First Day

PART II (CSB)

16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

Although in the preceding verses Paul is speaking to each Corinthian about being careful what is built on the foundation of faith that he established, here in sixteen Paul is referring to the whole church when he asks, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” A good way understand this shift between actors is to see each Corinthian as a subcontractor expected to contribute to the completion of the whole building project; this building is the temple of God. And this is probably why Paul pronounces dire consequences to anyone who would destroy the temple. 

The Greek word translated as destroy is phtheiro. It is used later in 1 Corinthians and in 2 Corinthians to mean ruin or the infliction of severe damage. By using it, Paul here is not referring to the annihilation or utter destruction. “If anyone ruins the temple, God will ruin that person.” It is important for the Corinthians to know why this is the case, “because the temple of God is holy, and that is what [they] are.” The lives that each of them are building merge to make one common life for the congregation, the temple of God. It must be holy, so its parts, too, must be holy. 

18 Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” 

He Paul reminds the Corinthians of what he told them already in this letter: that to keep one’s mind on earthly desires—to scheme—prevents a person from even the ability to understand who God is and what God wants. If they want to keep up the Corinthian practice of climbing to the top, they are in for a rude awakening. “…he must become foolish,” because Jesus’ life was foolish in everyone’s eyes. Paul says here that there is no middle ground: The world’s wisdom is foolishness to God, and God’s wisdom is foolishness to the world. I mean, what’s more foolish than turning the other cheek?

21 So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you,22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Finally, Paul tells the Corinthians if they don’t want to be deceived, they must keep the proper perspective. They are “boasting in people” because they believe that is way you receive. None of these things: Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, and the future are important: only Christ is. Those who focus on Paul believe that they are the only ones who will receive, while those who focus on Apollos believe likewise about themselves. To give ourselves over to any one of these perspectives or realities thinking that by doing so we might gain the world is wrong. 

Paul tells the Corinthians that their efforts to differentiate themselves from one another is a waste of time since “all thing belong” to the Paul faction, the Peter faction, etc. Who makes them who they are, who gives them “all things” are none of the these things, no worldly leader or idea. Everything belongs to all of you, not matter if you think your party is the first and best one, Paul says, because you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God—who owns everything. So by grounding their identity people other than Christ and building their lives and actions around anything other than the gospel that Paul had implanted in them, the Corinthians were risking everything. 

PART I (CSB)

1 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people? 4 For when one person says, “I am with Paul,” and another, “I am with Apollos,” are you not ordinary people?

What was that I said in the last episode about how we Western Christians look to Christians from other parts of the world? 

In the preceding chapter, Paul informs the Corinthians that it is only through God’s Spirit that people can discern wisdom—that they can know the truth. He tells them that this understanding is given to the spiritually mature believer. Now he begins chapter three by informing the Corinthians that they are not mature and have not been given the ability to discern all things. And why is this? Because they haven’t remained in the Spirit; they have taken their hearts off Christ and placed it on the things of the world, the stuff of their old lives. What you focus on—what is most important to you—shapes your life; so by focusing on fleshly things, on the wisdom, ways, and desires of the world, the Corinthians are living their lives just like everyone else, like “ordinary people.” Because of this, Paul calls them children. And the first proofs of this immaturity are the jealousy and strife separating the congregation. So Paul gave them “milk to drink, not solid food; [why} for you were not yet able to consume it.” Even from the start, the Corinthians were of two minds; one was upon God in Christ Jesus and the other was on the lives they lived before hearing the words Jesus Christ. Sadly, even though some time has passed they are still unable to eat real food. (Perhaps all they had was a faith of platitudes and maxims.) 

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

The divisions that the Corinthians are using to distinguish themselves one from the other are evocative of something that we will soon see in chapter nine of the gospel of Mark when the disciples argue among themselves about which of them is the greatest. We hear Paul’s “Oy vey” in verses 5-9. I picture it, like Jesus’ response to His disciples in Mark, accompanied by an eyeroll. The Corinthians are placing great emphasis on who has baptized them into the church as a means of claiming higher social standing—again, a practice de rigueur for their city. The apostle tells the congregation that this should not be, that he and Apollos, though called to differing tasks, are merely servants to the same God: Paul was sent to establish their church and Apollos to sustain it. As far as Paul is concerned, both men are the instruments through whom God is building His Church. So although they both have different purposes, they work together as one. What good is it to plant if there is no water to sustain it? And without plant, aren’t you just wasting water? 

Apollo was a contemporary of Paul’s, a fellow Jewish Christian who hailed from Alexandria who played a part in establishing the church here in Corinth as well as in Ephesus. Some believe that he had a unique way of speaking that set him apart from Paul. This seems reasonable to me since, being from Egypt, he would have likely been exposed to Philo. Some scholars even think that he was the author of the letter to the Hebrews—even though no authorship is claimed. But regardless of Apollos’ or his CV, Paul states that none of this matters: All that matters is that the two of them are working together to build the Corinthians into the Church. 

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it.11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.

What either of these men are doing is only by the will and grace of God. Each one’s work is dependent upon the work of the other. Paul, who planted the Corinthian church, “laid a foundation, and another is building on [that foundation].” Although Paul is specifically referring here in the beginning of verse ten to his collaboration with Apollos is establishing the church, verses 10b-15 possess a broader application. “But each person must be careful how he builds on it.” What kind of church are the Corinthians building on the foundation of Jesus Christ? In verse 10b, Paul encourages the congregation to take a long, hard look at how it is living with one another and gives them the opportunity to build their faith in meaningful ways. Individuals’ decisions impact the whole.

