2 Thessalonians – BiblicalCulture

Once the text of 2 Thessalonians has been analysed and the occasion, purpose, and main point of the letter has been determined (see my summary HERE), then the theology that is found within 2 Thessalonians can be determined. The theology of 2 Thessalonians must be determined after analysing the text so that we avoid distorting what Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy were saying and so that we avoid reading into the text our own theology. A good way to determine the theology of 2 Thessalonians is to list theological categories and then go back through the letter while writing down what the letter says about the various topics listed. The theological categories should reflect the content of the letter, so they are not chosen arbitrarily. The theological categories that I have chosen are below and the theology contained in them is what I have derived from the text from my own study of 2 Thessalonians (click the hyperlink to go directly to that section): God the Father Jesus The Holy Spirit Satan Salvation Identity and Life of the Believer Identity and Life of the Non-Believer The Church End Times (Eschatology) Other Major Themes and Topics 1. God the Father: His Person and Role in 2 Thessalonians God is called “God the Father” (1:2), “God our Father (1:1; 2:16), and “our God” (1:11). Whenever “God” is used on its own, it always refers to God the Father (1:3, 4, 5, 6, 8; 2:11, 13; 3:5). As “our Father,” God is the father of all those who believe in Jesus and, as such, he loves all believers (2:16). God is never referred to as “Lord”; that title is reserved for Jesus throughout 2 Thessalonians (see the below section on Jesus). As “our Father,” God dispenses grace and peace to his people (1:2, 12), which are two good gifts he gives as “Father.” The grace that God gives to believers is (1) his power so that believers can fulfill their desire to do good and fulfill the work they do which is borne from their faith in Jesus and their resulting faithfulness to Jesus (1:11–12; 2:17), and (2) “eternal comfort and good hope” (2:16–17), which in context refers to the guaranteed salvation and future obtaining of Jesus’ glory (2:13–14). The Father’s role in salvation is election. He elects people for salvation (1:11; 2:13, 14). Two different terms are used for the Father’s election: “to choose” (αἱρέω) and “to call” (καλέω and its noun cognate κλῆσις). The Father elects “for salvation” (2:13), “for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2:14), and to enter (or inherit) the Kingdom of God (1:5, 11). The presence of God making believers worthy (καταξιόω and ἀξιόω) in 1:5 and 1:11 confirms that the “calling” in 1:11 is a calling to enter the Kingdom of God. This confirms that entrance into the Kingdom of God is by God’s election, not by suffering (see below). In light of God being the “Father” of all Christians whom he elected to be saved and inherit his Kingdom, Christians can rightly be called God’s “sons” because he chose us to be his sons, even though the terms “sons” and “children” are not used in 2 Thessalonians. Thanksgiving and prayer are directed toward God (1:3, 11; 2:13). Thanksgiving should be offered to God on account of believers’ maturation (1:3), since it is a result of his work in their lives. God allows Christians to suffer for the Kingdom of God and considers this just because it makes them worthy of the Kingdom they inherit through belief in Jesus (1:5, 11). It is also just in the sight of God to grant relief from persecution to Christians when Jesus returns and to punish those who afflict God’s people with affliction, which he will do through Jesus when Jesus returns (1:6–8). Controversially, but clearly, when the Man of Lawlessness arrives, God will deceive all people on the planet who have rejected the truth, that is, those who have rejected the truth about Jesus, and, thus, who are perishing (2:10–11). God will deceive them (literally, “God is sending upon them a work of deceit”) so that they will believe “the lie” (2:11), which is the lie that the Man of Lawlessness is God (2:3–4). God will ensure all non-believers believe the lie that the Man of Lawlessness is God for the purpose of condemning all the non-believers (2:12). Note that this “work” of God will only happen once the Man of Lawlessness is revealed (2:3–12). 