2 Thessalonians "Maturing Through Tribulation and Living In Unity"
Each book in the Bible gently guides God's people into a more intimate relationship with their Creator, as He knows must occur, for His people to receive Him in the depth of the relationship that He purchased for them. Each day we are covering, in sequential order, one of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament and explaining how each of them is revealing God in a more intimate way than has been given to this point in the scriptures.
Today is the fourteenth day of the series, “The Progressive Revelation of Jesus Christ” and the book is, 2 Thessalonians, the fourteenth book in the New Testament as it appears in our Bible. 2 Thessalonians is a letter written to a Christian community about them being an example to all the rest of the churches because of their endurance through their persecutions and tribulations, further warnings of the things that must take place before Jesus’ return, and how to live and interact with others inside and outside of the faith.
Paul writes, “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:” this shows how all of the churches are interconnected and interrelated to each other in God. We are learning how the Body of Christ functions on a larger scale than we have heard directly stated before in any of the scriptures. God is slowly bringing to light the depth of the understanding that His body is one organism; and not only do each of Its members make up the local church, in each of the churches in the world, but each church is also what makes up the complete Body of Christ.
The next thing we read from Paul is, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:” God is slowly allowing His people see things that were already written in the Old Testament through New Testament Revelation of how things truly are so His people’s lives can be all that He has sent them to experience, and their experiences might be a more peace-filled one knowing that God has it planned out, that He is in control, and He will repay those who’ve treated His people improperly.
Paul writes, “That 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.” in the second chapter and reveals to us, that the church’s maturity level has grown significantly. Instead of Paul telling the Thessalonians what to do he is telling them not to be moved away from what they already know. This is true for God’s people today who’ve received the maturity to understand this level of communication also.
Paul shares with us the fact that not only are the Christians growing in maturity and revelation; the ones who are not believers are going away from God at the same time, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” which is the first time in the Bible that it tells of God actively sending people a delusion. The divide between Christians and non-Christians is being developed more accurately and will be done so throughout the rest of the Bible.
Paul now writes, “because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:” so to some in the previous section He is sending delusion, and this section tells how this group of people was chosen to believe the truth.
Paul furthers his statement in 1 Thessalonians, of the necessity to work, by stating, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” The other times working to supply our physical needs was spoken of in the New Testament was in parables by Jesus. The value of working is becoming less appreciated in many cultures today; however, God’s word has not changed. Having a purpose in life and enjoying the fruits of a person’s labors is still as relevant today as it was in Biblical times and is part of what God expects His people to do to honor Him.
Paul requests prayer, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:” for him and his group to have equality in a certain area that God had given to the recipients of the letter which allows us to see how the equality of the relationship is becoming more understood and lived in daily their lives; however, Paul still commands them by. “... the things which we command you.” Showing that there is still maturing to occur at this point in their lives and they are under his direction; as should people be today until they receive spiritual maturity that is uncommon among men.
The examples in this blog are only a limited sample of the deepening relational revelation described through the letter of “2 Thessalonians” which include all of the churches being interconnected, how tribulation brings God’s people into a deeper relationship with Him, how God has chosen some and sent others delusion, warnings of how things must take place before Jesus returns, and how to live and interact with people within and without the church.
The intent of the blog is to demonstrate the difference in the revelation that God gives to His people as they intently follow Him and focus on what He has told them through their individual lives and the revelation they’ve received through the Holy Spirit and His Holy Bible.