If individual Corinthians are not working towards a common goal, if each seeks to elevate oneself, not only will that person’s faith suffer but so will the faith of the whole church. Paul has laid the foundation of faith in Corinth—the gospel of Jesus Christ—and Apollos has done his part to sustain that effort, but it is up to the Corinthians to see to it that the church that they build will be what God wants it to be—that it will be the body of Christ: something that Paul touches upon later in this letter. What does your church—your collective action—say to the world about God? Does it say anything at all?

The Corinthians are using their faith to separate and elevate themselves, just like everyone else outside of the church is doing. Paul teaching here can also be applied to an individual’s faith journey. If the Corinthian church’s actions reflect on God (what are y’all doing), so, too, does each person’s actions reveal the quality and character of one’s faith (what are you doing). 

“For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become evident…” Someone shared with each of us the gospel; someone has laid a foundation of Christ into our hearts. Each of us must then choose what to build upon that foundation; what kind of faith are you going to have? Will you build the finest, strongest faith that you can or are you goi...

Chapter Two (CSB)

In chapter one we learn that the Corinthians, despite the odds, had come to believe the gospel that Paul preached to them. After he assures them of God’s ongoing faithfulness to keep the church “blameless until the end”, Paul brings up the first problem that we was told the Corinthian congregation is facing: Its members have become balkanized, indicating to Paul that the cultural tendencies of the city—and Rome—are beginning to hold sway over the peoples’ hearts. They’ve started doing what they know by jockeying for position. 

Paul reminds them at the close of the chapter that the gospel they heard and accepted is unlike anything that had known before. It not only offers them a new way of living but also a salvation that they would never be able to achieve though any effort—neither as a patron or a client. The gospel brought them life and a purpose not through strength or wealth or social standing or political influence but though self-sacrifice, weakness, service, and trust. In fact, Paul says, I didn’t even bring you this gospel in the ordinary, expected way. He carries this thought into chapter two. 

1 And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come as someone superior in speaking ability or wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I also was with you in weakness and fear, and in great trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.

How unlike the usual way of doing things. Paul’s gospel is not what anyone expected! As he writes in chapter one, “…God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong…” The Corinthians would have had frequent contact with orators who would make their living moving their listener’s minds and hearts. In fact, they would charge admission for those wanting to hear their rhetoric. Paul’s message, on the other hand, was offered without charge. Based on his description he would have likely had to pay them to get the Corinthians to listen. So not only is the message foolishness by the world’s estimation but so is the delivery. The very fact that the Corinthians did listen may well indicate the divine hand at work. 

In verse two Paul provides his motivation for sharing the gospel in Corinth. He “determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” This is his rationale for not making his message eloquent as someone with “superior…speaking ability or wisdom” would. Paul removes himself from the equation so that the gospel message of the cross can be heard clearly. How different would the Church be today if its messengers would take this practice to heart? This is not unlike a message that he shared with the Galatians when he reminded them that he did not share the gospel with them to have them like him but did so only for the sake of obedience to his calling. 

What’s more, if Paul could remove his influence on the message, then when the message takes root and produces fruit, he would be able to see the result of Christ’s work clearly and the Corinthians would know that they were in the presence of God’s Spirit and power. 

I remember a time when news reports did just this—reported the news with no editorializing or attempts to influence. And in a way, Paul’s m.o. makes even more sense when we, again, consider the world in which the members of this congregation have been raised in and live: patrons and clients peddling themselves for their own advantage and nothing being given to others without a selfish motive. On the contrary, Paul’s message to the Corinthians was given for its own sake and nothing more! Shouldn’t that be the same for today? 

In the absence of any ulterior motive for giving them gospel, the Corinthians would arrive at one inescapable conclusion for its offering: God truly loves them. 

6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written:

‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the human heart,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.’

Paul tells the Corinthians in verse 6 that even though he has just stated that true knowledge of God occurs in ways quite removed from the ways that it occurs in the world, he is nevertheless imparting wisdom to them; although this wisdom is unlike the world’s as well. The apostle imparts this knowledge to those who are “mature”—a state that may mean different things to different people. Maturity here does not refer to the listener’s age, since we all know many older, more mature people who act like children and children who would be mistaken for the two old guys in the Muppet show if it weren’t for their pimples. 

“Mature” for Paul means to be whole, complete, “to be all that one can be.” The Greek he uses here means literally “the perfect.” And this is not a state reserved for only a few Corinthians. As we will see later in his letter, Paul expects that every Corinthian will come to this deeper knowledge. Also, understanding perfection as completion—or being made whole—is in keeping with Jewish thought. To those who are complete, then, Paul’s gospel message is wisdom. (Sacra Pagina, Vol. 7, 129) This gospel wisdom does not reenforce the world’s wisdom or, in a way, its way of doing things. The “rulers of this age” cannot possibly understand God’s wisdom because they have not faith in Christ Jesus; for them, the truth of things is “hidden”. It is obscured to them not by God but by their own choice.

Paul writes in verse seven, “but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory”. Understanding what is true and what is real has been “predestined” by God to transform us: “to our glory.” The rulers of the world would think that they needed no such help from the Almighty. Paul says that this is evidenced by the fact that they cruficied Jesus. 

In short, Paul is telling the Corinthians that the good news of Christ Jesus is a wisdom that is given by God that is intended to change their lives, and it is only accessed through humility, since “the rulers of this age” cannot access it. For the Corinthians, this would be a radical and difficult thing to understand because of society in which they lived. Remember, if you wanted to get anywhere in Corinth—wanted to be somebody—it was up to you. 

10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God ...