2. Jesus: His Person and Role in 2 Thessalonians Jesus is given the titles “Lord” (1:1, 2, 7, 8, 12; 2:1, 8[?], 14, 16; 3:6, 12, 18) and “Messiah/Christ” (1:1, 2, 12; 2:1, 14, 16; 3:5, 6, 12, 18) throughout the letter. Frequently, the two terms are used together: “the Lord Jesus Christ” or “our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1, 2, 12; 2:1, 14, 16; 3:6, 12, 18). “Lord” is only ever used of Jesus throughout 2 Thessalonians, so when it is used on its own (1:9; 2:2, 8[?], 13; 3:1, 3, 4, 5, 16), it refers to Jesus, not God in general or the Father in particular. “Lord” indicates Jesus’ authoritative and divine status. Regarding Jesus’ divine status, Jesus and the Father are frequently paired together, suggesting divine equality (1:1, 2; 2:16). Further, the return of Jesus is called “the Day of the Lord” (2:2). “The Day of the Lord” is a phrase taken from the Old Testament, which is better translated “the Day of Yahweh.” Yahweh is God’s personal name and “the Day of the Lord/Yahweh” speaks of when Yahweh will come bringing judgment to his enemies and salvation to his people (see passages such as Joel 1:15; 2:1–2, 30–32; Amos 5:18–20; Obad 15; Zeph 1:14–18; Mal 4:5–6). The Old Testament imagery of the Day of the Lord/Yahweh is rightly used of Jesus in 2 Thessalonians 1–2 because he is the one who brings God’s wrath and salvation. Using the phrase “the Day of the Lord/Yahweh” of Jesus indicates that Jesus is God and that “Lord” is a term that refers to Jesus’ divine status. Regarding Jesus’ authoritative status, he is the one who has authority over the church and over his disciples. All of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy’s commands are issued “in name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (3:6) or “in the Lord Jesus Christ” (3:12). Jesus also instils a confidence within the apostles that the Thessalonians are doing what they command and will continue to do what they command (3:4). “Messiah/Christ” indicates Jesus’ status to the Father; he is the Father’s messiah, his anointed one. As such, he does the will of the Father and executes his plans, including the Father’s vengeance against his enemies (1:7–9). For more about the return of Jesus, see the section on eschatology below. A title that is only given to Jesus once in Scripture is “Lord of Peace,” which means Lord who gives peace (3:16). As such, Jesus is able to give peace to those who ask. Prayer, then, can be directed toward Jesus. Like the Father, Jesus dispenses grace and peace to his people (1:2, 12; 3:18). The grace that Jesus gives to believers is (1) his power so that believers can fulfill their desire to do good and fulfill the work they do which is borne from their faith in Jesus and their resulting faithfulness to Jesus (1:11–12; 2:17), and (2) “eternal comfort and good hope” (2:16–17), which in context refers to the guaranteed salvation and future obtaining of Jesus’ glory (2:13–14). Jesus is faithful (3:3). He will strengthen believers in the face of opposition and persecution (3:2–3). He will protect believers from “the evil one” (i.e., Satan; 3:3), which in context most likely refers to Satan’s deceit (2:1–17). Jesus is the one who will direct believers’ hearts toward a love for God and steadfastness to Jesus (3:5). Jesus will give peace to those who request it (3:16). Jesus is the one who should be glorified now (1:12) and who will be glorified when he returns (1:10). 3. The Holy Spirit: His Person and Role in 2 Thessalonians The Holy Spirit is only mentioned once in 2 Thessalonians. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 the role of the Spirit in salvation is elucidated: “God chose you from the beginning for salvation through consecration by the Spirit and [by] faith in the truth.” The Spirit consecrates those the Father has chosen, meaning the Spirit sets the elect apart as God’s people. The mention of the Holy Spirit’s role in consecration prior to belief suggests that the Holy Spirit is the one who gives the elect their saving faith. Depending on one’s interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8, the Holy Spirit may be the one who restrains lawlessness in the world so that it is not as bad as it could be or will be when the Man of Lawlessness arrives. It is also possible that the Holy Spirit is the one who restrains the Man of Lawlessness, holding him back until God decides to release him upon the world. What must be noted, however, is that the Holy Spirit is never mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8. 4. Satan: His Role and Person in 2 Thessalonians Satan is the power behind the Man of Lawlessness: “The coming of the Lawless One is by the activity of Satan” (2:9). 