Paul
employs elsewhere (1 Cor 9: 24; Gal 2: 2; Phil 2: 16). When the runners won,
they received honor and glory as part of their victory prize. This popular Greek
picture is supplemented by Paul's allusion to the Old Testament depiction of
God's word "running" to underscore its effectiveness in accomplishing his
purposes for creation (Ps 19: 5; 147: 15). The portrayal here is not of Paul
"running the race" of the Christian life to win the prize of salvation (as
elsewhere) but of the gospel itself running for the prize, namely, victory over
people's hearts and over false religions and philosophies that have competed
with the gospel and formerly held pagans in their grasp. God will demonstrate at
the end of time that the gospel of Christ is the true "winner" against all
competing worldviews and thus is the only true religion and philosophy (so
Piper 1991: 227). That the "word" will be honored throughout and at the end of
history includes an allusion to those who accept it and honor it. This victory will
result ultimately in God being honored or glorified (see 1: 12; 2: 14) because his
word has won the victory.
The general promise of the victory of the gospel found throughout the New
Testament should motivate saints to pray in the way Paul exhorts here.
Heightened motivation for such petition also comes from recognizing that the
victory of God's truth is not merely a future hope but also a present victory. This
is implicit in the wording of 3: 1: "pray ... that the word of the Lord should be
running' (my translation). The idea of the verb may express an ongoing march of
the message toward triumph, which can be observed now before it reaches the
eschatological finish line. In fact, that Paul and his readers were already
observing this victory march in process is clear from the final clause of 3: 1: just
as it was with you. This last phrase pictures the past and present victory of the
gospel in the lives of the Thessalonians and those to whom they witness in the
surrounding regions.
The word for wicked (atopos) in 3: 2 literally means "out of place. " The
context suggests that "out of place" is probably more the nuance here than the
general idea of wicked. Such people may be those outside the churches who
oppose the faith in various ways (see, e. g., Acts 17: 5-13; 18: 6-17; 2 Thess 1:
4-9; see also Rom 15: 31, where Paul asks for prayer "that I may be rescued
from the unbelievers in Judea"). More in focus, however, are those who profess
belief and are part of the church community but are "out of place" there because
they are not genuine saints. In Paul's words, not everyone has [true] faith. To say
that hostile Gentile or even Jewish unbelievers are "out of place" would be
strange, since it is natural that such people would be antagonistic to the gospel
and its adherents (so, e. g., Mt 6: 24; Jn 15: 18-19; 17: 14; Jas 4: 4).
Faith (pistis) may be the truth of the gospel that is to be believed (e. g., Gal 3:
23; 6: 10) or the activity of believing itself (2 Thess 2: 12-13). "The" faith (he
pistis, with the article) in Paul can designate either objective (Gal 3: 23, 25; 6:
10) or subjective faith (Gal 3: 26; Eph 1: 15). Yet, faith with the article within
the Thessalonian corpus always refers to the readers' activity of believing (1
Thess 1: 3, 8; 3: 2; 3: 5-7, 10; 2 Thess 1: 3). The contrast with "faithful" in 3: 3
points further to faith in 3: 2 being the act of believing the truth. Among the
numerous New Testament uses of the phrase not everyone (ou + pas), six
designate unbelievers in distinction to the faithful, and all these represent
divisions not between believers and the outside world but within the covenant
community (Israel: Mt 7: 21; 19: 11; Rom 9: 6; 10: 16; church: 1 Cor 8: 7; 1 Jn
2: 19). Two other close parallels confirm this assessment: Romans 3: 3 ("Will
their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?") and 2 Timothy 2: 13 ("If we are
faithless, he [God] will remain faithful"). In each case, divine faithfulness is
contrasted with faithlessness on the part of those within the covenant
community. Strikingly, 2 Timothy 2: 2, 12-19 contrasts "faithful men" to false
teachers within the church teaching the same false doctrine as those in 2
Thessalonians 2: 2-3. All this points to the ones "not having faith" here being
those within the church community itself.
The word atopos occurs rarely in the New Testament, so why does Paul
choose to use it here in combination with poneros (evil)? Why not use kakos
("bad, evil"), which occurs fifty times in the New Testament (often in Paul and
once parallel to poneros [Rev 16: 2])? While atopos can mean "wicked" or "evil,
" its uses inside and outside the New Testament tend to revolve more specifically
around notions of "out of place, unusual, out of the ordinary" and, when used of
human behavior, "behavior-ally out of place" and thus "improper" and in this
sense "evil" or "wrong. " The three other New Testament uses support this (Lk
23: 41; Acts 25: 5; 28: 6). Of the eight times atopos appears in the Greek Old
Testament, it refers to people who are out of place in God's moral order because
they have violated it (e. g., Job 27: 6; 34: 12; 36: 21; Prov 30: 20). Not
coinciden-tally, the word is occasionally paralleled with anomos ("lawless"; Job
11: 11; 27: 6-7 [here paranomos]; 35: 13-14; see also the textual variants to 36:
21), the same word describing the antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2: 8. This
provides another possible link between the "out of place" people who are evil
and inspired by the "evil one" (3: 3) and the false teachers of 2: 1-2, who are part
of the "lawlessness... already at work" (2: 7).
This connection between evil (poneros) people and the "out of place"
implicitly as lawless (anomos) in 3: 2 is strengthened by recognizing that the
"evil" and "lawless" are also in synonymous parallelism elsewhere in the Greek
Old Testament (Is 9: 15-18; 1 Macc 14: 14). In addition, atopos, poneros, and
anomia/anomos are parallel in Job 34: 8, 12, 17, 20, 22 and 35: 6, 12, 14.
Likewise, in the early Jewish work Psalms of Solomon, God's deliverance of
people from the "evil person" (poneros) is equivalent to his rescue of them from
the "lawless" (parano-mos) who deceive (12: 1; see also the similarity between
Pss. Sol. 12: 5 and 2 Thess 3: 3, 5). Paul may not be dependent on the Psalms of
Solomon, but the parallel shows that the same cluster of ideas existed in his
literary environment and that such language was available for Paul to utilize for
his purposes. The synonymous usage is also attested by the Greek version of
Isaiah, which labels those who despise the law and commit "the lawlessness"
(24: 16, 20) as "evil men" (25: 4). These parallels undergird the synonymous use
of "evil" with "lawless" and imply that the theme of lawlessness of 2
Thessalonians 2 continues on into the present chapter.
Quite extraordinary in this connection is the fact that Paul uses poneros
almost without exception to specify disobedient people within the covenant
community who are either false teachers or intractable in some kind of sin (see
esp. 1 Thess 5: 21-22; 2 Tim 4: 14-18). Therefore, the evil men of 3: 2 are "evil"
because they are "out of place" among God's true people: they are either false
teachers or following such teaching and its associated ungodly lifestyle (see 3: 6-
11; 1 Thess 4: 11-12; 5: 14).
Some suggest that Jewish unbelievers are in mind, since Paul likely is
encountering opposition from them in Corinth while writing this letter (e. g.,
Thomas 1978: 11. 332). Paul expects the Jews more than anyone else to respond
to Christ in faith, but instead they try to hinder the progress of the gospel. In this
sense, they could be viewed as "out of place. " While Jewish opponents may be
secondarily in view, the apostle is more preoccupied with those professing
Christian faith but who deny it by their false doctrine or unorthodox lifestyle.
Further, while writing from Corinth Paul is not only beset from the outside by
Jewish adversaries but also combating from within virtually the same false
teaching and its ungodly effects as that found in Thessalonica. Understandably,
pseudo-Christians would be "out of place" and not in sync with the rest of the
believing church in desiring and praying that the gospel would spread rapidly. In
this light, it is understandable that Paul would call people evil who pass on errant
teaching and associate them with the deceivers of 2 Thessalonians 2. False
teaching is inimical to the spread of the gospel, so Paul prays that the church
may be delivered from such obstacles.
