Posts

2 Thessalonians 3:3 – Walking Faith

Posted on by Will

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Truth to Learn

Walking by faith means trusting that God will establish and guard you both now and in the future.

Behind the Words

The word translated “faithful” is pistos, which is based on peithō, meaning “to win over” or “to persuade.” In common usage it refers to someone who is worth believing, that is, someone who does what he or she says they will do. In Greek, word order is significant, with emphasis being given to the word or words expressed first. In this verse, the word order is “Faithful is the Lord,” which emphasizes God’s faithfulness.

“Establish” is from the Greek verb stēridzō, which is based on the noun histēmi, meaning “to stand.” Stēridzō means “to set firmly in place.” It is expressed here in the future tense, indicating action that God is going to do.

The word “guard” is translated from phulassō, which means “to keep watch over” or “to protect from harm.”

Ponēros is the word translated “evil one.” In the previous verse it was translated “wicked.” It refers to “evil in a moral or spiritual sense.” In this verse it is preceded by the definite article the, indicating a specific evil person.

Meaning Explained

As we mentioned above, Paul starts off this verse with “faithful,” which is the word pistos. What’s particularly interesting about this is that he ended the previous verse with “faith,” from the word pistis. Apparently, Paul is making a play on words here, saying “Not all men have faith in the Lord, but faithfulness is a characteristic of God.”

He is also using a play on words to make a point regarding how God will take care of us. He does this through his use of the verb stēridzō. A few verses back, in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Paul gave a command to “stand fast and keep a firm hold on the things you have been taught.” The command form (imperative mood) of the verb implies it is something that is not happening, but it needs to happen. Then, in his prayer for them, Paul asks that God “may … establish you in every good word and work.” The use of stēridzō is that verse (2 Thessalonians 2:17) is in the optative mood, indicating that it may not be happening currently, but that it probably would. Now, in the current verse, Paul says that “the Lord will establish you and guard you.” This is expressed in the indicative mood, as something that definitely will happen because the Lord is faithful.

Not only will God make our stand firm, He will also protect us from the evil one. There is some disagreement among Biblical scholars as to whether Paul is talking about Satan (as Jesus was in His prayer for His disciples in Matthew 6:13), or to one of the “unreasonable and wicked men” that he referred to in the previous verse. Whatever position you take on this issue, the point is that God is faithful; He always does what He says He will do, and Paul says that He will establish and guard His children.

Application

Just because we’re saved through “faith” in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, doesn’t mean that we have “faith” in God’s protection and care for us. Saving faith is a one-time thing; walking faith is a lifelong thing. Are you currently walking by faith daily, trusting God to establish and guard you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

 

 

2 Thessalonians 3:2 – Protect The Messengers

Posted on by Will

and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

Truth to Learn

Those who deliver the gospel message need God’s protection.

Behind the Words

“We may be delivered” is translated from the Greek verb rhuomai. This word is derived from rhuō, meaning “to drag along the ground.” Rhuomai means “to draw out” or “to snatch from danger.” It is most often translated as “to rescue” or “to deliver.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating possibility or probability.

The Greek word translated “unreasonable” is atopos. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and topos, meaning “a place.” So, atopos literally means “out of place” or “without a place.” Figuratively, this word means “improper, unreasonable, or hurtful.”

Ponēros is the Greek word translated “wicked.” It refers to “evil in a moral or spiritual sense.” It is usually translated as “bad, evil, or wicked.”

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul is in the middle of a prayer request to the people of the church in Thessalonica. In the previous verse he asked that they pray for swift movement of the word of the Lord. It was Paul’s desire to see the gospel spread all over the world; his hope and prayer were that it would move swiftly from one place to the next.

Now Paul requests that he and his co-workers be delivered from (protected from) those who are opposed to the gospel message. He refers to them as unreasonable, or hurtful, and as wicked, or evil. From the time that Paul first landed in Macedonia (in Philippi) he preached the gospel and was opposed by non-believing Jews. In Philippi he and Silas (Sylvanus) were thrown in jail. When they moved on to Thessalonica, they were again persecuted by the non-believing Jews. Having secretly left Thessalonica by night, they went to Berea. But when the Jews of Thessalonica heard that Paul was in Berea, they went after him there and stirred up the people against him. So Paul headed to Athens and then to Corinth, from where he wrote this letter. He remained there at least a year and a half. While in Corinth, however, Paul was brought before the judgment seat of the proconsul Gallio. There the Jews accused him of persuading people to worship God contrary to the law, but the case was dismissed even before Paul had a chance to speak. (Read Acts chapters 16 – 18.)