PART II (CSB)

Now that Paul has reminded the Corinthians of the fact of their calling and that God has and is keeping them safe and has provided them with the spiritual gifts necessary to prove His divine presence in their lives, here in chapter one verse ten the apostle jumps headlong into addressing issues facing the congregation—most of which are ones that their forgetfulness and pride have helped to cause. 

Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians because they were willfully laying aside the gospel of Christ’s faithfulness in order to take up the practices of the law of Moses, in spite of the effort that Paul has put in to plant the church. To put this another way, the Galatians are abandoning salvation through faith. His letters to the Thessalonians were to help them remain faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ while being surrounded by other religions and people telling them to abandon their faith. 

Here, Paul is writing to the Corinthians to tell them to get their acts together—to pay attention to what they are doing to and how they are treating one another. We see this from the very beginning:

“10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name! 16 But I did baptize the household of Stephanas also; beyond that, I do not know if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.”

I guess that there is nothing new under the sun. Paul doesn’t make this a command; he doesn’t tell the Corinthians that the only allowable response are the words, “How high?” The apostle appeals to them by the authority that has been given to him by Jesus to choose to be of one mind and seeking a common goal. 

We discover that Paul is aware of the situation because of a report from “Chloe’s people.” The Corinthian congregation has become divided into factions that are based upon the person who performed any particular baptism. Paul tells the church that these divisions are dangerous because they will result in “the cross of Christ [being] made of no effect.” And indeed, this is the same risk we face even today. 

But what’s the big deal about caring who baptizes someone? I mean who wouldn’t want to be baptized by Billy Graham? Well, I guess Paul, because for him the importance of the act itself—and by extension who performs it—isn’t nearly as important as what results from it: unity of—or being made completer in—mind and judgement. This unity is key to the Corinthians’ ability to remain faithful to the life of Christ Jesus. 

Hear me out. 

Paul wrote to the Galatians that his life was no longer his. He had died with Jesus on the cross, had been buried with Him in the tomb, and had risen with Him on the third day. “I no longer live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” In short order, Paul will pen his letter to the Romans in which he will expend plentiful, expensive ink explaining to a factioned church the purpose of Christ’s cross—that is: Jesus died to overcome death which had entered the world because of Adam’s pride. 

The First Man sin was that he made life about himself, about his identity, wants, and needs; it was no longer about the Creator and source of life. The Roman church will divide along ethnic and cultural lines—Jewish and Gentile “Christian”—and threaten the very life and nature of the Church. The factions here in Corinth are doing the same thing. 

In making their baptisms about themselves—about the person who, essentially, brings the baptism to them—the Corinthians are picking back up Adam’s pride and its resultant death. In verse seventeen, Paul uses his own calling to show this. “For Christ did not sent me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with cleverness of speech [making it about the messenger and the recipient of the gospel and not the message], so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.” 

Firstly, Paul identifies the problem: The Corinthians, instead of allowing baptism to make them one—one baptism to unify them in mind and judgement—they are using baptism to separate themselves one from the other. And, secondly, he then shares the ultimate outcome: that the cross’s power would be nullified for the Corinthian church. Instead of their baptismal waters washing away the remnant of Adam’s sin, they are helping to make his pride cling even tighter. Paul then begins to explore why this is happening. 

“18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the understanding of those who have understanding, I will confound.’

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom…”

If you recall from the series introduction, Corinth was a wealthy town, one full of movers and shakers, with people trying to climb the social and financial ladder. Like the rest of the Roman Empire city relied heavily on patronage—without which it would have been impossible for individuals to advance socially and economically and, in some ways, even for the city to even function. Patronage placed people from two classes together into a relationship: the patron and the client. In exchange for loyalty to their patrons, clients would receive gifts of food and land and other financial support—even legal representation and more if they needed it. Patrons would gain the respect of others and even political support. 

I think we call it the Old Boys’ Club nowadays. Patronage was grounded in tradition—in the way things have always gotten done. In it, a person found salvation and advancement by playing by the established rules. This is life as the Corinthians would have known it until that day that Paul would have shared with them “a more excellent way.” In such a world the message of the cross would have, indeed, sounded like foolishness or, even worse, hokum. 

From Paul, the Corinthians learned a new way of thinking about themselves and their place in the world. He offered them a greater understanding of life and a new source for it—a source that would never run dry, unlike treasuries and political alliances. Their relationship with their patrons or their clients was based on mutual exchange, yet the one that Christ offered was freely given! 

Paul says here that the gosp...

CHAPTER ONE PART I (CSB)

Thank for listening to the First Day podcast. I am so happy to be a part of your spiritual journey. Please don’t hesitate to reach out; if you have any questions send them to [email protected]. I want to ask that you share this podcast with others if you have found it helpful in your growth as a disciple and journey with Chirst. I am hoping to have an average of seventy listeners per week by the end of 2024. Thank you for your help in growing the podcast. Now on with Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

“1Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

It was typical to begin letters with the sender’s name. Paul doesn’t call himself by the  Jewish version of his name, Saul. There is no evidence that his name was changed due to any moment of conversion. Rather, as was the convention of his day, the apostle used different versions of his name depending upon the audience or context. 

Sosthenes may well be the former head of the Jewish synagogue in Corinth—also called Crispus—who was beaten before the proconsul Gallio’s tribunal. This incident was reported in Acts 18. He had come to believe Christ was the Messiah and had brought many Corinthians to believe, too. Sosthenes’ relationship with the Corinthian church is not described, but considering Paul mentions him at all indicates a meaningful relationship between the church and the former Jewish leader. 