2 Thessalonians does not say Satan “sends” the Man of Lawlessness because his timing is determined by God (2:6–8). Because Satan is the power behind the Man of Lawlessness, everything he does can be attributed to Satan (see the eschatological section below for more information). 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12 presents the Man of Lawlessness as Satan’s messiah (or “christ”). The apostles claim that Jesus will protect the Thessalonians from “the evil one,” which is a reference to Satan. The necessity of protection from Satan in the Thessalonians’ day indicates that Satan is active prior to the arrival of the Man of Lawlessness and will be active up until the Man of Lawlessness is revealed. In context, the protection would be from Satan’s deceit, not from persecution. Satan seeks to deceive believers, which is what happened to the Thessalonians (2:2–3a). 5. Salvation in 2 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 describes the role of each member of the Trinity in “salvation,” as well as the role of the person being saved: God the Father. The Father “elects” a person to be saved “from the beginning” (2:13). God the Son. The Father’s election comes through the gospel (2:14). Although the gospel is not explained in 2 Thessalonians, other Pauline letters make it clear that the gospel refers to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Thus, God’s election comes through Jesus’ death and resurrection. God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit consecrates, sets the elect apart to be a member of God’s people by giving saving faith to the believer and applying the blood of Jesus to the believer (2:13). The Elect. The elect person believes “the truth,” which in context refers to the truth about Jesus as opposed to the lie of the Man of Lawlessness that he is God (2:13). The truth, then, refers to the truth that Jesus is God, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. Belief in the gospel for salvation is confirmed in 1:10, where “those who believe” are saved and contrasted with those who “did not submit to the gospel” to be saved (1:9). Salvation is described as being saved from one’s enemies and being saved from God’s wrath (1:6–10). Believers will be saved from their enemies who persecute them when Jesus returns (1:7). This salvation from enemies is eternal in that all enemies will be punished with “eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord” (1:9), while all believers will be gathered together to Jesus (2:1). Salvation is also described as being saved from God’s wrath. God’s wrath, described as “eternal destruction,” comes upon all those who “do not know God, even upon those who do not submit to the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” This is confirmed in 2:10–12 where those who reject the truth, which refers to the truth about Jesus, by not believing the truth will not be saved, but will be condemned. Thus, it reasons that those who submit to the gospel (i.e., believe the gospel as mentioned in 1:10) will not experience God’s wrath, but will be saved from it. 6. The Identity and Life of the Believer in 2 Thessalonians Christians are called “believers” (1:10), “saints” (1:10), and “brothers” (1:3; 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6 [x2], 13, 15) throughout 2 Thessalonians. “Brothers” is the most common name for Christians throughout the letter, being used nine times (1:3; 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6 [x2], 13, 15); even the “undisciplined” Christians in the church are called “brothers.” “Brothers” is a familial term. Those who believe in Jesus are part of God’s family, which is what “brothers” indicates. Some more modern translations, such as the NIV, prefer to translate “brothers” as “brothers and sisters” to indicate that the apostles are not just referring to males. This is acceptable where context is clear the term refers to all believers, such as in 1:3, but it should not be taken as a given every time the term is used. Calling Christians “saints” or “holy ones” (1:10) indicates they have been consecrated to God or separated as God’s people, which aligns with the Holy Spirit’s role of consecrating those who believe in Jesus (2:13). Finally, calling Christians “believers” indicates they believed the apostles’ testimony about Jesus (1:10). Belief in Jesus is a core characteristic and identifying feature of God’s people, whereas those who are not God’s people do not believe in Jesus (2:11–12). Suffering is a natural and expected aspect of being a believer in