1Thessalonians and 2Thessalonians

and

Strong Delusion (2Thessalonians 2)

Notes from the teaching of R. B. Thieme, Jr.

For the initial text, I will use the Berean Literal Bible. If Bob corrects the text of any verse, this will be also be grouped at the end of the two books covered.

On a personal note, I questioned whether I really needed to study the Strong Delusion series since he covers this chapter in 2Thessalonians. I can report to you, it is necessary.

These three studies give us a window into the evolution of R. B. Thieme, Jr.’s teaching over the years. In 1961 (1Thessalonians), he would teach 4 or 5 verses a night (sometimes more); and only did a correction in a portion of a translation here or there. By 1973 (2Thessalonians), he was correcting more of the translation, delving somewhat more into the Greek, but he would still cover 3 or 4 verses in a lesson, and he did not, for the most part, provide an updated translation. By 1979 (the Strong Delusion study), Bob was correcting each verse as he went along, making numerous references to the Greek, and he provided a full translation for that entire chapter (and for the other verses which he covered). Also, by 1979, Bob was more at ease and he did a lot more talking about current events, giving a doctrinal take on these events. I began listening to Bob around this time (actually around 1972 or ‘73) and what I found remarkable, apart from his teaching of the Bible, was his take on South Africa and Rhodesia. Virtually every commentator in the world talked about dismantling those countries’ governments until it represented proportionally by color the populations of those countries. Bob, when he commented on that, said quite the opposite.

Having completed the studies of 1&2Thessalonians, I wondered, do I really need to study the 1979 Strong Delusion series? After all, it was done 6 years after the 2Thessalonians series above. Isn’t this just a rehash of what I already know?

Needless to say, R. B. Thieme, Jr. knew what he was doing by putting this new series out. I am updating and working on my notes in 2022, and the study below could not be more up-to-date. I could not suggest a better study for the times in which w live.

1Thessalonians

The section headings come from E-sword. The Berean Literal Bible was used throughout.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #1

1 07/09/1961 1Thessalonians 1:1–5 Blueprint of the Church, part 1

Chapter 1

Greeting

1Thessalonians 1:1  Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

Verse 1 — “Paul.” The word in the Greek means “little", and yet this word designates the name of one of the outstanding young men of the ancient world, a man who rose to the top of his nation as a young man. He was a man who was successful from the standpoint of religion as well as from the standpoint of politics. Yet in the midst of all of this he found the most wonderful thing in the world. He found the peace, the strength, the joy and the blessing that comes from receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as saviour. He was appointed by God the Holy Spirit and apostle, for it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to disseminate spiritual gifts. The gift of apostleship was the gift of absolute spiritual dictatorship, and not only did he have this top spiritual gift but at the same time he is the human author of this epistle.

Paul wrote this epistle on his second missionary journey. He was down in the south of Greece when he heard of the problems which were brought to him by Timothy. Timothy had gone back to Thessalonica to see what was happening there. Paul had been at least three weeks in Thessalonica and perhaps longer. While he was there he first of all witnessed for Jesus Christ. As a result a certain number of Thessalonians came to know Christ as saviour. Then he began to teach them doctrine and in a relatively short time he was able to teach them a tremendous amount of doctrine.

And then as was his custom he moved on. Timothy backtracked and when Timothy came back he had some interesting reports. He said that some of the believers were standing around, had sold their businesses or were neglecting them, because they thought the Rapture would take place at any moment. Other believers were living in panic palace because they somehow thought that those who had died between Paul’s visit and that particular moment that their loved ones would not be involved in the Rapture of the Church which apparently Paul had taught. Some of them were all upset by the pressures and the adversities and the persecutions of life, and there was some. Others were confused about the doctrines of spiritual gifts and therefore Timothy brought back a very negative report. The result was the writing of the five chapters which comprise 1Thessalonians.

The epistle is characterized generally in four ways. First of all it is what is called an eschatological epistle. It refers to future things. In every chapter there is some reference to the future, either the second advent or in some cases the Rapture of the Church. The second thing which is most unusual about this epistle is the fact that there are no Old testament citations. This is the only epistle of Paul’s where not once does he quote the Old Testament. We conclude from this that this was primarily a Gentile church. The third thing which is most unusual about the epistle is the fact that it is short and yet it covers a tremendous amount of doctrine. There are so many different subjects all of the way from the Holy Spirit to the doctrine of election, to the Trinity, to the second advent, to the final judgement. Finally, there is in this epistle a very fascinating subject, the subject of the oral teachings of the apostle. Apparently from this epistle it is concluded that before the canon of scripture was written the oral teachings of the apostle had divine authority. Once the canon of scripture is completed, however, the oral teachings pass into history and we do not know the exact content and details of them.

As far as all of the Pauline epistles are concerned during the second missionary journey all of the epistles written during that time (two in fact, 1 and 2Thessalonians) are eschatological in nature. The first letters that Paul wrote were primarily eschatological. On the third missionary journey Paul wrote Galatians, 1 and 2Corinthians, and Romans. These epistles are generally characterized by the doctrine of soteriology. it is interesting that before Paul ever got to writing about salvation he was writing about the second advent of Christ, the Rapture of the Church, and other eschatological subjects. In the first Roman imprisonment Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. The subject was Christology. Then during his second Roman imprisonment he wrote 1 and 2Timothy and Titus. The subject was ecclesiology, the doctrine of the Church.

This is addressed to a group of believers who lived in the city of Thessalonica, the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, the northern part of the Greek state. it was famous for its wealth and its great se port; 200 thousand at least by way of population. The church was founded in Acts 17:1-11 by Paul on his missionary journey.

“Paul and Silvanus, and Timotheus .” Paul is a Greek word, Silvanus and Timotheus are Latin words. We have three missionaries with the indigenous idea. These three men were men who traveled around the ancient world. We must call this the Pauline missionary team and as the traveled from place to place everyone had a responsibility. They would go into a city and the first thing they would do was to declare the gospel. They would witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result of their witnessing a few to many would accept Christ as saviour. Without any further beating of the bushes, without going out into the highways and byways they immediately gathered these people together and began to train them to go out and reach their own people. This is the primary concept of the indigenous missionary movement. This is the concept which has been ignored as we have departed from doctrine. Paul, Silvanus and Timothy and Silas went out together to witness for Jesus Christ, but they did not try to reach everyone in the place, they trained those that they could win to go out and reach others.

Those who were a part of China Mainland Missions should have trained up indigenous people to further evangelize.

Once these people had been trained Paul did something else. He organized the local church, and in the organization of the local church there were three factors that were always there:

Here are three men, then, who have the indigenous concept as they go about the ancient world witnessing for Christ.

In Los Angeles, many people sold their businesses and they bought white sheets, and they stood on a mountain waiting for the rapture. This left many disillusioned people as a result.

Notice it is addressed “unto the church of the Thessalonians.” This is a local church and the word “church” is in the dative case in the Greek, dative of advantage. It is to the advantage of believers to be organized into local churches for worship, for fellowship, for edification, for the organized teaching of the Word of God, and many other blessings which will come as a result of this.

Then notice the usual salutation, “Grace” and then “peace.” Grace is all that God is free to do for you because Jesus Christ died for your sins. Grace is God providing everything and man receiving. Under the concept of grace man cannot earn it or deserve it, he cannot work for it.

Grace is the entire plan of God. Whenever you see the word “grace” while it refers specifically to salvation it is still the plan of God. God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, is the author of a plan for the human race. This plan is called operation grace. It is divided into three parts: phase one, Jesus Christ came into the world through the virgin birth, He died on the cross for our sins, he rose again, He ascended.

Notice that the salutation is always the same, grace comes before peace. Peace is the result of appropriating grace. “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “peace here refers to our relationship with God. There is no longer a barrier between man and God. We have peace with God as a result of personal faith in the Son of God. Then as a result of having peace with God we can have the peace of God which passeth all understanding of Philippians 4:7.

After the salutation, thanksgiving. We are told “in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” You haven’t lived until you can thank God for everything in your life, the difficulties as well as the blessings. When you can be thankful for everything, then you can begin to understand the principle that all things do work together for good, all things are not good in themselves but all things do work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

The Thessalonians' Faith and Example

1Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always concerning all of you, making mention in our prayers,...

“We keep on giving thanks” it says in verse 2. This is present linear aktionsart in the Greek. “We” means Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Notice the recipient of their thanksgiving — God. This is, again, a dative case. This is dative of dignity. God is the eternal and sovereign ruler of the universe and He is the recipient of thanksgiving because He is the basis of all gracious provision.

“for you all, making mention of you in our prayers” — notice again, this great principle of power and of service: prayer. The principle is that prayer is a part of the follow-up of the indigenous concept, and in order to perpetuate Christianity in Thessalonica, Paul who has left Thessalonica is still remembering the group of believers in that area.

1Thessalonians 1:3 ...remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and unceasing labor of love, and the endurance of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,...

Verse 3 — “Remembering without ceasing,” present linear aktionsart — always remembering without ceasing, literally.

“your work of faith” — there are three areas of prayer follow-up here. The first: “work of faith”; the second: “labour of love”; the third: “patience of hope.” Notice something about the first two. There is work involved. But the third one does not have any connotation of work. Patience means to actually sit down without tapping your foot. It means to be immobile. Patience is the absence of works. However, there are two words before that where labour is involved: work of faith, labour of love. The word “work” is actually production. As a result of believing the promises of God, as a result of the faith-rest technique we have production. Now the faith-rest technique itself is just what it says it is, it is resting by faith. It is “committing your way unto the Lord, trusting also in him for he brings it to pass.” So it is actually resting, but as a result of resting you have production. So the concept here is not merely the faith-rest technique the work of faith is the result of claiming the promises of God. What are some of these results? Lack of worry — 1Peter 5:7. Now that we have accepted Christ as saviour we belong to Him. This is no longer our battle, it is His battle.

1Corinthians 15:10 — “By the grace of God I am what I am: [this is not an expression of his ego] and his grace upon me was not in vain [it wasn’t empty, it wasn’t useless, it wasn’t nonproductive]; bit I laboured more abundantly than them all [he simply utilized divine operating assets]:” — the believers who count for the Lord Jesus Christ are the believers who use capital, God’s capital, divine operating assets provided by Him. Grace means capital, grace means God has provided — “yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

The principle is this. When we utilize divine operating assets, God’s capital, there is production. How do we use this capital? “Work of faith” — “of faith” is genitive of description, genitive of source. It is production which has its source in faith. This is the faith-rest technique from the standpoint of production.

All believers have capital; some use it and some do not. We use this capital by the application of faith.

The next, “labour of love.” The love here is divine love. This is love which is the filling of the Spirit producing this love. So we have the labour as the result of the filling of the Spirit. When God the Holy Spirit controls the life there is production. So Paul is praying for them: 1. That they produce through faith; 2. That they produce through the filling of the Spirit. The filling of the Spirit is the provision of energy, the provision of power. God provides the assets; God provides the power.

Then he prays for a third thing: “patience of hope.” Patience means lack of activity, the perpetuation of the faith-rest technique, it means believing when things are hopeless. Patience means to keep on, claiming the promises of God when the situation is 100 per cent hopeless. There is no human solution but you keep right on claiming the promises, you keep right on standing on the Word of God.

As a result of these three areas of prayer follow-up e goes on to say that this is done “in our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is an objective genitive. Jesus Christ is our hope for the future.

“in the sight of God and our Father” — “in the sight of” means literally, in the face of. Effectively, all prayer is directed to God the Father.

Verses 4 & 5 is the foundation of the blueprint church. Paul founded a model church in Thessalonica, a pattern for all good local churches. Notice now the divine provision.

1Thessalonians 14 ...knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election,...

Verse 4 — “Knowing” .Divine provision is a reality but divine provision only becomes a blessing to us as we know it. The Greek word is in the perfect tense which means that we have this in the frontal lobe. This is information which is in the Bible but, more than that, it has been transferred from the Bible up to the frontal lobe where it does some good.

“brethren” — the ideal church is made up of believers only. If you are going to have a blueprint local church it should be made up of those who are born again. This is addressed to those who have personally believed in Christ as saviour.

“beloved” — in the perfect tense. It means we are loved in them past with the result that we keep on being loved. That is the meaning of the perfect tense. Then, this is in the passive voice in the Greek and the passive voice means the subject receives the action of the verb. It means that we receive this love. We don’t deserve it, we don’t earn it, we don’t work for it, we receive it.

“your election” — “your” is a possessive pronoun. You have received Christ as saviour, God the Father has cast for you a unanimous ballot. You have been elected. This election took place in eternity past.

“of God” — genitive of source, God the Father is the source of this election.

1Thessalonians 1:5 because our gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and with much full assurance, just as you know what we were among you on account of you.

Verse 5 — the human appropriation. “For our gospel” .The gospel is good news which starts with the cross. Christ died for my sins, He became my substitute, He took my place. Now that I have received Christ as saviour this gospel belongs to me. So we have a possessive pronoun again. The darker the world situation the brighter is the good news.

“came not” — this is negative now. It is an aorist tense, in a point of time. The passive voice: even in giving out the gospel you must have the passive voice, God must provide the power and everything necessary to get the point over.

“unto you in word only” — this means it came in words, it has to come in words. People have ears and they have to hear something. But what accompanied the word? Three things:

“power” — divine power, not simply human power, not the energy of the flesh. This word in the Greek is inherent power, which means the power of God — omnipotence.

“and in the Holy Spirit” — which means it came through the one who is the soul winner, God the Holy Spirit — doctrine of common grace, as found in John 16:8-11.

“and in much assurance” — no matter what kind of a personality you have, when you open your mouth and say, Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world, you are no longer Mr Ordinary person, you are an ambassador representing the Lord Jesus Christ. You are the ambassador of good news, the most important news this world has ever known. You declare the Word of God with confidence.

“as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake” — he doesn’t mean he simply lived the life, but he spoke, he declared the Word. His life demonstrated the power and the production of the Spirit and his lips declared the gospel, and later on doctrine to the believers. And because of this a great and powerful church suddenly reared up on the edifice of the power of the gospel and the doctrine, the Bible conference work that Paul did.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #2

2 07/16/1961 1Thessalonians 1:6–10 Blueprint of the Church, part 2

Paul spent at least 3 weeks in Thessalonica maybe longer. Acts 17 is when it was founded.

The people were confused there and they expected that the rapture was going to take place at any time. So they sold their businesses and just sat around waiting for the rapture.

There were bullies in the church; problems with spiritual gifts, problems with the concept of election.

Thessalonica is Thessaloniki today.

1Thessalonians 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

Verse 6 — the reception of the Word. It is only as believers take in the Word of God and get Bible doctrine up into the frontal lobe that they become successful in evangelizing the world. Paul went to Thessalonica where he had a few converts and he trained them. He gave them doctrine. And, as it says in Acts 17 the big complaint against them was, “These men are turning the world upside down.” Why? Because he trained people to go out and reach people, and these people went out and reached people who reached people, and soon this thing snowballed. The word was being saturated from one point because it was being done God’s way.

You cannot have an indigenous church, a successful missionary operation, apart from reception of the Word — doctrine. The right way is to train up believers from the indigenous population and train them to go out and to speak to their own people.

The missionaries cooperated with the Chinese communists because they were making things better and more moral.

Right now, there are too many people going to the missionary field. The biggest problem of the mission field is people who are there an unprepared. You are prepared with Bible doctrine. We could cut down two-thirds of the missionaries and train the others.

Paul trained his disciples. This was the correct approach, and this is why these men turned the world upside down.