Wherever Paul went two things regularly happened: he preached the gospel to anyone who would listen, and he was opposed by those who didn’t believe his message. Instead of keeping silent to protect himself, Paul preached the word boldly and asked believers to pray for his safety and protection from those who opposed the gospel message.

Application

All around the world we are seeing more and more opposition to the true gospel message. We see churches, where the truth of God has been watered down, growing and prospering. But those that remain faithful to the fundamental truths of the Bible are finding it more and more difficult to survive. Around the world, Christians are more frequently becoming the targets of violence. We all need to be praying for each other that we will be strong and that God will continue to protect us as we deliver the most important message to those who need it most.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

2 Thessalonians 3:1 – Pray For God’s Glory

Posted on by Will

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,

Truth to Learn

Our prayers need to focus on God’s glory, not our own.

Behind the Words

“Finally” is translated from loipos, meaning “that which remains,” “as to the rest,” or “finally.”

The word translated “pray” is proseuchomai, which is made up of pros, meaning “to” or “towards” and euchomai, which literally means “to speak out, to utter aloud, or to express a wish.” Therefore, proseuchomai means “to express a wish to someone” or “to speak out to someone.” In virtually every occurrence of this verb in the New Testament, the person being spoken to is God. The verb is expressed here in the imperative mood, expressing a command.

The words “may run swiftly” are from the verb trechō, meaning “to run.” The word “swiftly” has been added by the translators, indicated by its being written in italics. The emphasis here is for fast action. It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating possibility or probability.

The Greek verb doxadzō is translated as “be glorified.” The root of this word is doxa, which we saw in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, meaning “reputation, praise, honor, or splendor.” Thus, doxadzō means “to give praise” or “to give honor.”

Meaning Explained

The main purpose of this second letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christians in Thessalonica was to clear up some false teaching in the church regarding the Day of the Lord. Having finished that portion of his teaching, Paul then prayed that God might comfort them and strengthen them in their faith.

Paul is ever mindful of the necessity and power of prayer. His letters are filled with prayers for others and prayer requests for himself and his companions. So, after having prayed for the Thessalonians, he now asks them to pray for him. We might wonder why the eminently successful apostle frequently asks for prayer, until we realize that the reason for his success is these prayers. He knows that whatever success he has is not because of how great he is, but how great God is.

Notice, now, that the object of Paul’s prayers is never his own glorification, but that God might be glorified. In fact, if you read 2 Corinthians chapter twelve, you will see that he did not like to boast about himself, even though he had experienced visions and had been given revelations directly from God. As a matter of fact, he realized that God had allowed an affliction which Paul called his “thorn in the flesh” in order to keep him humbly focused on God and His glory. Paul pleaded with the Lord several times for his infirmity to be removed but recognized that God allowed it to keep him from getting too proud of himself. He even learned to boast about his infirmity, knowing that it was for God’s glory.

In his current prayer request, Paul asks the Thessalonian Christians to pray that the word of the Lord might move quickly. He wanted the gospel message to travel far and wide so that many souls might be saved, resulting in glory to God.

Application

Think about your own prayer requests. When you ask others to pray for you, is it so that you will feel better or so that you will be successful? Are your prayer requests focused on God being glorified, or are they focused on you? Ouch! That hurts.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

2 Thessalonians 2:17 – Comfort For Our Walk

Posted on by Will

comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Truth to Learn

Comfort is God’s doing, but walking in faith is up to you.

Behind the Words

“Comfort” is translated from the Greek verb parakaleō. This word has the same root as the word translated “consolation” in yesterday’s verse. It means “to comfort, encourage, and challenge” just as a coach does for an athlete.

Kardia is the word translated “heart.” The English word “cardiology” (the study of the heart) is obviously from this Greek word. It refers not only to the physical heart, but figuratively to “the seat and center of human life, including thoughts and feelings.”

The word “establish” is from stēridzō, which is derived from histemi, meaning “to stand or to set in place.” Stēridzō means “to make firm” or “to place securely.”

Agathos is the word translated “good.” This word refers to the general character or quality of goodness or usefulness.