Jesus. Believers should expect to be persecuted and suffer on account of their faith in Jesus because it is God’s just decision that many Christians suffer (1:4–7). God uses persecution and suffering to make a Christian worthy of the Kingdom of God, which they are to inherit based on their faith in Jesus (1:5, 11). Believers do not gain salvation by suffering, but it makes them worthy of the Kingdom they are to inherit. Believers should persevere in the faith in the midst of persecution and suffering on account of being Jesus’ disciple (1:4). Believers are not guaranteed relief from persecution prior to Jesus’ return, although prayer for deliverance from “wicked and evil people” is acceptable (3:2). Full and permanent relief from persecution will only occur when Jesus returns (1:6–9). In addition to persecution, Christians are able to be deceived into believing false doctrine (2:1–3a), which is why believers must stand firm in the faith and “hold fast the traditions” as taught by the apostles (2:15; 3:4). 2 Thessalonians has a lot to say about how Christians should live their lives. Prayer and thanksgiving to God are important aspects of the believers’ lives (1:3, 11; 2:13; 3:1–2, 5, 16). Thanksgiving should be given to God for other believers. Prayer should be made for the progress and advancement of the gospel in the world (3:1) as well as for believers (3:1, 5). Although the apostles never pray for persecution to stop, they do request prayer for deliverance from “wicked and evil people” (3:2), presumably because they are hindering the spread of the gospel (3:1). Believers should be constantly increasing in their faith and love (1:3). As one increases in their faith in Jesus, their trust increases, resulting in increased faithfulness. This is seen in the lives of the Thessalonians as they remain faithful to Jesus in the midst of persecution and affliction (1:4) and continue living lives in accordance with Jesus’ instruction passed on by the apostles (3:13). Believers should also be constantly increasing in their love for other Christians and for all people, regardless of whether that person is a Christian or not (1:3). Believers should “direct their hearts” (i.e., focus on) toward loving God and remaining steadfast to Jesus (3:5). The text could be interpreted as focusing on God’s love for the believer and Jesus’ steadfastness; if this is so, it is because such a focus would motivate Christians to love and remain steadfast. Believers take pleasure in righteousness, as suggested by the claim that non-believers take pleasure in unrighteousness (2:12). Thus, believers should ensure their desires are “good” as God deems good and that their work and speech is good, borne from their faith in Jesus and resulting faithfulness to Jesus if they expect God to empower them for success in their endeavours (1:11; 2:17). All work and endeavours should be done for the purpose of glorifying Jesus in one’s life (1:12). This will in turn glorify the believer in Jesus (1:12). Importantly, believers are supposed to work for the purpose of supporting themselves, which is an apostolic tradition (3:6–10, 12). If a believer is relying on others to support him, while he is able to work, the church should first admonish him (3:15), then stop supporting him (3:10), then disassociate from him altogether so that the erring believer will feel shame and repent (3:6, 14). 7. The Identity and Life of the Non-Believer in 2 Thessalonians Non-believers are described as “those who are perishing” (2:10), “those who take pleasure in unrighteousness” (2:12), and as “those who do not know God and [καί] on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (1:8). This is better translated “on those who do not know God, even [καί] on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” This translation understands the καί as ascensive, focusing on why non-believers do not know God; it is because they do not believe, obey, or submit to the gospel (also see 2:12 and 3:2b). Thus, non-believers are those who reject the gospel. Non-believers frequently persecute believers (1:4; 3:2). Those who persecute believers are a subset of non-believers and will be punished when Jesus returns (1:6–7). Likewise, anyone who does not believe the gospel will be punished when Jesus returns with “eternal destruction” (1:7–9). This suggests that there is a resurrection of the unjust. When the Man of Lawlessness arrives, he will target all non-believers with the goal of deceiving them into worshipping him as God (2:3–4, 9–10). At this time, all non-believers will be deceived so that God may condemn them for their rejection of the gospel (2:10–12). 