Paul declares that he is “called as an apostle of Jesus Christ”. Also note that in the very next verse, Paul states that the Corinthians, too, have been “called as saints”. What, then, does it mean to be called? In current usage, we use the word ‘calling’ synonymously with the word ‘vocation’, but here, it seems, Paul means it to be more broadly and meaningfully utilized. Paul’s authority is, therefore, grounded in the eternal, the divine, and cannot be revoked by anyone. This is similar to his description of his calling to the Gospel that he gives to the Galatians. To be called isn’t just about one’s career path—or abandoning them all together. This calling is specifically stated to be “by God’s will” and not by any other person’s whims.

Indeed, Paul didn’t earn a dime from fulfilling his call in Corinth: He worked as a tentmaker or leather worker if you recall from the last episode. No. To be called means so much more than working in an occupation you love or are have skill in. With this in his introduction, Paul is making this letter not only one specifically concerning Corinth but also one intended for the whole Church. 

Calling is about the meaning and purpose of one’s life and not how that person earns a living. For what gives rise to a saint if it is not the willingness to lay down one’s life for what is more meaningful? In Christ not only have the Corinthians been called to live as saints, Paul tells them, but so have “all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ”. Joel 2:32 comes to mind: “But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said. These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.” All of Christ’s followers call upon this same Lord. 

I can’t help but think that Paul has found it necessary to remind the Corinthians of this fact—that they are one with every other believer because of the culture of Corinth—for theirs is a city known for its greed and its citizens’ desire for social advancement and advantage. 

In verse three, the apostle offers the Corinthians God’s grace and peace before offering a thanksgiving to God and then getting right to the issue at hand. “Peace is not simply a negative or passive state in the Christian faith. Rather, it is an integration of the spiritual personality wrought through a faith centered in Christ the Prince of peace.” (The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, 124) Years later in his letter to the Ephesians 2:14 declare the Christ Jesus “is our peace.” Our struggles with others—and theirs with us—can only be mitigated through the presence of Jesus Christ. Therefore peace, like purity or impurity, does not originate in the external but comes from the heart—where the Spirit of that same Christ dwells. 

This is the peace that is felt when we live into our calling “as saints”. It is a peace that surpasses all understanding because it is a peace that is available even int the direst for circumstances. A perfect example of this peace is found in the story of Stephen’s calling—and ultimate martyrdom—in Acts 7.

In the next section of his greeting, Paul offers a thanksgiving up to God for the work that the Spirit performed in and among the Corinthians. 

"4 I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in him in every way, in all speech and all knowledge. 6 In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, 7 so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Paul continues his greeting with a thanksgiving. He is thankful that the Corinthians have received God’s grace in Jesus’ work, and he’s thankful that God has made the congregation equipped to understand and share the gospel. In fact, this is proof that the Corinthians have a relationship with God through Christ Jesus. And this relationship has been given and received for purpose: so that the Corinthians may remain faithful until the end—until the Day of the LORD when Christ is revealed.

Paul would, of course, be familiar with this Day, though to most of his Greco-Roman audience the idea would be a foreign one. Amos 5:18-20 states:

”18 Woe to you who are longing for the day of the Lord,/ For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?/ It will be darkness and not light;/ 19 As when a man flees from a lion/ And a bear confronts him,/ Or he goes home, leans with his hand against the wall,/ And a snake bites him./ 20 Will the day of the Lord not be darkness instead of light,/ Even gloom with no brightness in it?”

This is a Day of Judgement and not one of relief and comfort. In the last series on Thessalonians, we spent some time considering the fact that so many of us state that we long for the Day to come, but that when it does come, all of our stuff will be laid bare. In so many traditions and congregations there are Christians who long for this day also because it is the Day of the Great Comeuppance. But as Christians should we really be hoping for this to befall those who have not come to the LORD?  

But this Day isn’t only about judgement, but it is also about salvation. 

“32 And it will co...

1 and 2 Corinthians were written by Paul c.55 and 56 CE, respectively. 

Corinth was located on an isthmus connecting the Peloponnese to the rest of Greece. The port of Lechaeum was 1.5 miles north on the Bay of Corinth and Cenchraea (sen’-kre-e) was about seven miles to the east on the Saronic Gulf, placing it at a crossroads of two trade routes. By the time of Paul’s letter, the city’s history could be divided into two distinct periods: one thoroughly Greek and another Romans. 

Corinth was destroyed in 146 BCE by Rome and many of its citizens were killed or sold into slavery. It was reestablished by Julius Caesar just over 100 years later in 44 BCE—partly as a retirement community for Roman veterans—and became a commercial and political center in later years. Corinth was the capital of the senatorial province of Achaia and the seat of the proconsul from 29 BCE onward. 

It was a multicultural city of about 100,000 people, both Roman and Greek; Corinth’s population had a high percentage of freedmen from Rome, according to Strabo. (Geog. 8.6.23c) These liberti formed a separate social class in Roman society who were former slaves that had been freed by their masters. Some liberti were quite wealthy and educated. Roman culture, law, and religion were dominant from the city’s re-founding, though not exclusively so, and Greek was likely the lingua franca. Remember that much of the Roman Empire had been Hellenized. In fact, coinage from the time has been discovered that utilize both Greek and Latin script. 

“Because there was no landed aristocracy in the new Corinth, there arose an aristocracy of wealth.” (Carson & Moo, 420) Inescapable was the Roman practice of patronage and the corruption that went along with it. Roman patronage was based on a relationship between a patron and a client—each obliging themselves to the other. The patron being of a higher social status or, at least, possessing greater wealth, power, and prestige than the client would promise support and favors in exchange for the client’s loyalty or service when called upon. It’s not hard to imagine that such arrangements can create as many problems as they can create opportunities. Corinth was a place rife with ambition and greed—perhaps providing some explanation for the Corinthian church’s spiritual immaturity—which may have been understandable if Paul hadn’t stayed with them for as long as he did. Corinth was known for its wealth, luxury, immorality, and the viciousness of its residents. It would be great, however, if it were only about money.

