Day: July 5, 2023

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 6 & 7

Poetry: Psalm 2

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 2

     2 Thessalonians 2 is one of those chapters of scripture that can make us wonder why it was written. Did the people receive a false “spirit or a message or a letter as if from [Paul], to the effect that the day of the Lord” had already come (2)? And if they received such a communication about the day of the Lord, what was its purpose? Was the idea just to plant doubts and create turmoil? Did it achieve anything more than getting the people to check in with Paul?

     Maybe someone tailored a piece of misdirection based off Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, that the day of the Lord would come like “a thief in the night,” to suggest that the day was able to arrive and pass without people becoming aware of it. Such an idea would not fit well with the overall uses of the “day of the Lord” in the Bible, as Paul pointed out in 2 Thessalonians 1:10 speaking of “that day”, but we don’t know how the Thessalonians thought of the phrase before Paul wrote this letter. In 2:1 Paul linked “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” with “our gathering together to Him” before he addressed the idea of false communication about the day of the Lord. Perhaps the point of whatever deceiving message the people received was an attempt to separate the day of the Lord from one or both of those ideas in their thoughts.

     Returning to the “thief” metaphor for a moment, any metaphor or parable generally has only one application to be made from it, and can easily be misunderstood by being overapplied. The “thief” metaphor came from Jesus’ words, and it emphasized diligence (Matthew 24:43, see through chapter 25). Jesus didn’t apply any risks of the metaphor to those who were faithful. We do not know when Jesus is coming, but as believers we will not be left floundering when the world changes because of his return – the believers will join with him in celebration.

     Paul has a much plainer case to make than the implications of a metaphor, however, he points out that he already told the church that those who are alive when Jesus is just about to return will have seen signs before his coming. As part of this Paul describes a man engaged in a campaign of evil on behalf of Satan. Paul may seem to write of this remarkably calmly, though admittedly it can be difficult to read tone into written words. And, of course, we don’t know what the Thessalonians had imagined their situation was based on the “spirit” or “message” or “letter” Paul wrote of – he needed to clear things up. We do know that the circumstances Paul is describing will be extreme, and he mentions that he spoke about these things with them in person (v. 5), so he may have previously offered comforting words about the potential of living during this situation. In any case Paul leaves no doubt of who is more powerful, the man of lawlessness, or Jesus. Jesus will slay him by his mere breath (maybe a spoken word?) – it is not a contest. The call to the believers is to stand firm, and having received eternal comfort, and good hope by grace, to desire also to be strengthened in their hearts in every good work and word.

     On the other hand, the situation will be extreme for those who have rejected the truth. They will receive a “deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (11‑12). This is not the situation of those we are trying to reach with an understanding of God’s love, history will have moved beyond that. It will be like what we read about in Exodus, when God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so He could show His signs and wonders in Egypt at the time of the ten plagues (4:21; 7:3). Pharaoh abandoned good behavior well before Moses arrived, but if shown enough miracles he might have been swayed from his course, even if only temporarily. God wanted a clear-cut setting in which to show His power. God intended to punish Egypt. It seems that things will go similarly with the man of lawlessness and his followers at the end of this age. It would be hard for anyone to remain loyal to such an evil leader and not try to weasel their way into compromises, even if just into other forms of evil, after God’s judgment is made clear. But by that point in history God wants a clear-cut setting to show His judgment. (I admit to finding some of this a bit distressing, but Paul had seen more of the evils of the world than I have, so I can understand if he was able to have a more clear-eyed view about it than I as he wrote about it.)

Lord, thank you for your strength, and that I feel able to put my trust in you no matter what situation I arrive in, even if I were to be living during the reign of the man of lawlessness. You are far greater than he. Your son is far greater than he. I trust that your love and your mercy will be comfort to me whatever may come. To whoever of your servants do live in that time, please let them have great outpourings of your grace and confidence from your Spirit. Life is not painless, but life is worthwhile when lived for you. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

1. Do you think the origins of 2 Thessalonians 2 might be from a prank? Or perhaps did it result from a serious attempt to damage a church’s faith where it seemed to be vulnerable? It has been said that it is normally easier to tear down than to build up. What is the best way you have experienced that a church has been built up? How can you visualize being part of building a church up?
2. How surprising is it to you that Paul needed to write two letters to the church in Thessalonica, perhaps in the same year, based on their confusion about issues of eschatology? What might have happened if these issues went uncorrected? How much have you studied and compared scriptures about the future to develop your grasp on these ideas if you wanted to discuss them? How deeply do you choose to investigate these matters for yourself, compared to where you stop, considering that if you wished to examine the issue further you would take a question to a “Paul”?
3. Do you find it hard to imagine a time when there will be no room for shifting between those who are fully committed to evil and those who serve God with their whole hearts? If you thought such a time was coming soon, are there things you would be doing today to prepare?