8. The Church in 2 Thessalonians The group of believers located in the city of Thessalonica are called “church” (1:1). This suggests that any local body of believers is a church, confirmed in the apostles’ declaration that there are many churches (1:4). The church is “in God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:2; also see 1:4). The preposition “in” indicates sphere. Thus, for an assembly to be a church, it must be in the sphere of and, thus, under the authority and control of the Father and the Son. In short, the church belongs to both the Father and his Messiah, Jesus, who have authority over the church. Because it is the Father’s and Jesus’s church, the instructions Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy give come through Jesus with Jesus’s full authority, meaning all who belong to the church must obey (3:6, 12). 9. End Times (Eschatology) in 2 Thessalonians Prior to Jesus’ return, called “the Day of the Lord” (2:2) three things will happen. First, lawlessness will prevail in the world until the Man of Lawlessness arrives (2:6–7; this is the “Mystery of Lawlessness”). Second, the rebellion will come (2:3). Third, the Man of Lawlessness will come (2:3), but only when God determines he should come (2:7–8). The Man of Lawlessness will be revealed just prior to Jesus’ return (2:3–8). He is described in terms similar to Jesus, indicating that he is the antichrist (see my article on the Man of Lawlessness). The Man of Lawlessness will do real miracles to deceive all non-believers into believing he is God and, thus, to worship him (2:3–4, 9–12). God will ensure all non-believers are deceived by the Man of Lawlessness so that they will be condemned (2:11–12). When Jesus returns, he will kill the Man of Lawlessness with “the breath of his mouth” (2:8). When Jesus returns, he will come from heaven (or “the sky” depending on one’s understanding of οὐρανός), with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, which indicates judgment (1:7–8). Jesus will also gather all his people to himself (2:1). Three purposes for Jesus’ return are given in 2 Thessalonians: Jesus will grant eternal rest/relief to God’s people from all enemies (1:7). Jesus will punish everyone who does not know God because they rejected the gospel about Jesus; he will come especially to punish those who persecute God’s people (1:6–9; 2:11–12). The punishment to be dispensed is “eternal destruction/ruin away from the presence of the Lord and from his mighty glory,” which refers to eternal torment (1:9). Jesus will be glorified and marvelled at by all God’s people, who are described as “saints” and “believers” (1:10). 10. Other Major Themes in 2 Thessalonians: Truth and Deceit The only other major theme I found throughout 2 Thessalonians is truth and deceit. The Thessalonian Christians were deceived into believing that Jesus had already returned and, thus, they were not saved and were awaiting the wrath of God to come upon them (2:1–3a). The deceitful teaching came through either a spirit, a message, or a letter seeming to be from the apostles themselves (2:2). The apostles are writing this letter to counter the deceitful teaching and to reestablish the truth, which they taught the Thessalonians when they were first with them (2:5, 13–15). The apostles remind the Thessalonians that they were saved by belief in the truth (2:13), referring to belief in the truth about Jesus, and that they must adhere to the traditions taught by Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, whether in person or through a letter from them (2:15). To confirm that this letter (2 Thessalonians) is, indeed, written by the apostles, Paul writes the conclusion himself (3:17–18). Adherence to the truth is doubly important because when the Man of Lawlessness arrives, he will deceive all non-believers into believing he is God and worthy of worship (2:3–4, 9–11). Those who will be deceived by the Man of Lawlessness are those who rejected the truth, which is necessary for salvation (2:10). The truth in this context refers to the truth about Jesus, that he is God and the true Messiah, not the Man of Lawlessness. Thus, when the apostles tell the Thessalonians they were “saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2:13), they are telling the Thessalonians they have a correct belief about Jesus and will not be deceived if the Man of Lawlessness arrives in their lifetime (also see 1:10 and 3:1).