“And ye became followers” — the word “followers” in the Greek means imitators. And who are these new converts imitating? “of us and of the Lord.” “Ye became” is an aorist tense, and that means in a point of time they became, and that is the point of time in which they received Bible information. Paul, Silas and Timothy led a few people to the Lord and then stayed around to train these people. They gave them doctrine, more doctrine, and more doctrine. And when they left this group was organized into a church. “Ye became” is the aorist tense, the point of time when Paul trained them. It is in the passive voice: they received becoming, actually. The aorist participle in this verse is “having received.” What did they receive? “The word.” This is in the middle voice where the subject benefits from the action of the verb. Believers are always benefitted by receiving the Word of God. First of all they received the Word, and as a result of receiving the Word they became imitators. You do not become an imitator of the Lord and you do not become an imitator, as it were, of a great spiritual believer like Paul apart from receiving the Word. It is the receiving the Word that makes wonderful, powerful, useful, productive believers out of a handful of Thessalonians. It doesn’t take a lot of people, it takes a few people who will receive the Word. That is why “became imitators” is in the passive voice. It means they became imitators apart from practicing themselves. If this was in the active voice it would means that they became imitators of Paul by watching Paul. But this is not the active voice, it is passive voice. That means they became imitators by not imitating, they became imitators by taking in the Word of God. They became imitators of divine viewpoint as versus human viewpoint. They didn’t imitate the activities of Paul. The imitation was in the thought pattern, it was in the Spirit-filled life. The imitation was in the faith-rest technique, in rebound where necessary, in occupation with the person of Christ. And all of these things came by receiving the Word of God. Then they became imitators. Again, the importance of the syntax here. The action of the aorist participle precedes the action of the main verb, the main verb: “they became imitators.” But they became imitators after they received the Word of God.

Notice how they received the Word of God — under pressure. The words “in much affliction” is literally, “in much adversity.” They were persecuted, they had all types of trials and testings. Why? Because out of that small group there are those who are shortly going to go out to various directions. Therefore, they must have some training. You don’t simply go out on the firing line and become a soldier, you have to have training, training, training. So while they were receiving the Word of God they were getting their training under pressure. Pressure teaches how to use the techniques. Under pressure they learn to claim the promises of God.

First of all you must have reception of the Word, you must have training, you must know the Word — “having received the word of God in the sphere of much affliction.” Why? Because this is the way you consolidate doctrine. This is the way you use doctrine. And yet, notice: “with joy of the Holy Spirit.” Now “in much affliction” has a principle. There is nothing like pressure to cause the believer to get the Word of God and to use the Word of God while he is getting it.

“with joy” — the Greek preposition “with” means “accompanied by.” The word “joy” means inner happiness which is the monopoly of Christianity. While they were taking in the Word of God in the midst of these pressures these pressures were accompanied by inner happiness. This means to us that no matter how great our adversities, our afflictions, our heartaches, our trials, our problems, the most difficult circumstances of life can be accompanied by inner happiness.

“of the Holy Spirit” is genitive of source. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is the source of inner happiness in the life of the Christian.

1Thessalonians 1:7 so as for you to became an example to all the believing ones in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Verse 7 — the blueprint church. “So that” is a result clause. As a result of the reception of the Word of God, “ye were ensamples.” Today we say “examples.” This noun is in the singular, not the plural. They weren’t examples plural, they were a blueprint. The Greek word is a blueprint. They were a pattern, a mold, a form of what a church ought to be.

This is the blueprint church. When it says “ye were a blueprint,” “ye were” is a verb and it should be translated “ye became” actually. It is the aorist tense. In that same point of time when they took in doctrine. There were certain things that happened in their life. At a point of time they listened to the Word, at a point of time they listened to the Word, they listened to the Word, they listened to the Word. All of a sudden these are all put together and you have a finished product ready to go. They have been trained in the Word of God. They put together all of these points of time and now they are going out and using it. That is the ideal church, the blueprint church. The aorist tense tells us that every point of time when they took in the Word of God and got this training they were a blueprint “to all that believe.”

“all that believe” — three things: It is a participle in the dative case, dative of advantage. It is to our advantage to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the present tense, and this is the dramatic present. The most dramatic moment in your life is the moment when you personally believe in Jesus Christ. It is active voice which means you must believe yourself.

1Thessalonians 1:8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone abroad, so as for us to have no need to say anything.

Verse 8 — missionary activity is the result of receiving the Word. “For from you” — the word “from” is the preposition of ultimate source, not the preposition of near source. This means that there were many converts to these people now. These people have gone out and won people to the Lord, and down the line is a fourth generation convert and the source was “from you,” ultimate source. The ultimate source is Thessalonica, though not the immediate source. When they led people to the Lord they trained them how to lead others to the Lord and then left them with it. “From you” does not mean that they went out and personally beat the bushes and won everyone to the Lord, they trained others to beat the bushes in their areas, and went on. The Thessalonian believers were the source of evangelizing others.

“sounded out” — this means the blast of a trumpet. This means to sound loud and clear. Furthermore, it is the perfect tense which means sounded out in the past with the result that they are still sounding out. The result is that the gospel is going out around the world — perfect tense, something that happened in the past with results that keep on going forever. Passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb. This means that when someone leads someone else to the Lord ultimately it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The sound was received around the world, that is the grace of God.

“the word of the Lord” — the gospel; “in every place” — not just in Greece alone, in every place. This is world wide evangelism, and what is the base for it? One spot, Thessalonica. Cf. Acts 17:6.

Acts 17:5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 

Acts 17:6–7 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 

The Thessalonian believers were turning the world upside down.

“your faith to Godward is spread abroad” — Paul gets a report. “Your faith to Godward” — the faith-rest technique operates Godward. They were believing the promises of God, they were claiming the doctrines, they were operating under the faith-rest technique. “Spread abroad” is in the perfect tense, spread abroad in the past with the result that it keeps on being spread abroad.

“so that” — result clause, “we need not to speak any thing.” Literally, “we do not have a need to speak anything.” Paul’s purpose is to preach the gospel wherever he goes and here is what has happened at this point. Wherever Paul goes he finds a believer is already there. The Thessalonians had beaten him to the punch. That is the kind of thing that made Paul very happy. How wonderful to walk into a town and find that his own students beat him to it, that they had passed the word to someone, who passed the word to someone, who passed the word to someone, and when Paul arrived in town it is too late to find a town that doesn’t have a believer.

1Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves report concerning us what reception we had from you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God,

Verse 9 — personal testimony of some of Paul’s spiritual grandchildren. “For they themselves” — the converts of believers from Thessalonica; “shew of us” is literally, “keep on reporting” — present indicative active; “what manner of entering in we had unto you.” How does Paul know that his students have beaten him to the punch? Because these people have passed the story down now third hand and fourth hand but they are still talking about how Paul went to Thessalonica and led people to the Lord. And when they lead someone else to the Lord they tell of how Paul came and taught, so they teach their converts how t teach their converts how to win people to the Lord.

Then he goes on to say that it is known all over the world how the Thessalonians “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” The key here is to serve. A lot of people do not serve the Lord because they have not received the Word of God. No Christian can serve the Lord without doctrine in the soul. “The words “to serve” is a present active infinitive and it means to keep on serving the Lord.

1Thessalonians 1:10 and to await His Son from the heavens, whom He raised out from the dead—Jesus, the one delivering us from the coming wrath.

Verse 10 — they did not ignore prophecy. There can be no effective evangelism until one gets straightened out on eschatology. Prophecy is a motivating factor in correct witnessing for Christ. They need to understand the last judgement, for example, which is one of the clearest ways to lay it on the line with regard to the gospel.

Prophecy is a part of the Word of God. You do not set it aside to simply evangelize. Prophecy is an integral part of witnessing. The last judgment is one of the most effective aspects of evangelism.

“to wait” doesn’t mean wait as we think of wait. This is the Greek word for waiting in the sense of anticipation, of expectation. Believers to effectively witness for Christ and to be a part of a Bible missionary activity must anticipate the Rapture of the Church.

“For his Son from heaven” — there are three “forms” in this verse. In each case it is the same Greek preposition which means “out from.” Jesus Christ is in heaven. There is a time coming when He is going to come out of heaven and He is going to come down to the air to meet the Church in the air.

“whom he [the Father] raised out from the dead.” Before Jesus could come out from heaven He had to come out from the dead. The humanity of Christ died on the cross, the humanity of Christ rose three days later, He came out from the dead, He ascended into the presence of the Father, and He comes out from heaven. This is what we call an effective parallelism. Christ came out from the dead, He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come out from heaven to meet us in the air.

“which delivered us from the wrath to come” — the word “to come” here is a present active participle of sequence which means to come immediately, which means we are going to be delivered out from the Tribulation, “the wrath about to come.” This means the Church will not go through the Tribulation. God always keeps His dispensations straight and separate.

After the rapture, there are 144,000 Jewish evangelists to start out the Tribulation.

The whole structure of the book of Revelation keeps the church out of the Tribulation.

Jesus meets the saints in the air; but He also delivers the saints on earth. The first is the rapture, and the second is the deliverance at the end of the Tribulation.

This doctrine, that the church does not go through the Tribulation, is covered in greater detail in NB2, the Church Will Not Go Through the Tribulation, which is taken from the Mideast Special (1991 Prophecy—Middle East; lesson #10).

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #3

3 07/23/1961 1Thessalonians 2:1–4 Pattern of personal works, part 1

Chapter 2

A missionary is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who is living a normal Christian life which is witnessing for Christ. In this chapter we discover once again why the Thessalonian church was falling into the pattern of its foundation, turning the world upside down. The world is turned upside down not by men who stand behind the pulpits but by believers who witness for Christ. As far as the Word of God is concerned the pattern for the believer is the pattern of witnessing, and every believer in Jesus Christ has that responsibility.

The pattern of personal work involves three factors in chapter two. In verses 1-12 we have the presentation of the gospel. In verses 13-16 we have the response to the gospel. In verses 17-19 we have the reward.

Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians

1Thessalonians 2:1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you has not been in vain.

The first principle is that you must make contact with the unbeliever. If anyone is going to witness for Christ he must go where the unbelievers are located. If you are going fishing you have to go where the fish are located.

Churches are designed to train believers, not to give the gospel. Wherever we happen to be, that is where we should be witnessing for Christ. We must go to them. Paul went to Thessalonica and he had one purpose in mind, to evangelize.

When Paul says in verse 1, “For you yourselves know that our entrance into you was not in vain” it means that Paul went to them. The word “brethren” means that he addresses those who are believers in Jesus Christ. This gives us our first principle: We must make contact with unbelievers — “our entrance in unto you.”

“was not in vain” is literally, “it became not in vain,” the perfect tense. It was not in vain in the past with the result that it will never be in vain. Why? Because these people responded to the gospel and received Christ as saviour. The Greek word “vain” means hollow, empty, ineffective, fruitless or nonproductive. Paul’s contact with them was not nonproductive.

How many times have you made the gospel clear to an unbeliever? By believing in Christ, they have eternal life; by rejecting Him, they are judged. This is a productive contact with an unbeliever.

There are many believers who have no desire to witness for Christ. They are just too busy with life. What do you do with your contacts with unbelievers? The gospel is to be declared from your vocabulary and from your personality. God has entrusted us with the gospel. He expects compound interest. What is your objective with unbelievers? What is your objective when you are around unbelievers? The gospel is always good news. The gospel has never failed to save any who have received it. The gospel will survive the destruction of the universe, as will the results of believing the gospel.

1Thessalonians 2:2 But having previously suffered and having been mistreated in Philippi, just as you know, we had boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much conflict.

Verse 2 — a second principle. You can expect opposition, opposition from within and opposition from without. The gospel must be presented in spite of opposition. In this particular verse we have two aorist active participles, and then we have a main verb. The aorist active participle always precedes the main verb. The main verb will have a middle voice, an aorist middle indicative.

The first participle: “we have suffered before”; the second participle: “we were shamefully entreated.” These should be translated: “having suffered before, and having been shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold.” Now, “we were bold” is the main verb, but we have two participles first. The participles should be recognized that their action precedes the action of the main verb. The action of both of these participles takes place at Philippi. Paul was in Philippi before he came to Thessalonica. Paul was faithful to the Lord and he moved right on. A lot of people have embarrassing experiences and are cut off at Philippi. That is exactly what the devil was doing, he was trying to cut Paul off. So the principle is, wherever you declare the gospel you are going to receive opposition. And because you’ve had a bad experience or two this should not cut you off, you should keep right on going. Satan tried to stop Paul from witnessing both at Philippi and, as a matter of fact, doing any more witnessing, and to keep him from going to Thessalonica. Paul received shameful treatment — passive voice. He received insolent treatment. In other words, the insolence of Satan’s crowd in Philippi tried to keep Paul from ever doing any more witnessing.

Now the main verb comes up, and the action of the main verb takes place at Thessalonica. So Paul was beaten up, also whipped, and was suffering terribly, and in spite of all this he picks himself up and moves right down the road to Thessalonica. We have two verbs to describe the action — “we were bold” is an aorist middle indicative. The aorist tense means all the time he was in Philippi. The middle voice means Paul was personally benefitted by witnessing to others. The indicative mood means that this really happened. All of this is declared in boldness. Then we have the aorist active infinitive, “to speak.” The aorist tense refers to the same point of time — Thessalonica; the infinitive means it was Paul’s purpose while he was in the city and after he left the city to witness for Christ.

“with much contention” — literally, “in the sphere of much opposition. The devil was already there when Paul got there and was once again trying to stop this witnessing. So there was this tremendous amount of opposition. Principle: The gospel is presented in spite of opposition. Question: Do you keep on declaring the gospel to others in spite of opposition?

1Thessalonians 2:3 For our exhortation was not of error, nor of impurity, nor in trickery;...

Verse 3 — The gospel must never be compromised or watered down. “For our exhortation” is a synonym for the gospel which he has called “our gospel” in chapter 1:5. The word “exhortation” here means “persuasive discourse.” A synonym for the gospel is persuasive discourse.

“was not” — literally, the word “was” is not here; “not of,” and then we have three things. The verb is removed because the emphasis is placed on the negative. Here are three things you cannot have and have an enthusiastic declaration of he gospel: “deceit” is literally “error.” In other words, the content is incorrect. If there is anything that will ruin the declaration of the gospel it is to be inaccurate in its declaration. Secondly, we have another negative, “nor of uncleanness.” This is carnality, being out of fellowship. Do not witness when you are out of fellowship. Then the third, “nor in guile.” The word “guile” is a Greek word for huckster. The word was used of a tavern keeper of the ancient world. They would serve up their wine until the customers became a little fuzzy he would start to water it down. He could get the same amount of money for that which was partially water. So the word huckster in the Greek language originated from the man who watered down his wine. And that is what many believers do, they huckster the gospel, they water it down with inaccuracies or the water it down with what is known as the social gospel. The gospel does not need any watering down.

1Thessalonians 2:4 ...but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, the One examining our hearts.

Verse 4 — the fourth principle: The believer in whom the gospel is deposited is tested by God. There are actually two principles here. First of all the concept that the gospel is deposited in you. You are a bank and God has deposited information in you and you to bear compound interest. The other concept found in verse 4 is that you as a believer are tested, and this testing is to help you give out the gospel to others.

“But as we were allowed of God” — “we were allowed is literally, “to be tested.” And it is to be tested for the purpose of approval. In this case to be approved by the unbeliever. God often permits trials, and difficulties to come our way because the unbeliever is watching us, and when he sees us amidst our trials and our adversities, our hard times; when he sees us with the perfect stability and the blessings that can be our portion, then immediately he pricks up his ears and he takes notice. He says to himself, “If this person can go through all of these things and still have inner happiness and peace and not fall apart, then there must be something to the gospel and I’m interested.” This testing is in the perfect tense, tested in the past with results that go on forever. What are the results? Having an open door for witnessing. The passive voice means that we receive these testings as a blessing. We do not test ourselves, we receive testing from God, this is a part of His grace. So you can count on it that many of the difficulties that come your way are blessings in disguise, disguised in the form of adversity. The indicative mood: these testings are reality to give us an open door with the gospel.