“Word” is from the Greek noun logos, which refers to “an expression of intellect.” That is “a word or a saying.”

Ergon is the Greek word translated “work.” It refers to “something done or performed, an act or a deed.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is directly connected with the previous one. In fact, grammatically, verse sixteen is the subject of the sentence and this verse is the predicate. You will recall that in the previous verse Paul equated the Father and Jesus Christ as one by using singular verbs with the plural subject. He continues that form in today’s verse. Though this sentence has a plural subject (Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father), the verbs “comfort” and “establish” are singular verbs.

There are two key lessons to learn from Paul’s prayer. The first is that our God is the one who comforts our hearts and who makes our stand firm. In his teachings at the Last Supper in the upper room, Jesus said this to His disciples:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

In other words, He said, “Don’t allow your hearts to be troubled or afraid.” Modern day psychology indicates that worry and fear are the results of our own minds; that is, we do it to ourselves. Comfort and peace, on the other hand, are the result of outside agents working on us to sooth us. Paul is praying for God to be that outside agent working on us both to comfort us and to make our stand firm.

The other thing we learn from today’s verse is that the Christian life is not just about what we claim to be. We all know people who profess to be Christian, but the way they live their lives does not demonstrate true faith. In other words, don’t just talk the talk, also walk the walk. Let your Christian witness be the way you act and the way you treat others. You may know the words of Christianity, but do you do the works?

Application

Think about your faith this way: If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

2 Thessalonians 2:16 – Eternal Comfort and Hope

Posted on by Will

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,

Truth to Learn

Our God promises eternal comfort and real hope for Christians.

Behind the Words

The word translated “himself” is autos, meaning “him, her, or it.” It serves to give emphasis to the person or thing being spoken of. In Greek, word order is used for emphasis and in this case autos is the first word in the sentence. Therefore, Paul is emphasizing “our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.”

“Has loved us” is from a form of agapē, which specifically refers to “a self-sacrificing love.” It is a verb of action, not just emotion and is most often used to describe the love that God demonstrates. It is expressed here as a singular verb.

Aiōnios is the word translated as “everlasting.” It literally refers to “an age” as a long duration of time. Hence, it is the word used to express that which is perpetual, everlasting, or eternal.

The word “consolation” is translated from paraklēsis, which is made up of para, meaning “beside” and a form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” It is used here to express the encouragement and comfort given by one who has been called alongside as a helper or comforter.

“Hope” is translated from elpis, which represents “hope,” not as just a wish, but as something that is fully expected.

Meaning Explained

Having just concluded this portion of his teaching, the Apostle Paul now expresses a prayer of benediction for the Thessalonian Christians. Paul has been teaching about the Day of the Lord in which God, in the person of Jesus Christ, will judge the inhabitants of the earth. Therefore, it is appropriate that he emphasizes the work of God, in the person of Jesus Christ, in giving us comfort and hope. This is the only place in any of Paul’s writings where he mentions God the Son before God the Father when the two are spoken of together.

He specifically identifies the Lord Jesus Christ as separate from the God the Father by the use of the conjunction “and.” However, at the same time, he shows the unity of the Godhead by using singular verbs (“has loved” and “has given”). Note also that the verbs “comfort” and “establish” in the following verse are also expressed in the singular form. Since in Greek, just as in English, the subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number, Paul is making a strong statement here that the Father and the Son are separate persons, but one God.

Now look at what Christians have already been given. The first thing is consolation. Our guide, who walks with us throughout our journey in this life, gives us comfort and encouragement as we travel. However, it is not just for this life, but for all eternity. Our guide, our God, also gives us hope. No matter what happens to us here, we have complete hope, and assurance, that we will spend eternity in a place of peace and comfort where we will eternally praise Him. It is not just a wish or a dream. It is real and we can count on it because God has promised it to us, and what God promises He always delivers.

Application

No matter what trial or difficulty you may be undergoing right now, as a Christian you have the guarantee of future peace and comfort in the presence of God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

2 Thessalonians 2:15 – Stand Firm and Hold Fast

Posted on by Will

Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

Truth to Learn

We must learn truth and hold fast to what we know is true.

Behind the Words

“Stand fast” is from the stēkō, which is derived from the verb histēmi, meaning “to stand.” As it is used in the New Testament, stēkō means “to stand firm in faith and duty.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command.

