Tag: coming

2 Peter 3:12 – Anticipated Return

Posted on by Will

as you anticipate and eagerly await the coming of the Day of God through which the heavens having been set afire will be dissolved and the elements will melt in the heat.

Truth to Learn

We should be looking forward to the return of our Lord.

 

Behind the Words

“Anticipate” is translated from prosdokaō. This is a compound word made up of pros, meaning “unto or toward” and dokaō, which means “to expect or to wait for.”

The expression “eagerly await” is translated from the Greek word, speudō, which means, “to urge on or to hasten with respect to time.” It means that we anxiously desire that something should occur, and we would hasten it if we could.”

The word “coming” is from the Greek word parousia, which is derived from a form of pareimi, meaning “to be present.” Hence, parousia revers to a coming or the arrival of someone or something.

 

Meaning Explained

The scoffers mock us saying that the return of Christ and the Day of Judgment will never come. Actually, deep down inside, they know what they will get when He returns, and secretly they don’t want it to be true. We, on the other hand, should be eagerly looking forward to that day. Peter says that we should “look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”

We should be like a child whose parents have told him that grandma and grandpa are coming, so the child looks out the window every five minutes and even goes out to the street and looks down the street both ways looking for the coming of his or her grandparents. That’s how we should be anticipating His return and we should be urging Him on, even as the Apostle John said in Revelation 22:20,

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Yes, come, Lord Jesus!

Peter then reiterates what will occur as part of the Day of God, “That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt [be let loose] in the heat.” On this final day of God’s judgment the heavens (the entire universe) and the earth will be completely destroyed. This is also described by John in the book of Revelation when he describes the Great White Throne judgment:

Then I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled; and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, they were each judged according to what he had done. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

 

Application

Are you looking for and urging on the soon return of your Lord and Savior, or are you secretly in fear of the day?

Search your heart!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Peter 3:4 – Evolution of The Mocker

Posted on by Will

and saying, "Where is this “coming” he promised? For, ever since the fathers died, everything goes on just as it has since the beginning of creation."

Truth to Learn

We will be ridiculed if we proclaim the soon return of Jesus.

 

Behind the Words

The word “coming” is translated from the Greek word parousia. This is made up of para, meaning “to be near” and a form of eimi, the verb of existence (I am, you are, he is). Hence, parousia refers to a physical presence here with us, not just a spiritual presence. It refers to Christ’s physical return.

 

Meaning Explained

In the last verse Peter introduced the notion that there will be scoffers in the last days. He now tells us what the subject of their mockery is. They scoff at the notion that Christ is coming back. In effect, they’re saying,

“Look, since you apostles started preaching, you have been saying that He is coming back soon. Even the prophets have been predicting a conquering Messiah for thousands of years. Nonetheless, things just continue on as they always have.”

And today it’s even worse!

“Look, even the apostles believed that Christ was coming back in their lifetime, and they have been dead for thousands of years. You religious fanatics are a bunch of radicals with antique ideas. Come on, join the 21st century and get out of the dark ages!”

You may not consider yourself to be a religious fanatic, but I’m sure that you catch my drift. The more loudly we proclaim the message of a lifestyle committed to the precepts taught in the Bible, the louder the opposition will proclaim us to be crazy.  The more we proclaim His soon return, the more they will ridicule us. And, they will do all they can to separate us from the rest of society because they think that we are bad for them.

The world system today rejects the notion of a living God who is active in the affairs of mankind. Instead they believe in science and its theory of uniformitarianism, the belief that all existing natural processes we can observe today have been at work in the same manner ever since the beginning, which they believe was the “Big Bang.” Everything is explained in terms of these existing processes and evolution. Most people today believe these ideas so strongly that they refuse to believe even obvious evidence that points to a catastrophic world-wide flood.

Because of their faith in science, evolution, and uniformitarianism, they are blinded to the truth of the Gospel and all the Biblical references to the soon coming of our Lord in judgment. There are many references to His return in the New Testament including John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1Corinthians 15:23; 2Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 1:6; 1Thessalonians 3:13; 1Thessalonians 4:14-18; 2Thessalonians 1:10; 2Thessalonians 2:1; 1Timothy 6:14; 2Timothy 4:8; Titus2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7. Check it out for yourself.