Then the phrase “to be put in trust” means to receive a deposit. We have received the deposit, passive voice. Aorist tense: in a point of time we received the deposit. This is the kind of an aorist tense which means every time you hear the gospel as a Christian all of those points of hearing are brought in together. The more you hear the gospel the clearer it should become. And so they are all pulled into a point of time, the gospel is entrusted to you. So the more you hear the gospel, the more facets of the gospel you take in, the clearer it should become, and therefore the greater should be your bearing of compound interest. The gospel is a deposit. God has personally made a deposit in you. You are a bank.

How do you make this gospel bear compound interest? — “we speak,” present tense, linear aktionsart, “we keep on speaking.” The active voice: we do the speaking ourselves. The indicative mood: our speaking must be a reality because we can bear compound interest. “But we have been tested for the purpose of approval in the past by God, because deposited in us is the gospel, therefore we speak.”

Witnessing is selling a product. You need to know your product in order to sell it; you do not need to know what the other person thinks in order to sell your product.

“not as pleasing men” — we do not do this to please people. This means we must do this as unto the Lord, because men do not like what they hear. The human viewpoint is to reject the gospel. The gospel is grace and is contrary to everything that the unbeliever’s human viewpoint has ever thought or said or heard. The word “pleasing” is a present active participle. We never try to please men. This means that we have something that is so important that we fire it in and let the chips fall where they may. The unbeliever isn’t going to like it because of his human viewpoint. He is going to try to put up barriers against it. Don’t worry about that, it is a phony front, the gospel will penetrate any barrier. Just keep in there with the gospel. Now, “not as pleasing men” has one other aspect, and this is one of the real pitfalls of witnessing. We all have an old sin nature and because of this we all like to be well thought of. This is perfectly normal. Some people want everyone to think well of them and because of that they go out to witness for Christ so that other members of the Christian herd will say, “Well, isn’t Charlie Brown a marvelous person.” So Charlie Brown witnesses because he finds it a wonderful way to make people think well of him. He is doing it to please men.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #4

4 07/30/1961 1Thessalonians 2:5–13 Pattern of personal works, part 2

One of the privileges of remaining alive after salvation is sharing the good news with others. This responsibility lies with every believer. The gospel relies upon effective contact with unbelievers. The gift of tongues was used in order to present the gospel where there might be a language barrier. The gospel must never be compromised or watered down or its emphasis should not be altered. The believer in whom the gospel is deposited is tested by God.

Verses 5 & 6 — the believer should never witness to flatter people or to receive human praise. In other words, it is possible to do a right thing in a wrong way. (This is principle #5 in witnessing).

1Thessalonians 2:5 For never at any time were we with word of flattery, just as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness—

Verse 5 — “For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know.” The flattering words imply that it is possible to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ in such a manner as to flatter people. Of course, the doctrinal part must be compromised in such a situation. Before the gospel can be presented man must be seen in the true perspective of divine viewpoint, which is that man is a hopeless creature. Therefore, the very heart and centre of the gospel is the good news that Christ died for sinners. This first of all implies that all men are sinners and therefore needed the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. One cannot at one time present the gospel and at the same time be very complimentary to man and to some of man’s pet viewpoints of life.

The gospel implies that all men are sinners and requires saving.

Bob expects to be roasted in the papers in the near future. This is because the opinion of mankind by the Scriptures is not good. If man is wonderful and we are all brothers, then there is no need for Jesus to die for us.

The “flattering words” of this verse apply to building man up into something he is not. Part of the good news of the gospel is based upon the contrast between man’s condition and God’s provision.

“used we” is an aorist tense, and it doesn’t mean to use at all, it means to become flatterers. “Neither at any time did we become flatterers,” literally. The word to become is in the aorist tense — in a point of time when we were witnessing. This is also passive voice, and in the passive voice the subject receives the action of the verb, and it means that people receive the inspiration to flatter under certain conditions.

“nor a cloak of covetousness” — he did not present the gospel as a gimmick for enriching himself, he didn’t use it as a means of making money. Paul never made an issue out of money. Taking an offering at an evangelistic meeting is out of line. That confuses the issue.

Paul evangelized in Thessalonica and he did not take up a collection. And they followed his example. Evangelists often resort to horrendous gimmicks in order to evangelize and to make a living.

“God is witness” — the word “is” does not appear in the original. It means simply that God is a witness to our modus operandi and when it is honouring to Him we do not make an issue out of money. Paul never made an issue out of money because as soon as you do you no longer make an issue out of the gospel, and this leads to a criticism that is often heard, that “they’re in it just for the money.”

1Thessalonians 2:6 ...nor seeking glory from men, nor from you, nor from others, though having authority with weight to be, as apostles of Christ.

Verse 6 — there is another problem in presenting the gospel, and that is the problem of glory-seeking. The words “sought we” is present linear aktionsart, it is a present participle; and at the end of “neither of you, nor yet of others” is a period. The rest of this verse belongs to verse seven in the Greek. So we have seen three pitfalls which are covered under a principle: Believers should not witness from human motivation. They should not witness to flatter, to enrich themselves personally, and they should not witness to receive glory from other people.

We are not to promote ourselves when it comes to witnessing. Some talk about this in order to receive some approbation. Paul was not in this for human glory, for money or to be flattered.

1Thessalonians 2:7 But we were gentle in your midst, as a nursing mother would cherish her own children.

Next we have verse 7 as it would appear in the original — “When we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ, we were not, but were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishing her child.” Being burdensome means that Paul might have used gimmicks to raise money, he is going back to that cloak of covetousness for a moment. He did not ask any money of them. Another principle: When Paul first went to Thessalonica the main push was evangelism. After evangelism comes the teaching of new believers, training them to go out and witness to others. Therefore, whether Paul was there three weeks or possibly three months the short time that he was there he made it a point at every time not to take any money from the local people there, even after they were saved, though he had a perfect right to do so. Instead, he went back to making some tents in order that he would not be burdensome to them. Why? There were only two issues in Thessalonica when Paul first went there, the gospel and, to new believers, doctrine. And he didn’t want them to confuse doctrine with money. Therefore, during his first visit never once did Paul make any reference to taking up an offering. Apparently, after the local church was in operation offerings were taken up because they sent out missionaries, but Paul himself was not a burden to them because he wanted only two issues before the people. The first issue to the unbeliever: What think ye of Christ? The issue to the believer: Get doctrine, don’t get confused. Consequently he was not a burden to them.

Paul did not want the Thessalonians to become confused, so he was not a burden to them. He made tents instead of ask them for money.

Verse 7 — but instead he was gentle “as a nurse cherishing a child.” The word “nurse” is literally a nursing mother. The word “cherisheth” is present tense and it means to keep a child warm, or to provide food for a child. It means that just as a nursing mother keeps on caring for her child, so Paul kept on caring for the new believers. Paul evangelized up to a point. After he had a few believers he started training them and he taught them to go out and do the evangelizing from that point on. He simply was a nursing mother, then, and he began to provide milk for the new babies. He was tender to them and he was loving to them and in this concept of the new believer he was not burdensome to them in the sense of making an issue out of money. The result was that once the Thessalonian church got cranked up and organized they gave very generously because it was based upon doctrine, not upon gimmicks and not upon pressure. The result was that they were sending missionaries out all over the world. Money is a normal result of understanding doctrine. Doctrine must come first. There must be no gimmicks and no pressure. The gimmicks and the pressure apply in two directions to the unbeliever — “cloak of covetousness,” and finally to the believer, “we were not a burden to you.” Paul handled new believers very carefully.

Berachah will be sending out many men who are graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary, and they are going to provide for their support. They will be sent into college towns and they will evangelize. They will have meetings and teaching, but there will be no collection of monies. Once a church is started, then money will become an issue. Paul avoided both of these issues (taking money from unbelievers or from new believers).

Local churches are to deal with giving and it is a part of worship; but money should never be taken from unbelievers or new believers.

1Thessalonians 2:8 So yearning over you, we were pleased to have imparted to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you have become beloved to us.

Verse 8 — an expression of Paul’s love. Instead of taking some thing from them the idea in this situation is to be giving. Fist of all, to be giving the gospel, and then “our own souls.” When Paul says his soul here he is referring to what he has in his frontal lobe. We should think of witnessing and then of helping other believers in terms of giving, as it were, our soul. Our soul in the sense of what we have in the frontal lobe. This verse challenges us to a tremendous issue: a) Where the unbeliever is concerned do I have in my frontal lobe a clear enough understanding of the gospel to make the issue clear to someone else? b) Do I have enough doctrine in my frontal lobe to be helpful to other believers along the way. So this verse is a challenge to express our love through the impartation of information we have in the frontal lobe. This is, after all, completely compatible with the whole concept of love.

We are challenged here. Do we have enough doctrine to provide an accurate gospel message? Do we have enough doctrine in order to help new believers along?

“being affectionately desirous” is a present active participle which means to have a love for someone, to have a love for someone which is a longing for someone. It is a love where parents love an absent child. it means to miss someone who is absent.

“we were willing” — this word “willing” applies to all phases of love. Where there is no willingness there is no love, where there is no giving there is no love. This does not mean giving in the sense of materialistic things and should never be construed as the sugar daddy concept. That isn’t love at all. But this refers to the mental attitude. Paul says “we were willing to have imparted unto you our very souls.” Why? “Because you were dear unto us.” The word “dear” means “you were beloved by us.” The true concept of witnessing for Christ: “I have something which is so important that I can’t afford to keep quiet about it. This is for members of the human race. Christ died for all members of the human race, I love all members of the human race, therefore I cannot hold back what Christ has provided for them,. therefore the impartation of the gospel. Furthermore, I love believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. God has provided things for them, I have this information, I pass it on. Love is giving. Love is willingness to impart.

“imparted” is an aorist active infinitive. The infinitive denotes our purpose in life. The word to impart here means to share, and the true expression of love is the willingness to share the gospel and doctrine with other members of the human race. This involves labour, so in verse 9 we have the concept of labour in this connection.

1Thessalonians 2:9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and hardship: Working night and day in order not to burden any one of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

Verse 9 — the word “travail” is a noun referring to a woman who is giving birth to a child. It is not only the experience of pain but it is the experience of pain while you work, and that is the word travail. The other word, “labour,” is for the males. It means to be hard at work at something which is painful. In other words, when Paul was preaching the gospel it was work. Passing on doctrine was work. And it was work which involved pain, intensity, discomfort, and other things which could stop people very easily if they started looking at life from the human viewpoint. Paul had to work, he had to make tents to keep body and soul together, and at the same time teach the Word of God. This, of course, put him under intense pressure while he was in Thessalonica. The principle of verse 9 is that there is always work in connection with imparting these things to others. There is the motivation of love, the impartation of vital information, but in this impartation there is a tremendous amount of work. There is the labour of study, there is the labour of giving it out, and so on.

The seventh principle, verses 10-12, the gospel must be followed up.

1Thessalonians 2:10 You are witnesses, and God, how holily and righteously and blamelessly we behaved toward you, those believing,...

Verse 10 — behaviour follow-up. “We behaved ourselves” .The word “behave” is not behave at all, the Greek word simply means “we became among you that believe, holy, just, and unblameable.” So it amounts to behaviour, but the Greek word is to become something.

First of all “we became holy", an adverb which means separation. It means separation as a state of mind. In other words, our behaviour follow-up was a state of mind divine viewpoint. If you are going to help new believers you must look at life from the divine viewpoint. The second word, “justly,” is an adverb which declares the filling of the Spirit. If you are going to help other believers you must log a maximum amount of time in the filling of the Spirit. The third adverb is “unblameable” which means not sinless but it means to rebound — 1John 1:9. Notice something else: “among you that believe.” “You” is dative of advantage, it is to the advantage of these people to believe in Jesus Christ. “Believe” is also a present active participle in the dative case, again emphasising the fact it is to the advantage of any member of the human race to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice the things that are emphasized in behaviour follow-up — a state of mind, mental attitude. The second adverb, something that happens on the inside, the filling of the Spirit. The third attitude is rebound, the importance of rebound if you’re going to help others.

1Thessalonians 2:11 ...just as you know how each one of you, as a father his own children,...

Verse 11 — a verbal follow-up. There must be preparation on the inside of you and there must also be the willingness to talk or to communicate with others. You can talk about all of the various things that people talk about to day, or you can talk about things from the divine viewpoint, doctrine and its application to experience. In the realm of follow-up notice that the realm of conversation must be based upon rebound, the filling of the Spirit, and mental attitude divine viewpoint which means doctrine. With doctrine in the frontal lobe you can, therefore, communicate. You cannot communicate to someone else what is absent from your own frontal lobe. You must have doctrine in the frontal lobe, you must be controlled by the Holy Spirit, if you are going to help and edify other believers.

The father-son relationship is a very excellent relationship to indicate verbal follow-up. Any father must tell his son certain facts of life. He must explain how life operates to his son. He must explain as he goes along into each stage how you can expect certain things in life, how you can expect sour grapes, etc. And he must explain the disciplines of life, the problems of life, the situations which arise. He must interpret to his son various things which his son cannot understand. For example, many children cannot understand why adults frown at them, and why adults apparently go out of their way to be unkind to them, and why adults have a kind of holier-than-thou attitude toward them as if we never did these things, now don’t you. Many times we need to be a little more gracious toward young people, a little more understanding. So the father-son relationship is a very apt analogy.

Now in verse 11 there is threefold verbal follow-up. In each case it is present active a participle. This is called syntactical parallelism.

1Thessalonians 2:12 ...we were exhorting and comforting you and charging unto you to walk worthily of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory.

In the behaviour follow-up we had three adverbs in the Greek, now we have three participles in the verbal follow-up. The first is “we exhorted.” This means to call someone to your side in order to help them or to aid them. You may help them by a kind word and you may help them by censor or criticism, but the general principle is to be helpful. The second word is “comfort” which in the Greek means to cheer up someone, to soothe someone, or to orient someone to a set of very confusing circumstances. This means to orient doctrine to new believers. The third word is to “charge” which mean to pass on to them the concept of going out to witness to others, the concept of serving the Lord. These are the three participles in verbal follow-up.

Verse 12 — purpose follow-up. The verse is introduced by the word “that” which introduces a purpose clause. “That ye would walk worthy of God” — all behaviour follow-up, all verbal follow-up has the purpose of causing the believer to walk worthy of God. We are here to serve the Lord. Every believer is here for a purpose and in that service we should be worthy of Him. The word “walk” is a present active infinitive which indicates our purpose, and the present tense means that we should keep on walking worthy.

There are six ways in which we can walk worthy of God or live in phase two.

“who hath called you” — the calling has to do with our election, our election implies purpose.

1Thessalonians 2:13 And because of this, we also give thanks to God unceasingly that, having received the word of God by your hearing from us, you accepted not the word of men, but even as truly it is, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

Verse 13 — the response is given. “For this cause” — because of good follow-up in Thessalonica. Because there was behaviour pattern follow-up, because there was verbal follow-up.

“thank we God without ceasing” — Paul can now be thankful for the good follow-up. “Thank we God” is present linear aktionsart, “we keep on thanking God”; the two words “without ceasing” ought to be the basis of the life of the minister. The minister ought to be able to thank God without ceasing because of what follows.

“because, when ye received the word of God” — Paul is thankful because the Thessalonian believers responded to God’s Word. ye received” is an aorist active participle. The action of the aorist participle precedes the action of the main verb, and the main verb is given, “ye received.” The word “ye received” is literally, “you welcomed it.” When you received or heard the Word of God you welcomed it, or made it at home. First of all they received it and then said, “Doctrine, be at home.” Doctrine was at home in the frontal lobe. Both of these participles precede effective production.

“ye received it not as the word of men [human viewpoint], but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

The word “receive” is mentioned twice here. The first time it means to welcome and the second time it means to welcome. When they welcomed the Word of God they welcomed it not as the word of men. So the Word of God is at home not as human viewpoint of life but as divine viewpoint. The result is, “it effectually worketh in you that believe.” Who does the work in the believer? The phrase, “effectually worketh.”

