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2 Thessalonians A Truth is Calling Study

Chapter by ChapterVerse by Verse

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The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians Introduction

This second letter written from the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul gives important details connected with the coming of our Lord and, “The Day of the Lord.”

In this second letter, Paul reminds the Thessalonians (2,5) that he had spoken with them about the Day of the Lord. There were a belief among them that the Lord’s Day had already come (2,2). Saint Paul reminds them that our Lord would not return unless the falling away came first. This is a warning that is very much needed in our present day when it is widely taught that the Day of the Lord will not come until the supposed Rapture. A false doctrine that is misleading many believers.

This second also provides an important description and prophecy regarding the, “The Man of Sin (lawlessness).” This is the Antichrist. The prophecy is given in the simplest language to make it abundantly clear: The Man of Sin is the Antichrist. He will be the veryincarnation of evil. The Lord Himself will destroy him at His second coming, as the Apostle Paul describes it: “…destroy with the brightness of His coming…” There will be many signs on the earth and in the heavens to mark the return of our Lord. On that day, there will be a clear distinction between the followers of the Antichrist (verse 26) and the followers or Christ (verse 28). As noted below in the 21st chapter of Luke’s Gospel:

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

The confidence and rejoicing in verse 28 comes from the believer that is familiar with God’s Word. Thus the need to study Biblical books such as Second Thessalonians. Our Lord assured us:

“Behold, I have told you all things…”

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The Structure of 2 Thessalonians

Correspondences Chapter Verse(s)A1 Introduction. Grace and Peace 1 1-2

B1 Thanksgiving 1 3 -

C1 Reason. Their Faith, Love, & Patience -3 5

D1 The Obtaining of Rest & Glory 1 6-10

E1 Prayer for Them 1 11

F1 That the Name of the Lord May be Glorified 1 12-

G1 And They Glorified in Him 1 12-

H1 Admonition 2 1 - 12-


C2 Reason. Their Salvation 2 -13

D2 The Obtaining of Glory 2 14-15

E2 Prayer for Paul 2 16-3 1-

F2 That the Word May be Glorified 3 -1-4

G2 And Their Hearts May be Directed into God’s Love 3 5

H2 Admonition 3 6-15

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A2 Conclusion. Peace and Grace 3 6-18

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2 ThessaloniansChapter 1

We beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him…

That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first and the Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition

-2 Thessalonians 2: 1,3

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2 Thessalonians Chapter Read Verses 1-7

Introduction: Grace and Peace1 Paul,

and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

The Obtaining of Rest and Glory (6-10)

Tribulation to the Troublers

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

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When the Lord Shall be Revealed

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,2 Thessalonians Chapter Read Verses 8-12

Vengeance to the Enemies

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

When He Shall Come in Glory and to be Glorified

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Prayer and Encouragement for Believers

11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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2 Thessalonians Lectio Divina Verses 1-2



Paul wrote this letter from Corinth less than a year after he wrote 1 Thessalonians. Paul and his companions, Timothy and Silas, had visited Thessalonica on this second missionary journey noted in Acts 17 below and Appendix 1.

Acts 171 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; andthat this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

4 And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a greatmultitude, and of the chief women not a few.

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that thereis another king, one Jesus.

8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

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11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Notice the difference in responses in verses 2–5 and 10-11 above. The receiving of God’s Word here, can be likened to those receiving the Word in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13: 1-23) and our Lord’s Words in John 17 below:

“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world,even as I am not of the world.”

How do you receive God’s Word when you hear it, do you readily accept what is being preached or do you search the Scriptures to verify? Do you evangelize? If so, how have others responded to your evangelizing? How do you respond if they do not welcome you?

2 Thessalonians Lectio Divina Verse 1



Paul started the first church in Thessalonica. However, as noted in Acts 17: 1-10, Paul and his companions had to leave because of persecution. This prompted himto write his first letter to the Thessalonians to both comfort and encourage them. The church in Thessalonica was growing in faith, but false teachings about Christ’s return were spreading. This caused some in Thessalonica to quit working and to remain idle, believing Christ would return at any time. In this second letterto the Thessalonians. Paul corrected false teaching about the Second Coming of our Lord.

The false teaching and misconception about our Lord’s return was not an isolatedincident. It has continued throughout history and into our present day. Many preachers have asserted they know when the end will come only to be proven wrong time and again. There are many Biblical commentaries that even introducefalse doctrine into the correction Paul offers here in 2 Thessalonians regarding Christ’s return! This includes deceiving believers that the supposed, “Rapture” will occur before the events in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. As believers it is our duty to search the Scriptures and guard ourselves from the enemy by taking our truth from God’s Word.

