In view of their preoccupation with Christ’s second coming, Paul reveals some things that would happen before the Lord’s return. He predicts a great apostasy, a major rebellion against God. Since the first century, there have been many spiritual rebellions against the Creator.

Even in the first century, there were “many antichrists” already in the world (1 John 2:18). 1 John 4:3 speaks of “the spirit of the antichrist” (NASV) and reminds God’s people that “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (4:4).

In the course of human history, there are many people, both individuals and groups, who could be described by the language Paul uses in this chapter to describe “the man of sin.” They oppose the Lord and all that is good and right. They promote themselves and elevate themselves, sometimes even to the point of expecting the worship of their followers.

Deception is one of Satan’s favorite schemes. But those who take “pleasure in unrighteousness” are often easily deceived. Paul says that the false teachers/prophets would come with “all power, signs, and lying wonders” and with “all unrighteous deception.” Their followers’ reaction to error shows where their hearts really are. God has often used evil people to accomplish His will.

Paul encourages them to hold fast to the apostolic teaching (he calls them “the traditions,” something handed down). It is only when we remain faithful to inspired truth that God will be pleased with us. Truth will always prevail over error, in the long run.

There are three important lessons we can learn from this chapter.

First, there is evil in the world.

Second, God is still in control.

And, third, God will ultimately win.

So don’t give up. Be faithful to the Lord, no matter what.

--Roger Hillis

Very little time has passed since Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians, perhaps only 2-3 months. The circumstances described in both letters are almost identical. These Christians remain troubled by outside persecution and are still confused about the second coming.

There have been apparent misunderstandings about Paul’s message in the first letter. Some think a forgery letter had been sent (2 Thessalonians 2:2), so Paul makes it even clearer now with further instruction.

And he speaks even stronger words of rebuke to those who were causing problems by their actions. He makes it clear in this chapter that the Lord is aware of their “patience and faith” in the face of the “persecutions and tribulations” that they were enduring. He states that this shows them to be “counted worthy of the kingdom of God” for which they were suffering.

He promises two things. First, that God would give them rest from their trials. Second, that He would “repay with tribulation those who trouble you.”

He says that the final reckoning of these matters would occur “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.” The description of the punishment of the ungodly that he gives here is striking. Notice verses 8 and 9. “…In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” Any questions about the reality of the place that is elsewhere called hell?

And then, speaking about the disciples in first century Thessalonica, Paul writes that “in that Day,” Christ would be glorified by the faithfulness of His people and he expresses his personal gratitude that they had believed and obeyed what Paul, Silvanus and Timothy had taught them.

Obedience always glorifies the Lord and He wants them to know that the persecutors and injurious ones who have troubled them will be punished. Mark that down; it is certain.

--Roger Hillis

Chapter Five continues the theme from the end of Chapter 4 about the second coming. Paul discusses two major aspects of our Lord’s return.

• We don’t know when it will be
• We need to be ready for it at all times

He is telling them that belief in the second coming should improve the way Christians live.  A constant awareness that Jesus could come back at any time should cause us to think twice before we do something that might be questionable. (If you are considering doing “something” that you are unconvinced is right, ask yourself if you would be willing to be doing this thing when Christ returns. If not, it is probably a bad idea to do at all.)

He compares the Lord’s return to “a thief in the night.” A thief strikes suddenly and often, when least expected. He also uses the illustration of labor pains coming on a pregnant woman suddenly and sometimes without much warning.

As sons of light, we should not be surprised by His return. We have been warned. A wise person takes such warnings seriously and makes preparation. Only those of “the night” or “of darkness” should be unprepared to stand before the Christ in judgment.

Similar to the end of many of Paul’s letters, verses 12-28 contain miscellaneous instructions and some practical advice about preparing for Jesus’ return. There is no need for those who are believers to be unprepared. But just because these subjects are miscellaneous, this does not mean that they are unimportant.

He speaks of the responsibility of every Christian to work in harmony with the shepherds (or elders) of the local church. The Lord desires peace to exist in every congregation.

Paul also addresses many of the duties of a child of God in relationship with each other and with the Savior. We must “test all things” and only seek to do those things that will help us and others to make it to heaven, not those things which would turn us away from the Master.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house in coming – in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning – lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:35-37).

--Roger Hillis

Verses 1-12 discuss living a life that pleases God. The apostle deals with three major areas:

• verses 1-8 – walking in holiness
• verses 9-10 – walking in brotherly love
• verses 11-12 – walking in honesty and integrity

Remember that they had previously had a problem with idolatry (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Immorality always follows idolatry, because, when God’s moral standards are no longer being followed, then anything goes. You can make up your own rules and decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong (and sometimes people decide that nothing at all is wrong).

Two important things that most distinguished first century Christians from their society was their moral purity and their love. So Paul addresses those subjects here.

He reminds them of the need for personal purity and holiness in the first eight verses of the chapter. He makes certain that they understand the immorality of fornication and adultery. Those are tragic sins against the Lord and will be devastating to His people, both personally and collectively.