The word “hold” is translated from krateō, which is based on the word kratos, meaning “strength.” Krateō means “to take hold of” or “become the master of.” It implies a degree of force with which one brings a person or thing wholly under one’s power, even when resistance is encountered. It, too, is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command.

Paradosis is the Greek word translated “traditions.” It is based on paradidōmi, meaning “to deliver teaching.” Thus, paradosis refers to doctrine, instruction, or a tradition delivered or communicated from one person to another (usually orally).

The words “you were taught” are from the verb didaskō, meaning “to teach.”

Meaning Explained

You may recall from earlier in this letter that the Christians in Thessalonica were disturbed because false teachers had come to them and taught that the Day of the Lord (the Tribulation) had already come. Some of these false teachers had even claimed that their false teaching had come from the Apostle Paul and his companions.

Now, having taught them about the things that must happen before the Day of the Lord, Paul teaches them how to detect and avoid such false teachings in the future. He starts off with a command to stand fast, that is, to not waver back and forth between good doctrine and bad. He adds to this the command to master the good teaching and hold firmly to it.

Keep in mind that in the first century of the church, the only “Scripture” that Christians had was what we call “the Old Testament.” Paul and others were traveling from area to area preaching the new truths and they and others of the Apostles had begun sending letters to churches teaching the truths of the Christian faith. In some cases it was hard for the people to distinguish between good doctrine and false teaching. Therefore, Paul taught them to hold fast to, to master, the teaching that they knew to be genuine. This would help them to identify false teaching from others.

In some ways, it us just as easy for us to be deceived by false teaching. If we don’t regularly read and study the Bible for ourselves, instead simply depending on what we are taught by others, it is easy to accept teaching that is not true.

Now, a quick word about traditions. Just because a church has held to long taught traditions, doesn’t mean that they are the truth. The word here translated “traditions” refers specifically to good doctrine and sound teaching. Again, we must be familiar enough with what the Bible actually teaches in order to distinguish between long held traditions and good doctrine.

Application

In these last days it is especially important to know what the Bible teaches. In 2 Timothy 4:3 Paul warned Timothy that many will not want sound doctrine. Stand firm in the faith and hold on dearly to what you know is truth. Don’t be deceived!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

2 Thessalonians 2:14 – Let Your Light Shine!

Posted on by Will

to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth to Learn

In heaven we will shine with the brilliant glory of God.

Behind the Words

The word “called” is translated from kaleō, which means “to invite someone to come or to go somewhere or do something.”

“Gospel” is from euangellion, which is a compound word made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of angello, meaning “to proclaim” or “to tell.” Thus, euangellion means “good news.”

Peripoiēsis is the Greek word translated “obtaining.” This word is composed of peri, meaning “around,” indicating acquisition, and poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” Thus, peripoiēsis literally means, “gathering things around oneself.” It is a picture of someone gathering possessions all around himself or herself. It is most often translated as “gather, acquire, or purchase.”

The word “glory” is from the Greek noun doxa, which primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion.” In a secondary sense it means “reputation, praise, honor, or splendor.” Doxa is often used to refer to the splendid appearance or brightness of God’s Shekinah glory. This seems to be the sense in which it is used here.

Meaning Explained

Once again we have a verse that is linked to a previous thought, so we have to look back at a previous verse to see what the connection is. The words “to which” are a reference to “salvation” in the previous verse. Not only were we chosen by God for salvation, as we learned in yesterday’s verse, but He then called us to this salvation by the gospel message.

This is a good verse for those who claim that if God chose who would be saved, then we don’t have to worry about witnessing to others. After all, if God chose them, then they’ll get saved without us having to do anything. However, according to Paul in this verse, it is through the proclamation of the gospel message that we are called to salvation. This should be very familiar to those who have carefully read the eighth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. There he said,

Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:30)

Also notice that both in Romans 8:30 and in today’s verse, the ultimate consummation of our salvation will be that we will have the same magnificent glory as God. I believe that the reason Adam and Eve suddenly knew that they were naked after eating the forbidden fruit is because they lost this glory. In the future, when we are completely justified (without sin) we will have the same Shekinah glory as God. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were no longer justified and lost that glory. And, the prophet Daniel alluded to this glory when he said,

Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)

Application

Some day we will shine as brightly as the stars. Until that day, let your gospel light shine and share the good news with everyone you meet.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

2 Thessalonians 2:13 – Believe the Truth

Posted on by Will

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,

Truth to Learn

Belief in the truth is of critical importance to everyone.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “beginning” is archē, meaning “the beginning.” When it is used without a definite article (the) or a direct object, as it is here, it nearly always refers to the very beginning (of time).

