2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Commentary

I grew up near a college that tried to take the Scriptures quite literally. One of the most memorable bumper stickers that “graced” at least some of its faculty and students’ cars read “In the case of the Rapture this car will be unoccupied.” As I matured, I wondered what havoc Rapture would wreak on the cars near the vehicles and passengers it had emptied.

I respect and call my brothers and sisters in Christ people who hold to a dispensationalist understanding of Christ’s return. However, what I sense are some of the implications of that theology for people it leaves behind continue to puzzle and trouble me.

Questions about the Rapture were more than idle speculation for a speaker who had a profound impact on my dad. That speaker told an audience that included my dad of a time in which while as a boy he went grocery shopping with his mother. His mom and he became separated. The speaker later shared how when he couldn’t find her, he became terrified that he’d somehow missed “the coming [parousias*] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered [episynagoges] to him” (1).

Paul writes his second letter to a group of Jesus’ Thessalonian friends about Jesus’ return. In verse 1b-2, after all, he “asks” [erotomen] (perhaps more literally “begs”) them “not to become easily [tacheos] unsettled [saleuthenai] or alarmed [throeisthai] by the teaching allegedly from us … asserting that the day of the Lord has already come [enesteken].” We sense that either some of Thessalonica’s Christians were, in fact, worried that they’d missed Jesus’ second coming, or that those who taught Christ had already returned were offering persuasive arguments for it.

Earlier in this letter (1:3-4) the apostle had commended his Thessalonian friends in Christ for their steady and growing faith, love and perseverance. Now, however, he seems concerned that part of their faith is in danger of straying from it — if it hasn’t already wandered off course. In the words of The Message they’ve gotten shaken up and excited over a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ’s return. At least some of Thessalonica’s Christians fret that Jesus Christ has already come back and, likely, returned to the heavenly realm.

It’s no wonder those followers of Jesus were so deeply rattled. Preachers might invite our hearers to consider the implications of somehow missing Christ’s return. It would almost certainly call into question the quality of the faith by which we profess we’ve received God’s amazing grace. What’s more, if Christ has already somehow come back, the prospect of his next return would not bode well for those whom he left behind.

The source of the Thessalonian heresy about Christ’s return was apparently some apostolic counterfeits. Paul, after all, speaks of “teaching allegedly [hos di] from us – whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter” (2b) that asserts Christ had already “returned.” “Don’t let anyone deceive you [exapatese] in any way,” he adds in verse 3a. This suggests that someone or a group of people that are claiming apostolic authority, perhaps even Pauline approval, are teaching some of Jesus’ Thessalonian followers that Christ has already come again.

This may appear that’s a non-issue to many of Jesus’ 21^st century followers. It seems that few Christians have deduced that Jesus has already returned. But the recent excitement surrounding both a prediction of Jesus’ imminent return and reactions to that prediction suggest that the subject of that second coming continues to fascinate some of God’s dearly beloved people.

This might offer preachers an opportunity to explore with our hearers how the Spirit can help us avoid heresies about Christ’s return (as well as other modern theological fads). While remaining open to the Spirit’s revelation of newer understandings of the Scriptures, God’s adopted children pay close attention to those Scriptures, refusing to “fall for” heresies that contradict God’s written Word.

Jesus’ friends, what’s more, always want to try to remember that God has graced Christ’s Body that is the Church with immense wisdom. So we seek to pay close attention to that Body’s teachings, down through the ages and across the world. On top of all that, Christians want to remain aware of particularly the West’s fascination with what’s new and exciting, including in its theology. We keep that in mind as we contemplate “new” ideas and theologies.

In order to counteract heresies about Christ’s return, Paul reminds his readers of what must happen before it takes places. In language that remains mysterious and thus easily misinterpreted by Jesus’ 21^st century friends, the apostle writes in verse 3, the “day” of Christ’s return “will not come until the rebellion [apostasia] occurs and the man of lawlessness [anomias] is revealed [apokalypthe], the man doomed to destruction [apoleias].”

In verse 4 the apostle goes on to assert this doomed man of lawlessness “will oppose [antikeimenos] and will exalt himself [hyperairomenos] over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in [kathisai] God’s temple, proclaiming [apodeiknynte] himself to be God.”

The identity of the apostasia (“rebellion”) and anthropos tes anomias (“man of destruction”) defies easy recognition – though plenty of Christians have historically tried to do precisely that. Yet it seems quite clear that to whatever they refer, they will be both very visible and catastrophic. While we imagine Paul’s original audience understood more about that apostasy and man of lawlessness than we do, Christ’s ongoing presence in the heavenly realm makes it clear that they have not yet wreaked their havoc. So we remain safe in our profession that Christ has not yet come again.

Preachers might wonder with our hearers about the importance of Paul’s return to theological “first things” in verse 13. Is there significance in his turn from scolding Thessalonica’s Christians for their speculation about the past and future to reminding them of the implications of God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ’s impact on the present?

“We ought always to thank [eucharistein] God for you,” the apostle tells the Christians in Thessalonica in verse 13, “because God chose [heilato] you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work [hagiasmo] of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” This verse has at least one credible alternate reading. But one thing is clear: Paul thanks God for loving the Thessalonians so much that God rescued them, sanctified them and graced them with the faith that receives that salvation.

Because God has saved them by that amazing grace, Paul goes on to write, Thessalonica’s Christians can “stand firm and hold fast to the teachings” the apostles “passed on to” them, “whether by word of mouth or by letter” (15). They can confidently reject alternate teachings about Christ’s return and cling to what the apostles shared with them in person or via some other form of communication.

Jesus’ Thessalonian friends can let go of their anxieties about Christ’s return and cling to the gospel Paul, Silas and Timothy shared with them. They can quit looking back to Christ’s supposed return and, instead, look forward to Christ’s gathering of them to himself at the end of measured time.

Paul concludes this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson by promising to continue to pray that God will help Thessalonica’s Christians do precisely that. “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,” he prays in verses 16-17, “who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement [paraklesin aionian] and good hope [elpide agathen], encourage [parakelesai] your hearts and strengthen you [strerixai] in every good word and deed.”

Clinging to God’s promises as revealed by the apostles is not easy, especially when people who claim authority question or reject them. Paul understands that Jesus’ followers in Thessalonica can’t do that on their own. So he pleads with the God who loves them so passionately to, in the paraphrase The Message offers of verse 17, “put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.”

*I have here and elsewhere added in brackets the Greek words for the English words the NIV translation uses.

Illustration

In her mystery set in Venice, Italy entitled Doctored Evidence, Donna Leon describes a conversation between the agnostic detective Guido Brunetti and his atheist wife Paula. While Mrs. Brunetti has been reading their teenaged daughter Chiara’s religion textbook, when Guido asks her if she’s still reading it, she answers, “No.”

He then tells her that she might find answers to her hard questions in it. “Where?” she demands. “How?” “By doing what you suggested to me the other day, by thinking eschatologically,” he said. “Death. Judgment. Heaven, hell.” “You don’t believe any of that, do you?” asked an astonished Paola. “There are times when it would be nice,” he answers [italics mine.].

Note: There is a collection of Advent & Christmas resources including sample sermons,  songs, prayers and other worship resources on the CEP Year A Advent  page.