The Sword & The Plow Newsletter of the Bimillennial Preterist Association Vol. X, No. 7 – August 2008 An Exposition of II Thessalonians One & Two By Kurt Simmons Chapter One peninsula. Thus, as we enter into a discussion about Thessalonica, we come into contact with 1 - Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto some of history’s most important people, places, the church of the Thessalonians in God our and events. Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: In Acts, we learn that Paul’s missionary efforts Thessalonica was in Europe, in the Roman first carried him into Europe sometime around province of Macedonia, south of Philippi, the A.D. 50-51. Following the Jerusalem Council site of the famous battle where Marc Antony and (A.D. 49-50), Paul went briefly to Antioch where Octavian Caesar defeated Cassius and Brutus. he took Silas and departed, and went about Another important site in Macedonia is “Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches” Pharisalus, where Julius Caesar defeated Pompey (Acts. 15:41). This missionary journey carried the Great. Gallio of Acts 18:12, the consul of Paul into Lyconia, and the cities of Iconium, Achaea who refused to try Paul (A.D. 51-52), Derbe, and Lystra. Here, Paul met Timothy was brother to Seneca, Nero’s tutor. Lucan, the (Acts 16:1-4), who became the apostle’s nephew of Gallio and Seneca, wrote his companion in his missionary travels, and who immortal, epic poem entitled Pharisalia, about carried the instant epistle to the Thessalonians. the civil war of Caesar against the Roman senate Acts 16:6, 7 indicates that, from Derbe and and Pompey. Lucan and Seneca were compelled Lystra, Paul and his companions attempted to to commit suicide for their part in the conspiracy preach the gospel in Asia but “were forbidden by to assassinate Nero and place Piso on the throne. the Holy Ghost.” They then attempted to enter South of Macedonia laid the Roman province of Mysia, and Bithynia, but “the Spirit suffered Achaea, containing the cities of Athens and them not.” Instead, Paul had a vision at night in Corinth, the latter on the Peloponnesian which he saw a man of Macedonia entreating them to “come over and help us” (Acts 16:9). From this, Paul understood that it was God’s will that the gospel now be carried into Europe. They him. Paul was thus compelled to depart thence crossed over first into Philippi, and thence into unto Athens, where he preached his famous Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). sermon on Mars hill, leaving Silas and Timothy in Berea (Acts 17:10-34). Paul’s first epistle to The Jerusalem Council is important to our the Thessalonians was written from Athens (I discussion because it dealt with Jewish resistance Thess. 3:1). Judging from Paul’s comments, to the gospel by false brethren who attempted to after his departure the Jews of Thessalonica bind circumcision and Judaistic practices upon turned their wrath upon the church there, for the Gentiles. Jewish opposition to the gospel which Paul praises their patience and endurance. was not confined to Palestine, but was carried In his first epistle, Paul thus alludes to the into Asia and Europe. This seems to be the impending wrath upon the Jews and their allies meaning behind the imagery of John in among the Gentiles at Christ’s coming: “For ye, Revelation where he depicts a harlot riding brethren, became followers of the churches of (driving) the beast in a surfeit of blood and gore. God which in Juadea are in Christ Jesus: for ye The woman represents Jerusalem and Jewry, the also have suffered like things of your own beast the persecuting power of the empire under countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: who Nero; the beast has seven heads and ten horns, both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own and signify the political and geographical powers prophets, and have persecuted us; and they animating the beast; viz., that there are seven please not God, and are contrary to all men: cities or provinces where the persecution has a forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they head. The Jews’ hatred of the gospel created might be saved, to fill up their sins away: for the disturbances throughout the Roman Empire, wrath is come upon them to the uttermost” (I causing Claudius to banish them from Rome and Thess. 2:14-16) Italy about A.D. 50-51 (Acts 18:2). Their incitement of persecution against the church was 5 - Which is a manifest token of the righteous central to the Lord’s second coming to put his judgment of God, that ye may be counted enemies beneath his feet, and figures worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye prominently later in the epistle. also suffer: 2-4 - Grace unto you, and peace, from God The gospel sorts the hearts of men, like seeds our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are falling upon various soils. Those who have a bound to thank God always for you, brethren, love of the truth and own to their sinfulness and as it is meet, because that your faith groweth need of a Savior will obey the gospel charge to exceedingly, and the charity of every one of believe and be baptized. Those with moral root you all toward each other aboundeth; So that and depth will persevere persecution, if not for we ourselves glory in you in the churches of their love of the Savior, then for fear of his God for your patience and faith in all your judgment and wrath. The Thessalonians have persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: kept the faith in the face of affliction and contradiction and so demonstrate the propriety of From the very start, the Jews in Thessalonica God’s judgment granting the reward of the incited hatred and persecution against the eternal inheritance to those who abide until the brethren. Luke records that upon entering end. Thessalonica, Paul preached in the synagogue that Jesus was Christ (Acts 17:1-3). As a result 6 - Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to “some of them believed, and consorted with Paul recompense tribulation to them that trouble and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great you; multitude, and of the chief women not a few” (v. 4). But the unbelieving Jews raised such a Here we see the world-wide nature of Christ’s tumult that Paul was forced to depart from coming and kingdom at the eschaton; it was not Thessalonica, traveling to Berea: “But the Jews merely universal in effect; it was universal in which believed not, moved with envy, took unto fact . After departing Thessalonica and Berea, them certain lewd fellows of a baser sort, and Paul came to Athens where he warned of the gathered a company, and set all the city on an Christ’s judgment that would overtake the world. uproar” (v. 5). Not content, when the Jews “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; learned that Paul was preaching in Berea, they but now commandeth all men every where to came thither and stirred up the people against repent: because he hath appointed a day in the 2 which he is about to judge the world [kosmos] in Pentecost and in his second epistle (Matt. 3:7-12; righteousness by that man whom he hath Acts 2:17-21; II Pet. 3:10-13). ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the Isaiah 66:6, 15, 16 dead” (Acts 17:30, 31). The whole civilized A voice of noise from the city, a voice form the world, or the larger Roman Empire would temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence experience a time of divine judgment for its to his enemies...For, behold, the Lord will come with rejection of the gospel and persecution of fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render Christ’s church. “But unto them that are his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flame of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man Joel 2:1, 3, 30, 31 that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile…In the day when God shall judge the Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound the an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at gospel” (Rom. 2:8, 9, 16). hand...A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before 7 - And to you who are troubled rest with us, them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them...And I will shew wonders in when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars heaven with his mighty angels, of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the The Thessalonians would find rest from Lord. persecution at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Malachi 4:1, 5, 6 very use of the term “revelation” ( Gk.