Sunday Evening Bible Study

November 5, 2000

Introduction

I believe that Paul had laid the foundation for a pre-tribulational rapture with the Thessalonians:

Paul had already written to the Thessalonians that Jesus would keep them from the Tribulation –

(1 Th 1:10 KJV)  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Paul had already told them that God didn’t want them to face His wrath in the Tribulation –

(1 Th 5:9 KJV)  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

But sometime after his first letter, some people had come to the Thessalonian church and had begun to tell the people that the great trials they were going through meant that they were already in the “day of the Lord”.  Apparently these people were even teaching that the Thessalonians had somehow “missed” the return of Jesus Christ.

And so, the people are confused.  Were they in the Tribulation or not?

2Thessalonians 1

:1  Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Paul, Silas, and Timothy

:2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

bound – opheilo – to owe; “ought”

to thank – eucharisteo – to be grateful, feel thankful; give thanks

meet – axios – weighing, having weight; befitting, congruous, corresponding to a thing

groweth exceedingly – huperauxano – to increase beyond measure; to grow exceedingly

Lesson

Growing faith

Keep in mind, this is a persecuted church.  And there’s a connection here between persecution and growing faith.

Illustration

Warren Wiersbe writes,

“One of my favorite books is Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor. In it you read how Hudson Taylor’s faith in God grew from that first day he determined to live by faith in God alone. He learned to trust God for his salary, especially when his busy employer forgot to pay him. He learned to trust God for daily needs; and, as his faith was tested, he grew in faith and was able to trust God for His supply for an entire missionary organization. Sometimes it seemed that God had forgotten, but Taylor continued to pray and trust, and God answered.”

aboundeth – pleonazo – to superabound; to exist in abundance; to increase; be augmented; to make to increase: one in a thing

charity – agape – brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence

It is fitting that Paul gives thanks to God because of their incredibly growing faith and their growing love for each other.

Faith and love that grow.

:4 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:

glory – kauchaomai – to glory (whether with reason or without); to glory on account of a thing; to glory in a thing

patience – hupomone – steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings; a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

faith – pistis – conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it; fidelity, faithfulness

persecutions – diogmos – persecution; from dioko – to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away; to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after; to pursue (in a hostile manner); in any way whatever to harass, trouble, molest one;

tribulations – thlipsis – a pressing, pressing together, pressure; metaph. oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits

endure – anechomai – to hold up; to hold one’s self erect and firm; to sustain, to bear, to endure

They had patience and kept faithful through all their hard times.

Lesson

Hang on

If you’re going through tough times, it may be that God is at work, building and strengthening your faith.  It can’t happen without difficult times.

Illustration

The following is an excerpt from the diary of George Muller, who founded orphanages in Victorian England.

August 18, 1838: I have not one penny in hand for the orphans. In a day or two again many pounds will be needed. My eyes are up to the Lord. Evening. Before this day is over, I have received from a sister five pounds. She had some time since put away her trinkets, to be sold for the benefit of the orphans. This morning, whilst in prayer, it came to her mind, I have this five pounds, and owe no man anything, therefore it would be better to give this money at once, as it may be some time before I can dispose of the trinkets. She therefore brought it, little knowing that there was not a penny in hand, and that I had been able to advance only four pounds, fifteen shillings and five pence for housekeeping in the Boys' Orphan-House, instead of the usual ten pounds.

August 23: Today I was again without one single penny, when three pounds was sent from Clapham, with a box of new clothes for the orphans.

Muller was later to look back on the period from September 1838 to the end of 1846 as the time when the greatest trials of faith were experienced in the orphan work. They were not years of continuous difficulty: rather there tended to be a pattern of a few months of trial, followed by some months of comparative plenty. During the whole period, according to Muller, the children knew nothing of the trial. In the midst of one of the darkest periods, he recorded, "These dear little ones know nothing about it, because their tables are as well supplied as when there was eight hundred pounds in the bank, and they have lack of nothing." At another time he wrote, "The orphans have never lacked anything. Had I had thousands of pounds in hand, they would have fared no better than they have; for they have always had good nourishing food, the necessary articles of clothing, etc." In other words, the periods of trial were so in the sense that there was no excess of funds: God supplied the need by the day, even by the hour. Enough was sent, but no more than enough.

:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

manifest – endeigma – token, evidence, proof

righteous – dikaios – righteous, observing divine laws; in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God

judgment – krisis – a separating, sundering, separation; a trial, contest; judgment; opinion or decision given concerning anything; sentence of condemnation, damnatory judgment, condemnation and punishment

counted worthy – kataxioo – to account worthy, judge worthy

suffer – pascho – to be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo; in a bad sense, to suffer sadly, be in a bad plight

JFB:  “Your enduring these tribulations is a "token of the righteous judgment of God, " manifested in your being enabled to endure them, and in your adversaries thereby filling up the measure of their guilt. The judgment is even now begun, but its consummation will be at the Lord’s coming. David (#Ps 73:1-14) and Jeremiah (#Jer 12:1-4) were perplexed at the wicked prospering and the godly suffering. But Paul, by the light of the New Testament, makes this fact a matter of consolation. It is a proof (so the Greek) of the future judgment, which will set to rights the anomalies of the present state, by rewarding the now suffering saint, and by punishing the persecutor.”

:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

seeing – eiper – if indeed, since, if after all

to recompense – antapodidomi – in a good sense, to repay, requite; in a bad sense, penalty and vengeance

tribulation – thlipsis – a pressing, pressing together, pressure; metaph. oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits

trouble – thlibo – to press (as grapes), press hard upon; a compressed way; narrow straitened, contracted; metaph. to trouble, afflict, distress

:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

who are troubled – thlibo – to press (as grapes), press hard upon; a compressed way; narrow straitened, contracted; metaph. to trouble, afflict, distress

rest – anesis – a loosening, relaxing; spoken of a more tolerable condition in captivity, to be held in less vigorous confinement; relief, rest, from persecutions

revealed – apokalupsis (“apocalypse”) – laying bear, making naked; a disclosure of truth, instruction; concerning things before unknown; used of events by which things or states or persons hitherto withdrawn from view are made visible to all; manifestation, appearance

mighty – dunamis – strength, power, ability

:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

fire – pur – fire

flaming – phlox – a flame

taking – didomi – to give; to give something to someone

vengeance – ekdikesis – a revenging, vengeance, punishment

obey – hupakouo – to listen, to harken; of one who on the knock at the door comes to listen who it is, (the duty of a porter); to harken to a command; to obey, be obedient to, submit to

gospel – euaggelion – a reward for good tidings; good tidings; the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, and subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom. After the death of Christ, the term comprises also the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for the men in the kingdom of God, but as restored to life and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the kingdom of God; the glad tidings of salvation through Christ; the gospel

What does it mean to “obey the gospel”? 

It means to believe in and follow Jesus Christ.

:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

punished – dike – custom, usage; right, just; a judicial hearing, judicial decision, esp. sentence of condemnation; execution of a sentence, punishment; to suffer punishment

…punished – tino – to pay, to recompense; to pay penalty, suffer punishment

Literally, “who shall pay the punishment”

destruction – olethros – ruin, destroy, death

everlasting – aionios – without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be; without beginning; without end, never to cease, everlasting

presence – prosopon – the face

glory – doxa – opinion, judgment; splendour, brightness; magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace; majesty

power – ischus – ability, force, strength, might

:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

to be glorified – edoxazo – glorify, adorn with glory

admired – thaumazo – to wonder, wonder at, marvel; to be wondered at, to be had in admiration

them that believe – pisteuo – to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.  The verb is a present participle, continuous action.

(2 Th 1:10 NIV)  on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

count worthy – axioo – to think meet, fit, right; to judge worthy, deem, deserving

calling – klesis – a calling, calling to; a call, invitation; to a feast; of the divine invitation to embrace salvation of God

fulfill – pleroo – to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full; to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally; to render full, i.e. to complete; to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim

good pleasure – eudokia – will, choice; good will, kindly intent, benevolence; delight, pleasure, satisfaction; desire

goodness – agathosune – uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness

work – ergon – business, employment, that which any one is occupied; that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking; any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind; an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work

faith – pistis – conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it; fidelity, faithfulness

power – dunamis – strength, power, ability

Paul’s prayer is –

1) that they be counted worthy of their calling by God

2) that God would fulfill every good pleasure of goodness – fulfill their (not God’s?) desires to do good things

3)  that God would fulfill their work of faith in power

(2 Th 1:11 NLT)  And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you. And we pray that God, by his power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds.

:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

may be glorified – endoxazo – glorify, adorn with glory

The purpose of the prayer is so that Jesus’ name would be glorified in these believers, and that these believers would find themselves glorified in Jesus.

2Thessalonians 2

:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

beseech – erotao – to question; to ask; to request, entreat, beg, beseech

by – huper – in behalf of, for the sake of

coming – parousia – presence; the coming, arrival, advent; the future visible return from heaven of Jesus, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God

gathering together – episunagoge – a gathering together in one place; the (religious) assembly (of Christians).  Paul is talking about the rapture.

