2 Thessalonians

Thessalonica lay south west of Philippi, one hundred miles along the Roman Via Ignatia road. Paul and Silas made that journey, still suffering from the beating and imprisonment in Philippi, soon to face another barrage of opposition in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). That ancient city, now covered by the modern Thessaloniki, was a sophisticated trading hub where the Via Ignatia met the north-south road from, what is now, Serbia to Athens.

Often, trouble brings tension between people. But Paul heard reports of the Thessalonian church being under pressure from persecution, but binding together instead of tearing each other apart – so different from the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 12:20), from where Paul was writing.

Although suffering is used by God to deepen our love and trust, pain and injury are not good; and those who cause suffering will be dealt with by God. In the Old Testament, even though the Lord used the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles to discipline His people, those nations were eventually punished for their arrogance in capturing God's people (Isaiah 10:5-12; 13:17-22).

Paul had assured the believers in Thessalonica that, when Jesus Christ comes again, God will deal with their persecutors if they refuse to obey the gospel call (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8). Then he explained the nature of God's justice in eternity.

These believers in Thessalonica were a great example of faith and love growing despite, or even because of, persecution (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4). Paul had nevertheless assured them that God would deal with their tormentors (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). God was in command, He always is, but that fact did not allow Paul and his team to assume all would be well as they concentrated on other things.

Jesus is coming again (John 14:3). That repeated teaching from the apostles sustained the churches through persecution (1 Corinthians 1:7, Revelation 1:7). Although it refined the church, some people wondered if they had believed in vain.

Has the Lord Jesus come back already? This question was in the minds of some believers in Thessalonica, encouraged by false teaching (2 Thessalonians 1-2). Paul wrote to assure the believers that Jesus had not yet returned, and that when He does, they would definitely share in His glory (2 Thessalonians 2:14).

In discussing the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, Paul has just taught about the 'man of lawlessness' (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) or 'antichrist' (1 John 2:18-23) who will be seen before the Lord returns. This was not new information; he had taught the church personally when he was with them.

It is easy to be deceived if you do not know the truth. Satan is described as a deceiver (Revelation 12:9); his only weapon against God is to convince people that truth is a lie, and lies are the truth. In that way the devil pulls people away from the loving grace of Christ and into a trail of destruction. That contrast will intensify up to the return of the Lord Jesus, as antichrists flex their deceptions and the church proclaims the gospel.

These verses follow Paul's statement, "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:10b), combining to give a powerful message of what will happen just before the Lord Jesus returns. The storyline is that people who refuse to love the truth of the gospel will perish. It will be just because God will highlight their 'truth refusal' by providing an immensely enticing lie for them to believe and obey. As they obey they will demonstrate the wickedness in their hearts showing that God is just in His judgement.