 

Application

Let us boldly proclaim the word of salvation by grace through faith unto all we meet, and let us proclaim His soon return! Sure, we will be ridiculed and attacked; so was our Savior! He died to save even those who attacked Him; the least we can do is to proclaim His message because He is alive and He is coming back soon!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 2:4 – A Precious Stone

Posted on by Will

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

Truth to Learn

We have the great privilege of directly approaching our Lord.

 

Behind the Words

“Coming” is translated from the Greek word proserchomai, made up of pros, meaning “to” or “toward,” and erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” Adding pros to the verb, which already means “to come,” intensifies the intent. Hence, the meaning is “coming very near to Him.” This is further intensified by the words pros on (meaning “to Him”) which appear before proserchomai. Finally, this word is expressed as a present tense participle indicating continuous, repeated action. Hence, the first part of this verse could be paraphrased as, “Continually coming directly to Him …”

The word translated “rejected” is the Greek word, apodokimadzo, which means “to disapprove” or “to reject.”

“Chosen” is translated from eklektos, which means “the selected one,” or “the chosen one.”

The word “precious” is the Greek word entimos, made up of en, meaning “in” and a form of time, meaning “honor, esteem, or value.” It is used here to describe the chosen one; He is “the honored chosen one” or “the precious chosen one.”

 

Meaning Explained

The “Him” in this verse refers to “the Lord” in the previous verse. This is an obvious reference to Jesus our risen Lord. Those of us who have experienced salvation and God’s provision, repeatedly come to Him. He is referred to here as “a living stone,” which is a reference to Isaiah 28:16 which says:

Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste

or possibly to Psalms 118:22 which says:

The stone which the builders rejected has become the headstone of the corner.

Not only was Christ rejected and crucified by the Jews, but He continues to be rejected by unbelievers on a daily basis. This same stone who was rejected by men has been chosen by God, according to Peter. Furthermore, he tells us that He was selected as the Honored One.

This Christ, or Lord, unto whom we came at salvation and unto whom we come daily for forgiveness and spiritual sustenance, was chosen by the trinity before time began to be to one who would become a man, live a perfect life, and willingly give that life for us. He is the One who has become the foundation for the church universal, to be built upon by those who would accept His sacrifice and willingly serve Him. Peter’s next verse will complete this thought.

 

Application

Think about how often you come to Christ for comfort or direction, either in prayer or through the reading of His Word. You do so because you have a privileged relationship. Because you have accepted the gift of salvation, you are the children of God; therefore, you can come to the living stone. And because of this you can offer yourself as an additional building block of the church universal when you submit to Him and serve Him.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 2:9 – Counterfeit Miracles

Posted on by Will

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Truth to Learn

Miracles do not prove that someone is “from God.”

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “coming” is parousia, the same word used in the previous verse in reference to Christ’s second coming.

“According” is translated from kata, which primarily means “down” or “down upon.” However, it is used metaphorically to express a relationship of one thing to another.” In other words, it means “in accordance with,” and in such a case is translated as “according to.”

“Working” is from the Greek noun energeia. It is made up of en, meaning “in” and ergon, meaning “work” or “power.” Therefore, energeia refers to the “operation” or “effective power” of something.

The word “Satan” is transliterated from the Hebrew word sātān, which means “an adversary.” As such, it has become the proper name or our adversary.

The words “signs” and “wonders” are from the Greek words sēmeion and teras. These two words both refer to miraculous events, but teras (wonders) refers to the extraordinary character of the event whereas sēmeion refers to the spiritual significance of the event.

“Lying” is translated from the Greek word pseudon, meaning “a lie” or “a falsehood,” that which is not based on the truth.

