The Scrolls is a weekly Bible study written by pastors and other leaders at Central Bible Church, based on that week’s sermon topic. Use The Scrolls as a personal Bible study tool, for family devotions, and for small group discussions. You can read part of it below. The downloadable PDF also includes discussion questions, more in-depth commentary, end notes, and a kids’ page designed for families to study the topic together. This lesson goes with the sermon "Mutiny on the Bounty."
Nowhere is the continuity between Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians more evident than in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. The chapter opens, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him” (v. 1), which is a clear reference to Jesus’ coming to rescue, which Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 in these words: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (vv. 16-17). One commentator writes regarding “and our being gathered to him” (2Th 2:1): “This is evidently a reference to the event described in 1 Thess 4:17, when the people of Christ (whether resurrected or surviving to the Parousia) will be transported to meet him and to be eternally with him” (F. F. Bruce, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 45, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 163).
In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul opens by identifying Jesus as the one “who rescues” believers “from the coming wrath” (1:10). And then, in chapter 4, he goes on to explain what he means by “rescues,” describing how resurrected dead believers in Christ and living believers in Christ will be “caught up together” by the Lord to meet him in the clouds (v. 17). Finally, in chapter 5, he assures his readers that believers will be rescued before “the day of the Lord”—defined as “the period of history mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament during which God will bring judgment and blessing on the people of the earth in a more direct, dramatic, and drastic way than ever before (cf. Isa. 13:6, 9; Zeph. 1:14-16)” (Thomas L. Constable, “2 Thessalonians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, 717)—because “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath” (v. 9).
You can imagine how upsetting any message “asserting that the day of the Lord has already come” (2Th 2:1) and its implications would be to Paul’s readers. It would naturally leave the Thessalonian believers “unsettled and alarmed” (v. 2). One commentator sketches the following helpful overview of the context of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12:
“In view of the numerous interpretive difficulties associated with this passage—by common consent one of the most obscure in the Pauline corpus—it may be useful to sketch an overview of the basic aspects of the passage. Evidently some time after receiving the first letter, come member of the congregation in Thessalonica had become persuaded that the ‘Day of the Lord’—which Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 had indicated would come when least expected and would surprise the unprepared—had already arrived. This apparently caused them a good deal of consternation (and may have been the root cause of their questions about the meaning and significance of the afflictions they were experiencing and about God’s justice; cf. 1:3-5.”
(Paul’s point in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 is not that sudden destruction coming in the day of the Lord will overtake his readers but not surprise them because they will be expecting it. His point is that sudden destruction coming in the day of the Lord will not come upon them at all.)
“Paul and his companions somehow learned of this development, though it seems they were not sure of its cause or origin (cf. 2:2a). In response, Paul informs them that it is impossible for the Day of the Lord to have already arrived because certain events and developments (which had not yet taken place) must first occur (2:3-12). Finally, he urges them to stand firm and hold fast to the teaching they had previously received from Paul and his companions (2:13-3:5)” (Michael W. Holmes, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 228).
Central Message of the Text:
Be assured that the day of the Lord’s wrath, which will be preceded by the coming of Jesus to rescue, will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed.
Family Talk:
Have you ever seen those cheesy tabloids in the aisle of the grocery store checkout? I vividly remember being in line one day and glancing to the side to see the cover of a magazine featuring Sadaam Hussein riding a velociraptor. The headline read “Saddam Husein’s Secret Weapon – Dinosaurs.” The absurdity of that article has stuck with me all these years, reminding me to use discernment in the things I read. Now, we know that most false claims will be a little less transparent. In fact, the most destructive lies tend to be the ones with a hint of truth. In this passage, Paul reminds the church of two important truths. First, and most importantly, that Jesus will return. The second reminder is a little less transparent, but equally valuable: that our enemy will do his best to trick us or distract us from Biblical truth. One of our key roles as parents is to teach our children discernment, especially in their media consumption and as they interreact with a world in such opposition to Christ. The world loves to whisper sweet-sounding words into our kids’ ears. They need God's Word hidden in their hearts to prepare them to discern ultimate truth. I want to challenge you this week to spend some time in prayer about how you can further challenge your kids in their knowledge and love of God’s Word. Maybe this looks like targeted Scripture memory or learning the words to a new praise song. In any case, we can hold on to the truth that Christ is coming again, and we have the joy of reminding our family of that this week.