Like their brothers and sisters in Thessalonica, the Corinthian Christians were presented with religious alternatives that were incompatible with their faith in Jesus Christ and the gospel that Paul had preached to them. There were at least two statues of Dionysus in the city’s agora, and the cult of the Egyptian goddess, Isis, was particularly strong. Likewise, the Greek deities of Demeter and Persephone—the goddesses of the fertility of the earth and the queen of the underworld, respectively—and Apollo, Hermes, and Poseidon had temples refurbished or built in their honor by the Romans. (Sacra Pagina vol 7, 1 Corinthians, 22) And although there has been no physical evidence yet discovered of any Jewish synagogue being present in the city, there is evidence for it found in the literature of the day.

In Acts 19 we learn that Paul preached in Corinth for the first time during his second missionary journey. He worked in the city as a tentmaker or a leather worker and was hosted by Aquila and Priscilla—Jewish, Christians from Rome, exiled by Claudius. Paul arrived in the city after experiencing great difficulties in Philippi (Acts 16)—where he was punished for his message and had to flee for his life—and after then escaping similar treatment in both Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17). 

Initially, the apostle was trepidatious, but following a vision of a safe and successful mission to the Corinthians (Acts 18:9,10), Paul ends up remaining in the city, worshiping, preaching, and working there for a year and a half. During his time there, Gallio, the brother of Seneca, was proconsul. The apostle left Corinth c.51 or 52 CE travelling with Aquila and Priscilla; they made their way to Jerusalem. After a brief time in the holy city, he returned to his home in Antioch and then to Ephesus; it was from here that Paul most likely wrote 1 Corinthians. 

Although Apollos and even Peter, apparently, spent time with the Corinthians, things didn’t go too well for the congregation. Members of the church had divided—even antagonistically so. To quote Carson and Moo:

“The church as a whole was less than satisfied with Paul’s leadership…and the integrity of its life was marred by abuses at the Lord’s Table…at least one notorious case of immorality…public litigation among members…uncertainty about the place for marriage…and the propriety of eating food that had been offered to idols, infatuation with the more spectacular of the charismatic gifts without any profound commitment to mutual love…and a decidedly aberrant view of the resurrection…” (421)

While in Ephesus, Paul received reports of this from “Chloe’s household”. Three delegates from the church, Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus also bring the apostle their report of the situation and a letter from the Corinthians; 1 Corinthians is his response. After sending his letter with Timothy to the congregation, Paul made plans to visit Greece again and spend some time in Corinth after a follow-up visit to Macedonia. His plans changed when he later received word that, to quote Mr. MaKey, “Things were “bad. MMMM’kay. Bad.” This sets up 2 Corinthians, and we’ll take this back up later in the series. 

Chapter Three (NASB)

“Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it was also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from troublesome and evil people; for not all have the faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing, and will do, what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the perseverance of Christ.”

Paul ends his letter to the Thessalonians focusing on prayer. Keeping in mind that the church is under pressure from outside and that they are being actively deceived about the Christ’s coming to discourage them, after telling them to remember and cling to what he had already taught them, Paul tells them to pray. To make it through all this, pray.

“…pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it was with you.” Paul uses the Greek trecho to describe this rate of spreading the gospel. It is an word used in athletics meaning, “run or advance rapidly.” We’ll find that this isn’t the last time Paul uses sports metaphors to get his point across. Paul wants the church to pray for a swift and disciplined conversion of all people. What better way to counter the deceivers and the persecutors than to have them come to the same Savior and knowledge of God. Pray that people will listen to me, Paul asks. And the Thessalonians are proof that this is possible.

“…that we be rescued from troublesome and evil people; for not all have the faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” Those outside of the church—as well as some inside of it—seek to hinder the growth of the gospel. Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for the success of the mission. As the Thessalonians focus their prayers on Paul’s and other’s missions, perhaps their worries will diminish because they aren’t thinking as much about themselves—providing an opportunity for God to work.

When the Thessalonians do this, when they focus their prayers and attention on others, they allow God to demonstrate His faithfulness to them as God, “direct[s their] hearts to [His] love and to the perseverance of Christ.” What a lesson for today! Think how much freedom we could experience if we turned out energies and attentions toward others and allowed God to care for us. This, however, is not something that will happen casually. Remember, Paul has just used a sports metaphor in relation to the spreading of the gospel.

Over the next verses, Paul teaches how we can better put ourselves into a position where we can trust God with our lives while we give our attention, efforts, and cares to those who are in need.

“6 Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother or sister who leads a disorderly life and not one in accordance with the tradition which you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined way among you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; 9 not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a role model for you, so that you would follow our example. 10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”

Paul will phrase this later in Philippians as, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves.” (2:3) To condition ourselves to place our trust in God, we must begin living deliberately. Avoid those who lead “disorderly” lives that contrast the one that Paul taught and exampled. Those who contribute to the betterment of other’s lives—over and above their own—will have to trust that God will take care of their needs and bring divine comfort. Don’t fret about your present condition or even your future, Paul says, tend to others and God will see you through. Easy to say but hard to do.

I do want to mention verse 10. “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” A few years ago I heard the hosts of an extremely popular radio program spend forty-five minutes using this verse to put-down people who lived on welfare and to argue that Jesus would be against the welfare system. I was appalled and never listened to them again. Are there issues with the welfare system? Yes. Are there lazy people who simply don’t want to work? Of course. Would Jesus care about the welfare system? Yes. In fact, much of God’s law concerns itself with caring for the least and the most vulnerable. Is Paul making a statement about those on welfare or about the need for welfare reform in 2 Thessalonians 3:10? Categorically no!