The words “of the lawless one” do not appear in the Greek text, but have been added for clarity. A literal translation of the Greek text for this verse begins, “whose coming is according to …” From the grammatical construction of this and the previous verse it is clear that this verse is talking about “the lawless one” mentioned in the previous verse.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, Paul talked about the revealing of the “lawless one” and parenthetically commented on how he will be destroyed at the second coming of Christ. In typical Pauline fashion, he now contrasts the coming of our Lord and the coming (or appearing) of the antichrist. The antichrist will come on the scene accompanied by miraculous events. These events will display power, signs, and wonders. According to Jesus, these will prove to be a very powerful deception:

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24)

According to Revelation 13:1-18, these miraculous signs and wonders (even calling fire down from heaven) will so convince the “earth dwellers” that the “lawless one” is a god, that these people will worship him as a god and even receive his mark on their hand or forehead.

It is important to note here that not all miracles are of God. The devil and his agents can, do, and will perform supernatural acts that will deceive many.

 

Application

Do not be deceived, my Christian friends, by people performing miraculous feats, even doing so in the name of God. If what these people proclaim is not in complete agreement with God’s Word, do not believe them! Read your Bible; search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:10).

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 2:8 – Glorious Second Coming

Posted on by Will

And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

Truth to Learn

Jesus will destroy the antichrist at His second coming.

 

Behind the Words

“Consume” is translated from the Greek verb anaireō. This word is made up of ana, meaning “up,” used here as an intensifier and haireō, meaning “to take.” Thus, anaireō means “to take away” or “to abolish.” This is the word used of a public execution.

The word “breath” is from pneuma, which literally means “breath,” but it is frequently used as a metaphor for spirit.

Stomatos is the word translated “mouth.” It specifically refers to “the opening through which breathing or blowing occurs.”

“Destroy” is translated from katargeō, which is made up of the intensifier kata and argeō, meaning “to be idle.” So we see that katargeō means “to render completely inactive or useless.”

Epiphaneia it the Greek word translated “brightness.” It is composed of epi, meaning “over” or “upon” and phainō, which means “to shine.” Thus, epiphaneia refers to our Lords shining brightness or His Shekinah glory.

The word “coming” is from parousia, which refers to “presence” or “arrival.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses Paul talked about the restraining force, which we concluded is most likely the Holy Spirit that is holding back the full force of lawlessness in the world. After the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way, the “man of sin” or “the lawless one,” as Paul calls him here, will be revealed and allowed to take control of the people of the world.

Once this person (whom the Apostle John calls the antichrist) is revealed, the Day of the Lord will begin. This is the time, beginning with the Tribulation, during which God will judge “the inhabitants of the earth” (see Revelation 8:13; 12:12; 17:2). In these passages, the word translated “inhabitants” is a form of katoikeō, meaning “to dwell permanently in a fixed dwelling.” Believers are never referred to as “inhabitants of the earth.” Instead, we are said to dwell (Greek word skēnoō, meaning “to pitch a tent and encamp”) here.

At the end of the seven year Tribulation (the last half of which Jesus referred to as “great tribulation” in Matthew 24:21), Jesus Christ will return to earth. His glorious return and His complete victory over the armies of the antichrist (also called the Beast), the antichrist himself, the False Prophet, and Satan is described in Revelation 19:11 – 20:2. This is the “second coming” of Christ which is spoken of throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament.

 

Application

Fortunately for Christians, we will not be here when the Tribulation begins. The Apostle John makes it clear that Christians will be kept “out of” this time of trouble. (In Revelation 3:10, where John says “… keep you from the hour of trial …” the word “from” is translated from the Greek word ek, which literally means “out of.”) The rapture could occur any day now. If you have friends or loved ones who aren’t saved, now is the time to witness to them. Don’t wait!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 2:1 – Look Up

Posted on by Will

Now, we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,

Truth to Learn

In the midst of your suffering, look up! He is coming soon!

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “now” is de. This particle serves to introduce a new topic. It is most often translated as “and” or “but.”

“Concerning” is translated from the Greek preposition huper (hyper). This word generally means “over” or “above.” But, it can also mean “about,” “concerning,” or “with respect to.”

