Paul covers several topics
in this letter to the church at Thessalonica.
The main theme is that Jesus Christ will return and believers should be
reassured in that fact. He mentions the
second coming twice before teaching about it in some detail.
Paul praises the church for
their faithfulness and godly character in the face of persecution. Their behavior was a sign to all of their
faith in gospel of Jesus Christ. They could
bear troubles with patience because they new He is coming again and He had
already rescued them from the judgment he will deliver on His return.
Part of the persecution the
church face appears to involve attempts to discredit Paul and the gospel he
taught. He presents two defenses. First was his conduct during his time in
Thessalonica. He did not try to take
advantage of the people, but worked hard to take care of them. Second, the proof of the gospel was the
endurance and faithfulness of the people who believed it. Paul concludes this section of his letter
with another reference to the second coming, stating how much he will delight
in them with the Lord at that time.
The letter was prompted in
part by Timothy’s visit to Thessalonica and his report on the state of the
church there. Paul is encouraged by what
he hears and encourages the Christians to continue in the faith. It may seem disheartening that he reminded
them to live lives of sexual purity, good order, and peace. A glance around almost any church even today
will show how much we need such reminders.
Before wrapping up, Paul
gets deeper into the subject of the second coming. First, he addresses the question of those who
die before Christ’s returns. Is that the
end for them? Will they not be with the
Lord? They though Christ might return in
their own lifetime, and were concerned about Christian brothers who had passed
away. Paul reminded them of Christ’s
resurrection, and taught that dead Christians would be brought back to life in
the same way. When He comes again, all
of His people, alive and dead raised to new life, will join Him. We don’t need to worry, those who God calls
He will keep forever.
The other question about the
second coming, one that people still ask, is: When will it happen? Only God knows. The rest of us will be caught by
surprise. For Christians, though, this
is no cause for fear. At any moment we
could be with the One we long to be with, our God, our Savior, our Helper, with
a kind of unveiled intimacy we have barely tasted. In the meantime, we should live with faith,
love, and hope as we have been called.
Paul’s message to these
Christians, and by extension to us, is simple.
You believed the truth and God has saved you. Keep living well. Don’t worry.
Jesus Christ is coming and we will be with Him.
Paul also wrote
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