:2 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.

soon – tacheos – quickly, shortly

shaken – saleuo – a motion produced by winds, storms, waves, etc; to agitate or shake; to cause to totter; to shake thoroughly, of a measure filled by shaking its contents together; to shake down, overthrow; to cast down from one’s (secure and happy) state; to move, agitate the mind, to disturb one

mind – nous – the mind, comprising alike the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining; the intellectual faculty, the understanding; reason in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving divine things, of recognising goodness and of hating evil; the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially

troubled – throeo – to cry aloud, make a noise by outcry; in the NT, to trouble, frighten; to be troubled in mind, to be frightened, alarmed

spirit – pneuma – spirit; the Holy Spirit; human spirit; demonic spirit.  I think the idea is that someone might have had some sort of a “prophecy” about how the people had missed the coming of the Lord.

word – logos – some people were repeating what others had said, saying that they were in the “day of the Lord”.

letter – apparently somebody had even sent the Thessalonians a letter, claiming to have been written by Paul.

is at hand – enistemi – to place in or among, to put in; to be upon, impend, threaten; close at hand; present.  The verb here is a perfect tense, the idea is that it had happened in the past, with the consequences continuing on into the present.

The idea is not that the people were wrong in thinking that the coming of the Lord was close, but that it had already happened.  They had been told that they had missed the coming of the Lord.

:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

deceive – exapatao (“out of” + “to cheat”) – to deceive

means – tropos – a manner, way, fashion

“that day shall not come” – not in the Greek text, it was added by translators to help give the sense of the passage.

falling away – apostasia – a falling away, defection, apostasy.  This is a feminine word used only here and in Acts 21:21 (translated “forsake”). There is a neuter form (apostasion), translated “divorcement” (Mt 5:31; Mt 19:7; Mr 10:4)

It comes from the verb aphistemi – to make stand off, cause to withdraw, to remove; to go away, to depart from anyone; to fall away, become faithless; to shun, flee from

Some have suggested that Paul might even be referring to the Rapture here, where we are “removed” from the earth.  I have to admit that certainly seems very possible.

It could be that it is referring to an “apostasy”, a “falling away” of Christians from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul uses the same word in:

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

I find this interesting since I had some very nice Mormon fellows at my door the other day who were trying to tell me that the entire church had “apostatized” after the first apostles died off, and that Joseph Smith had now restored it.

The Bible talks a lot about people falling away, but there is ALWAYS a remnant.  God always has a witness on the earth.  Even in Elijah’s time, Elijah was on a self-pity trip when he thought that he was the last one alive who worshipped Yahweh, yet God told Elijah that He still had 7,000 true worshippers left in Israel (1Ki 19:18).

If Joseph Smith was correct and the “apostasy” happened 1900 years ago, Paul’s letter here doesn’t make much sense.  Paul is using the “apostasy” to be a sign of the very end, not something that happens 1900 years in advance.

What is this “apostasy”?

Is it the Roman Catholic Church?  Could be.  Is it the old mainline denominations that no longer believe in the truths of Scripture?  Could be.  Is it Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witnesses?  Could be.  But I’m not really sure it’s something that we see yet.  I think the pieces may be in place, but I don’t think the real thing is here yet.

I think the real thing is probably what is described in the next verse (2Th. 2:4), the worship of the antichrist in place of Jesus Christ.

first – the apostacy and the antichrist will come before the return of Jesus Christ.  When you see those things, you can know you’re in the Tribulation.

If you see this “falling away” and the antichrist, then perhaps you should be concerned about being in the “day of the Lord”.  Then you should be concerned about perhaps missing the “gathering together” with Him.

be revealed – apokalupto (“apocalypse”) – to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up; disclose, make bare; to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown.  Jesus’ return is called an “apocalypse” (2Th. 1:7), here the antichrist will also be “revealed”.

perdition – apoleia – destroying, utter destruction; the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell

Judas also received this same title from Jesus:

Joh 17:12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

sin – hamartia – to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong; to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin; that which is done wrong, sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act

We are all sinners.  This guy will be the epitome.

Lesson

The antichrist

We have the first of several titles that will be given to this individual.

He is the “son of perdition”, one who is destined for hell.

He is the “man of sin”, the epitome of all sinners.

In the book of Revelation, he is referred to as the “beast” (Rev. 13:1).

We usually call him the “antichrist” (1Jo. 4:3).

We often mistakenly think of the prefix “anti” to mean “opposite”, but it means “in place of”.  The “antichrist” is one who comes “in the place of” Jesus Christ, he will come to try and take the place of Jesus as the Messiah.  He will be a “false” Messiah.

:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

opposeth – antikeimai – to be set over against, opposite to; to oppose, be adverse to, withstand

exalteth – huperairomai – to lift or raise up over some thing; to lift one’s self up, be exalted, be haughty; to carry one’s self haughtily to, behave insolently towards one

This word is used one other place –

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Anybody could exalt themselves above measure.  To keep Paul from doing that, God sent him a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble.

