2 THESSALONIANS ~ Chapter 1/Thursday Bible Study

Since Apostle Paul's 1st Letter, the seeds of false doctrine have been sown (biblically used as a metaphor for one's actions and reaping for the results of those actions) among the Thessalonians; causing them to wander (roam, ramble, rove, traipse, meander mean to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose) from the truth if their Faith. *Paul removes those destructive seeds and again plants the seeds of truth. He begins by commending the ^believers on their faithfulness in the midst of persecution (harassment or punishment in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically to cause suffering because of belief), and encourages them by stating that present suffering will be repaid with future glory. Therefore, in the midst of persecution, expectation (a belief about what might happen in the future) can be high.

Paul then deals with the central matter of this letter to them: a misunderstanding, spawned by false teachers regarding the coming Day of the Lord. Despite reports to the contrary, that #Day has not yet come - and Paul recounts the events that must first take place. Laboring (to work, great effort, toiling or grind away) for the ##Gospel, rather than lazy (unwilling to physically work, or engage in energic activity) resignation (feeling or showing acceptance that something unwanted or unpleasant will happen, or cannot be changed); is the proper response.

As the 2nd Letter in Paul's Thessalonian correspondence, this Letter was entitled, 'Pros Thesalonikeis B' - the "Second to the Thessalonians". The external attestation (an official verification of something as true or authentic) to the authenticity (the quality of being authentic - "the real deal") of this Letter as a Pauline epistle is even stronger than that for the 1st Thessalonian Letters. Internally, the vocabulary, the style, and the doctrinal content support the claims in vv. 1:1 & 3:17, that this Letter was indeed written by Apostle Paul.

In Chapter 1 of this Letter, Paul gives thanks for the growing faith and love of the Thessalonians, and assures them of their ultimate deliverance from those who are persecuting them (v. 1:3-10). They are encouraged to patiently endure (wait out) their afflictions (the state of being in pain or trouble), knowing that **Yeshua will judge their persecutors when He is "revealed from ^^Heaven with His mighty ***angels, in flaming fire" (vv. 1:7 & 8). Before Paul moves to the next topic, he concludes this section with a prayer for the spiritual welfare of his readers (vv. 1:11 & 12).

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2 THESSALONIANS ~ Chapter 1

Thanksgiving for Their Growth (vv. 1 thru 4)

"Paul, ****Silvanus, and *****Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in ******Elohim, and Yeshua: grace to you and peace from Elohim and Yeshua (1 Corinthians 1:3). We are bound to thank Elohim always for you, brethren, as is fitting; because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you abounds (to increase) towards each other, so that we ourselves boast (boasting in the Lord involves us giving glory, praise and honor to God for who he is and the good things he has done. Boasting in the Lord is not self-seeking or self-gratifying; rather it is centered around the Lord God who deserves all our glory and praise) of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations (distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution; also, a trying experience) that you endure …

Encouragement in Their Persecution (vv. 5 thru 10)

… which is manifest (to make evident or certain by showing or displaying) evidence of the righteous judgment of Elohim, that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer (Philippians 1:28 & 1 Thessalonians 2:14); since it is a righteous (in its deeper spiritual meaning, righteousness is the quality of being right in the eyes of God, including character (nature), conscience (attitude), conduct (action), and command (word). Righteousness is, therefore, based upon God's standard because He is the ultimate Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22)) thing with Elohim to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know Elohim, and on those who do not obey the gospel of Yeshua. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the **Lord and from the glory of His power (Deuteronomy 33:2), when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His ^^^saints and to be admired (look at with pleasure, respect, or warm approval) among all those who believe, because our testimony (firsthand authentication of a fact = evidence; a solemn declaration usually made orally by a witness ) among you was believed.

Prayer for Elohim's Blessing

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His His goodness and the work of Faith with power (Colossians 1:12 & 1 Thessalonians 1:3), that the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you - and you in Him - according to the grace of our God and Lord Yeshua (Colossians 3:17)."

*Apostle Paul = known as Saul before he converted to Christianity (Acts 9), was the chief killer of Christians following Yeshua’s death, resurrection, and ascension – being the foremost witness to the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7).

The Apostle Paul was one of the most influential leaders of the early Christian Church. He played a crucial role in spreading the gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews) during the first century, and his missionary journeys took him all throughout the Roman empire.

**Yeshua Ha’Mashiach: is Hebrew for “Jesus the Messiah”; the name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua.

Christ (from the Hebrew word, Ha’Mashiach ישוע המשיח & the Greek word, Christos/khris-tos) = The Anointed, Yeshua the Messiah, in both languages.

Lord Jesus Christ (in Greek: Kyrios Iēsous Christos) = the most formal title for Jesus (Yeshua). It occurs often in the New Testament letters.