Parousia is the Greek noun translated “coming.” This word is derived from pareimi, meaning “to be present.” Parousia can refer either to the presence of something or it can refer to the coming of someone into one’s presence.

“Gathering together” is from the verb episunagōgē. This is a double compound word made up of epi, meaning “upon,” sun, meaning “with” or “together with,” and agō, meaning “to lead.” Putting these all together we see that episunagōgē literally means “to lead or bring together upon a place.” In other words, it means “a gathering together into one place.”

 

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul spent most of the first chapter of this letter talking about God’s righteous judgment: grace for believers and tortuous, blazing fire for unbelievers. This was necessary to reassure the Christians in Thessalonica that God is always righteous. Now he builds on that concept and proceeds to explain to them that God has not deserted them. The reason they needed this reassurance is that there were some false teachers in the church who were teaching that the rapture had already come and they had been left behind. Not only that, they were teaching that the Day of the Lord (the time of God’s judgment of mankind) had begun.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Therefore, Paul now will explain to them (and to us) some of the truths that he had previously taught them. We need to keep in mind that there is a difference between the Day of Christ (the rapture) and the Day of the Lord (the time of God’s judgment). By maintaining this critical distinction, we will be able to clearly see through some of the confusion that various teachers have taught concerning this second chapter of 2 Thessalonians.

Paul starts off this chapter talking about the rapture. He describes it as “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him.” This “coming of our Lord” is not a reference to the time of God’s judgment, but to the event that is the culmination of God’s grace. This is clear because he couples it with the “gathering together to Him.” The only future event spoken of in these terms is the rapture, when all Christians (those living as well as those who have previously died physically) “will be caught up together … to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

 

Application

Throughout history, Christians have been persecuted and have suffered at the hands of non-believers. More Christians are suffering today than at any time in the past. But, don’t despair, my friends, God is coming soon. When He does, He will take us out of the world. Then, He will judge our persecutors while we enjoy fellowship with our Savior.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 4:15 – Any Day Now

Posted on by Will

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

Truth to Learn

The rapture could happen any day now!

 

Behind the Words

The word “alive” is from the verb dzaō, which means “to be alive” or “to have life.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it could be translated as “the living.”

“Remain” is translated from perileipō. This word is made up of peri, meaning “around” and leipō, meaning “to leave” or “to have a lack of something.” Hence, perileipō means “to leave around” or “to leave behind.” This verb is also expressed as a present participle, so it could be translated as “the ones left behind” (when the others died).

Parousia is the Greek word translated “coming.” This word is derived from pareimi, meaning “to be present.” It can refer either to the presence of something or it can refer to the coming of someone into our presence.

“By no means” is the translation of the two Greek words ou mē. Ou represents the absolute negative and mē represents the relative negative. When the two words are used together it indicates the strongest form of a negative, meaning “absolutely not” or “no way.”

The word translated “precede” is phthanō, which means “to be beforehand” or “to precede.” When the King James Version of the Bible was by far the most frequently read translation, many people became confused about this verse. The reason is that the word phthanō was translated as “prevent.” At the time the KJV was translated, the word “prevent” meant “to come before,” not “to keep from happening” as it does today. Nearly all modern translations use the word “precede,” meaning “to happen before something else.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul is currently teaching about the rapture, indicating in verse thirteen that it is a future hope that belongs to all Christians. In yesterday’s verse we learned that when Jesus Christ comes back at the rapture, He will bring with him everyone who has died having a saving faith in his work on the cross.

He now makes a statement about why we should believe what he is telling us. He says, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.” In other words, this is not just some hair brained idea that Paul came up with. This is teaching directly from the mouth of God, His Word.

Some Christians believe that this is a description of the “second coming of our Lord” which takes place at the end of the tribulation as described in Revelation 19:11-14. However, in that passage (verse 14) those who come with Him are clothed in fine linen, white and clean. This is an indication that those who come with Him have already been presented before the Father, which must occur after the Bema Seat Judgment, which happens after the Rapture. Therefore, this must be a description of the Rapture and not the Second Coming.

