2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 ENDURING - Christ Enables Believers To Persevere With Faithfulness

2 THESSALONIANS 1:1-12
Paul wrote Second Thessalonians shortly after he wrote his first Letter to the Thessalonians. He wanted to communicate THREE DISTINCT MESSAGES to them. The focus of CHAPTER ONE centers on Paul’s encouraging the church to stand firm during persecution. TRUE FAITH WILL ALWAYS FACE GROWING PERSECUTION AND GROWING PERSECUTION ALWAYS DRIVES THE TRUE BELIEVERS TO GOD MAKING THEM INDESTRUCTIBLE. This theme was also found in his first letter.
CHAPTER TWO focuses on the end times. False teachers had entered the fellowship and were teaching a false narrative as it related to the return of Christ and related events (RAPTURE AND DAY OF THE LORD). They had gone so far as to forge a letter indicating it was from Paul. He countered this by reminding the church what they had been previously taught.
The focus of CHAPTER THREE is the importance of not living an idle life. Because some within the church believed Christ was returning soon, they stopped working. THIS HAPPENED IN OUR LIFETIME WITH THE SCOFIELD BIBLE COMMENTARY (Zionism and Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Samuel Untermeyer and John Darby). Paul offered up himself, Silas, and Timothy as examples of being about the Lord’s work as opposed to idleness. He used this as an opportunity to teach the congregation what laboring for the Lord looks like.
The circumstances that Paul addressed in this letter need to be ADDRESSED TODAY AS WELL. Some who are going through tough situations are on the verge of giving up. They can be encouraged to finish well. Some in the church today HAVE BOUGHT INTO TEACHING THAT MIGHT SOUND GOOD BUT IS NOT BIBLICAL (Social Justice – White Privilege – Critical Race Theory – LGBTQ Christianity – Pantheism/Christian Yoga) . Let those in this group return to God’s Word. Some within the church are living idle lives. Followers of Christ are called to set the example, and one way we can do this is by being hard workers in whatever it is we do.