The Return of Christ in 1-2 Thessalonians

.	A Study of	.
	1 & 2 Thessalonians Study of Major Themes Eschatology
last revised: 1/16/00	Lorin L. Cranford	St. Paul

Texts to Study

1 Thessalonians	2 Thessalonians
Proem: 1:2-10 1:9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.	Proem: 1:3-12 1:5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering -- 1:6 since indeed God deems it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 1:7 and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 1:8 inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 1:9 They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 1:10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 1:11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power, 1:12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4:1-5:22 Instructions 4:1-12 Christian Lifestyle *4:13-5:11 The Lord's Return* 5:12-22 Relationships 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 4:15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 4:16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 5:2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 5:3 When they say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 5:4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5:5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 5:6 So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 5:7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 5:9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.	2:1-12 The Man of Lawlessness 2:1-2 Partitio 2:3-12 Probatio 2:1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, 2:2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 2:5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this? 2:6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming. 2:9 The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, 2:10 and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2:11 Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, 2:12 so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Study Questions

Note how in the Proem of both letters Paul anticipates the larger discussion of the return of Christ in the body section of the letters. Describe the nature of the link in each letter.
How should the Christian be 'waiting for the Lord's return'?
Explain the concept of 'wrath to come' and the 'judgment of God' according to these two letters.
What are some of the characterizations and activities associated with the day of Christ's return in these two letters?
How could the Thessalonians have possibly misunderstood Paul's earlier statement in 1 Thessalonians about the return of Christ that caused him to make some corrections in 2 Thessalonians?
Although widely debated, what are some possible meanings of the terms 'man of lawlessness' and 'the restraining' force/person?