Paul’s message here is that Christians who are alive at the time of the rapture will not receive their heavenly bodies before those who are asleep in Jesus (Christians who have died). Finally, notice that Paul said “we who remain.” He fully expected the rapture to occur within his lifetime!

 

Application

The rapture hasn’t happened yet, but we (like Paul) believe it could occur any day now. Christians should be serving God faithfully now, looking forward to Christ’s return when “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 3:13 – Blameless Saints

Posted on by Will

so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Truth to Learn

God will declare all genuine Christians to be blameless.

 

Behind the Words

“Establish” is translated from stēridzō, which is a derivative of histemi, meaning “to stand.” Stēridzō means “to set firmly in place.”

The word translated “blameless” is amemptos, which is composed of the privative a, meaning “without” and a form of the verb memphomai, meaning “to find fault.” Thus, amamptos means “without fault” or “blameless.”

Hagiosunē is the Greek word translated “holiness.” It is derived from the noun hagios, meaning “set apart” or “holy.” Holiness means to be completely set apart from sin and its consequence.

Back in verse nine we learned that the word translated “before” is emprosthen, which means “in the presence of” or “before.”

The word “coming” is from parousia. This word is derived from pareimi, meaning “to be present.” Parousia can refer either to the presence of something or it can refer to the coming of someone into our presence.

 

Meaning Explained

We are in the midst of a prayer by the Apostle Paul in behalf of the Christians in Thessalonica. In yesterday’s verse he prayed that God would increase the love that these Christians have for one another and for all people. The reason Paul gives for this growing and strengthening of their love for all is “so that He may establish (make firm) their hearts [as] without fault …”

Some people have used this as an indication that some may lose their salvation if they don’t properly show their love to others. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In the Apostle John’s first letter he said,

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7, 8)

In other words, John tells us that showing love for others is the evidence of salvation, not a condition of salvation. If you are saved, you will love others. If you don’t have a genuine love for others, you are not born of God.

Now Paul tells us that God will establish us blameless “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” This coming of the Lord may be a reference to the rapture or to His coming at the end of the Tribulation. It is more likely, however, that it refers to both events. Either way, it is when all believers will be judicially declared to have the righteousness of Christ. In God’s eyes (since He is not bound by time) this has already occurred, but for us (who are bound by time) it will occur at His coming.

 

Application

Periodically, each of us needs to calibrate our own salvation. One of the signs that we are genuinely a child of God is that we have love for the brothers and for all people. That doesn’t mean that we have to approve of the sinful actions of others. We are supposed to hate the sin but love the sinner. Do you regularly show love to others?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:19 – Present Suffering or Future Glory?

Posted on by Will

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

Truth to Learn

Keep your focus on eternity when you suffer as a Christian.

 

Behind the Words

Elpis is the Greek word translated “hope.” This word signifies more than just a wish that something good will happen. It also implies a full expectation of obtaining that good thing. It could be paraphrased as “hopeful expectation.”

The word “crown” is translated from stephanos, which refers to the crown or wreath awarded to the winner of an athletic event. It is distinctly different than a diadēma, which refers to a crown of royal dignity.

“Rejoicing” is from kauchēsis, meaning “to boast” or “to brag.” Kauchēsis refers to “boasting” or “glorying” in some achievement, either of self or of others.

The words “in the presence” are translated from emprosthen, which is made up of en, meaning “in,” pros, meaning “to” or “toward,” and then, denoting a direction or a place. Thus, emprosthen indicates “the place directly in front of someone.”

The word “coming” is from parousia. This word is derived from pareimi, meaning “to be present.” Parousia can refer either to the presence of something or it can refer to the coming of someone into our presence.

 

Meaning Explained

Apparently, the Apostle Paul had been accused of having deserted the Christians in Thessalonica and not trying to return there. In the previous couple of verses he expressed his heart wrenching separation from them as having been orphaned. He also expressed the fact that he had repeatedly planned on returning there but was hindered from doing so by our adversary.