Don’t be too grieved at your “thorns”.  Perhaps God is keeping you from becoming like the antichrist.

called God – things that aren’t God, but are still worshipped by people as “god”.

worshipped – sebasma – whatever is religiously honoured, an object of worship; of temples, altars, statues, idolatrous images

“so that he, in the temple of God, as God, sits.”

shewing – apodeiknumi – to point out, show forth, to expose to view, exhibit; to declare, to prove what kind of person anyone is, to prove by arguments, demonstrate

Lesson

Abomination of Desolation

This is the event we talked about last week, the event that marks the halfway point in the Tribulation.

Daniel was the first to speak of this event.

(Dan 9:26-27 KJV)  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel is in the middle of a prophecy that details the coming of the Messiah, a period known as the “seventy weeks” of Daniel, seventy groups of seven years, or 490 years.  The first 489 years ended with the coming of Jesus, when He was “cut off”.  That’s when God’s time clock stopped.  The “prince that shall come” is a reference to the antichrist, and it would be his “people”, the Romans, who would destroy the city of Jerusalem in AD 70.

{27} And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

The “he” refers to the “prince that shall come”, the antichrist.  He will make some sort of “treaty” or “covenant” with the Jews for the last “week”, or, seven years.  In the middle of this period, after 3 ½ years, he will stop the sacrifices in the temple and do something in the temple that will be so abominable in the temple that God would consider it a desolate place.

We know a little about what this might be like because something like it has already occurred, before Jesus’ time, when Antiochus Epiphanes, a Greek governor, sacrificed a pig to Zeus in the Jerusalem temple, an event also referred to by Daniel as an abomination of desolation (Dan. 11:31).

Jesus told His Jewish audience that if they saw this happen, they ought to head for the hills.

(Mat 24:15-22 KJV)  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) {16} Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: {17} Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: {18} Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. {19} And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! {20} But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: {21} For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. {22} And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Jesus’ reference to the “sabbath day” indicates He is talking to a Jewish audience.  On the Sabbath, a Jew is only allowed to make short trips.  The “elect” here also refers to the Jews, not Christians.

There will be people who will come to the Lord after the rapture, people who will be around to see the abomination of desolation and run for the hills.

Why would they Jews need to run?  Because the antichrist will persecute the Jews like they’ve never been persecuted.  He will make Hitler look like a schoolboy.

:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

remember – mnemoneuo – to be mindful of, to remember, to call to mind

told – lego – to say, to speak.  The verb is an “imperfect” tense, meaning that Paul was continually telling them these things while he was with them.

:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

withholdeth – katecho – to hold back, detain, retain; from going away; to restrain, hinder (the course or progress of); that which hinders, Antichrist from making his appearance; to check a ship’s headway i.e. to hold or head the ship.  Present participle, continual action.

revealed – apokalupto – to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up; disclose, make bare; to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown

time – kairos – due measure; a measure of time; a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for; opportune or seasonable time; the right time

Paul says that the Thessalonians know what is holding back the antichrist from being revealed.  At the right time the antichrist will be revealed.

:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:

mystery – musterion – hidden thing, secret, mystery; generally mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals; a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding; a hidden purpose or counsel

iniquity – anomia – the condition of without law; contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

work – energeo – to be operative, be at work, put forth power; to work for one, aid one; to effect; to display one’s activity, show one’s self operative

already – ede – now, already

The things that will be driving the antichrist are already at work.  They were at work in Paul’s day.  The apostle John wrote,

(1 John 4:3 KJV)  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Lesson

Antichrist is already here.

The “spirit” of antichrist has been at work for a long time.  Don’t think it unusual that there is wickedness in the world.

The actual person of the antichrist may also already be in place, just waiting for his “time”.  He may already be a world leader.

Things we think might be true of the antichrist:

He is probably Jewish, but one who does not believe in God. 

Daniel says he would not “regard the God of his fathers” (Dan. 11:37).

It would be hard to see how the Jews would be able to receive a Gentile as their “Messiah”.  The Jews will at first embrace him as their Messiah, only to find out that he’s going to try and exterminate them.

He probably will be a ruler in Europe.

Daniel refers to the Romans as his people (Dan. 9:26). 

He will rule over some form of a revived Roman empire (Dan. 7:19-22)

:7  only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

now – arti – just now, this moment; now at this time, at this very time, this moment

letteth – katecho – to hold back, detain, retain; from going away; to restrain, hinder (the course or progress of); that which hinders, Antichrist from making his appearance; to check a ship’s headway i.e. to hold or head the ship

until – heos – till, until

the way – mesos – middle; the midst; in the midst of, amongst

be taken – ginomai – to become, i.e. to come into existence; to arise, appear in history, come upon the stage

If you were to translate strictly from the order of the words, it would go like this:  “only the one who is restraining now at this time, until out of the midst, it appears in history”

There will be a time when this restraining influence will make itself evident in history by stepping out holding back the antichrist.

Lesson

Who or what is the “restrainer”?