Notice four things: It means to be actively operational. It is a present tense, it keeps on being actively operational — linear aktionsart. The voice is middle voice. When the Word of God works in us it works for our benefit. The Word of God is the worker, the energizer. The mood is indicative, the mood of reality. This is a reality in the devil’s world, the Word of God is actively operational “in those who believe.”

The Thessalonica church has been evangelizing all over the world. This one church was doing a tremendous job. They were properly guided from the very beginning by Paul.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #5

5 08/06/1961 1Thessalonians 2:14–20 Inspector's report, part 1

It is our responsibility to take the good news which we have and pass it along to others. All hell cannot take you off of this earth until it is God’s time. Once you become a baby, you begin to take in milk and solid food, and that causes you to grow up.

1Thessalonians 2:13 And because of this, we also give thanks to God unceasingly that, having received the word of God by your hearing from us, you accepted not the word of men, but even as truly it is, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

Paul is thankful. He gives thanks without ceasing. Most people are happy with materialistic things. Some Christians receive the word of salvation, and that is as far as they take it. They grow up being spiritual morons. If you do not grow in the Word, then much of life makes you miserable. Therefore, you make yourself miserable. All that you learn turns to misery; and the things in life, you think will make you happy, do not; but make you miserable.

On the other hand, the believer can have perfect inner happiness, when you are in status quo pressure and difficulties.

The Christian in phase II. Solomon believed that certain things could make him happy. Academics, culture, a college degree. Solomon tried culture, but it made him miserable. After getting disillusioned by culture, he pursued pleasure. He drank a lot of wine. He then tried women. Then he tried doing good for others, like building public works. Then he decided to try philosophy. Then he tried another approach; and tried the idea that all people were fundamentally good. Then he decides that a good family life is key. Solomon had many families, but that was not happiness. He pulled in his family and tried to find happiness there. But this did not work.

Then Solomon began to think about his heir; and he thought, what if my heir is a fool? Then Solomon built up a massive fortune. But no happiness. Then he decided to get away from that. He began collecting women, and that did not make him happy.

In Ecclesiastes 12, his body began to fall apart. Then he finally concludes that the answer is to rebound, get back into fellowship, and all of these things can be enjoyed. All of these things can be fine, if God is first.

One of the great blessings of life is taking in the Word of God. Paul saw the Thessalonians take in the Word of God, not as human viewpoint, but as divine viewpoint. Everything that we read, everything that we hear is often the exact opposite of divine viewpoint. Redbook Magazine said that the largest number of ministers believe that disarmament and cooperation with the communists is the key to a better world. This, of course, will destroy us.

Some believe that life can be better with the right pills. We have accepted certain tenets from psychology as being true for individuals and for the masses; and these things are against the Word of God.

Paul was thankful because these people received the Word of God as the Word of God. As a result, they received the Word of God. You cannot effectually operate until you receive the Word of God. The aorist participle always precedes the action of the main verb. It is to effectually work, to actively operational. The main verb is a present middle indicative. The subject is benefitted by the action of the verb.

The Bible is no good unless it is placed into our souls (Bob uses the analogy of putting the coal into the bin to fire everything up). Only those who are born again are effectual workers.

The churches in Judæa faced the earliest persecution. The Thessalonian believers also suffered. The communists will use our children against you. Are you ready for it? Every believer who has taken a stand for the Lord could potentially face this.

If our country goes in for this disarmament stuff; or if we fall for this internationalism business. If you are willing to deny the validity of God’s Word, we could face a whole new world in the United States.

Two things keep us going, people believe in God’s Word and we send out missionaries; and we continue to provide a haven for the Jews in the United States. When we protect Israel, God protects us.

The Spanish empire turned against the Jews, and they became a 3^rd rate power. Britain formed a pro-Semitic country, and they became the reigning super power.

Some people take a position in politics in order to preserve their own wealth. But the true conservatives are those who have believed in Jesus Christ, and they take in the Word of God. They know that liberalism, communism and radicalism are anti-Christian. The answer is to receive the Word of God.

One of the greatest Americans today is Douglas MacArthur. He made a statement that should have awakened every American. He said, “Send Bible to Japan in Japanese.” He said that the Bible will turn the Japanese against communism. A mediocre man pulled him out. There are people from the highest to the lowest to pull us out.

1Thessalonians 2:14 For you became imitators, brothers, of the churches of God in Judea being in Christ Jesus. For the same as them, you also suffered from the own countrymen as they also did from the Jews,...

Mudderland wrote his master’s thesis on marriage.

For 300 years, the Valdencians held to the truth of the gospel and the Word of God. God protected them and they kept the light of the Word of God going.

Verse 14 — the crisis. “For ye, brethren.” “Brethren” means a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ; “became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus.” Or, “you became imitators.” The churches in Judea were the first ones to receive the wave of persecution. They found themselves subjected to many things. First of all, the got the name-calling treatment. Then when that didn’t work the religious crowd got mad and started killing some, took away their business, ostracized them, and other things. The result was that they took quite a beating along the way.

“for ye also have suffered” — in other words, the Thessalonian believers were suffering in the same manner that believers had earlier suffered in Judea; “like things of your own countrymen, even as they [suffered at the hands] of the Jews.” The religious crowd were giving them a hard time and now you have suffered similar things.

1Thessalonians 2:15 ...who having killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and having driven us out, and not pleasing God, are also set against all men,

Verse 15 — these people, the religious Jews, “killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets.”

“and they have persecuted us” — Paul and his converts; “and they please not God, and are in opposition to all men.” They are hostile to all men, and they do this in the name of religion.

1Thessalonians 2:16 ...forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, so as always to fill up their sins. Now the wrath has come upon them to the utmost.

Verse 16 — “Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, and they keep filling up their sins always.” The word “fill up” here means to fill up a cup, and they fill up the cup of their sins and keep drinking it. They are drunken with their own sins and persecution and torture and destruction. This is a very apt analogy, for any group of people, any organization, that seeks to gain control of other people through intimidation, through torture, through death, through any system of name-calling, any vicious system, there people are drunk on the systems that that they use. They can become mad with the lust to torture, to kill, to maim, to hurt, to destroy.

Two British missionaries were put into jail by the King of Abyssinia. They put together a squad, came into Abyssinia, killed a few Abyssinians, went into the jail and took these missionaries out. So, for 20 years, no English-speaking missionary was touched.

“for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost” — they’ll get their comeuppance.

After Paul has declared to us how to start a church properly, how to get it cranked up, and how to send out missionaries, he tells us some of the reward that comes to him personally — verses 17-20.

Paul's Longing to See Them Again

1Thessalonians 2:17 But we, having been bereaved of you, brothers, for the time of an hour—in face, not in heart—were more abundantly eager with great desire to see your face.

Verse 17 — “But we, brethren, being taken from you.” He says literally, “having been bereaved.” This tells us that Paul hated to leave Thessalonica. They responded so beautifully to the Word of God. They took in doctrine in such a wonderful manner. They started sending out missionaries and getting the gospel out throughout Thessalonica, throughout Macedonia, and to the uttermost parts of the earth, and Paul just loved to be there. It is a wonderful place to be when people receive the Word of God. He doesn’t say anything about being taken away, he says, “I was bereaved of you.” First of all he was bereaved, he left them, and then he endeavoured the more abundantly to come back to them. This is the way people should leave you in Christian fellowship. Every time they leave you, whether it is just to leave your house or to leave you at church, or to leave you and go to another country, another place, they should always be wanting to come back all the time they are gone away. That is Christian fellowship. That is the way Paul felt about the Thessalonians. He taught them the Word, they responded to the Word.

“to see your face with great desire” — “your face” means to be face to face with, to be in their presence. All the time he is away he keeps thinking how wonderful it would be to be with them again.

1Thessalonians 2:18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—indeed I Paul, both once and twice—and Satan hindered us.

Verse 18 — “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again” — Paul is the leader of the churches, he is an apostle, so he way up high on the totem pole. Perhaps at this time he is a little lonely, and this makes him appreciate all the more the fact of Christian fellowship. He wants all the more to come back to Thessalonica.

“but Satan hindered us” — Satan, of course, doesn’t want Paul to have any encouragement from Christian fellowship, he wants Paul to fall apart.

This leads him to his final point on the subject of witnessing. What, then, is one of the rewards in time for witnessing? There are rewards in the future, the crown of rejoicing. What is the reward for leading people to Christ in time? — verses 19-20.

1Thessalonians 2:19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Or are not even you, before our Lord Jesus at His coming?

Verse 19 — there are three kinds of reward. The first is hope. Hope has to do with the eternal future. The people that you lead to the Lord today are people you will see in all eternity. You do not know when you sow the Word how many people you are going to meet in eternity who received Christ as a result. So there is the anticipation of meeting people in eternity that you have had the pleasure of leading to the Lord. “Our hope” in this case is not simply the Rapture of the Church, the resurrection body, the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, the home in heaven, absent from the body and face to face with the Lord. This is all a part of our hope, but there is some thing else — the faces we are going to meet of the people we have led to the Lord.

Bob’s uncle led his father to the Lord during the final days of his life. Bob has inner happiness knowing that he will see his father again in heaven.

The greatest thing that we can do for any person in the human race is to lead them to the Lord. We spend too much time improving environment.

“or joy” — joy is in time, hope is the future. You are going to have happiness for all eternity over people whom you have had the privilege of giving the gospel. And, furthermore, you can have joy, inner happiness in life as a result of seeing people come to know Christ as saviour.

“Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming” — there is the answer, there is the joy, there is the happiness.

1Thessalonians 2:20 For you are our glory and joy.

Verse 20 — “You all are our glory and joy.” There will be thousands of people in heaven because Paul walked into Thessalonica and proclaimed the gospel message. The great source of happiness emphasized here is one of the greatest joys in life. It is the joy and the privilege of seeing members of the human race who are lost, who are spiritually dead, respond to the gospel so that they will live forever in the presence of Jesus Christ where is no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more death, behold, the old things have passed away.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #6

6 08/13/1961 1Thessalonians 3:1–13 Inspector's report, part 2

Paul had the greatest missionary team. Luke was the secretary and medic for the team. Titus was the troubleshooter. Silas had the department of music. Timothy was the inspector general.

Paul was in Athens with Silas and Timothy. News broke that something was not well in Thessalonica.

Chapter 3

1Thessalonians 3:1 Therefore, enduring no longer, we thought it best to be left in Athens alone,...

Verse 1 — “we could no longer forbear” is one word in the Greek. It is a present active participle which means to hold out or to endure. Apparently reports had been coming through that there were difficulties at Thessalonica, and because of these difficulties Paul could only stand it so long and then he had to find out what was going on there.

Paul sends Timothy to check out Thessalonica and he moves into Corinth.

Apparently some of the Thessalonian believers are confused. One rumour which had come back and which was confirmed was the fact that due to the doctrine of the Rapture of the Church, due to the fact that the Church might be removed at any time, some of the men who were in business in Thessalonica had finally decided to give up their businesses and wait for the Rapture by apparently doing nothing. When people get into the do-nothing attitude they next get into trouble. Therefore there was some difficulty in Thessalonica. However, the exact nature of the problem was not known to Paul when he was in Athens. In order to determine what was going on Timothy was detached from the missionary team and sent back to Thessalonica to make a full report after a complete inspection.

“we thought it good” — apparently there were at least three people present at this conference: Luke, Timothy, and probably Silas. So “we” includes three, possibly four, people. The words “we thought it good” means “we think well.” Immediately we have a principle which comes out of this phrase. God has ordained a number of Spiritual gifts among believers. For those who are born again there are many members of the team with many different types of spiritual gifts. Some of these gifts have to do with leadership, some with administration, and some with discernment in order to determine that status quo of any given situation. Notice that Paul met with the other members of his team, and together they thought over the situation. Principle: It is not contrary to the Word of God for Christians to think! Second principle: Nor is it contrary to the Word of God for Christians to put their heads together in order to determine a course of action. So it is not contrary to the Word of God, for example, who have the proper gifts to gather themselves together in order to recommend or to determine a course of action.

“to be left at Athens alone” — in other words, even though Timothy is much loved by the missionary team and is fulfilling a very important function there at Athens, it becomes necessary now to send him back to Thessalonica to make an inspection. Therefore, as a result of this conference a decision was made.

1Thessalonians 3:2 ...and we sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker of God in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen and to encourage you concerning your faith,...

Verse 2 — “And sent Timotheus [Timothy], our brother, and minister of God, and our fellow labourer.” Notice that when Timothy is sent on his way that there are several things which are mentioned by way of describing him. First of all, he is called a “brother” which means he is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is also called a “minister of God.” This is the specialized use of the word. The word “minister” is found in three separate and distinct ways in the New Testament. First of all, and very important, every believer is a minister in one sense of the word — in the sense of 2Corinthians chapter 3, 4:1; 5:17 where every believer has the ministry of reconciliation. So first of all the word is used to designate every Christian, for every Christian is the representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. During the absence of our Lord from the earth everyone who is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is a minister. This is the doctrine of the universal ministry of the believer.

The word minister is used in another sense in Romans 13:4 for those who have leadership responsibilities within a national entity are also called “the ministers of God for good.” They are called ministers in the sense that “they bear not the sword in vain.” The sword is a reference to capital punishment. Within any national entity there are those who have positions of responsibilities in connection with justice and with administration, and they have the responsibility of authorizing the administration of capital punishment in order to enforce the law. They are declared to be ministers doing good according to the divine plan. There is another use of the word minister, it has a specialized concept. Often the pastor of a church was called a minister. In this particular case Timothy is not the pastor of a church, he is the inspector-general of the Pauline missionary team. Therefore, under that concept he is being sent forth as a minister is a specialized way. In other words, we gather that the word minister is also used for those who devote their entire time to special jobs within the framework of the local church.

“fellow-labourer in the gospel” — he is a member of the Pauline missionary team.

What is the purpose of sending Timothy back? “to establish you, and to comfort you”. The word “establish” is an aorist active infinitive in the Greek. The infinitive denotes purpose and it is the purpose of Timothy in returning to Thessalonica to stabilize the situation which has become unsettled. Here is another principle which we should recognize in the realm of experience. It is easy, even for a local church which is centered in the Word of God, to become unsettled at times. This is what had happened at Thessalonica.

There is no reason to think that you should quit your business or your job. This is a part of our Christian walk.

Bob knows a group in southern California. About 40 of them purchased a ship from the Navy. They got about halfway to Catalina Island before they broke down. They were going to evangelize all the islands. These people were not prepared. They only had zeal but no intelligence. God wants missionaries to be thoroughly prepared. 10 years of training at least. Too many times missionaries were sent out from our country who were not trained or even screened.

Whatever God has you doing, that is your service to the Lord. No matter how menial your job, that is where God wants you.

The first purpose of Timothy peeling off and going back to Thessalonica is to provide stability in a rather confusing situation which had developed. The second reason was to comfort. This refers to that crowd who were all confused about physical death and thought that their loved ones who had died would miss out on the Rapture.

“concerning your faith” is literally, “with reference to your faith.” Faith here means the whole body of doctrine, the whole body of truth. Because they had some gaps in their understanding of the Word and because they had misconstrued certain events in life, they need some comfort as well.

1Thessalonians 3:3 ...that no one be moved in these tribulations. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

Versed 3 — the pressure in Thessalonica is now mentioned. “That no man should be moved” — here is the problem back at the local church. “That” introduces a purpose clause, and here is a further purpose for sending Timothy; “should be moved” means to fawn, to cringe, or to wag the tail [like a dog which is being disciplined]. This was the original use of the word. It eventually came to mean to be disturbed or discouraged. Some of the people at Thessalonica are disturbed and therefore they are going to lose the purpose for which the Local church is established. The confusion is there. “That no man should be disturbed” — present tense, constantly disturbed as has been the situation.