These "dislocated" people have no concern to pray for the lost because they
are lost themselves. Nothing can blunt a church's effectiveness at spreading the
gospel more than having a church filled with people who are not really
Christians. In addition to the existence of pseudobelievers in Paul's churches,
there are likely true Christians so influenced by false teaching that they have no
concern to be witnesses. Contemporary Christians may also lose their zeal for
the unevangelized because of the distraction of false teaching, the lack of
continually confronting themselves with God's Word, the presence of
unconfessed sin or the mere ignorance that prayer is the power that propels the
effective advance of the gospel in the world.
There are people who feel that unless you are prepared to say [that prayer
can change God's mind and plan], there is no great value in prayer.... If
you believe you can change the mind of God through prayer, I hope you
are using some discretion. If that is the power you have, it is certainly a
most dangerous thing. Surely God does not need our counsel in order to
set up what is desirable. Surely God, whose knowledge penetrates all
minds and hearts, does not need to have us intervene to tell him what he
ought to do. The thought that we are changing the mind of God by our
prayers is a terrifying conception.
I will be frank to confess, if I really thought I could change the mind of
God by praying, I would abstain. Because I would have to say, "How can I
presume, with the limitations of my own mind and the corruptions of my
own heart—how can I presume to interfere in the counsels of the
Almighty?" No, our minds are too puny to be able to give God advice. It is
almost as if you were to introduce somebody who is utterly ignorant of
electronics to a nuclear weapons facility and you let that person into the
operations room, though they were untrained, and told them to go on and
push whatever buttons they thought appropriate. By so doing you might
precipitate an accidental explosion. There is comfort for the child of God
in being assured that our prayers will not change God's mind. This is not
what is involved in prayer, and we are not in danger of precipitating
explosions by some rash desire on our part" (Nicole n. d. ).
Prayer, rather than changing God's mind and plan, is one of the things God
has ordained to accomplish his plan. God not only plans the goal of bringing a
people to faith but also plans prayer as one of the ways in which this goal is
achieved. Is the Christian's act of praying itself predestined? Yes. Does that
mean we should sit back and do nothing and not pray for the unsaved? No. God
commands saints to pray, yet he gives them the desire to want to pray, if they
genuinely know him. It is spiritually dead pseudosaints who have no motivation
to petition God about the salvation of the unconverted because they are
unconverted themselves.
Pray That God Would Sustain the Church's Faithfulness for His Glory (3:
3-5) The second part of the prayer (3: 2, "pray that we may be delivered from
wicked and evil men") may include more than Paul's request for his own
mission; it may imply something for the readers themselves as they pray for him.
This may be implied by the first part of the prayer. That is, they are to pray in 3:
1 that Paul's witness will be as effective elsewhere as it has been and is
continuing to be through the Thessalonians' own ongoing witness. As noted
earlier, they are to recall through their prayer the ongoing victory of the gospel in
their own situation, which will increase their motivation to pray. Though it is an
overstatement to say that 3: 1 is aimed ultimately as an exhortation to the readers
to persevere, such a goal is likely included.
On analogy with the parallel of 3: 1, the broader sense of verse 2 may be,
"pray that we may be delivered from 'out of place' and evil men ljust as you
yourselves need deliverance from such people], for not everyone has faith. " If
so, the subtly more inclusive notion serves as the bridge for the directly
following statement in 3: 3: But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and
protect you from the evil one. The means by which Paul and the readers will be
delivered from wicked and evil men is through God, who will strengthen and
protect them from the one who inspires wickedness and false doctrine, namely,
Satan. That this may be the correct logical link between 3: 2 and 3 is apparent
from noticing the close parallel in the first letter: Paul was stopped by Satan
from returning to Thessalonica to build up his new converts (1 Thess 2: 18) and
thus prayed that "our Lord direct our way to you" (3: 11 nasb), since God is the
one able to overpower the devil's opposition and temptations (so 3: 5). This
unique parallel between the Pauline circle in the first epistle and the readers here
points further to the prayer of 3: 2 being secondarily relevant for the readers
themselves.
The observation that 3: 2 and 3 contain the same theme of "protection from
evil" (poneros) together with the word link of "faith/faithfulness" to contrast
human faithlessness with God's faithfulness hints further at the kind of transition
being suggested here. In fact, the introductory But in 3: 3 signals a contrast with
3: 2: the faithless opponents from which Paul prays for deliverance (3: 2) are
contrasted with the Lord's faithfulness in stabilizing and protecting the readers
from the devil (3: 3), who instigates the same kind of lawless intracommunity
opposition against them as Paul is experiencing. Certainly Paul could begin 3: 3
with a sudden shift to the readers without any precise thematic link to 3: 1-2. But
the connections proposed seem to be viable ways of understanding why he
makes such an apparent about face in addressing the Thessalonians.
But why say in the first place that the Lord is faithful, and what precise
connection does it have with the rest of the verse and the preceding context?
Two earlier texts are essential in understanding why the Lord's faithfulness is
introduced at this point: (1) "God chose you [and] called you" (2: 13-14); (2)
"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it" (1 Thess 5: 24). Paul
believes that God elects people for eternal salvation and that he is faithful to such
an unconditional choice by first calling them to faith by the Spirit and then by
giving them the ability to persevere through opposition to their faith until the end
of their lives. Therefore, the Lord... will strengthen and protect true Christians
from the evil one, so that a mortal satanic blow will not be dealt to them either
doctrinally or morally. Such protection is needed for the last generation of
Christians whom Satan will attempt to deceive through "the lawless one" (2: 8-
9), though God's protection is needed throughout the age because the spirit of
"lawlessness is already at work" in an attempt to deceive saints (2: 7). Jesus
expresses the same reasoning when he warns his followers about false teachers:
"If the Lord had not cut short those days [of deception], no one would survive.
But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them" (Mk
13: 20; see 13: 18-23).
God knows what it takes to protect his people from snares that could lead
them away from his eternal kingdom. Consequently, Paul says that the Lord...
will strengthen and protect them from the evil one, so that they remain
unchangeably faithful to him (see similarly Jn 10: 3, 5, 28-29). That 3: 3 is a
response to the danger of counterfeit teaching is evident from noticing that it is
anchored to 2: 15-17, which is a more direct reply to the menace of delusive
doctrine. Thus Paul can say in 3: 4 that We have confidence in the Lord that you
are doing and will continue to do the things we command because the Lord is
faithful to his commitment to save his elect by strengthening and protecting them
from the evil one's attempts to destroy their souls (3: 3). Paul is confident the
readers will obey the things commanded in this epistle, especially the truths he
has taught them in the prior chapter (2: 1-3, 5, 15). These verities will enable
them to stand strong against the onslaughts of false instruction. As a result of
this confidence, Paul is motivated to pray in 3: 5, May the Lord direct your
hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. This is similar to 2: 17 ("your
hearts") and indicates further that 3: 3-5 are tied to standing against delusive
teaching (as 2: 15 is) and to "being delivered from obstacles in spreading the
word" (3: 1-2).
Paul's confidence that God will uphold them until they finally enter the
eternal kingdom does not make him complacent about the readers' destiny.
Instead, as we saw in 3: 1, such confidence spurs him on to pray for their
continued journey to that destination, since Paul knows that God has decreed not
only the final salvation of people but also the means for them to reach that goal,
including prayer for them (see the discussion at 3: 1-2).