Verse 1…Paul, Silas and Timothy were together in Corinth. Paul wrote this secondletter on behalf of all three men (see Appendix 2).

Acts 181 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth…

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4 …And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and

testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

2 Thessalonians Lectio Divina Verses 1 & 2




unto the church of the Thessalonians…This and the second Epistle are the only ones addressed in this form. Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians are addressed to, “saints.” The two Epistles to the Corinthians to, “the Church of God at Corinth,” and Galatians tothe “churches of Galatia.”

Grace unto you… The Apostle Paul never flattered his friends or fellow believers. However,he took pleasure in speaking well of them to the Glory of God.

The Apostle Paul esteemed the church of Thessalonica for the manner of faith noted in his first epistle:

1 Thessalonians

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in

our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

We see in the 1st epistle above, that the Apostle gave thanks for the Thessalonians for theirfaith, love, and patience. In this second epistle he opens the letter by giving thanks for the

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abundance of these graces.

Where there is truth of Grace there will be an increase of it and where there is an increaseof Grace, God must have all the Glory of it. As the Apostle Paul attested:

1 Corinthians 131 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 1017 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

How does the praise of the believers in Thessalonica and the passages in Corinthians above relate to you and the connect to the Scripture below?

John 155 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.


Thanksgiving




the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth…the growth of their faith grew by the works of their faith. We grow in faith by reading the Wordof God.

Romans 1017 faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

When we do this our actions, evangelization, love, grow for our Lord and His church. As noted in the book of James:

James13

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

We do not gain salvation by our works. However, as seen in the commendation to the believers in Thessalonica, our works is a testament and by product of our saving faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.

How have you changed as a result of accepting Christ as your Savior and reading His Letter to you, the Bible?




your faith and patience…their faith and patience grew and they were able to endure persecutions and tribulations. They endured not in anger and frustration, but with patience arising from Christian principles. The Apostles Paul and Silas demonstrated this patience in their own tribulations.

Acts 1619 … they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

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26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

How do you handle daily tribulation and how do you respond to major tribulations in your life as a Christian? Do you seek God’s guidance through prayer and Scripture when circumstances are especially trying?

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ddddd

The Structure of the Book

DivisionA1 The Introduction 1:1 – 2:3

A2 The Eleven “Generations*” 2:4 – 50:26

The IntroductionCorrespondences Chapter & Verse(s)

A1 The World That Then Was (2 Peter 3:6) 1 :1Its creation in eternity past

B1 Its End. Ruin 1 :2-

A2 The Heavens and the Earth, which are now 1 : -2-31(2 Peter 3:7) Their Creation in time present(The Six Days)

B2 Their End. Blessing 2 :1-3

The Eleven Generations*

E1 The Heavens and the Earth 2 :4 – 4 :26

F1 Adam 5 :1 – 6 :8

G1 Noah 6 :9 - 9: 29

H1 The Sons of Noah 10 : 1-11

I1 Shem 11 :10 – 11 : 26

J Terah (Abraham’s Generation) 11 :27 – 25 : 11

E2 Ishamel 25 :12-18

F2 Isaac 25 :19 - 35 :29

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G2 Esau 36 : 1-8

H2 The sons of Esau 36 : 9-43

I2 Jacob 37 :1 – 50 : 26

*There are 14 Generations altogether in the Bible:The above in Genesis 11The Generations of Aaron and Moses (Numbers 3:1) 1The Generations of Pharez (Ruth 4 18-22) 1

Total: 14

The Book of the Generations of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1) 1

The final generation is needed to complete the number of spiritual perfection (2 X 7 =14)

2 ThessaloniansChapter 1

We beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him…

That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first and the Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition

-2 Thessalonians 2: 1,3

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B2 Thanksgiving 2 13 -18








2 Thessalonians Chapter Read Verses 1-7




Thanksgiving


4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God 19

for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:


The Obtaining of Rest and Glory (6-10)

Tribulation to the Troublers

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

When the Lord Shall be Revealed

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,2 Thessalonians Chapter Read Verses 8-12

Vengeance to the Enemies

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

When He Shall Come in Glory and to be Glorified

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

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Prayer and Encouragement for Believers

11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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