THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1

BE PREPARED!!! 2

I.THE PROBLEM – THE THESSALONIANS MIS- UNDERSTOOD WHAT PAUL HAD TAUGHT THEM REGARDING THE IMMINENT RETURN OF CHRIST. “BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU TO BE IGNORANT (UNINFORMED), BRETHREN, “ (1 THESS. 4:13-18)) a.PAUL HAS USED THIS PHRASE BEFORE, “NOW I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU IGNORANT, BRETHREN, “ (ROM. 1:13)) “MOREOVER, BRETHREN, I WOULD NOT THAT YE SHOULD BE IGNORANT, “ (1 COR. 10:1) “NOW CONCERNING SPIRITUAL GIFTS, BRETHREN, I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU IGNORANT, “ (1 COR. 12:1) “BUT I WOULD YE SHOULD UNDERSTAND, BRETHREN, “ (PHIL. 1:12) 3

b.PAUL WROTE THIS SECTION OF HIS EPISTLE SPECIFICALLY TO ALLEVIATE THEIR GRIEF AND CONFUSION ABOUT THE RAPTURE, THE DEAD IN CHRIST, AND THE DAY OF THE LORD. c.SINCE THEIR GRIEF WAS BASED ON IGNORANCE, PAUL’S PLAN WAS TO COMFORT THEM BY GIVING THEM KNOWLEDGE. d.EVEN TODAY, THERE IS CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES CONCERNING THE END TIMES. ESCHATOLOGY = THE STUDY OF THE END TIMES. e.AND, SINCE THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING: “ TELL US, WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS BE? AND WHAT SHALL BE THE SIGN OF THY COMING, AND OF THE END OF THE WORLD?. “ (MATT. 24:3) 4

f.OF ALL THE END-TIME EVENTS, THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH SEEMS TO GENERATE THE MOST INTEREST AND DISCUSSION. MUCH OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE END TIMES HAS TO DO WITH TIMING OF THE EVENTS. g.IN THESE VERSES, PAUL ADDRESSES THE THESSALONIANS’ QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. BUT HIS APPROACH IS NOT JUST DOCTRINAL, IT IS PASTORAL, i.e., NOT TO GIVE A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RAPTURE, BUT TO COMFORT THEM. h.WHAT WERE THESE ISSUES THAT WERE TROUBLING THE THESSALONIANS? 1)THEY WERE AFRAID THAT THEY HAD ALREADY MISSED THE RAPTURE. WHY? SINCE THEY WERE SUFFERING PERSECUTION. 2)AND, THE FACT THAT THEY WERE SUFFERING CAUSED THEM TO THINK THAT THEY WERE IN THE DAY OF THE LORD WHICH THEY OBVIOUSLY DID NOT EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE. 5

“NOW WE BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN, BY THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND BY OUR GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM, THEY YE BE NOT SOON SHAKEN IN MIND, OR BE TROUBLED, NEITHER BY SPIRIT, NOR BY WORD, NOR BY LETTER AS FROM US, AS THAT THE DAY OF CHRIST IS AT HAND. “ (2 THESS. 2:1-2) BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS. THE PERSECUTION THEY WERE EXPERIENCING WAS NOT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRIBULATION OR THE DAY OF THE LORD. THEIR PERSECUTION IS THAT WHICH ALL BELIEVERS CAN EXPECT: “YEA, AND ALL THAT WILL LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION.” (2 TIM. 3:12) 6

3)THEIR GREATEST CONCERN WAS FOR THOSE OF THEIR NUMBER WHO HAD ALREADY DIED. WOULD THEY RECEIVE THEIR RESURRECTION BODIES AT THE RAPURE, OR WOULD THEY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE TRIBULATION? 4)WOULD THEY MISS THE RAPTURE ALTOGETHER? 5)NOTE: THEIR CONCERN FOR THOSE WHO HAD DIED SHOWS THAT THE THESSALONIANS BELIEVED THE RETURN OF CHRIST WAS IMMINENT AND COULD HAPPEN IN THEIR LIFETIME. 6)ALSO, THEIR FEAR THAT THEIR FELLOW BELIEVERS WHO HAD DIED MIGHT MISS THE RAPTURE IMPLIES THAT THEY BELIEVED IN A PRETRIBULATIONAL RAPTURE. 7)WE WILL EXPLORE MANY OF THESE QUESTIONS! 7