In sum, 3: 1-5 begins with prayer for the advancement of the gospel to
unreached peoples (3: 1). The continued prayer of 3: 2 for deliverance from "evil
men" is a request that God remove obstacles from the expanding movement of
the gospel and achievement of divine glory. In this context, 3: 3-5 give the
further means by which obstacles to the gospel will be removed. Not only will
God remove opposition from Paul's ministry (3: 2), but he will deliver the
Thessalonians from the same impediments, which ultimately originate with the
devil (3: 3). That is, the readers will continue to resist satanic opposition from
within because God will empower them to do so (3: 5). The section concludes
with a prayer (3: 5) that God "complete" the salvation of those whom he has
begun to "reach" (so also Phil 1: 6; 1 Thess 5: 23-24). The goal of the first prayer
is that God and his gospel be honored, and this is probably the implicit goal of
the second prayer and thus the main point of all of 3: 1-5.
A few years ago my wife and I were boarding a jet to visit our parents in the
Southwest. It was a sad and troubled time for us, having just learned that a friend
of mine was divorcing his wife because of an affair with another woman and that
one of my wife's friends had declared herself a lesbian and left her husband and
two small children. Though our hearts were heavy, as we boarded the jet we saw
unexpectedly that the pilot greeting people was a longtime acquaintance. During
the flight, he came and visited with us, and we talked for a while after the flight.
He showed us pictures of his wife and children and talked about how he and his
family were growing in their Christian lives. My wife and I were encouraged by
this encounter in the midst of our other discouragements. Why? The text of 3: 6-
16 explains. Christians in various sectors of the workplace too often undervalue
the work they do, failing to see it as vitally related to their relationship to Christ
and the advancement of his kingdom. Paul elaborates in these verses that the
performance of work to the best of one's ability is a vital part of living out one's
faith. The believer's faithfulness is seen to a great extent through being a faithful
worker and not being distracted by false teaching or the ungodly lifestyle of the
world.
This concluding section is tied to the whole letter, especially 3: 1-5. Paul
expands on the problem briefly alluded to in 3: 2 concerning certain "out of
place" people from whom he was praying for deliverance, both for him and the
readers. Paul begins the development of his thought in 3: 6-16 by commanding
that readers keep away from disorderly people in the church (3: 6). Two reasons
are given for doing so: instead of allowing such a bad influence to affect them,
they should strive to be exposed to the model life of Paul and his coworkers (3:
7-10); to be unduly exposed to the disorderly will cause them to stop working
and to become busybodies in affairs with which they should have nothing to do
(3: 11). Paul continues in 3: 12, directly commanding the disorderly to cease
their unruly behavior. The remainder of the section gives the proper responses of
the righteous to those who refuse the command of 3: 12 and the result of such
responses. Paul encourages the godly to continue to resist the evil influences
around them and to continue to live orderly lives by doing what is good (3: 13).
He also explains how the faithful should respond to those who insist on
continuing to be engaged in disorderliness (3: 14-15). Such a response is the best
way to make for peace in the church (3: 16).
Do Not Follow the Disorderly but Follow Paul's Example (3: 6-11)Some
argue that this entire paragraph (3: 6-16) begins a new topic in relation to what
has gone before, noting (1) that there is no explicit or formal reference to chapter
2 to serve as a basis for the "disorderly behavior" or as a basis for Paul's
exhortations; (2) that there is no lexicographical basis for relating the two
passages; (3) that the two passages are separated by a section (3: 1-5) that
interrupts the progression of thought; and (4) that both 2: 1 and 3: 6 appear to
start new thematic sections because they are phrased in similarly formal ways.
However, most commentators perceive a connection between Paul's exhortations
about the necessity to work and his concern to correct the notion among some
that Christ's coming is very near (or has already come).
While either view is plausible, hints in 3: 6-16 point to the latter perspective.
That there is a connection between the eschatological problem of chapter 2 and
the ethical problem of chapter 3 is not surprising since these are the only two
subjects of dispute mentioned in this small, tightly organized letter. Further,
though it is true that there is no explicit reference in 3: 6-15 to the previous
chapter, 3: 1-5 evidences significant conceptual and lexical links to chapter 2,
which continues on through 3: 6-15, binding 3: 6-15 to all that has preceded. For
example, 2: 12 states that the ungodly "have not believed the truth but have
delighted in unrighteousness. " Although the ethical implications of false
eschatological thought are left unspecified here, they are naturally drawn out in
3: 6-15. The connection is bolstered by the historical observation from the time
of the early fathers until the late twentieth century that overrealized eschatology
has repeatedly resulted in the errant ethical behavior of not working (see Jewett
1986: 173-74).
Building on all that has preceded, then, Paul gives a command in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, underscoring the command's divine origin and authority.
Paul tells his flock to keep away from every brother who is idle. We have already
seen (in the first epistle) that the rendering of ataktōs as idle is misleading (see
comments at 1 Thess 5: 14), and the same holds true for this passage. The notion
that best fits usage in the ancient world and in the present context is "unruly" or
"disorderly. " Beginning disciplinary measures are to be taken toward the
disorderly who have not yet heeded the warning directed to them in the first
epistle. Perhaps the disorderliness has blossomed from its incipient seed form
because the false teaching has developed further and intensified the rationale for
not working.
Especially interesting is the use of the word to refer to those who do not do
their duty or live by prescribed laws and rules. Josephus uses "lawlessness"
(anomos) and "disorder" (ataktōs) synonymously (Against Apion 2. 151). Most
intriguing is the use of the word in the second century B. C. Testament of
Naphtali to warn some to "do nothing in a disorderly [atakton] manner, "
specifically, not to "change the law of God in the disorderliness [ataxia! of your
doings" and not to be deceived by wrong or "out of place" (atopos) ideas (7".
Napb. 2: 8—3: 3). Further, 4: 1 refers to the disorderliness as "evil" (poneria)
and "lawlessness" (ano-mia), while 3: 1-3 equates it with the will of the devil
(see also 8: 6).
One should also note the parallel problem and response in 1 Corinthians.
There Paul indicts people for believing that the final consummation of things has
already come (4: 8) and tells them to imitate him (4: 16) in accord with his
teaching (4: 17), part of which includes his lifestyle of working hard with his
own hands (4: 12). This response is remarkably like that found here—"we
worked night and day, laboring and toiling... to make ourselves a model for you
to follow" (3: 8-9)— which is repeatedly rooted in prior Pauline teaching (3: 6,
10, 12, 14; see 2: 15). The Corinthians, much like the Thessalonians, drew a bad
ethical inference from their overrealized eschatology, about which Paul said they
must "not be misled" (1 Cor 15: 33).
In Thessalonica the ataktōs people are disorderly not merely by being lazy
and not working but also by being busybodies, involving themselves in things
they should not by spreading their new false teaching. Paul's only other use of
the Greek word group for being a busybody (periergazomai) is also in reference
to false teachers. He writes that some in Ephesus are "going about from house to
house. And not only do they become idlers [a different Greek word here], but
also [maligners of the truth] and busybodies, saying things they ought not to" (1
Tim 5: 13). False teaching was obviously incipient in such practices within the
church at Ephesus, and the development of this was likely associated with the
false teaching that later plagued Ephesus and other churches in Asia Minor.
Against this background, it is natural to see that a significant group among those
in Thessalonica whom Paul calls disorderly are passing on false teaching in one
form or another. This is one reason Paul commands the same group "to lead a
quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hands... so that
your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be
dependent on anybody" (1 Thess 4: 11-12). This suggests that the failure to work
and dependency on others within and outside the Thessalonian church is a bad
witness to the unbelieving world.