Paul also wants to assure that they will continue to be loving toward one another. They were doing well in this area but he wanted them to “increase more and more.”

He also wants them to be people of honesty and integrity and to work hard so they can be a good example for the world and share with others.

As we come to verses 13-18, Paul addresses the subject of the Second Coming. Their main concern seemed to be for their deceased loved ones. Would they go to heaven? Or did they miss their chance since they had died before the Lord’s return?

Paul seeks to relieve their fears. His description of the second coming is at once exciting, terrifying and comforting. Perhaps the key question here is this, is the thought of the judgment day a comforting one for you?

--Roger Hillis

Paul ended the last chapter by saying that he wanted to come and see them, but had been unable to do so (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18). He is still on the same subject in Chapter 3.

Unable to come himself, Paul has sent Timothy to “establish and encourage” them in their faith. There were several reasons he was concerned about them.

They were relatively new in the faith and, as a result, they had very little knowledge. If a brand new Christian today wants to learn fast, all he has to do is read the New Testament. I have heard of new disciples who have read the entire New Testament in three days. But the New Testament was not yet completed. (Actually, it was barely even started.)Their exposure to the word of God was limited, although, as an apostle, Paul could have laid his hands on some of the members there and imparted spiritual gifts to them, which would have given them some degree of teaching ability. (To review what the basic spiritual gifts were, see 1 Corinthians 12.)So they were not left totally alone in this area, but it wouldn’t have been the same as if Paul had been able to stay there longer.

And persecution was still prevalent. There are references in this chapter to the trials that these young disciples were facing. He mentions “these afflictions” (verse 3), “tribulation” (verse 4) and “the tempter” (verse 5). He was naturally concerned about their spiritual well-being and says that he “could no longer endure” not knowing how they were doing.

So the apostle sent Timothy, his son in the faith, to help them and determine how they were faring spiritually. Verses 6-7 tell us that Timothy brought back good news of their faith and Paul was comforted by the news.

He makes it clear that he still hoped to return and be able to spend some time strengthening them (verse 11). He tells them to love each other and to increase in that love. And he prayed that they might be blameless and holy at the coming of Christ.

As was often the case, when he could not be with a church personally, Paul writes them a letter to strengthen their faith. That is exactly what this epistle is all about.

--Roger Hillis

There are several recurring themes in these two letters.

The most obvious one is the second coming, which is mentioned in every chapter. He also frequently comments about persecution and afflictions, a common problem for first century disciples who lived in an ungodly world.

Another major theme deals with the relationship between a preacher and the congregation. The principles revealed here (verses 1-12) apply to elders, deacons, class teachers, small group teachers, or any Christian who is trying to help other disciples to mature in the faith.

He begins the chapter by speaking about some of the trials that “we” (Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, see 1:1) endured in bringing the gospel to Thessalonica. Remember the almost immediate persecution from jealous Jews when the gospel began taking root in the lives of the local citizens? He mentions being “spitefully treated at Philippi” and then, when they came to Thessalonica, they delivered the gospel “in much conflict.” We read about some of that in the Acts 17 account of the beginning of this church.

Then, in the next few verses, he makes comparisons between his work in their midst and the gentle, loving care of a mother (verses 7-9), along with the strong comfort and encouragement from a father (verses 10-12). His exhortation is for them to continue to walk worthy of their Lord’s example.

Verses 13-20 speak of the relationship between truth and error (and those who stand for each). They affirm the inspiration of Paul’s message and that its source is in God. Verse 13 is one of the most beautiful passages about the inspiration of Scripture and its value in our lives.

There is also a description of how God looks at false teachers (verses 14-16; see also Titus 1:15-16).

He concludes this chapter with a return to their close relationship to one another (verses 17-20). Paul’s hope for them was that they would be prepared when the Lord returns.

--Roger Hillis

The church in Thessalonica was planted as a part of Paul’s second preaching journey (Acts 17:1-10). He spent three Sabbath days, teaching in the Jewish synagogue. He may have spent more time in Thessalonica, teaching some of the “devout Greeks” in places other than the synagogue.

But he had to leave prematurely due to persecution. Acts 17:5 tells us that “the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace” and started a riot against Paul and his companions. They accused them of “turning the world upside down.” Actually, the world was already upside down because of the influence of sin and Paul and others were trying to turn it right side up again. These wicked men were able to influence both the crowd of people and the rulers of the city with these false statements about the disciples. Paul and his traveling co-workers were forced to leave Thessalonica. They went on, in Acts 17, to preach the gospel and establish local churches in both Berea and Athens.

Naturally, having to leave these new Christians so quickly after their conversion was troubling to Paul and so he wrote 1 Thessalonians to strengthen these young Christians in the faith. According to 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, many of them had been involved in idol worship prior to learning about the living and true God. That would not be an easy or automatic change for them to make. They needed further instruction.

