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An Argument Of Second Thessalonians

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Message Statement:

In View Of The Corrupting Influence Of The False Teachers Paul Exhorts Timothy To Fulfill His Designated Ministry To The Church At Ephesus By Correcting False Teachers, Protecting The Church From Their Influence, Appealing To Those Who Are In Sin, And Pursuing Godliness With An Attitude Of Contentment Rather Than With A Desire For Personal Gain

I. Upon greeting and praying for God's peace and grace for this His church, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy give thanksgiving, honor and continued prayer as the Thessalonians continue to grow during extreme persecution (1:1-12)

A. Upon greeting the Thessalonian church, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy pray that God the Father and Son would provide peace and grace to His dear church (1:1-2)

1. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy greet the Thessalonian church which is in a close relationship with the Father and Jesus (1:1)

2. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy pray that the Father and Son would provide grace and peace to the Thessalonians (1:2)

B. Thanksgiving, honor and continued prayer are given on behalf of the Thessalonians as they continue to grow during extreme persecution (1:3-12)

1. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy feel a need to always give thanks for the Thessalonians who are increasing in faith and love (1:3)

a. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy feel a need to always give thanks to God for the Thessalonians (1:3a)

b. The reason thanks is to be given is because the Thessalonians are increasing in faith and love (1:3b)

2. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy speak proudly of the growth which is continuing in the lives of the Thessalonians recognizing that God is working for their future good and praying that it will be fulfilled (1:4-12)

a. Because the Thessalonians are growing in faith and love, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy speak of them proudly among the other churches, especially in view of the persecutions and afflictions which they endure (1:4)

b. The continued growth of the Thessalonians under such adverse conditions is an indication of God's working for good resulting in reward in the kingdom (1:5)

1) Statement (1:5)

2) Support: It is just and a part of Jesus' return to judge those who do evil and to bless those who believe (1:6-10)

a) Out of justice God will repay those who afflict with affliction and will also repay those who are afflicted with relief (1:6)

b) This just compensation will occur when Jesus returns to judge those who do evil and to be glorified by those who believe (1:7-10)

c. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy pray that God may be able to be pleased with the Thessalonians and to complete in them with power their desires for good and faith so that Jesus may be glorified when he comes (1:11-12)

II. In contrast to distressing reports that the day of the Lord has already come, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to be encouraged as they trust in the apostolic teaching that the day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the coming of the man of lawlessness (2:1-17)

A. Paul now addresses the Thessalonians concerning their relationship to the coming of the Lord that they need not be upset by any reports that the day of the Lord has come (2:1-2)

B. The Thessalonians are not to be mislead about the day of the Lord but are to be encouraged as they trust in the apostolic teaching that the day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness who will be judged along with those who are deceived by him at the Lord's coming (2:3-17)

1. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to not be misled about the Day of the Lord because it must be preceded by The apostasy and the coming of the man of lawlessness as he previously told them (2:3-5)

a. The Thessalonians should not be deceived about the Day of the Lord because it must be preceded by The Apostasy (2:3a)

b. The Thessalonians should not be deceived about the Day of the Lord because it must be preceded by the man of lawlessness who brings destruction and sets himself up as God in the Temple of Israel (2:3b-4)

c. Paul told the Thessalonians about this when he was among them (2:5)

2. The truth, which the Thessalonians must be steadfast in and which Paul prays that God will comfort and strengthen them in, is that the Spirit of God now restrains the man of lawlessness until His appointed time of appearance and judgment along those who, unlike the Thessalonians, are deluded by him (2:6-17)

a. The Spirit of God now restrains the man of lawlessness until His appointed time of appearance and judgment along those who, unlike the Thessalonians, are deluded by him (2:6-15)

1) Even though lawlessness is presently working, the man of lawlessness is restrained until the Spirit allows him to be revealed (2:6-7)