This element of hindering the spread of the gospel ties in admirably with
Paul's labeling of the "out of place" people as "evil" because they are out of step
with the church's march in causing the gospel to "spread rapidly and be honored"
(2 Thess 3: 1-2). Thus, the notion in the first letter of disorderliness as not
working in direct connection with being a harmful witness provides the link
between 3: 1-5 and 6-16 here: the disorderly are out of place because they hinder
the spread of the gospel, not only by disseminating and following the false
teaching, but by not following the divine order of creation in which all humans
are to work in order to sustain one's existence. One can see how a significant
group of believers not working would be an impediment to the advancement of
the gospel, since even most of unbelieving society in Thessalonica worked to
support themselves. Thessalonian culture would have considered people who
refused to work ethically deficient. The point is that the actions of Christians
should be ethically attractive to others and should result in being a good witness
for Christ to the unbelieving world, so "that the message of the Lord may spread
rapidly and be honored. " The catalyst for unbelievers coming to faith and
glorifying God in word and deed is seeing God's good character (his glory)
reflected in the lives of his people (see 1: 11-12).
Christians should work in the particular areas to which God has called them
because the progress of the gospel is slowed down when they do not follow
God's cultural call. For example, one well-known theologian recounts how the
diligent work of a so-called ordinary Christian office worker led to his
conversion. An executive at a London corporation would often pass by an office
where several typists worked before the computer era. The executive noticed that
one particular woman was more diligent in the way she typed, working faster
and taking fewer breaks than the others. After a few weeks, he asked a friend at
work why she was so unusually industrious. The friend responded. "Oh, that's
Mildred. She is a Christian. " The executive pondered this and after a few more
weeks asked the typist herself why she worked in such indefatigable manner.
She responded, "I'm a Christian, and I serve Christ. I work heartily for him, and
not merely for my human boss. " This conversation led to the executive
investigating the faith further and eventually becoming a Christian. A few years
later, he was speaking at a church about his conversion, and someone in the
church became a Christian through this address. This person has now become a
prominent theologian and enjoys talking about this typist as an illustration of
how the faith of Christians as it is expressed through "ordinary" work in every
walk of life is vital for the witness of the gospel. Who knows how many people
this industrious typist has influenced for the gospel?
In contrast to those who retard the progress of the gospel through their
ungodly teachings and lifestyle, the faithful are to keep away from every brother
who acts in this manner (3: 6). The idea is to keep aloof, not in the sense of not
associating with such people, but by being careful not to be influenced by their
unruly and contagious manner of life. Since "bad company corrupts good
character" (1 Cor 15: 33), particularly close fellowship with the disorderly
should be avoided, as we will see (3: 14-15).
Faithful saints are not only to avoid being led into sinful patterns of behavior
but also to follow good examples, particularly the example of those who work in
the way God has ordained. Thus Paul lays out in 3: 7-10 the good example they
are to emulate and explains further why a proper perspective on work is so
important. Specifically, the faithful are to take pains to be influenced by orderly
people such as Paul and his associates (3: 7). What it means that Paul and his
comrades are an example is elaborated in 3: 7-10.
Because the stakes were so high, Paul gave them this rtde: "If a man will not
work, he shall not eal" (3: 10). This may have been an encouragement not to
support those who refused to engage in some self-supporting livelihood, perhaps
recalling the command of 3: 6 and anticipating the similar imperative of 3: 14.
Some scholars exclude any connection of the problem of work with
eschatological error and see it related only to a sociological problem in the
Hellenistic world. For example, R. Russell locates the "idle" against the
sociological background in the average Hellenistic city, where opportunities for
work were often limited and there was widespread unemployment and a diverse
social class of poor people. Sometimes such people were able to come into
relationship with a patron or benefactor who would support them in exchange for
various forms of service. Russell contends that some of these poor in
Thessalonica who became Christians formed client relationships with Christian
benefactors in the church but then took advantage of the context of Christian
love and did not feel any obligation to reciprocate with appropriate service.
Since such reciprocal service was an expectation in the culture, the populace at
large would have taken a dim view of the church if it allowed the new Christian
converts to sponge off wealthier Christians. Consequently, Paul wanted to avoid
such a bad witness.
The point of Paul's proverbial statement may be that the created order of this
world, even after the Fall, requires all people to work in order to feed and
support themselves. This aptly relates to our formulation of the false teaching to
which Paul is responding: some are not working because they believe that in
some spiritual way the last resurrection has happened and the consummate
sabbath rest and restoration of creation have come in Christ, so that the pains
associated with work in a fallen cosmos and thus work itself have been done
away (cf., e. g., 2Bar. 73: 1-7; 4 Ezra 8: 52-55).
Paul's response is a balanced "already and not yet" ethic. While it is true that
the end-times have broken in with Christ's first coming, regenerated Christians
still possess fallen bodies and live in a fallen cosmos as they await the final new
creation and redemption of their bodies. Therefore, Paul's point in 3: 10 is that
the prescribed work ethic for living in a fallen world is still part of the created
order for all humans to follow; those not following it are "disorderly. " This
conclusion fits well with the Jewish background noted earlier (Testament of
Naphtali) that places notions of lawlessness, disorder, dislocatedness and evil in
the context of going awry from God's ethical order built into the creation itself.
The clearest indication that ataktōs does not mean "lazy" but "a sense of
insubordination that results in disorderliness" is 3: 11 (Gaventa 1998: 128). Paul
defines ataktōs literally here, though with punning skill-fulness: They are not
husy; they are hnsyhodies. Paul is concerned about the presence of such
disorderly people, so he turns his attention directly to those who are busy being
insubordinate to the Christian rule of work and spreading their false teaching.
Stop Unruly Behavior and Be Disciplined (3: 12-15) Paul first commands the
disorderly to cease their insubordinate conduct. The Niv's settle down is a
translation of meta hesychias ergazomenoi, literally "working with quietness. "
Those who are busy causing disorderliness either by spreading false teaching or
following it and its unethical lifestyle are to "quiet down" from such activity.
The remaining verses give the proper responses of the righteous to those who
refuse the command of 3: 12.
In contrast to those who remain obstinate, those who have been faithful are to
continue to never tire of doing good (3: 13). Paul uses the same four Greek
words in Galatians 6: 9: "Let us not become weary in doing good. " He says
there that saints must do good as a summary of their lifestyle while they await
the final resurrection and "eternal life" to come (Gal 6: 8). In addition, "at the
proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (6: 9). Not only is this a
parallel to our text both verbally and conceptually, but Galatians 6: 9 anticipates
Paul's reference to following the rule of the new creation that has broken in but
has not yet been brought to completion (Gal 6: 15-16; see Beale 1999c).
In this light, that the notion of doing good rings with tones of God's ordered
creation is not surprising. The words poieō ("do, make, create") and kalos
("good, beautiful") first occur in the Greek Old Testament in the phrase "God
made... God saw that they were good" (Gen 1: 21, 25; see also 1: 31). Early
Jewish commentary on Genesis 1 made the subtle move from reflecting on God,
who " made [poieō] all things good [kalos] in their order [taxis]" to stating that
those made in his image "exist in accord with order [taxis] for a good purpose
[to] do nothing in a disorderly manner [ataktōs]" (T. Naph. 2: 8-9). This is
subsequently referred to as "doing the good" (poied + kalos, 8: 5-6) as a result of
"knowing the order [taxis] of his commandments" (8: 9). The theological link
for making the implicit connection between God doing good in creation and his
people doing good ethically is also stated explicitly: "Sun, moon, and stars do
not alter their order [taxis]" set by God; "thus you should not alter the law of
God by the disorder [ataxis] of your actions" (3: 2), which is only a few lines
later referred to as eschatological "lawlessness" (anomia, 4: 1).
