2 Thessalonians charges out of the gate by discussing two of the
scariest subjects in Scripture: hell and the antichrist. Both of these frightening
subjects carry a message of hope for the church experiencing a sampling of hell
and antichrist-like figures.
In a book about hope, why would the first subject be God’s judgment
in sending people to hell? In this text we learn about evidence of God’s righteous
judgments that will bring hope to every believer.
The church at Thessalonica was freaked out about the end of days. Paul assures them of the return of Christ and then prepares them to live in the reality of His return.
The church at Thessalonica was freaked out about the end of days. They were uninformed about both the return of Jesus and what happens at death. In this short section Paul brilliantly clarifies these questions to encourage the church.
The church at Thessalonica is a model of church success. This leads to the big question: why? At the end of Chapter 2 we get the answer. It is God’s Word, Suffering, War, and the Win.