Paul here is speaking about people who contribute nothing to the life of the congregations: the takers. These idol Christians exhibit the very qualities that Paul tells the Thessalonians must avoid if they want to learn to trust God with their very lives and, thus, escape worry and confusion.

“11 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. 12 Now we command and exhort such persons in the Lord Jesus Christ to work peacefully and eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary of doing good.”

To paraphrase: Make what you do really matter for the sake of others and the Church. This will be taxing but it is the good and right thing to do.

“14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person so as not to associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. 15 And yet do not regard that person as an enemy, but admonish that one as a brother or sister.”

Note that the church must address these believers who do not contribute to the life of the community, but it must be done without malice. This is, however, easier said than done, and this command can easily be misapplied. We have all heard stories about denominations and congregations that have shunned members—usually because they will not tow-the-party-line on some doctrine or another. No, Paul is speaking here ONLY about those who contribute little to the life of the congregation and “act like busybodies,” when they really are doing nothing.

16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! 17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”

Paul ends his letter to the Thessalonians with a prayer for them to be able to rest in God’s peace through everything that they are facing: famine, social and cultural pressures, active deception, and worry. And just in case the deceivers continue to bring false letters to them, trying to make them worry and doubt, Paul gives them this letter as a sample of how he writes. Diligence, patience, and doing good are the surest way to find God’s peace. 

I hope that you have grown in your knowledge and faith with this series on the Thessalonians. I hope that you can join the podcast for the next series on this chronological journey through the New Testament as we read through 1 and 2 Corinthians. Thank you for listening.

Part II (NASB)

The Thessalonians’ concern for those who have died already indicates that they have accepted the Jewish understanding of what makes up a human being. As Greeks, they would have believed that all people have two parts to their being: one of flesh and the other of spirit. That which is spirit remains even though the flesh will die and decay. As Greeks, they would believe that at death, the spirit of the person, what they called psyche, would enter the afterlife. 

Greeks believe that upon a person’s death, he or she would travel to Hades and depending upon their actions in life would find themselves in three possible places there: Elysium—for the righteous, the heroes, and those whom the gods favored, an eternal paradise—the Asphodel Meadows—where most people’s psyches would end up, a vast, flower covered plain were people who have abandoned their labors wander or possible a land of neutrality for those who were neither righteous not unrighteous—or Tartarus—where the wicked were consigned to eternal punishment. If I recall correctly, this place involves rivers of boiling blood…

So their concern for their Christians brothers and sisters that have already died is justified, since what Paul has taught them about eternal life is NOT what they have always known. Without Christ Jesus, there is not eternal life in all of Hades: Elysium, Asphodel, or Tartarus. This supports my interpretation of olethros aionion to mean eternal destruction and not one of ongoing consciousness. As I have already pointed out, Paul could have used specific Greek words to mean conscious awareness of one’s state in death (Hades) or eternal punishment (Tartarus), and his Greek audience would have understood him.

But please do not misunderstand, I am not saying that these latter two conditions don’t exist—that there is conscious awareness of our state in death or that there isn’t eternal punishment—I am just saying that Paul IS NOT establishing them here as Church doctrine. In telling the Thessalonians this in his first letter to them, he is trying to allay their concerns and worries for the fate of their dead loved ones from the congregation. Don’t fret about this, Paul says, for God is faithful to His promise of eternal life for all who believe, even those that have gone on before. 

I taught school for several years—both adults and youths—and I have been described as a preacher-teacher by my parishioners, so I tend to seek meaning in scripture that will edify a believer faith, prompting that person to walk just a little closer to God. I ask myself how these possible meanings can help bring them into this closer walk. So if a person interprets scripture in a way that doesn’t result in a closer walk with God I have to ask myself if this is an understanding that God would want us to have? In other words, if the understanding doesn’t cultivate the attitude of Christ or the fruits of the Spirit is it one that we should stubbornly cling to?

How does Paul’s description of the persons and events of the end-times in 2 Thessalonians bring about a stronger faith among this congregation of Christian Gentiles? 

I will say this up front, just as I did back in Galatians when we looked at Paul’s statement about the source of eternal life: Is eternal life possible through faith in Christ or because of the faith of Christ: Your Milage May Vary. Despite what some Christian claim, just as I stated when discussing the topic of the rapture, who or what the lawless one is or was or will be is not a matter of dogma—it’s not a requirement to believe one specific way or another. 

I’ve been in the process of rewatching several of the Star Trek series from the past. DS9, Voyager, and now I’m working on Enterprise—much to my wife’s chagrin. 

Anyway, I just watched an episode of Enterprise where the antagonists hi-jack the Enterprise so they can wage war on another sect of their religion. Both sides in this war believed the same things about the same things except one side said creation was accomplished in 8 days and the other in 9 days. They destroyed their home world over this! I say this because we shouldn’t go to war over this, but we usually do. 

Nevertheless, I believe it is our responsibility to explore, discuss, and test our faith and to reason together. 

Different traditions and denominations and congregations understand what is saying in 1 Thessalonians chapters one and two differently. Some hear him speaking about THE temple in Jerusalem and about specific, real-world events. And if this brings these Christians comfort while strengthening in them the image of Christ, well good for them. 

Others say that this is a historic event that has already happened, and others still that it is only imagery used by Paul—or some other writer—to meet a specific need at a specific time: It does not apply to us and is not intended for us. Again, YMMV.