Therefore, "doing good" in our text likely bears overtones of following the
order of God's creation by "doing God's law" and, in context, not being
disorderly and eschatologically lawless. That "doing good" in 3: 13 echoes
"doing the law" is suggested by noting that the Old Testament repeatedly uses
the phrase "do good" to refer to faithful obedience to the law (e. g., Deut 6: 18;
12: 25, 28; 13: 19). The gist of this overall discussion is that believers are never
to tire of the working and "doing good" that Paul mandates as a part of the
"tradition" (2: 5, 15; 3: 6, 14). Doing good is part of the expected moral,
creational order for the interim period during the in-breaking new age. Every
part of creation has its orderly function, and the created human order that
includes working to support oneself is no exception. Therefore, although a
number of commentators define "doing good" in 3: 13 as continuing to support
truly needy people who are not among the "disorderly, " the verse is actually an
encouragement to continue to work faithfully in whatever livelihood God has
given. This may then be a development of 1 Thessalonians 4: 11-12, where Paul
commands the readers to "lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to
work with your hands ... so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders.
"
My wife and I enjoy shopping for antiques. When we were first married, I
would buy her an antique as a birthday or Christmas gift, only to perceive, at
times, that it was not exactly what she wanted. Now, however, after over two
decades of marriage and living out our lives in one another's presence, I know
her much better. Now I can buy her an antique and know she will like it because
I can "think her thoughts" better than before and buy what she herself would buy.
Living out our lives in God's intimate presence through Bible reading and prayer
can have the same effect spiritually. If we do it daily, over the years we begin
better to think God's thoughts after him. Then, as we go throughout each day, we
are more likely to react to situations as Jesus would. When decisions involving
right and wrong face us, we are more apt to do God's will and not our own. Our
lives are ordered by God's thinking, and we never tire of doing what is right (3:
13).
The readers are to take special note of the one who does not obey Paul's
teaching and not associate with him. Was the relationship to be completely cut
off, or was there to be some degree of interaction? The word for associate
(synanameignymi) occurs in the Greek Old Testament only in Hosea 7: 8, where
it refers to Israel's "intermingling" among the peoples in violation of God's
command. The point of the command was not complete physical isolation but
separation to the degree that Israel would not be influenced by the false religion
and idolatrous customs of the people. On analogy with this, Paul's point, as in 3:
6, is not so much absolute isolation of the righteous from the ungodly but
vigilance on the part of the faithful not to allow such people to influence others.
The purpose of not associating is in order that the disobedient may feel ashamed
(3: 14) and, presumably, come to their senses and repent. Paul shows in 3: 15
that absolute avoidance of the intractable is not in view: Yet do not regard him as
an enemy, hut warn him as a brother.
As noted, the command do not associate with him picks up the earlier
command to "keep away" from disorderly church members (3: 6). The command
in 3: 14, however, has more gravity than that of 3: 6. First, the command is to be
a response to the disorderly who do not obey the prior command "to settle down"
in 3: 12 but remain intractable to that injunction. Second, the weightier nature of
the command is pointed to by the directly preceding phrase, take special note of
the recalcitrant person. Therefore, the greater gravity of the second command to
not associate intensifies the earlier injunction in 3: 6. Paul enhances the vigilant
measures needed to restrain the influence of the disobedient on the community
by requiring a significant decrease in the degree of the saints' interaction with the
defiant one.
What exactly these enhanced measures entailed is not clear from the context,
but Paul's other writings may give some hints. For example, the rebellious may
not have been allowed table fellowship with the others at the Lord's Supper meal
(1 Cor 5). Other limitations on the relationship may also have been mandated,
including discouragement from participating in any of the other corporate
worship activities. Such measures appear to have been aimed at persons who
were to be regarded and treated as though they were unbelievers.
What kind of continued sins are grave enough to warrant such radical action
by church authorities? Paul lists one of the sins as unrepentant sexual immorality
(1 Cor 5: 1) but also enumerates such sins as greed, swindling, slandering,
drunkenness and idolatry (5: 11). To this list Paul would likely add adultery,
prostitution and homosexuality (1 Cor 6: 9-10). The kind of sins that call for
action by the church's leaders are those that, if allowed to continue unchecked,
become a lifestyle and will contaminate the entire church.
Thus, Paul views the rebellious as unbelievers and yet does not give up hope
about their salvation. The identification of the sinner as a brother may be Paul's
way of underscoring that the church is not to give up hope of the straying
person's repentance, which would demonstrate that one's faith after all. Likewise,
the Greek for be ashamed in 3: 14 could well be translated "he should be turned.
" That the faithful must not associate with him (3: 14) is perhaps an action
casting only temporary doubt on the person's status as part of the true church. In
context, the insubordinate persons may not be the hardened false teachers
themselves but those who have begun to follow the aberrant instruction and its
unruly lifestyle. If so, Paul is calling for a quick remedy to bring them back in
order that the infection not take hold permanently in the person nor spread to
others in the community.
Persistent and uncorrected sin not only spreads like gangrene within the
church but results in a bad witness to the outside world. Such sins are
compounded when the offender repeatedly does not respond to church discipline.
In reality, there is only one ultimate sin that warrants excommunication, namely,
intractable refusal to respond to the loving correction of church leaders. If the
church pays no attention to such sins, the deleterious effect on its reputation to
the unbelieving culture is further damaged. This develops the earlier theme that
Christians are to live in such a way that they "win the respect of outsiders" (1
Thess 4: 12) and that "the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be
honored" (2 Thess 3: 1). The church must take action in these kinds of situations
not only that the sinner might repent but because the honor of God and his Word
is at stake.
Orderly Living Leads to Peace (3: 16) The chaotic situation envisaged and the
measures to be taken against the disorder certainly involved personal conflict,
pain, confrontation and, to say the least, a lack of peace. One would think that
Paul's instructions to separate from the unruly would exacerbate the tensions and
fracture the church's peace even more. Ironically, Paul says that the purpose of
his instruction in 3: 14 is not only the sinner's repentance but also the church's
peace: Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in
every way (3: 16). Paul prays that God bring about peace through the church's
faithful obedience to the command of 3: 14-15. Paul adds, The Lord he with all
of you, since faithfulness increases God's presence with his people, and only
God's presence can bring about peace (see also Phil 4: 9). The process Paul has
described of not associating with a factious person is the way to bring about
peace: between the unruly person and God and between that person and the rest
of the church.
It is not coincidental that Paul's earlier prayer about the "God of peace" (1
Thess 5: 23) comes directly after a warning to avoid every evil kind of false
teaching (5: 22), a theme in direct connection to our present passage.
Noteworthy also is the fact that the prayer here begins almost similarly as the
earlier one (Lord is used in place of "God"), which further links the two prayers
theologically. As noted earlier, God's sanctification of his people is the means by
which peace eventuates (see on 1 Thess 5: 23). The antidote to the fractious false
teaching in both epistles is to react to it in a way that brings peace.
We too often think that those who habitually oppose false teaching are
pugnacious and cause dissension and that peace comes by agreeing to disagree.
Although this is true about certain things, there are a number of issues about
which the church must take a stand (e. g., the deity of Christ, the Trinity,
justification by faith). Paul is defending the truth that Christ must come back
bodily to raise his people bodily. If Paul's opponents are granted their false
belief, one would conclude that the curses upon the physical cosmos, including
the human crown of creation, will not be completely reversed. The bodies of
God's people will remain in the grave forever. Moreover, if the curses upon the
physical creation are not reversed, God's promises of an absolute new creation in
which all curses are abolished will not be fulfilled. To gloss over disagreements
in these more significant areas is to have a superficial peace at the cost of the
gospel, which is ultimately no true peace. However, those who argue for the
church's faith against dissenters must follow Paul's admonition not to quarrel but
to "gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant... repentance" (2 Tim 2: 25).
Those who contend for the faith must be doctri-nally bellicose but not personally
belligerent, certainly a difficult but necessary balance to achieve.
Therefore, though 3:16 may begin the section of final greetings, it serves as a
transition between the last section of the letter's body and its conclusion (just like
1 Thess 5: 23-24). This conclusion is supported by observing that Paul also uses
a prayer-wish expression of peace as a transition between the body and the final
greetings elsewhere in letters where he is responding to divisions (Rom 15: 33;
16: 17-20; 2 Cor 13: 11; Gal 6: 15-16). Therefore, these uses of peace are not a
default element of a stylized concluding epistolary greeting but rather have
organic connection to the occasion and theme of the letters.
What is the organic connection here? One of the main themes of chapters 2—
3 is that of "lawlessness" and "disorderliness" in the form of false teaching and
the unruly lifestyle resulting from that teaching. Paul aims to bring about order
and peace in response to such doctrinal and ethical chaos. In fact, God's giving
of peace in 3: 16 is the main point of 3: 6-16. The section's logical flow of
thought can be recapped as follows: Paul tells the faithful not to associate with
the disorderly people because their sin may influence them. Rather, the faithful
should associate with the apostolic example in order to be influenced by it (3: 6-
11). On the other hand, the disorderly are to stop their unruly living (3: 12), even
while the upright continue to do good (3:13). Those who refuse correction about
their anarchic behavior should be shunned by the church yet still admonished as
brothers in order that they may repent (3: 14-15). The ultimate goal and main
point of Paul's instructions in the entire segment, especially as they dovetail into
the final command not to associate in order to bring reconciliation and
reclamation, is the peace of the church (3: 16). This is also likely the main point
toward which much of the epistle has been heading, though even peace itself
achieves the grand goal of God's glory, which is the main point of chapter 1 and
3: 1-5 and thus of the entire epistle. God's peace is needed not merely for internal
harmony but is also the key ingredient that saints must have in order to persevere
through their sufferings imposed from outside the church (see 1: 4-6).
Among the parallel texts cited above, Romans 16: 17-20 is of particular
significance. Like our passage, it refers to false teachers who deceive for the
purpose of receiving sustenance from others. Paul's solution is negatively to
"watch out for" such people and to "keep away from them" and positively to
focus on Paul's teaching in order that one may "be wise about what is good and
innocent about what is evil" (an allusion to Gen 2: 17; 3: 22). Paul also ends with
the promise that "the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (i. e.,
give peace from the dissension of the errant teachers), an allusion to the same
passage from which he draws his proverbial saying in 3: 10 (Gen 3: 14-15, 19).
These similarities enhance the thematic links we have been suggesting between
2 Thessalonians 2 and 3-Similarities with 1 Corinthians 14 also point to this
thematic unity, particularly that peace is the absence of disorder within the
church (1 Cor 14: 33). In Corinth disorder in the church occurred because of a
false theology of spirituality leading to an abuse of spiritual gifts and a denial of
a future bodily resurrection. One result of the disorder was a deleterious effect
on the church's witness to unbelievers (14: 22-25). However, there will be peace
if things are done in an "orderly way" (14: 33, 40).
These are the only three places in the Greek Old and New Testaments with a
prayerful request using the volitional mood of didōmi to ask the Lord to give
peace (eirēnē), though Isaiah is closer to Thessalonians than is Numbers.
Furthermore, these texts, though with varying language, refer to the Lord
working through and being with his people. The Isaiah text introduces a
description of the ungodly who will not experience resurrection leading to life
(26: 14-15), in contrast to God's people who will be raised to joyous life (26: 19)
in what can be described as a peaceful, new creation (27: 5-6). This is additional
evidence showing that Paul is echoing new-creation themes from the Old
Testament to support his concern for abiding by the creation order in 2
Thessalonians 3-
The second epistle ends identically to that of the first (except for the addition of
all before you here). As noted in the comment on 1 Thessalonians 5: 28, this
standard good-bye is shaped by the immediate context of the letter. That is, the
readers need divine grace in order faithfully to obey all that God's apostle has
said, especially in bringing about "peace" in a sect-torn community riddled with
false teaching. In this respect, 3: 18 may well be another way of repeating what
has been said in 3: 16, since that verse also concludes with the same wording,
"The Lord be with all of you. " Thus, if peace is to be achieved, it must be given
by "the Lord of peace himself. " This means that "the present lordship of Jesus"
underscored in 3: 18, is the "ultimate antidote, through the exercise of grace, for
combating 'shaken minds' (2: 2) and 'irresponsible conduct' " (Richard 1998:
395-96).
1: 4 Here Paul uses enkauchaomai for boast; elsewhere he refers to boasting (with kauchaomai) in three
ways: (1) sinful boasting in oneself apart from consideration of God's grace (nine times); (2) boasting in
God (eight times); and (3) boasting in one's accomplishments or attributes (seventeen times). The latter is
legitimate because it is done within the broader framework of understanding that anything truly worthy of
boasting has its source in God's grace (2 Cor 10: 8, 13; 12: 5-9; see also 1 Cor 4: 7).
1: 5 The niv's counted worthy of is a rendering of kataxiod, a synonym of axiod, which occurs only six
verses later (1: 11) and can also have the sense of "consider deserving, suitable or fitting. " In classical
Greek, the Greek Old Testament and Jose-phus kataxiod generally has the notion of "to deem worthy,
bestow (a right on someone). " The Greek kataxiod rarely, if ever, has the nuance "make worthy of. " The
picture created by 1: 5-9 is of a latter-day courtroom in which judicial evidence is produced and a legal
verdict of "in the right" is declared by the divine judge. Callow (1982: 35) underscores the legal emphasis
by noting the following combination of terms: dikaios ("just" or right, 1: 5-6), krisis (judgment, 1: 5),
antapodidomi (payback what is deserved, 1: 6), didomi ekdikesin ("give vengeance, " 1: 8) and dike tino
("receive a just penalty, " 1: 9).
Commentators have observed the parallel of Philippians 1: 28, which says that persecution is a sign to
unbelievers "that they will be destroyed, but that [Christiansl will be saved. " The same dual notion is in
mind here, but the "sign, " so to speak, more explicitly refers to the "perseverance and faith" (1: 4) of
Christians in order to bolster their confidence. What has not been observed in the Philippians context is that
the perseverance of the faithful through persecution is tantamount to conducting themselves "worthily" of
the gospel of Christ (1: 27—the noun form of the adverb "worthily" appears in 2 Thess 1: 3, the verb in 1:
5). This suggests that the "judgment of God" here has begun in the present and that its purpose is that of
God's people being judged "worthy of the kingdom" at the future consummation of all things (in line with
the minority view of Marshall 1983: 173).
1: 8 That the phrases those who do not know Cod and those who do not obey the gospel respectively
describe unbelieving Gentiles and Jews is plausible (Marshall 1983: 177-78), though, following Bruce
(1982: 151), both clauses likely reflect Hebrew parallelism (see the parallel of "obey the gospel" and
"believe" in Rom 10: 16, referring originally to Isaiah 53 and a Jewish background), so that the wording
could also be applicable to any unbeliever.
1: 9 Cf. Testament of Reuben 4: 16, which explain "ruin" (olethros) of life" by "separating... from God,
" all of which is considered to be an experience of "hell" even before physical death. The Hebrew phrase
"eternal [or final! destruction" occurs twice in the Qumran War Scroll, where it refers to God's defeat of his
enemies in the end-time battle (1: 5; 9: 6). In the former context the phrase is set in contrast to the
subsequent phrase "eternal [or final] redemption" (1: 12), which is part of an allusion to Daniel 12: 1-2,
where the saints will be rescued and experience "everlasting life" but the wicked will suffer "everlasting
contempt. " Daniel 12: 2 is also applied similarly to both the righteous and the unrighteous in Matthew 25:
46 (where "eternal punishment" is antithetically parallel to "eternal life") and John 5: 28-29 (where the
former exist forever and the latter appear to do so likewise). Although those who argue for annihilation as
the final fate of the unrighteous contest both passages, the evidence favors the conclusion that the wicked
will be punished eternally, just as the righteous will enjoy God's presence forever.