“by these afflictions” — the word “affliction” means pressure. Affliction and pressure in the Christian way of life should never disturb the believer. God has so designed the Christian and so provided for the Christian that he can have perfect peace, perfect stability, perfect comfort, perfect happiness in the midst of the pressures of life. Timothy is going back to fill in on the necessary doctrines and principles in this particular factor. Every believer sooner or later faces the difficulties and the trials of life. When he faces these difficulties and trials the big question is: Does he have inner happiness, peace, stability, or does he fall apart like any unbeliever in the midst of his troubles? “These afflictions” is in the dative case, dative of advantage. It is to the advantage of believers to have pressure. In other words, this introduces that great doctrine, happiness and blessing in the midst of the pressures of life.

“for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto” — in other words, the Thessalonians knew that the Pauline team was appointed to take up the slack on many of these problems.

1Thessalonians 3:4 And indeed, when we were with you, we were telling you beforehand that we are about to suffer affliction, just as also it came to pass, and you know.

Verse 4 — Paul’s warning regarding suffering. Paul says here, “I told you so.” He told them that they would have trouble. Apparently it was quite a shock to the Thessalonian believers when the trouble came.

“for verily, when we were with you” — reminding them of the fact that Paul was once there and taught them the Word — “we told you before.” “We told you” is imperfect linear aktionsart which means they had kept on telling them. They didn’t tell them once, they told them many times. They repeatedly taught it. If the believer has doctrine on the inside he has the equipment to be stable at all times, and since these Thessalonians are brand new Christians this is one lesson they haven’t learned yet. In spite of all the doctrine that Paul taught them while he was there Timothy has to go back to teach them the secret of stability in the Christian life of phase two.

Bob gives the illustration of airplane travel. The aircraft is stable, and it goes through the nice weather and it goes through the rough weather. Through good and bad weather, it goes from point A to point B.

“that we [Paul, his party, and the Thessalonians] should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and now you know” — you know in the past with the result that you will understand the principle that Timothy is coming back to teach. “You know” is the verb for inherent knowledge, now they have it in their frontal lobes, they know what Paul means when he said we all as Christians have tribulation. So Paul is concerned about them and he expresses his concern once more in verse 5.

1Thessalonians 3:5 Because of this I also, enduring no longer, sent in order to know your faith, lest somehow the one tempting had tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.

Verse 5 — “For this cause, when I could no longer hold out” — this is a repetition of what he started to say in verse 1. It was Paul who finally called the conference which decided to send Timothy.

“I sent to know your faith” — by faith he means the operation of the faith-rest technique. In effect he is saying, “I sent Timothy to find out how you were doing with the faith-rest technique, I sent Timothy to check out your spiritual instruments.”

“lest by some means the tempter hath tempted you, and our labour be in vain” — “the tempter tempt” means, of course, that Satan has many ways of trying to get believers away from occupation with Christ, and then the great tragedy which apparently had happened enough for Paul to add this phrase: “our labour.” The word for labour in the Greek is labour to the point of exhaustion. When Paul was in Thessalonica he worked day and night teaching the Word of God. He laboured to the point of exhaustion. He studied and taught until he was totally exhausted, and he said it was possible that this labour could become vain. The word “vain” means empty or void, no purpose is accomplished. There is a principle here we should not miss: It is possible for the Bible to be taught day after day, month after month, year after year, and that Bible teaching can be vain, to no purpose, when it is not used by believers in their daily lives. That is the tragedy, that is why Paul was afraid, and that is why he sent Timothy.

Verses 6-9, Timothy has returned. Paul sent him from Athens and Timothy returns to Paul in Corinth, and in these verses we have the inspector’s report. Timothy came back with this report.

Timothy's Encouraging Report

1Thessalonians 3:6 But presently, Timothy having come to us from you and having brought good news to us of your faith and love, and that always you have a good remembrance of us, longing to see us just as also we you,...

Verse 6 — “and brought us good tidings.” Paul had probably been a bit down in the dumps. He could visualize, as seen in the last verse, that all of his teaching had been void and empty and useless, and that the whole church at Thessalonica was going to come unglued and fall apart.

“and brought us good tidings of your faith and love” — Paul sent Timothy down in hopes that they were still using the faith-rest technique, and when Timothy comes back he says it is not just the faith-rest technique but it is the filling of the Spirit. “Faith” stands for the faith-rest technique and the word “charity” here is the word for divine love and it stands for the filling of the Spirit.

So how were they weathering the storm? Most of them were doing a wonderful job for two reasons. Here is the secret to weathering the storms of life: a) The faith-rest technique; b) The filling of the Spirit. Note: The faith-rest technique has to do with the mind, with operation mental attitude — claiming the promises of God; the filling of the Spirit has to do with the inner life of the believer. The secret to weathering the storm is the inner life of the Christian — what goes on in the frontal lobe, what goes on with regard to the filling of the Spirit. Paul was delighted that they had weathered the storm.

“and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you.”

Verses 7-9 — Paul’s reaction to the report. The report is given in one verse but Paul is so enthusiastic about hearing this good news that he responds immediately. Paul’s response reminds us of a further doctrinal principle: No man liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself in modus operandi Christianity, and there is a very definite interrelationship between believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether you like it or not the relationship between believers is so close that their ups can be your ups and their downs can be your downs, so much so that Paul wrote to the Corinthians “weep with them that weep and rejoice with them that rejoice.” And he mentions this again to the Romans, so quite obviously it is a principle in the Word of God: the interrelationship of believers. That is not surprising since we are all in the body of Christ. we are members one of another, and inasmuch as we are all members of the body of Christ there must be established an interrelationship. Paul had been down when he thought things were down at Thessalonica, but now the inspector’s report indicates that things are going very well on the whole, and there are only one or two little gaps where the slack has to be taken up.

Notice three reactions on the part of Paul. In verse 7 he is comforted; in verse 8 he is animated; in verse 9 he has inner happiness as a result of this report.

1Thessalonians 3:7 ...because of this, brothers, we were encouraged as to you in all our distress and tribulation, through your faith.

Verse 7 — Paul was comforted by the fact that they were using the faith-rest technique and therefore he responded in kind. He has comfort as a result of these things. “We were comforted” — aorist tense, in the point of time when we got the inspector’s report. Passive voice: Paul and the missionary team received comfort. The indicative mood, the mood of reality: if was genuine comfort which came as a result of the good report.

1Thessalonians 3:8 For now we live, if you are standing firm in the Lord.

Verse 8 — Animation. “For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.” “We live” is actually a term for animation. We might even say, “Now we are enthusiastic, if ye stand fast.” The word “if” is a first class condition — if and it is true that you are standing fast. “Stand fast” is present linear aktionsart, you keep on standing fast, and this is a Greek word which means to be stabilized under pressure conditions. So he just can’t help being very enthusiastic about it.

1Thessalonians 3:9 For what thanksgiving are we able to give to God concerning you in return for all the joy that we rejoice before our God because of you,...

Verse 9 — Joy. The word “joy” means inner happiness. Paul makes it very clear that first of all he is thankful, and this thanksgiving is an expression of his inner happiness, his inner joy at getting this wonderful report from Timothy.

Verses 10-13 — the result of the inspector’s report.

1Thessalonians 3:10 ...night and day imploring exceedingly for us to see your face and to supply the things lacking of you in faith?

Verse 10 — the persistence of prayer. “Night and day” — as a result of this report what is Paul going to do? He is going to pray as never before for the Thessalonians; “praying” — he is going to persist in prayer. Later on in chapter five when he says to the Thessalonians, “Pray without ceasing” he has already given them an example. The word “pray”: a) it is present linear aktionsart, he is going to keep on praying; b) The middle voice is very important. The subject is benefitted by the action of the verb. Paul will personally be benefitted by praying for them.

“that” — here is the purpose of his prayer: First of all that he might have the opportunity of coming back to see them again, to be with them — “that we might see your face.” Paul is praying now, night and day, that God will open the door so that he can personally return to Thessalonica. What is the point? When he gets a report like this, when he realizes that the majority of believers in Thessalonica in the midst of the storms and pressures of life are using the techniques, that they continue to faith-rest it, that they continue to be filled with the Spirit, that they rebound when necessary, they want to see him, that they are praying for him, he can’t wait to get back. Why? because any Bible teacher in his right mind can’t help but want to be where there is a response to the Word of God.

It is the most frustrating thing in the world to try to teach the Bible and the people do not have Bibles.

At the end of the verse he tells why he wants to teach the Word there, “and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith” — here “faith” is the whole realm of doctrine, the whole realm of the Christian life. The word for “perfect” means to supply an army with equipment. It means to provide weapons, it means to provide ammunition, food, uniforms. It means to equip an army for combat operations. Paul picked this word very specially for these people: “I was to give you information, provide doctrine, so that you can continue to be effective in combat as you have in the past.” He wants to equip them so that they can go throughout the entire world with the gospel.

The equipment that Paul is providing is Bible doctrine.

With that, quite abruptly, he pronounces the benediction. He is not through, we have two chapters yet. But he is so enthusiastic, he has just stated his prayer and therefore he just has to wind up with a benediction three verses long.

1Thessalonians 3:11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.

Verse 11 — “Now God himself and our Father.” Why did he start there? Because all prayer is addressed to the Father and because the Father is the author of the divine plan for the human race; because Paul is a part of that plan and because the Thessalonians are a part of that plan, and because all believers are a part of that plan it is a good place to start a benediction.

“and our Lord Jesus Christ” — the Lord Jesus Christ is the executor of phase one, because it is the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and took our place and made it possible for a door to be opened in the divine plan for the human race. The divine plan included angels but now the divine plan includes mankind because Jesus Christ went to the cross, because He provided redemption, because He propitiated the Father, because He reconciled man to God. And there is a door, a breakthrough in the divine plan. Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. We have actually broken into the divine plan.

“direct our way unto you” — when a Bible teacher prays to go to a certain people you can be sure of one thing, those people love the Word of God.

1Thessalonians 3:12 And may the Lord make you to increase and to abound in love toward one another, and toward all, just as also we toward you,...

Verse 12 — “And the Lord.” The Trinity is included in this benediction because the Word “Lord” here refers to the Holy Spirit, not to the Lord Jesus Christ who has just been mentioned. “And the Spirit make you increase and abound in love.” How is He going to do that? The Holy Spirit indwells them. When they are filled with the Spirit they will increase and abound in divine love. “Increase” is an aorist optative, increase in a point of time, the point of time when they received the Word of God. The optative is an expression of a wish or desire. He wants to go to Thessalonica so that he can further teach them doctrine, so that in the point of time when he teaches them doctrine they will take it in and increase. And what will happen? They will “abound in the sphere of divine love” which is the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Notice the direction of this divine love — “one toward another.” That means another of the same kind, another believer. They will love believers but it won’t stop there.

“and toward all” — the word “men” is in italics: all the rest of the human race, all unbelievers.

And then he adds something — “even as we toward you.” We love you with a divine love. We appreciate you, we recognize your intake of the Word of God and its significance, and we just pray that we can come back and further provide you equipment for the combat of life in phase two, and that we can have the joy of having a part in your ministry.

1Thessalonians 3:13 ...in order to strengthen your hearts, blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

Verse 13 — the purpose. “To the end that he may stabilize your hearts” — the word “heart” is mind. That you might have a stabilized mental attitude — “unblameable in holiness before God” means to have doctrine in the frontal lobe which causes a stabilized mental attitude which completely turns the world upside down. When a Christian has doctrine and stability in his frontal lobe what a tremendous difference it makes! Holiness has to do with positional truth.

“even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” — that is the second advent, after the judgement seat of Christ. Mental stability in time will have eternal repercussions. What you think today will produce for all eternity. What goes on in our frontal lobe by way of Bible doctrine goes on forever.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #7

7 08/20/1961 1Thessalonians 4:1–13; 2Cor. 4:7; 2 Tim. 2:20 Problems of practical sanctification

Chapter 4

This begins a study of the problems of practical sanctification. The first two chapters were devoted primarily to doctrine. The third chapter had to do with the inspector’s report — Timothy brought back a report from his inspection of the situation at Thessalonica. Now we go on to some practical problems which existed among the Thessalonian believers.

By way of introduction we need to understand the three phases of sanctification and the meaning of the word.

The word “sanctification” means to be set apart unto God. The word itself means separation and there are three different phases of separation. The first type of sanctification is generally known as positional. Positional sanctification takes place at the moment of salvation, it is something you never lose. Phase one of the divine plan is salvation. The moment you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you enter into union with the Son of God, and this is positional sanctification. Jesus Christ is set apart unto God the Father as of the resurrection, ascension, and session. When Jesus Christ rose again from the dead He walked on the earth for forty days at the end of which time He ascended into the presence of the Father. When God the Father said to God the Son, “Sit thou at my right hand,” at that moment Jesus Christ, the first member of the human race to do so, was separated unto God the Father in a very special way. And when we personally receive Jesus Christ as our saviour we enter into union with Him and therefore we share everything that Christ has. Christ is set apart unto the Father; we share that set apartness which is known as positional sanctification. Then, one second after we believe in Christ we enter into God’s plan, phase two. This is the believer located in time. During that time we are also in fellowship with God in time as of the moment we receive Christ as saviour. Perhaps as soon as a few minutes afterward we get out of fellowship through sin and from that point on we spend our career as a believer on the earth in and then out, in and then out, depending upon our use of the doctrine of rebound. When we are in we are filled with the Holy Spirit; when we are out we are in status quo carnality. To be in fellowship means to be in practical or experiential sanctification, and when we are in fellowship with the Lord not only does the Holy Spirit control the life but practically we are set apart unto God. This is the positive side of separation. Then, of course, there is a third sanctification which we will enjoy in eternity and this is the possession of a resurrection body. This is described in 1John 3:1,2 which tells us that we are going to have a body exactly like His body, the same thing is said in Philippians 3:21. Eternity reveals to us what is known as ultimate sanctification, ultimately we will be in resurrection bodies and living in His presence. The sanctification which will be described in 1Thessalonians chapter four — “This is the will of God, even your sanctification” — has to do with the problem of practical sanctification or experiential sanctification.

The first two verses are devoted to the importance of knowing doctrine.

A Life Pleasing to God

1Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brothers, we implore and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that just as you have received from us in what manner it behooves you to walk and to please God, just as even you walk now, so you should abound more.

Verse 1 — “Furthermore then” which is literally, “Finally therefore”. In view of the fact that the inspector’s report has come through and things are very good on the whole, and in view of the fact that there are only three or four problems which can be very quickly ironed out, let us get on to a very important principle.

“we beseech you brethren” — the word “brethren” refers to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this particular passage is addressed to those who have received the Son of God as saviour. “We beseech you” means to make a very special request. It is present linear aktionsart, “we keep on making this special request” and we even make it a little stronger by the word “exhort,” again present linear aktionsart, “we keep on exhorting.”

“by the Lord Jesus” is literally, “in the Lord Jesus.” “On the basis of the fact that you are in union with the person of Christ we keep on making this request of you, and as a matter of fact, we keep on exhorting you.”

“that” introduces a purpose clause; “as ye have received of us” — “received” is an aorist tense denoting the fact that Paul has personally taught them the Word of God and is referring back to his Bible classes before he left. The active voice means that they have personally listened to him teach the Word of God and therefore have taken in doctrine. The word “receive” in the Greek actually means to take someone to one’s side and to give them information which they can’t miss.

“of us” — the word “of” is actually a preposition in the Greek which gives immediate source. The immediate source of their doctrine was the Bible teaching of the apostle Paul while he was still in Thessalonica. In this particular phrase Paul is making it very clear that he has something to add to what he has already taught, or perhaps by the word “exhort” he means to show them the application of certain things which they have already learned. It is really a case of following up in some areas where really they are missing the boat.