In spite of their “newness” in the faith, they seem to have grown well in these early days, so that they showed their willingness to receive “the word in much affliction” and they were doing so “with joy of the Holy Spirit.” And he tells them that they had become “examples” of faithful devotion to God in a way that was motivating and encouraging others who had heard about their faith.

Their primary issue seemed to be some confusion about the return of Christ, which many of them believed to be in their very near future (people are still confused about that even in our day). So much of what he writes in this epistle had to do with answering some questions about the second coming.

--Roger Hillis

One of the things that Paul asked the Colossians to pray for on his behalf was “that God would open to us a door for the word.”

A door can be an impediment to progress. That’s why most of us lock the door to our houses when we leave home. We don’t want someone to go through our door and have free access to our possessions.

But an open door is another matter. An open door invites one to enter. A door for the gospel represents an opportunity to share the message of salvation with others.

In 1 Corinthians 16:9, Paul says that a great and effective door for the gospel had been opened. When a door opens, Satan will make certain that there are many adversaries who will oppose the gospel.

In Revelation 3:8, the Lord had opened a door for the small, but strong church in Philadelphia. When He opens a door, no one can shut it (verse7), but many times as Christians we are fearful to work through those open doors.

We should use all such opportunities wisely (Colossians 4:5).

As Paul writes his final farewell to the Colossians (verses 7-18), he also sends greetings to the disciples from others who were with him.

Tychicus was a messenger to both Ephesus (Ephesians 6:21-22) and Colosse, who would share information about Paul.

Onesimus will accompany Tychicus to Colosse and will be a prominent character in the book of Philemon.

Many Bible students believe that Archippus was the local preacher for the Colossian church.

Epaphras was a member of the church at Colosse and labored fervently for the church in prayer. It is important for a church to have people pray for them.

Notice, from verse 16, that this letter was to be read not only in Colosse, but to the church at Laodicea, as well. In turn, a letter to Laodicea was to be read to the Colossians. Before the completion of the New Testament, epistles like this one were to be shared with other Christians.

--Roger Hillis

Man is a dual being, one part physical body and the other part, the spirit or soul.

Those two aspects of man are often at odds with each other. This is the eternal struggle of the spirit against the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17; Matthew 26:41).

The “things which are above” are the things of God, as He has revealed them to mankind in His word, the Bible.

The “things on the earth” fall into two distinct categories, both of which we must be constantly aware.

The first category would be sinful things. There are many lists of these ungodly actions and attitudes in the New Testament (verses 5-9). The second area would be those things that are not sinful, in and of themselves, but which can occupy so much of our time that we fail to serve the Lord.

As a Christian grows spiritually, he focuses on “those things which are above” and is not caught up in the world and its temptations.

The Christian, who is walking in the light of God’s truth, develops many qualities, discussed here in verses 12-17, which are commendable both to God and in the sight of all men.

He is tender, kind, humble, patient and forgiving. He also grows in his love for his fellow sojourners and pilgrims.

A disciple will develop and mature to be like his teacher (Luke 6:40).

The best thing about being a faithful Christian is that we will get to live in heaven with the Lord forever. But another benefit of obeying God’s will is that this makes life on the earth better. That is especially true about our relationships in this life. Paul discusses some of these in 3:18-4:1.

He speaks of wives (verse 18), husbands (verse 19), children (verse 20), fathers (verse 21), bondservants (verse 22) and masters (4:1).

--Roger Hillis

God desires that all Christians grow spiritually. We begin as babes in Christ (1 Peter 2:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17) and over time, we are to grown to “perfection” (Hebrews 5:12-6:3; Colossians 1:28).

Paul refers to this spiritual completeness or maturity with several phrases – good order, the steadfastness of your faith, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith, abounding in it with thanksgiving (verses 1-10).

He did not want them to be deceived “with persuasive words” by false teachers, such as the Gnostics or others (verse 4).

The solution to spiritual immaturity and the path to growth is “Christ Jesus the Lord” (verses 6-7). “You are complete in Him” (verse 10). Christ is what we need. And He is all we need. He is our Savior and will supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). No one can come to God, except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Verses 11-23 discuss the struggle between human and divine wisdom.

For some reason, human beings have historically had a tendency to want to change what God has revealed to suit themselves.

God has often found it necessary to remind people that they are not allowed to add to or take away from His word (see, for example, Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19).

The prophet Jeremiah reminds God’s people of his day in Jeremiah 10:23, “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

The Pharisees were often warned by Christ Himself that they must be content with God’s will and not to exchange it for “the doctrines and commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9). To do so would make their worship “vain” or worthless.

They were never condemned for strictly obeying God’s revelation (as many claim today), but for adding their own human regulations and elevating those man-made rules to the status of divine revelation (or even considering their rules and traditions more important than God’s ways).

Let us learn to “speak as the oracles of God,” nothing more, nothing less and nothing else.

--Roger Hillis