1: 12 Some commentators have applied the Granville Sharp rule to 1: 12: when the conjunction "and"
(kai) connects two singular nontitular nouns of the same case (of personal description with respect to office,
dignity or affinity and with respect to attributes), if the article "the" (in any of its Greek cases) precedes the
first of the nouns and is not repeated before the second, the latter always relates to the same person
expressed by the first: that is, it designates a further description of the first-men-tioned person (see Wallace
1996: 271). This would mean here that the Lord Jesus Christ is identified as our God. While concluding
that the rule applies in such instances as Titus 2: 13 and 2 Peter 1: 1, Wallace does not see it as valid here
because Lord Jesus Christ is a title. He concludes that "Savior, Jesus Christ" in Titus and 1 Peter is not a
title because it occurs less frequently than Lord Jesus Christ (the former occurs six times in the New
Testament, the latter over sixty times). I would questionthis aspect of Sharp's rule, especially since it is
unclear what criteria are used to determine when a phrase is a title or a mere description.
However, other considerations point away from the identification. First, the phrase our God occurs
eight times in these two letters, always with reference to God the Father (1 Thess 1: 2-3; 2: 2; 3: 9, 11, 13; 2
Thess 1: 11-12). Second, the immediate context of 1: 3-11 makes a consistent distinction between the
persons of "God" (five times) and "Jesus" (two times). In this respect, since "our God" in 1: 11 most likely
refers to the Father, the same phrase in 1: 12 likely refers to the same person, and not Jesus. Nevertheless,
Sharp's rule applies broadly to 1: 12 in that God and Jesus, while not identical persons, are united in some
way: grace derives from both of them, which implicitly points to the deity of Christ.
2: 1 Thomas (1978: 11. 318-26) argues that parousia here refers to Christ's secret "rapture" of the
church preceding the Great Tribulation (such a rapture he equates with the following reference to "gathering
together"). However, it is likely that all New Testament references to Christ's parousia refer to his final
coming. Thomas and other dispensationalists acknowledge that some but not all of the uses undoubtedly
allude to the final coming. For example, Thomas contends that parousia has this "consum-mative" sense in
2: 8. Thus, the burden of proof is on him to show why parousia in 2: 1 alludes to a pretribulational rapture,
since the consummative meaning fits excellently in both 2: 1 and 8.
2: 2 The niv renders the word saleud as unsettled, but it can have the sense of "shaken. " The word is
typically used for earthquakes (Acts 4: 31; 16: 26; Heb 12: 26) and descriptions of the "shaking" of the
world at the very end of time when the earth is destroyed (Mt 24: 29; Mk 13: 25; Lk 21: 26; Heb 12: 27).
The word refers generally to something shaken to the roots, so that often it is destroyed.
The niv translates the last clause of 2: 2 as alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to hate
come from us, saying thai the day of the Lord has already come, though in 1999 G. D. Fee proposed to the
niv revision committee the following change: "alarmed whether by a prophecy, by word of mouth, or by a
letter, as though we were responsible for saying that the day of the Lord has already come. " The clause can
also be rendered "alarmed by the teaching allegedly coming from us, whether by a prophecy or by word of
mouth or by letter, affirming that the day of the Lord has already come. " Any of these options are viable,
though the limits of the present commentary do not allow for fuller analysis of which is best. The issue Ls
whether the phrase hos di hemim (literally "as [though] through us") modifies the preceding three clauses,
the last of those clauses ([by a) letter) or the following phrase (that the day of the Lord has already come).
2: 3 Some good manuscripts, as well as the majority, have "man of sin" instead of man of lawlessness.
The latter reading is also attested by quality witnesses and is more probable for at least two reasons: (1)
lawlessness (anomia) is relatively rare in Paul (five times outside of 2 Thess 2), so a scribe more likely
would have changed an original lawlessness to "sin" than vice versa; (2) reference to the mystery of
lawlessness in 2: 7 appears to presuppose an earlier mention of lawlessness.
If 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-8 says that there are no apocalyptic signs indicating when Christ will return,
how can this verse say that two signs must be seen before Christ can come? It may be that the deceived of
5: 1-8 will not recognize the apostasy and man of lawlessness as two signs heralding Christ's coming
because they simply will not believe an apostasy is taking place and the figure whom Paul regards as evil
they will believe to be truly messianic. But this does not resolve the tension completely, since Paul affirms
that even for alert believers there are no signs of the parousia (1 Thess 5: 1-2). Perhaps part of the
resolution is to allow the possibility that the two signs will take place so quickly that by the time genuine
saints are able to recognize them as such, Christ's lightning-like coming will have been set in motion (see
Mt 24: 27). Further, since we live in the "already but not yet" period (see the introduction), the fulfillment
of the prophesied apostasy and lawless one's coming has been inaugurated. Patterns of inaugurated
fulfillment may be cyclically escalated throughout history so that believers living in the midst of such
events might well think that the final end is here (see Mt 24: 4-5, 11; 1 Jn 2: 18; 4: 1-3). This explains why
throughout the church's existence many have mistakenly claimed that the end has arrived. The claim is
understandable, but the mistake lies in the inability to discern when precisely the apostasy has reached its
consummate, universal zenith and when one individual sufficiently incarnates lawlessness to the complete
degree Paul has in mind in 2: 4. If this explanation is plausible, then the two signs will only be recognized
in their final form immediately after they have occurred at Christ's final advent. Therefore, one cannot be
dogmatic about the precise timing of these final events. The proper posture is a humble openness, since the
details of future fulfillment always retrospectively clear up prior ambiguities.
2: 4 In Revelation 13: 6 the phrase "his tabernacle" is immediately followed by "the ones tabernacling
in heaven, " which is a recollection of the "sanctuary" and heavenly "host" in Daniel 8: 10-13. That is, in
Revelation 13: 6 "his tabernacle" blasphemed by the beast is immediately clarified, even without a
conjunction, to be "the ones tabernacling in heaven. " In Daniel 8: 10-11, the action is directed both against
heavenly saints and saints on earth, though here Paul's focus is only on an earthly attack (also the focus in
Revelation 11: 1-7). Frame's identification (1912: 256) of the temple here as being "God's holy temple in
heaven" is secondarily right, but he does not identify God's people with that temple. The temple of God is
Jesus and all who identify with him, so that the cultic eschatological center of gravity has shifted to heaven
where Jesus is with his glorified saints, hut that heavenly temple extends to earth wherever God's Spirit
indwells people. The greater focus here, however, is on the antichrist's attack on the earthly form of this
temple, that is, the church. The view that the church is the temple here is also held by Calvin 1984: 330-31;
Findlay 1982: 170-74; Lenski 1937: 414-415; Hamann 1953: 423-35; Hendriksen 1979: 178; LaRondelle
1989).
2: 7 See Marshall 1983: 195-96 on the problem of the awkwardness of the wording in the second clause
of 2: 7, especially in support of translations (e. g.. niv) observing an ellipsis to be supplied from the
preceding context.
2: 7 For the most thorough and persuasive argument that the "restrainer" (in light of Dan 10—12)
should be identified as Michael, see Nicholl 2000—an article I discovered while this book was in proofs.