“how ye ought to walk” — the word “walking” has to do with the doctrine of phase two of the divine plan, the believer’s walk in time. He is talking about phase two because he is mentioning the word “walk.” The matter of salvation has already been settled. The walk of the believer is that time, starting with his salvation and terminating with his departure from this earth in one of two ways. He can depart by physical death and/or the Rapture, whichever takes place first. The word “to walk” here is a present active infinitive, it expresses purpose. It is the purpose of the believer to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in time. Christ is absent from the earth, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and it is the purpose of every believer to represent every believer on earth. Walking has to do with our purpose on earth. Our overall purpose for remaining on this earth is to represent Christ. Everything we do is a part of our Christian service. That is what it means by “walk.” Walking is fulfilling the function of service, whatever it happens to be. The infinitive here denotes purpose in life. We are here for a purpose, it is no accident that the Lord Jesus keeps us on this earth.

“and to please God” — “to please” is a present active infinitive denoting a continual or habitual purpose. The active voice means we do it. It is possible for the believer in this life to please God.

You try to please people and there is no end to it. You cannot please people.

“so ye would abound more and more” — “ye would abound” is present tense, it means to overflow. It is possible for the believer to overflow. This is the overflow of blessing from your life to someone else. Blessing can overflow from your life to others when you are pleasing God, not when you please men. This is in the subjunctive mood in the Greek, the mood of potential. It is only potential, it depends on utilization of what God has provided. The principle at the end of this verse: Abounding or overflowing is based upon knowledge and utilization of the divine operating assets of phase two.

1Thessalonians 4:2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Verse 2 — “For you know.” Paul had taught them some things and they did know some doctrine. Therefore the three problems which are coming up are really more an application of doctrine than a need for knowledge of doctrine. “Ye know” means they already know. It is the perfect tense for knowledge in the frontal lobe, they already know these things and their real problem is not in the realm of knowledge but in the application of that knowledge to the situation. They have enough information to be able to complete and fulfil the principle of practical sanctification but they have failed to apply what they know to the situation.

“what commandments” — the sum total of doctrine which Paul has taught them, which is enough to get them cranked up in the realm of practical sanctification.

“we gave you by the Lord Jesus” — the word to give is aorist tense, in the point of time when Paul was in Thessalonica. He gave them all the information. “By the Lord Jesus” is literally, “through the Lord Jesus” and it means the Lord permitted Paul to come to Thessalonica and minister so they could have this information; so now they could apply and could straighten out a few of their problems.

The first of their problems is in the realm of sexual relationship — verses 3-5.

1Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: You are to abstain from sexual immorality;...

Verse 3 — “For this is the will of God.” This is present linear aktionsart, the absolute state of being verb — this keeps on being the will of God. It is God’s will that we live in the area of practical sanctification. There are some problems in sex life, social life and business life which make living in fellowship rather difficult. At least, there are some problems which are incompatible with living in fellowship and the Thessalonians had now bumped into these three areas of practical problems.

“your sanctification” — sanctification is synonymous with the will of God. Sanctification is in apposition to the phrase “will of God,” the two are synonymous terms.

“that” introduces a purpose clause; “ye should abstain from fornication.” The word “abstain” is present tense which means linear aktionsart. Middle voice: the subject is benefitted by the action of the verb. The infinitive denotes purpose. Then the word, of course, means overt adultery or illicit sexual life. This was a problem is Thessalonica as it was in most of the Greek cities where they had heathen temples and where the system of heathen salvation was getting drunk as many times as possible and indulging in as much sex as possible. This has overflown into the problem of the Thessalonian believers for this reason. Many of them had been converted right out of the heathen temples and they had been in the practice of these things for a long time. All of a sudden they find that the pattern has to be broken and they find it a little difficult. Therefore, they ask, how do we handle it?

1Thessalonians 4:4 ...each of you to know how to win mastery over his own vessel in holiness and honor,...

Verse 4 — “That” introduces, again, a purpose clause and it should be connected with the “that” of verse 3. When you have two purpose clauses in sequence the second one is an amplification of the first. So they are connected. Here is a command that isn’t impossible and we are going to be told in one phrase how this command can be executed.

“every one of you” — literally, “each one of you”; “should know how to possess his vessel” — so the command is obeyed by possessing you vessel. Now all you have to do is figure out what a vessel is. A vessel is not a vessel because it says “his vessel” and it says everyone has one. The Greek says “each” — each believer and not every believer has a wife, so it does not refer to a wife. Obviously a vessel is not a literal vessel because a vessel is a pot and every believer doesn’t have a pot which comes down from the first century. 2Corinthians 4:6–7 (For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.); Acts 9:15; 2Timothy 2:20,21 (Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.) — the vessel is a container, the body contains the believer. What is a vessel? A vessel is a container. Your body is a container and your body contains your soul, your spirit, the Holy Spirit, etc.

“should know” — Whatever your problems may be in life the first step in solution is the phrase “should know.” Knowledge of doctrine is the first step in solving any problem of practical sanctification. The perfect tense: should know in the past with the result that you keep on applying what you know to experience. The perfect tense means something that happens in the past with continuous results. In the past you know the doctrine, now you apply it. Active voice: you must apply these things yourself. The infinitive expresses purpose, it is God’s purpose in phase two for the believer to know and apply doctrine. And the word means knowledge in the frontal lobe. Not knowledge you are in the process of learning but knowledge you have there already. When the chips are down it is the knowledge you have already that resolves your problems in the field of practical sanctification.

“how to possess” — this is the present tense which means you should know how to handle your body now, and tomorrow, and the next day, and on and on and on. Middle voice: the subject is benefitted by the action of the verb. The infinitive indicates purpose. The verb “to know” is a perfect active infinitive. The verb form “possess” is a change from perfect to present, from active voice to middle, but still an infinitive because the infinitive in both cases denotes the purpose. But there must be a past and a present to solving your problems. The past is you must know something — perfect tense, something that happens in the past but the results keep on going. You must know things in the past to apply them now to your experience. But when it comes to the word “possess” it is in present linear aktionsart. There is a change of voice: active voice. You must know in the past; possess: middle voice, you are benefitted by possessing your vessel. Now all you have to know is: What on earth does it means to possess your vessel? It means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit on the inside. You do not possess your vessel when the old sin nature plays up. Obviously, when the old sin nature controls things you are not possessing your vessel, you are not solving anything. The Holy Spirit must control the vessel. So possessing the vessel is the filling of the Spirit. This means that every believer must know how to be filled with the Spirit to solve this problem or, as a matter of fact, any other. The filling of the Spirit provides the divine power to meet these problems.

“in sanctification and honour” — both sanctification and honour are dative cases in the Greek, dative of advantage. It is to our advantage to be in fellowship [sanctification], and when we are we honour the Lord. “Honour” is the result of being in fellowship, the result of being filled with the Spirit, and “honour” is, again, dative of advantage because it is Christ who is honoured.

1Thessalonians 4:5 ...not in the passion of lust, as also the Gentiles, not knowing God;...

Verse 5 — mental adultery. Mental adultery is introduced by the Lord Jesus Christ on the sermon on the mount — Matthew 5:27,28. The Christian way of life starts with the mental attitude. The Christian way of life is what you are on the inside. Proverbs says you are what you think, and if you think it you have sinned.

“Not in lust of concupiscence” — lust is a mental activity, a desire in the mind. Concupiscence refers to sexual lust — “not in the desire of sexual lust.”

“even as the Gentiles which know not God” — the Gentiles were especially active in this area. This refers to Gentiles who have not accepted Christ, who are in operation heathenism which was built to a great extent around sex.

Verses 6-10, social life.

1Thessalonians 4:6 ...not to go beyond and to overreach his brother in the matter, because the Lord is avenging concerning all these things, just as also we told you before and thoroughly warned.

Verse 6 — “That” introduces another purpose clause; “no man” is literally, “no one”; “go beyond and defraud his brother.” “Go beyond” is a present active infinitive meaning habitual, and it means to overstep, to wrong someone, to give someone pain or sorrow. One of the great dangers in the Christian life is to give pain and sorrow to others.

“defraud” means to take advantage of a believer because he is a believer or to cheat him. Apparently this was a problem in Thessalonica.

“because the Lord is the avenger of all” — just leave it in the Lord’s hands and the Lord will do a marvellous job of discipline; “as we also have forewarned you and testified” — apparently there had been a lot of that going on in Thessalonica and they need to take up the slack on it. Paul had warned them ahead of time.

1Thessalonians 4:7 For God has not called us to impurity, but into holiness.

Verse 7 — “God hath not called us to uncleanness” — social relationship. Uncleanness is defined as going beyond and defrauding; “but unto holiness.” Holiness is just sanctification again, and it is practical sanctification. God has called us to stay in fellowship. When the believer is in fellowship it is called holiness or practical sanctification, if he is out it is called in this passage uncleanness. We haven’t been called to live out of fellowship, we have been called to live in fellowship.

1Thessalonians 4:8 So then, the one rejecting this does not disregard man but God, the One also giving His Holy Spirit to you.

Verse 8 — “He therefore that despiseth” — he despises in the sense of setting at nought or rejecting God’s provision; “despises not man, but God” — in other words, he is fighting God in the matter; “who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit” — once again, practical sanctification is defined, the Holy Spirit is given to us. The Holy Spirit controls us when we are in fellowship.

1Thessalonians 4:9 Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for me to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God in order to love one another.

Verse 9 — as a result of having the Holy Spirit our social relationships in a positive manner should look like this: “as touching brotherly love” — this is not simply overt signs of affection. Brotherly love is what you think. It is the mental attitude of the believer that gives others the benefit of the doubt. Remember, this is divine love and the Holy Spirit produces divine love, a mental attitude on the inside of the believer that makes him very relaxed and keeps him from minding everyone else’s business.

“ye need not that I write unto you” — dative of advantage. It is to Paul’s advantage as well as to theirs that he doesn’t have to go over that ground again.

“for ye yourselves are taught of God” — the teaching is through the Word of God. This is not a verb, it is an adjective. Consequently, where you have an adjective where you expect a verb you just underline it.

“to love one another” — “to love” is present active infinitive. The infinitive is purpose.

1Thessalonians 4:10 And indeed you are doing this toward all the brothers, the ones in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, to abound more and more,...

Verse 10 — “but we beseech you brethren.” He is talking to believers; “that ye increase more and more” — i.e. increase in your love. The increase is in the mental attitude.

Verses 11-12, business. There are two kinds of business, business which is construed as being industry, making a living; and then business in the sense of minding other people’s business or the doctrine of the long proboscis.

1Thessalonians 4:11 ...and to strive earnestly to live quietly and to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, just as we commanded you,...

Verse 11 — “That ye study to be quiet.” There are three infinitives which follow the purpose clause. “Study to be quiet” means that you make it a point of honour to be quiet. To be quiet means to be peaceable, to mind your own business.

“and to work with your own hands” — to do your own business, referring to industry. “Have the habit of attending to your own affairs and conducting your own business.” Why is this written? Because many of the Thessalonian believers have quit their business. That think the Rapture is about to occur, it could occur at any time, so they have quit business and are killing time. And that is the whole problem. Your business, whatever it may be, is the Lord’s service and you conduct the Lord’s service until the Lord comes. The imminency of the Rapture which is a bona fide doctrine can have erroneous conclusions, and the first erroneous conclusion is to sell the business, quit work, because the Lord may come tomorrow. Believers should continue in business for this is a part of their ministry unto the Lord.

“as we commanded you” — Paul has previously taught them this. Paul has said, “If you are in business, then stay in business.” God can lead you to some sort of service that is different, but this is often one step at a time.

If your job is 8 hours, then you work 8 hours; and you do not read your Bible. This is your Christian service, which you do as unto the Lord. Many Christians lose their testimony at work if they goldbrick or if they are dishonest.

1Thessalonians 4:12 ...so that you may walk properly toward those outside, and may have need of no one.

Verse 12 — when you are on the job, one more purpose clause — “That ye may walk honestly.” Your job is a part of your service but your job must be characterized by honesty. Believers in their testimony before the Lord ought to be so faithful and so good at their job that the Lord Jesus Christ is honoured.

“toward them that are without” — unbelievers. Many a Christian ruins his testimony by dishonesty in whatever phase of business he happens to be in.

“that ye may have lack of nothing” — if you do your job as unto the Lord. Lack of nothing means material needs, the Lord will take care of your needs.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #8

8 08/27/1961 1Thessalonians 4:13–18 The Rapture

The Coming of the Lord

1Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those having fallen asleep, so that you should not be grieved, just as also the rest, those having no hope.

Verse 13 — an unwarranted sorrow. “But I would not have you ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are asleep.”

“I would not” means “I do not wish.” Paul is expressing a wish or desire on his part. And the great wish or desire with regard to the brethren who, of course, are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ is that they would not be ignorant. We have a negative plus a present active infinitive. The negative indicates the negative purpose, the infinitive amplifies the purpose, the present tense means an habitual negative purpose. It was Paul’s objective in life to see that no believer remained in ignorance. The ignorance which is expressed at this particular point is the ignorance with regard to the future. It is a problem in phase three. What about those who have departed from this life? Here was one of the great problems among the Thessalonian believers, they were all mixed up about the future of those believers who had previously gone on to be with the Lord.

“them which are asleep” is a present middle participle. The present tense means that from time to time believers died. This can also be construed as a dramatic present in that it is quite a dramatic moment for those who are left behind and, as a matter of fact, it is a very dramatic moment for the person who departs from this life because to be absent from the body is to be face to face with the Lord. Life has several dramatic moments. The most dramatic of all is the moment we personally receive Jesus Christ as saviour. Probably the next most dramatic is that moment when we depart from this life because death is the means of entering into the presence of the Lord. Revelation 21:4 declares that for the believer who departs from this life there is no more sorrow. The sorrow is with those who remain behind and it is that sorrow which is mentioned at this particular point.

“Them which are asleep” is a middle voice which means the subject is benefitted by the action of the verb. The believer is benefitted by departing from this life, for to be absent from the body is to be face to face with the Lord. The verb itself here means sleep in the sense of physical death of the believer. This word sleep is never used for physical death of the unbeliever, only the believer. Why? Because the body of the believer sleeps, the soul and the spirit are awake in the presence of the Lord. When the soul of the unbeliever leaves the body it enters into torments, into fire, into suffering. The reason that the word “sleep” is used here for the body of the believer who has died is anticipation of the resurrection. Resurrection of the believer is simply the soul and the spirit rejoining the body where it checked out and the body wakes up, and at that particular point it takes on a resurrection body, a body like that of the Son of God. “Them which are asleep,” then, referred to believers who had died in Thessalonica, and some of the people were all upset. They were afraid that loved ones who had already died and had gone to be with the Lord were going to miss the Rapture.

Soul sleep: There are a number of passages which tell us that soul sleep is a heresy — Matthew 27:52 says “the bodies which slept,” not the souls. The soul is never said to sleep; 12Corinthians 5:8 — “absent from the body, face to face with the Lord,” the soul is awake in the presence of the Lord; Luke 16:19-31, when the soul of Lazarus departs from his body it is very much awake in Abraham’s bosom; Luke 20:38 adds five words over Matthew 22:32, and they tell us that there is no such things as soul sleep; 2Corinthians 12:1-4 where Paul actually died physically the first time — once he was beheaded by the Romans and once he was stoned to death by the Jews; Philippians 1:23, the body of Paul anticipated as being in the grave, the soul of Paul very much awake in the presence of the Lord; Ephesians 4:9; 1Peter 3:18-22, the soul of the Lord Jesus is very much awake after His physical death.

“Them which are asleep” refers to any loved ones who have preceded you into the presence of the Lord. Their body is in status quo sleep, their soul and spirit is in the presence of the Lord.

“that” introduces a purpose clause, and here is the purpose for this particular passage on the Rapture of the Church: “ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” Notice that Paul does not say, “Don’t sorrow.” You have a perfectly legitimate right to sorrow about those who have departed. However, that sorrow should never be that heathen sorrow, that desperate type of sorrow of those who have no hope. We should never sorrow as those who have no hope. We definitely have a right to sorrow when loved ones depart to be with the Lord, but we have no right to carry on as though this is the end of the line, and to get into panic palace. There is no place for that and the Word of God does not authorise it. If you have even a smidgen of doctrine about phase three you will never take such an attitude about a loved one. Romans 8:1 — those believers who have departed from this life can never be judged in the sense of eternal condemnation. Furthermore, death means for the believer to be face to face with the Lord. Who is afraid to be with the Lord?

1Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those having fallen asleep.

Verse 14 — the first answer to this sorrow problem. It is introduced by a first class condition — if and it is true. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,” and we do believe this. The emphasis here is on “we believe,” not on the fact that Christ died and rose again. The word “believe” is a transitive verb. The two facets of believe: #1 — salvation. Believe is the key to salvation because believe is a system of perception common to all normal members of the human race and the only system of perception which is non-meritorious. The secret to believing is in the object of faith and in salvation the object of faith is the Lord Jesus Christ, the subject is any member of the human race who believes in Christ who is the saviour. This transitive verb has no merit in itself, the merit is in the person who died for your sins — Acts 16:31; #2 — doctrine about Christ, doctrine which has to do with the work of Christ. There are two facets here brought out in what we believer here, “if we believe that Christ died and rose” — death and resurrection. All of this doctrine, and the point is that we believe in doctrine here. “If” is a first class condition, which means that if we believe in this doctrine, and we do. Remember, in the modus operandi of the faith-rest technique there are several types of object. First of all, the promises of God. In phase two it is the seven thousand promises of God which sustain us daily as we walk through this life. We take these promises, we claim them, we believe them, we are free from worry and anxiety, and we have the peace, the power and the inner happiness that belongs to us. We also believe doctrine and when doctrine becomes the object of our faith in phase two, then we have a wonderful stabilized, powerful, dynamic life representing the Lord Jesus Christ as an ambassador.

Paul recognizes that they believe a doctrine — “if we believe that Jesus died [and we do].” The word “died” is an aorist tense which refers to the cross where He took our place, where He suffered on our account. The words “rose again” is another aorist tense and it refers to the resurrection. Between the two words is a Greek word which links them together — kai, “and.” You cannot separate the death of Christ from the resurrection because it is the resurrection of Christ that gives efficacy to His death. It is the resurrection of Christ that proves that the death of Christ is unique.

“even so them also which sleep in Jesus” — who sleeps in Christ? Those who are born again, those who have believed in Christ, who have lived their life and are now in the presence of the Lord. The word “in” is not “in” at all. It means simply, “them which sleep through Jesus.” In other words, through Jesus Christ the body is in the grave waiting for that moment when the Lord Jesus will call, the resurrection body will be there, and out of the grave will come that glorious future incorruptible body.

“will God bring with him” — the Thessalonian believers were afraid that their loved ones who had died were going to miss the Rapture.

1Thessalonians 4:15 For this we declare to you in the word of the Lord, that we the living, remaining unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those having fallen asleep,...

Verse 15 — the second answer to unwarranted sorrow. Doctrine is the second answer as well as the first. In the first it is the application of doctrine, believing doctrine; now it is simply knowing it. “We say” is present linear aktionsart, “we keep on saying” this “unto you” — dative of advantage; “by the word of the Lord” is literally, “in the sphere of the word of the Lord.”

“that” — introducing a result clause; “we which are alive” — referring to believers, and this could mean us right now, the reason being that the Rapture could take place tonight, tomorrow, or at any moment. We could go at any time without seeing death.

“and remain” — the word “remain” means to survive. That is an apropos word for salvation. No matter how much you are blessed it is still just sheer survival, which isn’t exactly a complimentary word for this world. As long as we live here there is a sense in which we are surviving because this is the devil’s world. Why do we survive? This is in the present tense. In other words, God says with this present tense that we are not going to leave until He wants us to leave and all hell cannot push you out of this world. That is the present tense. The passive voice: the subject receives the action of the verb. The subject is the believer surviving on this earth. The action of the verb: we remain alive and survive, and we receive it from God. Don’t ever kid yourself. You can take all the precautions in the world but you are still not going to make it if God wants you to go, and if God wants you to stay there isn’t anyone who is going to push you out.

“to the coming of the Lord” — this is talking about the Rapture, the Church going out. We meet the Lord in the air, He doesn’t come to the earth. Then, seven years later, Christ returns with the Church. The word “coming” is used for both events and the trouble is that there are all kinds of sensationalists, heretics, apostates, Bible teachers so-called, who are trying to put the even in a bundle together. When you have the phrase “coming of the Lord” it could be referring to the Rapture, which is the coming of the Lord to the air, or it could be the coming of the Lord, second advent, which is the coming of the Lord back to the Mount of Olives. There is no Greek word which helps us. There are two Greek words for coming and both words are used for the second advent and both words are used for the Rapture. So no one is going to solve this by means of the etymology of the Greek language. Only the context can indicate. When the context says, meet Him in the air, that is Rapture; when the context says coming back to the earth, that is second advent. Both of them are comings of the Lord.

“shall not prevent them which are asleep” — in other words, living believers are not going to keep dead believers from getting in on the Rapture. Dead believers will be there just as much as living believers. This is the thing that bothered the Thessalonian believers.

Verses 16-17, the personnel of the Rapture.

1Thessalonians 4:16 ...because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Verse 16 — “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.” There is going to be a great cry in heaven. It is the shouting of the angels as they form up on this one.

“with the voice of the archangel” — the commanding officer of the angels; “with the trump of God” — this is a military trumpet, it is assembling the angels for this particular occasion.

When you consider that the soul and the spirit are with the Lord, we should recognize that the location of the body or what is done with the body is unimportant. From where our bodies arise, it makes no difference.

“and the dead in Christ shall rise first” — those believers who have received Christ as saviour, who have departed from this life through physical death, whose soul and spirit are in the presence of the Lord; and they are going to rise first.

1Thessalonians 4:17 Then we, the living remaining, will be caught away together with them in the clouds for the meeting of the Lord in the air; and so we will be always with the Lord.

Verse 17 — living believers are included. “Then we which are alive”, present active participle, we kept right on surviving until the end; “and remain” — the word for survive.

“shall be caught up with them” — a glorious reunion. Future tense, passive voice; This reminds us of something. In the passive voice the subject receives the action of the verb, and it means simply that we are going to be caught up, God is going to provide the equipment needed for us to become perfect in the realm of aerodynamics.

‘to meet them in the air” — the words “to meet” looks like a verb but it is a noun, the reason being that it is emphasized. We are going to meet our loved ones again, we are going to be with them again and with the Lord for all eternity. We will meet them in the air. This is the Rapture, not the second advent.

“and so shall we [believers] ever be with the Lord.”

1Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Verse 18 — the attitude. “Wherefore” — in other words, stop all of this whining, this unnecessary no hope sorrow; “comfort” — the imperative mood, this is an order — “one another.” If you know doctrine, phase three, you have the basis of comforting anyone who is bereaved and in sorrow. Fire in the Word, it is the Word of God that makes the difference, not human viewpoint phraseology. Comfort is found in what the scripture says. Scripture tells us that we will meet with our loved ones again.

“another” — another of the same kind, meaning believers; “with these words” — the doctrines, the words of scripture. Knowledge of doctrine, phase three, is the source of comfort for those who remain in phase two. We derive our comfort knowing that our loved ones are with the Lord.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #9

9 09/17/1961 1Thessalonians 5:1–5 Operation Light

Chapter 5

Operation light. As a means of becoming oriented to the subject of operation light we first must have some concept of dispensational teaching.

A dispensation is a period of time, a category of human history expressed in terms of divine revelation. It is the divine interpretation of history. The basic period of human history is the Age of Israel which occupies a great deal of attention in the Old Testament. In fact, most of Old Testament revelation deals with this segment of history. In the Age of Israel we have three unfinished beginnings. The first one is grace. The Age of Israel began with Abraham and concludes with the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ — from Abraham to Pentecost. During this period God started out by dealing with Israel, the special nation called out for a purpose, in grace. This grace came to an abrupt halt as far as modus operandi is concerned by the giving of the Mosaic law. However the grace concept is postponed and is fulfilled in the Church Age which is the grace age. During this particular period God promised after the Babylonian captivity 490 years to evangelize the world and to fulfill the principle of evangelism. But this 490 years was cut off by the cross seven years short. So we have the seventy weeks of Daniel cut off, not continued, but finished in the Tribulation, a period of seven years approximately. Then, God promised David he would have a son who would reign forever, and that was cut off by the crucifixion, and so the kingdom which was cut off in the Church Age is continued forever after the second advent of Christ. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God will reign forever. So we have three things which were started in the Age of Israel but which will finish in the final dispensation.

On the other side of the Age of Israel are also three dispensations. Israel is the fourth and basic dispensation. On the other side of Israel we have the Church Age, the Tribulation, the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are three dispensations prior to Israel, and these emphasise things such as salvation, but these three dispensations occupy very little of the Bible. For example, the first dispensation is innocence and it is covered in Genesis chapters 1-3. The second dispensation is conscience and it is covered in Genesis chapters 4-8. The next dispensation is nationalism, covered in Genesis chapters 9-12. So the first twelve chapters of Genesis cover the first three dispensations.

This does not give us all the details of these three dispensations because they cover some 2000 years, but we do have one things emphasized in divine revelation and that is the establishment of divine institutions. a divine institution is for all members of the human race. God has ordained certain principles to keep the human race in order and to keep the human race from destroying itself. Were it not for these divine institutions we wouldn’t be here today, the human race would have long ago destroyed itself. There are four divine institutions brought out in these first three dispensations.

The attempt to disarm Americans. The owning of weapons in the United States is a great symbol of freedom here. But we may be facing being thrown into an international situation.

The more that we understand dispensations, the more we can understand what is taking place in the United States today.

1Thessalonians 5:1-5, operation light is confined to the Church Age, not the Tribulation.

The Day of the Lord

1Thessalonians 5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to be written to you.

Verse 1 — “But” is the conjunction of contrast. This is a contrast with the previous chapter where we have seen that when we lose a loved one we sorrow not as others who have no hope. Why? Because we know that they enter into the presence of the Lord.

“of the times and seasons” — the word “of” is the preposition meaning “concerning.” We have two Greek words here: kairos (καιρός) [pronounced kī-ROSS] and chronos (χρόνος) [pronounced CHRON.-oss]. “Times” is kairos (καιρός) [pronounced kī-ROSS]; “Seasons” is chronos (χρόνος) [pronounced CHRON.-oss]. Chronos (χρόνος) [pronounced CHRON.-oss] means an extended period of time, a period of time which covers several dispensations.

There came a time when Gentiles began to dominate Jerusalem, the fall of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar, and that was in the dispensation of Israel. That time of Jerusalem being dominated by the Gentiles continues in the Church Age and will continue in the Tribulation, and will terminate with the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word chronos (χρόνος) [pronounced CHROHN-oss] here means a period of time which overlaps any one dispensation. The period of time translated “times” is actually the times of the Gentiles or that period of history when the Gentiles dominate Jerusalem, starting with the fall of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar, going through the entire remainder of the Age of Israel, the Church Age, and through the Tribulation, and will terminate at the second advent. This is called in scripture the times of the Gentiles — Luke 21:24. The word “season” is kairos (καιρός) [pronounced kī-ROSS] which refers to a specific period of time, the Church Age. We should understand that there are times and seasons. We should understand the dispensations around us. We should understand Israel, the Tribulation and the second advent, and other factors in other periods of time, because this helps us to understand certain unique features of the Church Age in which we live.

“brethren” — this is information for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ; “ye have no need that I write unto you” — in other words, they already understand these distinctions and therefore he will move on immediately. The first things that is necessary in operation light is historical orientation — an understanding of dispensations. If you understand, at least to some extent, the various dispensations and periods of time, and as a result understand the divine institutions, the difference between Israel and the Church, the responsibility of the believer in this day, then you are moving right along and are able to orient and become productive as a believer.

1Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves fully know that the day of the Lord comes in this manner, as a thief by night.

Verse 2 — “For yourselves know.” The word “know” is perfect tense, it means they have learned this in the past and is something they still retain in their frontal lobes where they can apply it. This means to have doctrine in the soul.

“perfectly” — this is not perfectly at all but accurately. They have accurate knowledge of God’s Word, they have an accurate understanding of doctrine.

“that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” — the day of the Lord constitutes a great problem for the Thessalonian believers. They had thought that in the Church Age the day of the Lord had already begun. The day of the Lord is a reference to the Tribulation, the second advent, and the Millennial reign of Christ. The day of the Lord does not begin until the Church is removed. This is sometimes called in scripture the day of Christ. These Thessalonians back in the first century were confused because someone had told them the Tribulation was already here. They were all upset because they thought now they were in the Tribulation. But they should understand that “the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night.” In the first century the idea of a thief coming in the night was to take by surprise. The Rapture of the Church will be very sudden, they will be taken out very suddenly and the very moment that the Church is removed the day of the Lord begins.

Just before the day of the Lord comes, just before this most awful time on the earth, just before the Tribulation, there will be a great apostasy throughout the earth. Ecumenical religion will be in gear and there will be a great deal of talk about peace and safety.

1Thessalonians 5:3 For when they might say, “Peace and security,” then suddenly destruction comes upon them, as the labor pains to her having in womb; and they shall not escape.

Verse 3 — “For when they shall say. Peace and safety; then cometh sudden destruction.” Who is going to say Peace and safety”? Any form of internationalism. Any international body will be talking about world peace and world safety. Just when they say that the Church will be taken out of the way and the Tribulation will come, and the Tribulation is a period of sudden destruction.

People who say peace and safety — clergy, religious organizations, political organizations which think they can establish world peace — have ignored a great principle in the Word of God. First of all, the doctrine of the old sin nature. Every man has an old sin nature and it takes force to keep him in line. He cannot be kept in line with platitudes otherwise we could simply throw out all law and throw in a few brotherhood platitudes, and everyone would get along fine. But it doesn’t work that way. “Safety” means human security apart from the cross.

1Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you like a thief.

Verse 4 — “But ye, brethren.” Again we have the contrast — “are not in darkness” — you are not deceived by this type of talk. But there is something more important than even that. The darkness in one sense characterises the Tribulation and Paul is saying once again, You Thessalonian believers are not in the Tribulation, you are not in darkness, you are in the Church Age.

“that the day should overtake you as a thief” — you will not be overtaken by this day, you cannot be overtaken by this day because you are removed from the world. When the Rapture of the Church takes place then this sudden destruction will come, and this sudden destruction therefore cannot come at the present time simply because the Church is still here with the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit.

1Thessalonians 5:5 For you are all sons of light and sons of day; we are not of night nor of darkness.

Verse 5 — the very important orientation point which reminds us of the fact that operation light is God’s plan for the Church Age. “Ye are” — the word “ye” is a plural pronoun and it refers to all of us — “You all are.”

“the children of light” — this means that regardless of who you are, what you have done, how you have failed, or even how you have succeeded, as long as you live on this earth you are the personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as His personal representative you are here for the purpose of glorifying Him through the witness of your life, through the witness of your lips, through the execution of phase two and/or the supernatural Christian way of life; “and the children of the day” — a reference to the day of the Lord Jesus Christ which is the Church Age.

“we are not of the night, nor of darkness” — we are not in the Tribulation, we are in the Church Age. We are here to represent the Lord Jesus Christ and as long as we live it is our privilege and our joy to represent Him.

Every believer is the representative of the Lord Jesus Christ and as such we are responsible to function under those things which He has provided. He has provided everything we need in order to glorify Him in time. So it is fitting that verses 6-8 cover the subject of opportunity for service.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                  Lesson #10

10 09/24/1961 1Thessalonians 5:6–16 Seven facets of Operation Light (which is phase II in the divine plan). Every believer is a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Thessalonians 5:6 So then we should not sleep as the others, but we should watch and we should be sober.