The word “Lord” has a wide range of uses; it can be a simple respectful “Sir” or a more formal, “Master.” But the New Testament also uses “Lord” of God. The word “Christ” is the anglicized form of the Greek word meaning “anointed one” or “Messiah.” “Lord Jesus Christ” reminds us that Jesus is both the promised Messiah and our God.

***Angel: (n) – a spiritual being in position of attendant, agent, or messenger of Elohim (often represented in human form with wings and a long robe).

****Silas or Silvanus (/ˈsaɪləs/; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey.

Silas is chiefly remembered as the companion of the Apostle Paul who was arrested with him at Philippi (Acts 16:19-40). They were beaten severely and confined in the inner prison, with their feet in stocks. There they sang hymns in the night, and an earthquake shook the prison, and released them - which led to the jail keeper's immediate conversion.

Silas was a Hellenistic Jew who, it seems, was also a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37); a fellow missionary with Paul, and a “faithful brother” (1 Peter 5:12).

*****Timothy = son of the devout Jewish woman, Eunice, and a Greek father, Timothy became a follower of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach when Apostle Paul preached the Gospel in Lystra, Timothy’s hometown. Paul invited the young convert to accompany him on his second missionary journey; and was sent to Thessalonica to strengthen the fellowship there. After another journey with Paul, Timothy was sent to Corinth to straighten out some problems upsetting the fellowship there.

Timothy later looked after Paul during Paul’s imprisonment. Timothy subsequently was asked to go to Ephesus to represent Paul, and received the two letters from Paul that bear Timothy’s Name. Timothy – these letters reveal, was like a son to Paul.

The last word in the New Covenant about this sensitive, sickly, but faithful young helper was that he was imprisoned but finally released. Acts 16:1, 17:14-15, 18:5, 19:22 & 20:4; Romans 16:21; 1 Corinthians 4;17 & 16:10; 2 Corinthians1:1 & 19; Colossians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 3:2, & 6; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 & 2 Timothy; Philemon 1; and Hebrews 13:23.

******Elohim (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים, romanized: ʾּlōhīm: [(eloˈ(h)im]) is a Hebrew word meaning "Gods – Father, Son, & Holy Spirit". Although the word is plural in form, in the Hebrew Bible it usually refers to a single deity “Behold, the Lord – the Lord is One”, particularly the God of Israel.

#The phrase “the Day of Christ” or “the Day of the Lord Jesus” is unique to the Apostle Paul. Paul also called the Day of Christ “that Day” in his last letter. The phrases are found in: 1 Corinthians 1:8, 3:13, 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 1:6, 10 & 2:16; 2 Timothy 1:18 & 4:8.

On the other hand, the phrase, “the Day of The Lord” (also called “that Day”) is common throughout the Old Covenant = Abrahamic: the prophets referred constantly to it. In the New Covenant = Gospel, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Paul and Peter referred to it. Some of those passages are as follows: Isaiah 2:12, 13:6 & 9, and 34:8; Ezekiel 13:5 & 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1, 11, & 31, and 3:14; Amos 5:18 & 5:20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7, 14; Zechariah 14;1; Malachi 4:5; Matthew 24:1-51; Acts 2:20; Romans 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 5;2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10 and Revelation 1:10 … and “that Day” phrases can be found in Isaiah 2:11, 17, 20 & 3:18 – this Day is a time of terror, darkness, and wrath: it is a “Day of Visitation”, Isaiah 10:3. A “Day of the wrath of The Lord”, Ezekiel 7:19, and “the Great Day of The Lord”, Zephaniah 1:14.

##Gospel: the word is derived from the Anglo-Saxon term, god-spell, meaning “good story”; Biblically speaking, gospel is a rendering of the Latin evangelium and the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news” or “good telling”.

^Believer: someone who has put faith and trust in the redemptive work of Yeshua Ha'Mashiach through His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection.

^^Heaven: The Hebrews acknowledge three heavens – the atmosphere surrounding Earth; the firmament of outer space, in which the stars are placed; and the heaven of Heavens, or third heaven, which is he residence of Jehovah.

Among Christians, Heaven is the place where the omnipresent God of Gods dwells and manifests His supreme glory; this habitation of God is represented by the residence of angels and the blessed spirits of those who are rewarded eternal salvation.

^^^Saint = In its most basic sense, a saint is a “holy one,” someone who is set apart for Elohim’s special purposes. As a result, every follower of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is a Saint. In most of his letters, the Apostle Paul refers to the recipients as saints, including the church at Corinth, where there were significant moral and theological problems! The New Covenant writers draw their use of the word saints (“holy ones”) from the Old Covenant (e.g., Exod 31:13; Lev 11:45, 19:2; Dan 7:18, 27). Particularly important is Exodus 19:5-6, where Elohim refers to Israel as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” 1 Peter 2:9 applies this same language to believers: “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

**1 Thessalonians 5: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-post.html