2: 9-10 In 1999 Gordon Fee proposed the following revision of 2: 9-10 in the Niv (his revisions are not
italicized): The coming of the lawless one will he in accordance with Satan's activity, accompanied by great
displays of power, with signs and wonders aimed at deception and with every sort of enticement to
wickedness for those who are perishing. His suggested revision is plausible, though there should be a note
explaining that the wording could be "counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders" and that the miracles could
be actual or fake, the latter being a matter of debate (see Ex 7: 11, 22; 8: 7; Mt 7: 22; Rev 13: 3-15). In this
respect, it is best to leave the translation as ambiguous as possible.
2: 13 Some ancient Greek manuscripts have the word "firstfruits" instead of from the beginning, and
English translations reflect both textual variants (e. g., kjv, rsv, jb, neb and nasb support the former; nrsv
and nit, the latter). If the former is what Paul originally wrote, the idea is not that the Thessalonians were
chosen from the beginning of the creation (in parallel with Eph 1': 4) but that God chose the Thessalonians
and that he planned that they would be the first in their region to believe; that is, they were to be the first
among many more whom God would harvest for himself. Both variants are supported by equally ancient
and good manuscripts, and either may well be what Paul wrote originally. The textual problem deserves
discussion because of the potential theological ramifications for the divine timing of election. Metzger
1968: 636 supports "firstfruits" as the original reading and adduces the following arguments in support of
the change from an original aparchen ("firstfruits") to ap arches (from the beginning): (1) the phrase from
the beginning occurs nowhere else in the Pauline corpus; and (2) except for Philippians 4: 15 (as well as Col
1: 18), Paul always uses arche to mean "power" (or better, "ruler"). Metzger, while favoring "firstfruits, "
nevertheless admits that the reading is uncertain and is not confident about his preference. Overall, I
ultimately prefer from the beginning, but the issue is close to being a toss-up and certainly deserves more
analysis than the limits of the present discussion allow.
3: 2 The "unbelieving" (apistoi, literally "those without faith") in 2 Corinthians 4: 4 and 6: 14 are
presumably to be identified with the false teachers (and their followers) who oppose Paul's authority and are
synonymous with "lawlessness" (anomia, 6: 14) and are later identified as the "false apostles" and "servants
of Satan" (11: 13-15). This use is consistent with our understanding here and below that the phrase not
everyone has faith refers to people within the church rather than outside it.
3: 3 That the evil one is the more correct translation is evident not only from the mention of the devil in
relevant parallels (1 Thess 2: 18, 3: 5; 2 Thess 2: 9) but also from recalling that the eiil one is a title for
Satan elsewhere in the New Testament (Mt 13: 19, 38; Eph 6: 16; 1 Jn 2: 13-14; 5: 18-19).
This verse may allude to the words of Jesus later recorded in John 17: 15 ("My prayer is... that you
protect them from the evil one"), where tered ("keep") is synonymous with phylasso ("protect, " Jn 17: 12).
Further, a major theme of John 17 is similar to that of 2 Thessalonians 3: 1: that God would glorify Jesus
(17: 1-5, 24) by means of Jesus' followers keeping "the word" (17: 6, 14, 17) and spreading it to others (17:
20) to fulfill the commission they have received from Jesus (17: 18). If Jesus' prayer subsequently recorded
in John 17 is echoed, then it would further substantiate the proposal that the "out of place and evil" people
are not formally outside the church community but inside, since the opposition from the "evil one" in John
17 is expressed through those considered inside the then-known covenant community of Israel and even
from within the circle of disciples (i. e., Judas).
3: 6 There is contemporary debate about how "church tradition" arising after the apostolic period relates
to the "tradition" of which Paul speaks. Some believe that Paul's use of "tradition" shows that church
tradition throughout the ages is equal to Scripture. Stott (1991: 183) is surely correct that by paradosis
("tradition"; teaching in Niv) "Paul means not the tradition of the church but the teaching of the apostles
and so of Christ.... This distinction was recognized by the early church. " In support, Stott notes the
distinction between apostolic tradition and ecclesiastical tradition, where the latter is subordinate to the
authority of the former. Paul issues commands in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, so the one who rejects
his instruction does not reject a human but God (1 Thess 4: 8). As Stott notes, even the earliest church
fathers (e. g., Ignatius) distinguished their authority from that of the apostles.
3: 10 Some commentators note the possibly relevant parallel of Didache 12, which warns about
traveling preachers who do not want to work and earn their own keep. However, one should also note the
further parallels suggesting that this section of the Didache stands in a tradition partly formed by Paul's
teaching here: (1) teachers who do not work and sustain themselves are "false prophets" (Did. 11: 5-9); (2)
the exhortation "let him work and so let him eat" (12: 3) could be a summary of Paul's proverbial saying
here; and (3) the teaching in Didache 11—12 appears to be related to chapter 16, which is introduced by
exhortations to watch and be prepared for the Lord's coming. Didache 16 adds that his coming will be
preceded by an increase of lawlessness (anomia I and the appearance of the deceiver as a son of God. After
these signs, the Lord will come accompanied by, among other things, the sound of a trumpet and the
resurrection of the dead. This is quite similar to 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18 and 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-12. If the
Didache is a valid parallel, it shows further that the same group of ideas in 2 Thessalonians 2 and 3 belong
together conceptually.
3: 11 I have subsequently found that Menken also sees that Paul not only alludes to Genesis 3: 19 but
utilizes it as the basis for a creational order of work that is part of God's ethical law for all humanity (see
1994: 131-33 and his citations, especially Sir 7: 15). He draws a similar conclusion about how the false
teachers may misunderstand Genesis 3: 19 and thus why Paul may allude to it to correct them (1994: 138-
40): they believe that the final restoration of Paradise has taken place or is on the verge of occurring so that
the labor, hunger and pains of the fallen age have passed away and the abundance of food promised for the
age to come already exists. On both counts the misled believe that work for food is now unnecessary.
Menken's view differs from mine only in that he sees the false teachers claiming, not that Christ has
returned spiritually and that the resurrection of saints has spiritually happened, but that the Messiah has
actually physically returned (in line with, e. g., Mt 24: 5) and is in process of performing his consummative
task or is on the verge of doing so. He may be right, but his arguments against an overrealized spiritual
eschatology are not decisive.
3: 14-15 That 3: 14-15 respectively may view the offenders from one perspective as unbelievers yet
from another as believers is not contradictory but reflects the ambiguities of whether or not
"excommunicants" are true Christians, since exclusion from the community treats them as unbelievers but
is not a final declaration that they are ultimately such. This multiperspectival view and ambiguity is
supported by Poly-carp's Letter to the Philippians (a. d. 110), where Polycarp grieves over two former
"members" of good standing in the church who have apparently not avoided love of money and have not
been pure and truthful (ch. 11). Then Polycarp applies two verses from Thessalonians to the lapsed people:
1 Thessalonians 5: 22 and 2 Thessalonians 3: 15. He says three things quite similar to 3: 14-15 that more
clearly and alternately view the same persons both as unbelievers and as believers: (1) he notes that a
person continuing in such sins will be judged as one of the Gentiles; (2) he hopes that "the Lord [may) grant
them true repentance and that faithful members will "restore them, in order that you may safe your (church)
body in its entirety"; (3) he counsels the faithful not to regard them as enemies (quoting 3: 15). Similar also
is Ig-natius's letter To the Smyrneans, a polemic against some who held heretical views of Christ. Ignatius's
heretical opponents are "men whom you must not only not welcome but, if possible, not even meet" (4: 1);
"avoid such people" and do "not speak about them either privately or publicly" (7: 2). Ignatius judges them
to be unbelievers (2: 1; 5: 3) who exist in a condition of death (5: 1-3; 7: 1). On the other hand, Ignatius tells
his readers "to pray for them if somehow they might repent" (4: 1), which puts them in a category different
from pagan unbelievers.
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*Forthcomins