Haireō is the verb translated “chose.” This word means “to take.” When expressed in the middle voice (subject acting on itself), as it is here, it means “to take to oneself” or “to choose for oneself.”

“Salvation” is translated from soteria, which means “preservation from danger or destruction.”

The word “sanctification” is hagiasmos, which is based on the verb hagiadzō, meaning “to sanctify.” To sanctify something means to set it apart from common usage to usage devoted to God. Thus, sanctification carries the meaning of being set apart or separated. Sanctification and holiness are often used interchangeably, both indicating separation from sin and dedication to God.

Meaning Explained

Discussion among Christians regarding election versus the responsibility of man is often charged with emotion and bias. Those who hold to the doctrine of election will often quote today’s verse or Ephesians 1:4,

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

While those who hold to the doctrine of “free will” will often quote Romans 10:13,

For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

The fact is that both election (God’s choosing of who will be saved) and the responsibility of man (man’s decision to accept Christ as Lord and Savior) are taught in the New Testament and both are true. We can’t understand how they can both be true any more than we can understand how God can be three persons and still be one God.

In today’s verse Paul very clearly states that from the beginning (of everything) God chose us for salvation. It was not based on anything we would do, for then it would not be His choice, but ours alone. This choice, according to Paul, was accomplished through an act of the Holy Spirit who set us apart for Himself and through belief in the truth of the Gospel.

Paul’s reason for talking about this here is not to correct any error in the church, but to contrast the “permanent earth dwellers,” about whom he has been talking, with believers. Those who will follow the antichrist will not believe the truth because God will cause them to believe the lie. We who are saved by the Spirit believe the truth because God chose us.

Application

The real key to salvation is belief in God’s truth as presented in the Bible. Do you believe the truth?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

2 Thessalonians 2:12 – Truth Rejected

Posted on by Will

that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Truth to Learn

Judgment is coming! We need to spread the good news now.

Behind the Words

The words “they … may be condemned” are translated from the Greek verb krinō, which means “to separate,” “to decide between good and evil,” or “to judge.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood indicating possibility or probability.

“Did not believe” is from the verb pisteuō, meaning “to believe” or “to have faith.” It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having not believed.”

Alētheia is the word translated “truth.” It is composed of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of lanthanō, meaning “to be hidden.” Thus, alētheia refers to that which is not hidden, that which is obviously apparent, or that which is true.

“Had pleasure” is from the verb eudokeō, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and dokeō, meaning “to think.” Hence, eudokeō means “to think well of” or “to be pleased with.” It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having had pleasure.”

The word “unrighteousness” is from adikia, which is made up of a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of dikē, meaning “that which is right or just.” Thus, adikia refers to “that which is not right” or “that which is not just.”

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul has been talking about the events that will precede the coming of the Day of the Lord, when God will pour out His wrath on the inhabitants of the earth. The two specific events mentioned are the apostasia and the revealing of the “lawless one,” the person we commonly refer to as the antichrist. His appearance on the scene will be accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders that will convince the “earth dwellers” that he is a god.

In the previous verse, Paul told us that the unbelievers on the earth at that time will be fooled into believing in the deity of the antichrist because God will send a powerful deception. In other words, God will allow the antichrist and his false prophet to perform these signs and miracles, and He will cause the “earth dwellers” to believe in these miraculous events and to accept the antichrist as a god.

Now Paul tells us a little more about those who will be deceived by the antichrist. First of all, they are unbelievers. That is, they will not believe in the truth of God as written in the Bible. Even today, many people believe that the Bible is just a collection of fables and restrictive rules. The other thing we are told about these unbelievers is that they will think that unrighteousness is good. They will have completely thrown off the mantle of God’s influence in their lives.

As a result, these earth dwellers will be judged by God. This judgment will come in two forms. The first is all the terrible judgments that God will execute on the earth in the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments described in the book of Revelation. But, worse than that, they will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity at the end of their earthly lives.

Application

Some of us may find it difficult to witness the gospel message to those around us, but we need to redouble our efforts. A day is coming soon when this truth will be completely rejected.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved