1 Thessalonians 1-5 and 2 Thessalonians 1-3
December 5th, 2014


I have been told (and I see it here) that Paul always encouraged the church, and reminded them of their position in Jesus Christ before he offered any criticism.   It seems a good model to follow: before you offer your suggestions to someone on how they can improve, or on how they are falling short....talk for awhile about our motivation to move forward.   People are more likely to be drawn than pushed.

Paul has much to say to the church about helping others, being joyful, etc.  but he saves it until the end of his first letter.  Instead, he talks about WHY we should do these things.   And the "why" is because Jesus promised us that he would return for us.   Those who have passed will come back with Jesus, and those who are here continue to do those things that will 1. gain us a better reward, and 2. cause the Lord to be happy if He returns and finds us doing them.

I also notice that Paul made every effort to not burden the church with his support.  I'm not sure that I want to work a second job so that the church doesn't have to pay a salary, but I do think that perhaps as ministers in the United States we have become more focused on salary than ministry.   I recently heard one leader in our denomination opine that more and more ministers expressed a greater concern for salary packages that mirrored the secular marketplace.   I don't want to deny anyone a living, or a fair salary...but I think that Paul might have taken a different view on the issue.

I have a friend who reads 2 Thess 2:4 to say that there must be a "third temple period" (that is, the temple must be rebuilt on the temple mount, in place of the Muslim Dome of the Rock) before the "man of lawlessness" can be revealed.   That's because he is supposed to set himself up in that temple.   Therefore, maybe the time before the tribulation isn't quite upon us yet.

A man has already set himself up in the Jewish temple as god, During the second temple period before it was destroyed,  Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig on the altar to Jupiter.   However, that was in 168 BC, and this writing is New Testament, after that event has taken place.  And, it didn't happen again before the temple was torn down by the Romans.  So, it must happen sometime in the future.  

The second half of both of these letters are great primers on what we should be doing as Christians.  They inspire and motivate as well as provide guidance.


PR