During times of persecution it is important to keep the future in view. Instead of continuing to focus on the current persecution that he and the Thessalonians were facing, Paul reminds them of the coming rewards for their persistence. He reminds them (and us) of our future hope we have in the coming of our Lord. He reminds them (and us) of the boasting, or glorying, that we will have at His coming. And, he reminds them (and us) of the eternal rewards we will receive when He comes back for us.

When Christ returns, all Christians will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is a time when our works will be judged for the purpose of finding good (1 Corinthians 3:10-15), and rewards in the form of crowns will be awarded. These rewards, and this rejoicing, will not be temporal like things in this life; these things will be eternal. Also, in recognition of the real source of all our accomplishments, we will be able to cast our crowns at His feet, proclaiming that He is the one worthy of all glory and honor (Revelation 4:10).

 

Application

Don’t be discouraged, my dear Christian friends, when you suffer from opposition and persecution for your Christian witness. One day we will receive rewards for our good works done in faith. And, we will be able to give recognition and glory to our Lord for His faithfulness and empowering Spirit.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:1 – Opposition Will Come

Posted on by Will

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.

Truth to Learn

An effective Christian ministry will encounter opposition.

 

Behind the Words

“Know” is translated from the Greek verb eidō, which literally means “to see,” but as in English, it carries the meaning of “to see with perception.” Hence, it means “to know.” It is expressed in the perfect tense (past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect) as a second person plural (you) verb. Since the verb already expresses the idea of “you (plural) know”, it is not necessary to include the pronoun autoi (you, plural) in order to convey that meaning. However, the fact that Paul used the personal pronoun indicates emphasis on it and it is here translated as “yourselves.”

The word “coming” is from the Greek noun eisodon, which we saw in verse nine of chapter one. It is made up of eis, meaning “in” or “into” and hodos, meaning “a road” or “a way.” Thus, eisodon literally means “a way in.” So, we could have translated this as “… that our way in to you …”

“In vain” is the translation of kenos, which literally means “empty,” “hollow,” or “fruitless.” In this case it could be a reference to Paul’s preaching being without merit or deceitful, or it could be a reference to a lack of success. Based on the subject matter of the latter half of the previous chapter it probably refers to “a lack of success.”

The verb “was” is translated from ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to come into existence.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which indicates past completed action with an ongoing effect, the emphasis being on the effect. We could, therefore, interpret the ending of this verse as “that our coming to you has shown itself to be fruitful.

 

Meaning Explained

Having spent most of the first part of this letter praising the Thessalonian Christians for their testimony, Paul now turns to a more serious topic. Based on the subject matter of this second chapter we can surmise that there were some people who had made charges against the way that Paul and his associates behaved. From verse three we can conclude that their accusers had claimed that Paul used deceitful means or false, flattering words in his preaching. From verses five and six it also appears that Paul was accused of trying to take advantage of the Thessalonians for his own selfish benefit. Also, from verses seventeen through twenty, it appears that Paul and his companions were accused of hastily abandoning the Church in Thessalonica after they got what they wanted from them.

So, to get a better understanding of the background of Paul’s ministry to these dear saints, read Acts 16:9-17:10. There you will see that Paul and Silas (Silvanus) were persecuted and thrown in jail while ministering in Philippi. The reason they had been imprisoned was not because they preached the Gospel, but because they cast out a demon from a young girl who was being selfishly used by others to make money from her demon possession and resulting fortune telling. After leaving Philippi and coming to Thessalonica, Paul preached in the synagogue and a large number of people believed. But, because of the jealousy of the Jews there, he was forced to leave and go to Berea. The Jews in Thessalonica then pursued Paul and his companions, again stirring up the crowds against them, causing Paul and Silvanus to flee from Berea as well.

In today’s verse Paul is pointing out to the Thessalonian Christians that his ministry there was not without merit or fruit. In fact, in Acts 17:4 we see that some of the Jews and a large number of Greeks got saved as a result of Paul’s ministry.

 

Application

Paul and Silvanus didn’t let opposition and persecution stop them from serving God in the ministry He had called them to. Likewise, don’t let opposition to your ministry cause you to get discouraged or to give up. Remember, greater is He who is in us than he who is against us!

In God's service, for His glory,

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