2) The man of lawlessness who will do miraculous and deceptive works of Satan -- which God allows to delude those who reject the truth so that they, in contrast to the Thessalonians, may be judged -- will be destroyed by the Lord at his coming (2:8-14)

a) The man of lawlessness will be destroyed by the Lord at His coming (2:8)

b) The man of lawlessness will come with the miraculous powers and deceptions of Satan which God will allow to deceive those who did not believe the truth so that they might be judged (2:9-12)

c) Unlike those deluded to judgment, Paul gives thanksgiving for the Thessalonians whom God has chosen for salvation and who will gain the glory of Jesus Christ (2:13-14)

b. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy encourage the Thessalonians to be steadfast in the truth and pray that the Lord will comfort and strengthen the Thessalonians in their present ministries (2:15-17)

1) In view of what has just been taught about the day of the Lord, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to be steadfast in the truth they have been taught (2:15)

2) Paul prays that the Lord who has given hope for the future will comfort and strengthen the Thessalonians in the present as they seek to serve Him (2:16-17)

II. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy urge the Thessalonians to be involved in prayer for their difficult ministries and to be involved in the work of their own difficult ministry: church discipline (3:1-15)

A. In a reciprocal way Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy urge the Thessalonians to pray for their ministry as well as themselves, and proclaim the Lord's faithfulness to the Thessalonians (3:1-3)

1. The Thessalonians are urged to pray that the word of the Lord may spread in a great way and that Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy may be preserved from perverse, evil, faithless men (3:1-2)

2. The Lord is proclaimed to be faithful and willing to strengthen and protect the Thessalonians from the evil one (3:3)

B. Because Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy have confidence in the Thessalonians' willingness to obey God's word both now and in the future, he exhorts them to deal with the present problem of undisciplined living now occurring within the church (3:4-15)

1. The topic shifts to obedience in the Thessalonian church as Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy express their confidence in the church's present and future obedience as well as pray for the Lord's direction to the heart of the church to be like the Lord's in its love and steadfastness (3:4-5)

2. In an exhortation concerning those who are leading undisciplined lives in direct defiance of apostolic instruction, those in sin are exhorted to provide for their physical needs through working and the church is urged to sensitively administer corrective discipline when necessary as a motivation to upright living (3:6-15)

a. The Thessalonians are commanded to exercise church discipline against those in their midst who are rebelling against apostolic instruction by leading undisciplined lives (3:6-11)

1) Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy command the Thessalonians to separate themselves from other believers who live unruly lives in rebellion against apostolic instruction (3:6-10)

a) Statement (3:6)

b) The instruction which Paul is referring to is the example of their disciplined lives which manifested itself in their hard work for their needs rather than the expectation of financial support from the Thessalonian church and their order: "If anyone will not work, let him neither eat." (3:7-10)

2) The reason they are making this command is because of the reports of those in the church who are living undisciplined lives by not working and using their time gossiping (3:11)

b. Those who are living undisciplined lives are commanded to provide for their physical needs by working (3:12)

c. The church as a whole is exhorted to not grow weary of doing good, especially when it comes to the difficult task of church discipline (3:13-15)

1) The Thessalonians are exhorted to not grow weary with doing good (3:13)

2) The Thessalonians are exhorted to note those who do not obey this letter's instruction and to exercise church discipline for the sake of good upon this brother (3:14-15)

a) The church is to note and not associate with a brother who refuses to obey this letter's instruction about undisciplined living (3:14)

b) The church is urged in this discipline to not regard this person in sin as an enemy but as a brother to be helped (3:16)

IV. Paul concludes his letter by praying for the Lord's provisions for the Thessalonians and demonstrating that these words may be trusted as coming from him by his distinguishing sign (3:16-18)

A. Prayer is given for the Lord of peace to manifest peace and be with the Thessalonians in all situations (3:16)

B. Paul places his distinguishing mark upon the letter to confirm that it is being sent from him and no one else (3:17)

C. Paul prays that the grace of the Lord Jesus would be with the Thessalonians (3:18)

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

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