Regardless of the content or context of your understanding of what Paul is saying here, that understanding should draw others into a closer walk and must reveal Christ Jesus. 

By this time, Paul is writing to a confused congregation—one that is actively being deceived, it appears. His words here are words of encouragement to keep trusting in the message that they received from him and to remain obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Can your favorite interpretation claim to be doing that? Remain faithful, Paul says, the end is not here yet. But I’ll tell you, the apostle goes on, this is what the end looks like. 

I touch upon my understanding of the lawless one and Paul’s teaching in 2 Thessalonians in the First Day episode called, “What Makes a Vulcan Cry?” To put it briefly, the lawless one is revealed when apostasy increases and is indicated by other, unworthy things, taking the place of God in Christians’ hearts. It’s making the soapbox more important than the soap. The lawless one is not here to deceive the lost, I’m afraid. It is here to scatter the found. And who can argue that today, with the Church spanning the globe in a myriad of denominations and traditions, we aren’t more scattered than we ever have been? 

When I think of the lawless one, I think of Ezekiel 14:1-8.

“1 Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put in front of their faces the stumbling block of their wrongdoing. Should I let Myself be consulted by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Anyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will let Myself answer him in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, 5 in order to take hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who have turned away from Me due to all their idols.”’

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, I the LORD will let Myself answer him Myself. 8 I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.”
It's easy to sit on the hill and root for Nineveh’s destruction, but it’s something entirely different to ask ourselves if we truly are obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ? 

The lawless one has them, but who ...

Part I (NASB)

In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 Paul continues to address Christ’s coming, the Day of the LORD. As we learned while looking at chapter one, it appears that false teachers have come into the congregation and begun telling the Thessalonians that Christ had already come; some apparently even carried forged letters from Paul as evidence. Being believers struggling under persecution and trial—people whom Paul had urged to remain faithful because God has promised to make things right—this false teaching would have been a gut-punch and tantamount to advising the Thessalonians to give up hope.

“God promised you that He would make it right at His second coming. Well, that has happened, and He didn’t do that for you.” Think Job’s three friends and his wife. Paul writes:

“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 No one is to deceive you in any way!”

He urges the Thessalonians to not give into a feeling of despair or believe the words of these liars or to be tricked into thinking that Paul has changed his message. Let “no one…deceive you in any way!” And then to counter any “But what ifs” that will likely enter their hearts and minds he continues.

“For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”

Readers are told here that the Day of the LORD will not come until there is first “the apostasy.” This belief in an increasing lack of moral integrity and lack of faith arose in the intertestamental period within Judaism. That is, in the period between the end of the Old Testament and the start of the New Testament. Referring to the last chapter, those who commit apostasy are those who “disobey the gospel of Jesus Christ” and will face olithros aionion, “eternal destruction”.

This belief in a great falling away before the coming of the LORD is found in numerous Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical writings. Although not considered canon by the majority of the Church today, the teachings found in these writings impacted the zeitgeist of the 1st century. Indeed, you can find their influence outside of Paul’s letters in Jude and Revelation—two texts much younger than 2 Thessalonians.

1 Enoch 91:7,8—which was likely composed over the course of the 1st and 2nd centuries BCE during this intertestamental period—reads:

“And when sin, and unrighteousness, and blasphemy, and violence, increase in all kinds of deeds, and apostasy, and transgression, and uncleanness increase, a great discipline will come from heaven on all these, and the Holy Lord will come out with wrath and discipline to execute judgement on earth. In those days violence will be cut off from its roots, and the roots of unrighteousness together with deceit, and they will be destroyed from under the heavens.”

In the Book of Jubilees, another such book, recognized today by some traditions as canonical but not by most, it, too, composed in the intertestamental period, states in chapter 23:14-22 that God’s people will fall away from Him before the Last Day, and in verses 23 and 24 we are told,

“And He [God] will wake up against them the sinners of the nations who have neither mercy nor compassion, and who will respect the person of none, neither old nor young, nor anyone, for they are more wicked and strong to do evil than all the children of men. And they will use violence against Israel and transgression and transgression against Jacob, and much blood will be shed on the earth, and there will be none to gather and none to bury. In those days they will cry aloud, and call and pray that they may be saved from the hand of the sinners, the nations, but none will be saved.”

I don’t bring these two texts up to say that they should be part of canon, only that in Paul’s day within Judaism there was already an established belief that before the Last Day, when God reconciles and makes things right, things will be bleak. It’s always darkest before the dawn. This would not necessarily have been the case for the Greek, pagan Thessalonians. Perhaps this is why Paul asks in verse 5, “Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?”

“…and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”

Back in 2 Thessalonians 1:7 Paul speaks of Jesus’ being “revealed from heaven with His mighty angels…” So it is not as if He has been away, playing golf in the Maldives. Christ has always been here, always been present and not far off—as Luke puts it in Acts 17. Here, too, this “man of lawlessness is revealed,” as if he also has been here all along, lurking in the shadows working against the Thessalonians’ faith.

This unnamed and unspecified entity—I refrain from saying Paul is necessarily talking about an individual here—is destined for apoleias. The Knox Bible translates this lawless one to be “destined for perdition,” thereby making it clear that this destruction is due to God’s judgement. He is characterized by anomia: that is willful opposition to all faith; and not just faith in the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and considers himself greater than all religions’ beliefs and even objects of worship. All these paltry gods are beneath him. Or more to the point, next to him in priority and importance.

This enemy of faith has the goal of usurping God—with a capital G—and of becoming the object of worship himself, “…he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God,” even though he is “destined for perdition”. Since Paul does not tell the Thessalonians who this guy is, what is the apostle getting at here?

