Frameworks:
2 Thessalonians 1: INTRODUCTION
Why
Read 2 Thessalonians:
Paul was writing to a relatively new church suffering persecution.
He seeks to encourage them by their reputation, trusting God to
deal with those opposing them, and being at peace about when Jesus
will return. He emphasizes they all need prayer to stand against
the opposition, and to make sure they remain diligent. This letter,
more than most, helps us realise the trying times some of the
early church faced and shows us the means the apostles taught
of overcoming.
In
the West at least, we rarely suffer persecution, but this church
stands as a challenge to us, of those who stood, grew and triumphed
despite oppositions. Perhaps our primary opposition is materialism
and affluence and a surrounding unbelieving world that would seek
to marginalize us. Read it at one
sitting and catch these things.
FRAMEWORKS:
2 Thessalonians 1
[Note:
Because it is sometimes difficult to follow the flow
of a letter like this, we have added a synopsis of each chapter
& passage to help clarify where Paul is going with his writing.]
v.1-2
Greetings
v.3-5
Their Perseverance & Faith in the face of persecutions
v.6-10
God will judge the persecutors and unbelievers
v.11,12
Their Prayer Support
[Chapter
Synopsis: To a church that is growing in grace, in faith
and in love, but which is having to stand in the face of opposition
and persecution, encouragement to trust God to justly deal with
those who oppose them and the gospel.]
v.1-2
Greetings
v.1
(From three apostles)
Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church
of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
v.2
(grace & peace to
the church) Grace and peace
to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
v.3-5
Their Perseverance & Faith in the face of persecutions
[Passage
Synopsis: Your fame as you grow and overcome persecution
stirs us to pray and encourages other churches.]
v.3
(our praying is motivated
because we hear of your growing faith and love) We
ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly
so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love
all of you have for one another is increasing.
v.4
(your reputation for
coping with persecution is well known) Therefore,
among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith
in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
v.5
(and you have God's approval)
All this is evidence that God's judgment
is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom
of God, for which you are suffering.
v.6-10
God will judge the persecutors and unbelievers
[Passage
Synopsis: Judgment will come on unbelieving persecutors.]
v.6,7
(God will deal with those
who persecute you and us, if not before, when Jesus returns)
God is just: he will pay back trouble
to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled,
and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed
from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
v.8
(all who reject the gospel
will be punished) He will punish
those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus.
v.9,10
(there is no hope of
second chances once he returns) They
will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from
the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the
day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marvelled
at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because
you believed our testimony to you.
v.11,12
Their Prayer Support
[Passage
Synopsis: Prayer is thus the natural response, to ask
the Lord to help them grow in Christ.]
v.11
(thus we pray for you
that you will stand, grow and be fruitful) With
this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make
you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring
to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed
prompted by faith.
v.12
(we pray so Jesus will
be glorified in you) We pray
this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Continue
to Chapter 2