There have been plenty of suggestions throughout history as to this.

Some see it as an angel.  I’m not so sure about this.

Some see it has God or specifically the Holy Spirit.  Very possible.

I think it might very be the work of the Holy Spirit in the church.

Right now, the church is a type of restraining influence upon evil in the world.  Jesus said we were the “salt of the earth” (Mat. 5:13).  In ancient days, salt was the main method of preserving things, keeping your meat from spoiling.  When you remove the preservative, the meat spoils.

When the church is removed from the planet in the rapture, I think there will be a great unleashing of wickedness on the earth.  Right now, we’re just a big pain in the neck to people who want to bring pornography into every home and who want to teach your children that there is no such thing as right and wrong.  But one day we won’t be around to say “no”.

Note:  We’re still here on planet earth.  If we aren’t raptured before Tuesday, please be a responsible part of this “restraining” and be sure to vote.  I am allowed by the government to encourage you to vote, I am just not allowed to tell you who to vote for.

:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed,

revealed – apokalupto – to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up; disclose, make bare; to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown

that Wicked – anomos – destitute of (the Mosaic) law; of the Gentiles; departing from the law, a violator of the law, lawless, wicked.  This is a related word to what is translated “iniquity” in verse 7.

:8  whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

consume – analisko – to expend; to consume, use up, destroy

spirit of his mouth – I think this refers to the “sword” that will be in Jesus’ mouth when He returns, the “word of God”.

destroy – katargeo – to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative; to deprive of force, influence, power; to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish

brightness – epiphaneia – an appearing, appearance

coming – parousia – presence; the coming, arrival, advent; the future visible return from heaven of Jesus, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God

Lesson

Jesus wins!

That’s what the headlines will read.

Illustration

Martin Luther in the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”, wrote, (second verse)

And though this world with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,

We tremble not for him –

His rage we can endure,

For lo, his doom is sure:

One little word shall fell him.

John describes it:

(Rev 19:11-21 KJV)  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. {12} His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. {13} And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. {14} And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. {15} And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. {16} And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. {17} And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; {18} That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. {19} And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. {20} And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. {21} And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Though we are talking a lot about the “antichrist” this morning, we need to be careful that our focus is on Jesus Christ.

We don’t look for antichrist, we look for Jesus Christ.

:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

coming – parousia – presence; the coming, arrival, advent.  This is the same word used to describe the coming of Jesus (vs. 8).

working – energeia – working, efficiency; in the NT used only of superhuman power, whether of God or of the Devil

power – dunamis – strength, power, ability

signs – semeion – a sign, mark, token; of miracles and wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is God’s

wonders – teras – a prodigy, portent; miracle: performed by any one

Lesson

Signs and wonders don’t prove it’s God

We have the mistaken idea at times that if a “miracle” happens, that it must be God.

It may be.  It may not be.  Even Satan can do “signs and wonders”.

God warned through Moses:

(Deu 13:1-3 KJV)  If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, {2} And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; {3} Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

God may allow miracles to happen that are not from Him as a way of testing you to see if you’re paying attention to whether or not the person is telling you about the one True God.

This doesn’t mean that we ignore signs and wonders, and it doesn’t mean that we should go to the extreme of saying that all “miracles” are of the devil.  But it means that if we see a miracle, we still need to ask ourselves, “Is this person representing God?”

:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

deceivableness – apate – deceit, deceitfulness; from apatao – to cheat, beguile, deceive

unrighteousness – adikia – injustice, of a judge; unrighteousness of heart and life; a deed violating law and justice, act of unrighteousness

perish – apollumi – to destroy; to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin; metaph. to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell; to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed

received – dechomai – to take with the hand; to take up, receive; to receive or grant access to, a visitor, not to refuse intercourse or friendship; to receive favourably, give ear to, embrace, make one’s own, approve, not to reject

love – agape – brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence

truth – aletheia – what is true in any matter under consideration; what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth

People will be deceived when the antichrist comes on the scene because before he arrives, they will not be people who have a love for the truth.

I think this is specifically talking about the truth in Jesus Christ, that we must believe in Him to be saved.

Lesson

Do you love the truth?

Illustration

True or False

On the Internet, you will hear all sorts of stories, all sorts of “urban myths”.  Below are some of the myths that have been discussed on the Internet and conclusions that have been drawn about them. What do you think? Are they true or false?

1.     A penny dropped from the top of the Empire State Building will embed itself in the pavement. (false)

2.     Unless marked “dairy”, fast-food shakes aren’t milk, but mostly carrageen gel. (true)

3.     The Bubbles in bubble-wrap (the packing material) contain a toxic gas. (false)

4.     If the entire population of China jumped up and down at the same time, the earth’s orbit would be disturbed. (false)

5.     Some Oregon highway workers blew up a whale and showered the town with whale blubber. (true)

Edited from More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice.  Copyright 1995 by Youth Specialties, Inc.

It isn’t always that easy to tell what’s true and what’s false, is it?

What’s at stake isn’t whether you can always tell the truth from the lie, but whether or not you love the truth.

Do you love the truth about Jesus Christ?

Do you love truth in general?  Do you love to tell the truth?  Is your life truthful?

Flip Wilson used to say, “What you see is what you get”.  Is that true in you?

:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

strong – energeia – working, efficiency; in the NT used only of superhuman power, whether of God or of the Devil.  This is the same word that was translated “working” (v. 9) to describe the antichrist “whose coming is after the working of Satan”.

delusion – plane – a wandering, a straying about; one led astray from the right way, roams hither and thither; error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion; error which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting; error, that which leads into error, deceit or fraud

Lesson

God wants people to be saved.

I think we need to be careful here and not get the wrong idea.  God wants people to be saved.

(1 Tim 2:4-6 NLT)  for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. {5} For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. {6} He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time.

(2 Pet 3:9 NLT)  The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.

But if people refuse to pay attention to God’s remedy for their sin, they may face the possibility of being deluded during the Tribulation.

:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

damned – krino – to separate; to judge; to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong; to be judged, i.e. summoned to trial that one’s case may be examined and judgment passed upon it; to pronounce judgment, to subject to censure

had pleasure – eudokeo – it seems good to one, is one’s good pleasure; think it good, choose, determine, decide; to do willingly

unrighteousness – adikia – injustice, of a judge; unrighteousness of heart and life; a deed violating law and justice, act of unrighteousness

If people make a choice now to not love the truth, they will have a hard time later believing the truth.

Lesson

If you don’t love the truth now, you may never.

Some people have the idea that they’ll wait until after the rapture, and then they’ll decide to follow Jesus.

The problem is that if you don’t pay attention to the truth now, when it’s fairly easy to follow Jesus, what makes you think you’ll pay attention to the truth then, when following Jesus may mean dying a martyr’s death?

For others, the issue is about learning to live in truth.

Are there areas of your life that you are hiding from?  Are there areas that just seem too wicked to really face up to?

You’ll have a hard time being able to get out of bondage if you don’t deal with the truth.

:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

bound – opheilo – to owe; “ought”

beloved – agapao – of persons; to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly

chosen – haireomai – to take for oneself, to prefer, choose; to choose by vote, elect to office

sanctification – hagiasmos – consecration, purification; the effect of consecration; sanctification of heart and life

(2 Th 2:13 NLT)  As for us, we always thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation, a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and by your belief in the truth.

:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

obtaining – peripoiesis – a preserving, a preservation; possession, one’s own property; an obtaining

:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

stand fast – steko – to stand firm; to persevere, to persist; to keep one’s standing

hold – krateo – to have power, be powerful; to get possession of; to become master of, to obtain; to take hold of; to hold in the hand; to hold fast, i.e. not discard or let go; to keep carefully and faithfully

traditions – paradosis – giving up, giving over; a giving over which is done by word of mouth or in writing, i.e. tradition by instruction, narrative, precept, etc.

word – logos – of speech; word.  The teachings that they had received in person either through Paul, Silas, or Timothy.

:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

loved – agapao – of persons; to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly

consolation – paraklesis – a calling near, summons, (esp. for help); importation, supplication, entreaty; exhortation, admonition, encouragement; consolation, comfort, solace; that which affords comfort or refreshment

:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

comfort – paraklesis – a calling near, summons, (esp. for help); importation, supplication, entreaty; exhortation, admonition, encouragement; consolation, comfort, solace; that which affords comfort or refreshment

stablish – sterizo (“steroids”) – to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix; to strengthen, make firm; to render constant, confirm, one’s mind

2Thessalonians 3

:1  Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

free course – trecho – to run; of those who run in a race course; metaph.; of doctrine rapidly propagated; by a metaphor taken from runners in a race, to exert one’s self, strive hard

:2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

may be delivered – rhoumai – to draw to one’s self, to rescue, to deliver

unreasonable – atopos – out of place, not befitting, unbecoming; improper, wicked; unrighteous; inconvenient, harmful

wicked – poneros – full of labours, annoyances, hardships; bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble; bad, of a bad nature or condition; in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad

We think that Paul wrote 1&2 Thessalonians while in Corinth.  Look at some of the circumstances of his writing:

(Acts 18:1-18 KJV)  After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; {2} And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. {3} And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. {4} And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. {5} And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. {6} And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. {7} And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. {8} And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. {9} Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: {10} For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. {11} And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. {12} And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, {13} Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. {14} And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: {15} But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. {16} And he drave them from the judgment seat. {17} Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. {18} And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

God answered their prayers and kept His promise to Paul.  There was still trouble in Corinth, but God did protect Paul and God did allow Paul to speak in Corinth.

:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

faithful – pistos – trusty, faithful; of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties; one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust; that can be relied on

stablish – sterizo – to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix; to strengthen, make firm; to render constant, confirm, one’s mind

keep – phulasso – to guard; to watch, keep watch; to guard or watch, have an eye upon: lest he escape; to guard a person (or thing) that he may remain safe

evil – poneros – full of labours, annoyances, hardships; bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble; bad, of a bad nature or condition; in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad

Lesson

He won’t let you down.

People will let you down, but Jesus never will.

Paul learned this in Corinth.  God kept His promises to Paul.

Illustration

Have you ever heard of the unusual account of how the news of the battle of Waterloo reached England?  The word was carried first by sailing ship to the southern coast.  From there it was relayed by signal flags to London.  When the report was received at Winchester, the flags on the cathedral began to spell it out: “Wellington defeated...”  Before the message could be completed, however, a heavy fog moved in.  Gloom filled the hearts of the people as the fragmentary news spread throughout the surrounding countryside.  But when the mists began to lift, it became evident that the signals of Winchester Cathedral had really spelled out this triumphant message: “Wellington defeated the enemy!”

Too often we allow the future to be colored by what we understand at the moment.  We have a tendency to become so absorbed with our current difficulties that we forget God's faithfulness in the past.

:4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

confidence – peitho – persuade; to trust, have confidence, be confident

command – paraggello – to transmit a message along from one to another, to declare, announce; to command, order, charge

This word appears 30 times in the New Testament, and FOUR of them are right here in this chapter (3:4, 6, 10, 12).  Interesting.

It also appeared once in:

1Th 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

Lesson

God is serious about this

In all five times to the Thessalonians, Paul’s “commands” have to do with learning to work and not being “disorderly”.

:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

direct – kateuthuno – to make straight, guide, direct; of the removal of the hindrances to coming to one

love – agape – brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence

I like the picture of God guiding our hearts and removing the hindrances so that we go straight into the Love of God.

Lesson

Falling more in love with Him.

Everything in life falls into place when we fall in love with Him.

It’s the greatest commandment.

(Mat 22:36-37 KJV)  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? {37} Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

When I love Him, it changes my life.

Illustration

I think I can say that I am more in love with my wife than I’ve ever been.  Our marriage isn’t perfect, but I’m having a wonderful time.  Because I love her so much, I get very bummed when I do some stupid thing that hurts her.  I think I hurt her way too much.  But because my love is growing, I’m working harder and harder at not hurting her and working harder and harder at blessing her.

It works the same way with the Lord.

patient waiting – hupomone – steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings; patiently, and steadfastly; a patient, steadfast waiting for

Waiting for Jesus’ return.

Lesson

Waiting doesn’t mean laziness

(Luke 19:12-27 KJV)  He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. {13} And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. {14} But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. {15} And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. {16} Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. {17} And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. {18} And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. {19} And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. {20} And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: {21} For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. {22} And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: {23} Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? {24} And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. {25} (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) {26} For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. {27} But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Jesus has entrusted you with certain treasures.  He’s coming back.

So, what do you do?  Sit around and watch Gilligan’s Island all day?

No.  You work hard until He comes.

This will be the focus of Paul’s commands to the Thessalonians.

:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

command – paraggello – to transmit a message along from one to another, to declare, announce; to command, order, charge

brother – adelphos – a brother; brethren in Christ

withdraw – stello – to set; to diminish, check, cause to cease; to cease to exist; to remove one’s self, withdraw one’s self, to depart; to abstain from familiar intercourse with one

disorderly – ataktos – disorderly, out of ranks (often so of soldiers); irregular, inordinate, immoderate pleasures; deviating from the prescribed order or rule; Used in Greek society of those who did not show up for work.

We saw this word last week:

(1 Th 5:14 KJV)  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly …

Lesson

Careful fellowship

We have this idea that we ought to get along with, love, and accept everyone who calls themselves a Christian.

I think Paul is saying that there are going to be some limits to this.

There are going to be times when our walk with the Lord will suffer because of our relationship with some Christians.

:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

ye ought – dei – it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper

to follow – mimeomai (“mimic”) – to imitate

behaved not ourselves disorderly – atakteo – to be disorderly; of soldiers marching out of order or quitting ranks; to be neglectful of duty, to be lawless; to lead a disorderly life.  This is the verb form of “disorderly” (v.6).

Paul is going to give an example of what he calls “disorderly”.

:8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

for nought – dorean – freely, undeservedly

labour – kopos – a beating; a beating of the breast with grief, sorrow; labour; trouble; to cause one trouble, make work for him; intense labour united with trouble and toil

travail – mochthos – a hard and difficult labour, toil, travail, hardship, distress

wrought – ergazomai – to work, labour, do work; to trade, to make gains by trading, "do business"; to work for, earn by working, to acquire

be chargeable – epibareo – to put a burden upon, to load; to be burdensome

:9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

power – exousia – power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)

As an apostle, Paul had the authority, the right to ask the church to support him.

ensample – mimeomai – to imitate

:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

commanded – paraggello – to transmit a message along from one to another, to declare, announce; to command, order, charge

would – thelo – to will, have in mind, intend; to be resolved or determined, to purpose; to desire, to wish; to love; to like to do a thing, be fond of doing; to take delight in, have pleasure

If you do not have a will or desire or a love to work, then you don’t eat.

Apparently, there were folks in the Thessalonian church who didn’t work for a living, but who expected the church to support them.  Paul is saying that a person who is able to work ought to work.

:11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

disorderly – ataktos – disorderly, out of ranks (often so of soldiers); irregular, inordinate, immoderate pleasures; deviating from the prescribed order or rule

working – ergazomai – to work, labour, do work; to trade, to make gains by trading, "do business"; to work for, earn by working, to acquire

are busybodies – periergazomai (“about” + “work”) – to bustle about uselessly, to busy one’s self about trifling, needless, useless matters; used apparently of a person officiously inquisitive about other’s affairs

There’s a play on words here.  Almost like:  They are not “busy” at working, they are “busybodies”.

Speaking of busybodies, I heard of a parrot that was quite a nuisance …

Illustration

High Seas Parrot

There was this magician who was working a cruse ship on the high seas.  His audience was always different, so he took advantage, allowing himself to do the same tricks over and over again.

There was only one problem... the Captain's' Parrot! The Captain's Parrot saw the show week after week after week!  Soon the parrot began to understand how the magician did every trick, and once he understood... he began to shout in the middle of the magician's act.  "Look...  different hat... different hat!"  "Hiding the flowers... hiding the flowers, in his coat... in his coat!"  "Hello, ALL aces... ALL aces...   Look...  All aces!"

The magician became absolutely livid with the parrot and secretly wanted to make soup of him... however since he was the *Captain's Parrot*,  there was nothing he could do.

One day the ship had an unfortunate accident, broke up, and sank!  As luck would have it... the magician found himself floating on the *same* piece of wood as the parrot.  There they floated... the middle of the ocean... staring at one another in complete silence... the magician still filled with anger.

They spoke not a word to one another, and this continued for a day, and another, and another, and another.  After a week the parrot broke the silence with... "OK, I give up... where's the boat?!"

:12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

command – paraggello – to transmit a message along from one to another, to declare, announce; to command, order, charge

exhort – parakaleo – to call to one’s side, call for, summon; to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.; to admonish, exhort; to beg, entreat, beseech

quietness – hesuchia – quietness; description of the life of one who stays at home doing his own work, and does not officiously meddle with the affairs of others; silence

:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

weary – ekkakeo – to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted

well doing – kalopoieo – to do well, act uprightly

:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

obey – hupakouo – to listen, to harken; to harken to a command; to obey, be obedient to, submit to

note – semeioo – to mark, to note, distinguish by marking; to mark or note for one’s self

have no company – sunanamignumi – to mix up together; to keep company with, be intimate with one

be ashamed – entrepo – to shame one; to be ashamed; to turn about

When you isolate yourself from a person like this, it has an effect.

:15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

count – hegeomai – to lead; to consider, deem, account, think; denotes a belief resting not on one’s inner feeling or sentiment, but on the due consideration of external grounds, and the weighing and comparing of facts.

enemy – echthros – hated, odious, hateful

admonish – noutheteo – to admonish, warn, exhort

This word seems to have a stern side to it, but also a caring, loving side as well:

Ac 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

1Co 4:14  I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn [you].

Lesson

Explain yourself

Sometimes we might find ourselves separating from the “unruly” person, but we never take the time to say something.

I think that discipline is never complete unless you explain what you’re doing.

Illustration

If you are disciplining your child, don’t just get angry and spank the child.  Make sure the child understands exactly what they’ve done wrong.  Make sure you explain that you don’t hate the child, but that you love them so much that you don’t want them doing the harmful behavior.

Lesson

Enemy or brother?

In one sense, there’s not a lot of difference in our actions whether you consider a person an enemy or a brother.  We are to love our brothers, we are also to love our enemies.

But I think there’s a real difference in our own hearts as to our attitude whether we consider a person an “enemy” or a “brother”.

This still doesn’t change the fact that Paul says not to hang out with the guy.

:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

peace – eirene – a state of national tranquillity; peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)

:17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.

Paul usually dictated his letters to someone else.  He would then write a short line at the end to show that it was actually from him.

:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.