Many Christians who focus their faith on the end-times believe that Paul is speaking here about and event that will happen in Jerusalem someday. They believe that at some point the Temple will be restored and, after this, the Antichrist will declare himself God.

Contrary to this position, other Christians believe that this event has already happened with the emperors of Rome being deified, starting with Julius Caesar. But even before this, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who considered himself a manifestation of Zeus, desecrated the Temple c.167 BCE by erecting a statue of Zeus—made in his own likeness—there and then by sacrificing a pig.

Regardless of their differences, these two positions have one thing in common: They believe that Paul is talking about a single, historical event—something that we can see with our own eyes and maybe watch a clip of it on You Tube. However, I don’t think that this is what Paul has in mind.

In Paul’s next letter, 1 Corinthians, penned just two to four years later, he describes the Corinthian church as God’s temple. The structure around which Jerusalem is built is now not of any consequence to him or to his faith. I find reasonable to believe that he had already started to come to this conclusion when writing to the Thessalonians. Recall what Paul writes to the Gentile Galatians in 4:26, “But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.” So, it is necessary for Paul, a Jew, to teach and remind his Gentile audience of the necessity of these two events—the apostasy and the lawless one—happening before the end times, since they would have no experience of such things. However, to restrict the ac...

Chapter One (NASB)

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Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was written just months after his first, sometime around 51 CE. The issues it addresses are very much the same ones that 1 Thessalonians are concerned with: in particular, remaining faithful until the end. The church there remains in Christ and continues to face its troubles faithfully; Paul, like last time, is concerned with their remaining so. However, 2 Thessalonians is not an exact repetition or mere extension of what came before it.

Paul’s first letter to the church is best seen as a letter of general encouragement to a group of new, Gentile Christians to help them remain faithful amid a cultural, religious, and societal landscape that could very easily tempt them away from Christ. Added to this is the fact that their bit of the world had been facing food shortages for some time; it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine that there would be an urge to just go back to the way they were present in the Thessalonian church. What is familiar and common can be very tempting.

They are surrounded by well-established religious cults, money, and all the signs of imperial power. And since Thessalonica had a strong history of loyalty to the emperor, this would have likely been their home to run to when things got bad. Paul in 1 Thessalonians, then, is akin to a coach preparing and encouraging his team of underdogs as it faces off against a much stronger opponent; talking up the nerd who has to ask the homecoming queen to prom. He encourages them and builds them up before instructing them on how to remain faithful and overcome.

In his first letter to them, the only specific problem that the Thessalonians are facing that we catch a glimpse of involves questions about the disposition of God’s blessing of eternal life for those who have died before Christ’s return. Will those who have died before the Judgement—the end-times—receive eternal life, or is this gift only for the living? And it is on this subject, the end-times, that 2 Thessalonians focuses; specifically, that it appears that someone was deliberately misleading them that the end-times had already occurred. In fact, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:2, they were trying to pass-off these teachings as Paul’s! (But more on that when we get there.)
 
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is only fitting, because your faith is increasing abundantly, and the love of each and every one of you toward one another grows ever greater. 4 As a result, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.”

How similar this opening is to that found in 1 Thessalonians:

“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father…”

Paul offers the Thessalonians grace and peace and tells them that he is thankful for the example of their faithfulness and love. Like in his former letter, Paul here in 2 Thessalonians tells them how proud he is of them for their example. He is going to rinse and repeat until it finally sinks in.

Paul continues:

“5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you indeed are suffering. 6 For after all it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.”

Paul is once again echoing James who said that it is a blessing to face trials because to endure them is to strengthen faith. The Thessalonians’ perseverance and faith in their trials indicate that they are “worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which [they] are suffering.” They could run back to the emperor or to Artemis or Apollo, but they don’t.

Nevertheless, the pressure of these trials will undoubtedly increase to a point when bearing it will be next to impossible. Who among us hasn’t thought, “Why does this keep happening? When will it end? It seems that Paul thinks that the Thessalonians are at this point.

“For after all it is only right for God…to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, WHEN the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.”
 
Don’t give up. God will see you through. Paul can’t say when precisely this relief will come, but only that it will. Is it worth it? Well, each of us must decide for ourselves if the juice is worth the squeeze.

You’ll notice that I omitted part of verse six a second ago when I quoted 6 and 7 about the promise of God’s relief in the second coming. “6 For after all it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you…”

God promises relief for His faithful—for those who persevere—but He also promises to do unto those that which they have done unto you. Sadly, it seems like the human condition hasn’t changed much in 2000 years. Paul says that it is not our place to pay our afflicters back for the troubles that they have caused us. Paul, like James, surely would have in his possession a collection of Jesus’ teachings and sayings. He would know that Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies and to do good to them.

How strange that even today, nearly two millennia later, many of us just can’t do a Frozen and let it go—can’t let go of the hurts, hangups, and hates. We simply refuse to be happy until they get their comeuppance.

“…when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

“…to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” This is key. The church is facing pressure from those who do not know God and who do not desire to live like Jesus. This isn’t God is about to bring down fire on a specific person—Ms. Smith or your estranged friend or some politician. Nor is this God laying the flames down on any specific group of sinners. Paul here is speaking about those outside of the faith who directly afflicting the Thessalonians. This is personal.

Though this will be denied some, in my experience there seems to be a bit of glee attached to thoughts about the Last Day among our more self-righteous sisters and brothers. Their longing for divine comeuppance is directed at those whose actions have had zero, real impact on their daily lives in the faith. It’s like Jonah at the beginning of chapter four. (This is from the RSV.)

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, “I pray thee, LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take my life from me, I beseech thee...