Verse 6 — we have a negative plus two positives in this verse. “Therefore let us not sleep” — this is an analogy to believers being ignorant of God’s Word. Sleep is used in the sense of lacking awareness of what is going on around one, therefore in this case lack of awareness of what the Bible teaches. “Let us not sleep” is present tense, and when you have a negative plus a present tense it means keep this thing from ever coming to pass. The active voice: you, don’t sleep. Then we have a hortatory subjunctive in which the writer invites the readers to join him in a course of action. The course of action means to refrain from sleeping. Apparently this is a real danger to all who are in phase two. The reference to sleep here is a reference to ignorance of God’s Word, and this is the type of sleep we can do without.

There are signs of things falling apart in this country; and some people who are alert to these things. This is the opposite of being asleep. The alertness in this verse is being alert to doctrine and the spiritual life.

“as do others” — “do” isn’t found in the original. The word “others” means “as the rest.” In this case the rest refers to, of course, the many people in the Thessalonian area who are ignorant of God’s Word.

Now by way of contrast, two positives: “let us watch and be sober.” The first verb is, again, a present active subjunctive. It means to stay alert. The principle is obvious: If sleeping is ignorance of doctrine alertness is understanding doctrine and applying it to experience. So first of all, if we are going to be effective in operation light we must have an understanding of doctrine which makes us alert, makes us aware of what is going on around us. Alertness is a byproduct of Christianity. This is alertness in the sense of discernment. Obviously, if someone is asleep they never know what is going on. There are Christians who never have enough doctrine and they never know what is going on around them or anywhere else. So if we are going to be alert, if we are going to be discerning, we must have a soul full of doctrine. The next positive is “be sober.” This word is not really connected with intoxicating beverage, it has to do with stability of mind — “be stabilized in the frontal lobe.” Again we see the implication of the positive: we must have doctrine for stability. Both of these verbs are very interesting in that they are related. Be sober has to do with what you think; be alert has to do with application of what you know to your experience. One is on the inside; one is on the outside. The two of them together make up for a very wonderful person, a person who knows God’s Word and a person who has the ability to apply it.

1Thessalonians 5:7 For those sleeping, sleep by night; and those becoming drunk, get drunk by night.

Verse 7 — “For they that sleep sleep in the night” — the night time here is anticipating something in the second epistle. First of all it is a reference to the Tribulation in contrast to the Church Age which is operation light. Light and darkness are used several ways in the Thessalonians epistles. First of all the Church Age is operation light. It is going to be followed by darkness. The Tribulation is a period of darkness on the earth. We are living in the daylight, not in the Tribulation. This is one thing that Paul emphasises in both I and II Thessalonians, that the Church does not go through the Tribulation and consequently we must orient ourselves to our own dispensation. We are not living in darkness we are living in the light, and therefore the darkness is the time to sleep. The Tribulation is possibly a time to be in a state of apathy, but not now. We should be alert, we should know what is going on around us.

“they that are drunken are drunken in the night” — the point is, we are not in the night. Operation darkness is reserved for the Tribulation. There is another concept here too. There is the darkness of ignorance. Today many are wandering around in their ignorance.

1Thessalonians 5:8 But we being of the day should be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet, the hope of salvation,...

Verse 8 — “But let us, who are of the day” — to be of the day means the Church does not go through the Tribulation. We “who are of the day” belongs to this dispensation and no believer of the present time will ever have any part in the Tribulation, except to get out of the way and let it come and come back when it is all over. Then there is a second concept here and that is the fact that no Christian should be in status quo ignorance.

“be sober” — again, the verb connotes inner mental stability. It is present linear aktionsart which means keep on being sober, or make it a habit to be mentally stabilized. The habitual concept means that no matter what your circumstances, pleasant or unpleasant, be habitually stabilized.

In order to do so we have to put on something, as it were. We have a change of tense from the present linear aktionsart, subjunctive mood indicating the potentiality — mental stability is only potential, it depends on getting doctrine and using it, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love.” “Putting on” is an aorist tense by way of contrast. If we are ever going to get around to this business of having a stabilized mental attitude we are going to have to do so by in a point of time putting on a breastplate and putting on a helmet. The breastplate which we put on is faith and love. Faith is the faith-rest technique and love is the filling of the Spirit technique. So we are right down to the essentials of service in phase two. If we are going to serve the Lord in operation light we must use the techniques. These are not the only techniques but they represent two very important ones in divine service. We must utilize the promises and doctrines of God — application. The word for love is divine love which means the filling of the Spirit producing the fruit of the Spirit.

But that isn’t all. While we are operating in the realm of the techniques we also must be anticipating the future. Therefore we have a helmet as well and the helmet is the hope. This refers to phase three. The helmet protects the head, the head should be anticipating the future — “the hope of deliverance.” We have a marvelous future and nothing can destroy it. The “hope of our salvation” is really “the hope of our deliverance.”

1Thessalonians 5:9 ...because God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,...

Verse 9 — “For God hath not appointed us to wrath.” Our future is not connected with the Tribulation. Once again, just as darkness connotes the Tribulation, the future dispensation, so wrath does as well. We are not appointed to the Tribulation. Things may get bad now but they will never be as bad as they are going to be in the future. “God” refers to God the Father who is the author of the divine plan for believers. “Hath not appointed” is an aorist tense which means He hasn’t even begun to appoint us. Middle voice: God is so benefitted by keeping His plan separate and He keeps the Church out of the Tribulation. “Us” is a reference to the believers of this age, and “wrath” is, again, the principle that we as believers will not go through the Tribulation.

“but to obtain deliverance” — this is our deliverance from the Tribulation mentioned in the previous verse; “by our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is true and it is taught elsewhere in the Bible that we are delivered salvationwise from sin by our faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins. However, this is another deliverance of the Lord Jesus Christ, this is the Rapture of the Church. “To obtain” is not a verb, it is a noun — “but to the obtaining of deliverance.”

1Thessalonians 5:10 ...the One having died for us, so that whether we might watch or we might sleep, we may live together with Him.

Verse 10 — our future is connected with the Rapture, therefore. “Who died for us” — first deliverance. The word “who” is a relative pronoun referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who died for us. “Died” is an aorist tense, it refers to a point of time in which the Son of God hung on the cross between heaven and earth.

“that whether we wake or sleep” — the word “whether” is literally “if,” and it is a third class condition. We have two third class conditions here and they express the alternatives of the Rapture. It doesn’t make any difference whether you are awake or asleep when the Rapture takes place. All believers are going to be removed from the earth.

“we should live together” — it is quite obvious that members of the human race cannot live together. Man has an old sin nature. The only answer is for man to come to the cross. The solution to man’s problems is the cross, not improved environment. Many of the Thessalonian believers had already died. Others were all shook up because they didn’t live long enough to see the Rapture. They thought that any Christian who died before the Rapture took place was going to miss the whole thing. The two third class conditions indicate the alternatives. It doesn’t make any difference whether you die before the Rapture takes place or whether you are alive when it comes, you are going to be included. “We should live together” is an aorist tense, a point of time divorced from time and perpetuated forever. We are going to live with Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, forever and ever. This makes us realize that we have a life with a future.

1Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as also you are doing.

Verse 11 — the present results of the Rapture. The Rapture is something glorious to contemplate in the future, this is the helmet which is mentioned in context, the hope of deliverance. Our hope of deliverance is meeting Christ in the air. In this verse we have three sources of hope. “Wherefore comfort yourselves together” — we do this by understanding the doctrines of the future and by applying them. The Greek says, “Comfort yourselves of the same kind.” You cannot comfort the unbeliever, that is impossible. The only comfort for the unbeliever is to find Christ as saviour and the only issue for the unbeliever is that he might personally receive Christ as saviour. But we can comfort each other.

“and edify one another” — “keep on edifying.” This is an imperative mood, an order; “even as you already do.” Apparently the Thessalonians were beginning to catch on and they were helping one another with this particular problem.

1Thessalonians 5:12 But we implore you, brothers, to appreciate those toiling among you, and taking the lead over you in the Lord, and admonishing you,...

Verse 12 — the third facet of operation light is recognition of leadership and authority. Wherever you go there must be leadership, there must be those who assume responsibility for the sheep. In verses 12 and 13 we have the principle of recognition of leadership and authority.

“And we beseech you brethren”— beseech means to request, to ask. “We keep on asking you,” present linear aktionsart; “to know them which labour among you” — the word “know” is a perfect tense meaning to have doctrine in the soul. It is a perfect tense used as a present. It is an active infinitive, an infinitive of purpose. It means to have information, to be able to recognize your leaders. Obviously you cannot operate under the leadership of any local church unless you know the leadership. There were two characteristics for joining the early church: you had to be born again, and you had to submit to the leadership and the authority of the local church leadership.

“which labour among you” — the first characteristic of leadership is labour. This is a present active participle and it means to labour to the point of exhaustion.

“and are over you in the Lord” — the second characteristic. This is a present middle participle. The middle voice: the subject is benefitted by the action of the verb. They benefit goes all the way around to have leadership.

“and admonish you” — the word “admonish” means to put good sense into a head where there is bad sense already. Good sense is the doctrine of God’s Word. People get mixed up and confused, and you are supposed to substitute intelligent viewpoint for that.

Final Instructions and Benediction

1Thessalonians 5:13 ...and to esteem them exceedingly in love, because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

Verse 13 — after recognition there comes an advance. “And to esteem them very highly in love.” The word “esteem” means to have high regard, to have high thought for. It is a present active infinitive expressing an habitual purpose. “Very highly” is an adverb meaning beyond measure, super abundantly, “in the sphere of love.”

“for their work’s sake” — not because they are nice people. This is a preposition with the accusative case which means here “because of their work.”

The third characteristic: “and be at peace among yourselves.” The word “and” does not occur, and the Greek makes it very clear from its structure that peace in a congregation depends upon leadership functioning as leadership.

Out of verses 12 and 13 we have a principle. Biblically authorised leadership is the basis of peace in any congregation. The absence of such leadership means perpetual trouble in a congregation and one purpose of leadership is to maintain the peace of the assembly or the congregation of believers. The absence of such leadership means there is no peace in the assembly.

Verses 14 and 15, an index into the responsibility of leadership.

1Thessalonians 5:14 And we exhort you, brothers, to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient toward all.

Verse 14 — “Now we exhort you brethren.” This is to the minister. The brothers here are the ministers. We now have the six-fold exhortation to leadership.

1Thessalonians 5:15 See that no one has repaid to anyone evil for evil, but always pursue the good also toward one another and toward all.

Verse 15 — These exhortations are continued into v. 15.

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                  Lesson #11

11 10/01/1961 1Thessalonians 5:16–22 Responsibility of believers

“among yourselves” — among believers, “and furthermore to all,” to the unbeliever as well.

There are two points of introduction to the next section. First of all, Christian responsibility deals with phase two of God’s plan. God the Father is the author of the divine plan which is called operation grace and it deals with the human race. In phase one of the divine plan we have salvation. God has provided eternal life for all members of the human race by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in dying on the cross, taking our place, and becoming our substitute and sin bearer. Christ rose again, ascended, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and with the doctrine of the session phase one comes to its conclusion. The executor of phase one is the Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Planner.

One minute after we are saved we enter into phase two which is God’s plan for the believer in time. The executor of phase two is God the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. The reason that He indwells every believer is because the Christian way of life is a supernatural way of life and demands a supernatural means of execution. Phase two ends for any Christian as of the point of death or resurrection, whichever takes place first. Then we enter into eternity which is phase three of the plan of God for the believer. The executor of phase three is God the Father. Every Christian alive on this earth in time has a purpose. We together represent the Son of God as His ambassadors on the earth.

Secondly, there is the subject of good verses evil. The Bible is very clear in its delineation of what is good and what is evil. God’s criterion, the scripture, is very clear in establishing the standard. But there is also a second factor which is generally ignored and yet clearly described in God’s Word, and that is good verses good. All good is not spirituality. There is a difference between that which is spiritual and that which is good. Many unbelievers are capable of performing good deeds. Many commendable things are accomplished by unbelievers and are all accomplished in the energy of the flesh or human power. All of this may be good but it is definitely not spirituality because an unbeliever cannot be spiritual. Before anyone can be spiritual he must first of all be born again. He must become a regenerate member of the human race. The responsibility of the Christian is in the realm of good which is executed in the power of the Holy Spirit as over against good which is executed in the power of the energy of the flesh. Any good thing which can be performed in the energy of the flesh is not the Christian way of life, the Christian way of life is a supernatural way of life executed in the power of the holy Spirit.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, as we are commanded to be, there are certain results. For example, other passages tell us about the production of the character of Christ — Galatians 5:22,23; the absorption of the Word — John 14:26; 16:12-15; guidance — Romans 8:14; assurance and confidence — Romans 8:14,15; worship — Philippians 3:3; prayer — Ephesians 6:18; witnessing for Jesus Christ — Acts 1:8.

All that we study is related to being indwelt by God the Holy Spirit.

1Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always.

Verse 16 — other results of the Spirit-filled life. “Rejoice evermore” — the shortest verse in the Greek in the New Testament. The word “rejoice” has a different meaning from what we think of today. This is not simply some sort of an ecstatic stimulation. In the Greek it is a word which means to have inner happiness at all times because of one’s relationship with the Lord. We are commanded to keep on having inner happiness — present tense: habitual; imperative mood: an order; active voice: subject produces the action of the verb — believer, you are the subject, you do it. Translation: “/Keep on having inner happiness.” Your happiness as a Christian does not depend upon outer circumstances, pleasant surroundings, or some successful activity of your own. We are commanded to have inner happiness and the adverb means, at all times.

1Thessalonians 5:16 Keep on having inner happiness at all times. (R. B. Thieme, Jr.’s Corrected Translation)

The second word, “evermore”, is an adverb and it means at all times. When God the Holy Spirit controls the life of the believer you can have a perfect inner happiness, a perfect stability, at all times. And your happiness does not depend on circumstances.

1Thessalonians 5:17 Pray unceasingly.

Verse 17 — another result. “Pray without ceasing.” The word “pray” is present linear aktionsart, habitually pray, keep on praying. Middle voice: subject is benefitted by the action of the verb. We are benefitted by habitual prayer. Subjunctive mood: maybe you will and maybe you won’t. We miss one of the greatest blessings in life by our failure to spend time daily before the throne of grace. God in His Word speaks to us, we through prayer speak to Him.

The example of Peter, who was to be executed the next day. The Jerusalem church prayed for him all night, but when Peter showed up, the people did not believe it.

The Greek word for “without ceasing” is used for a hacking cough. How often does a hacking cougher cough? That is how often we should pray. It is an adverb, and the best we can do with it is Make it a habit of praying.

This means also that we should always be in a position to pray.

1Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God toward you in Christ Jesus.

Verse 18 — “In everything give thanks.” Literally, “In all things give thanks.” Be thankful for the blessings of life, be thankful for the adversities of life. We are to thank the Lord for everything that comes into our life, and the reason is Romans 8:28.

“this is God’s will concerning you” — it is God’s will that we be thankful for everything. Why? because of verse 16, we have inner happiness in the midst of every circumstance of life.

1Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.

Verse 19 — “Quench not the Spirit.” “Quench not” is present linear aktionsart, habitually quench not. This means to extinguish, to dampen, to hinder, to thwart. Don’t get in the Holy Spirit’s way. We do that by rebound when necessary.

1Thessalonians 5:20 Do not despise prophecies,...

Verse 20 — “Despise not prophesyings.” Don’t despise the Rapture of the Church, don’t despise the second advent, don’t despise the Tribulation, don’t despise the Millennial reign of Christ. Cf Revelation 19:10. The word “despise” in the Greek means “Don’t belittle. don’t make light of, don’t treat with scorn or contempt, don’t neglect, don’t disregard.” The word “prophesyings” is a noun which means the teaching of prophesy.

1Thessalonians 5:21 ...but test all things. Hold fast to the good.

Verse 21 — “Prove all things.” The word “prove” means to test for the purpose of approval. How do you test for the purpose of approval when it comes to doctrine? First of all you listen. Then you check whether this fits with the rest of God’s Word. Then you put it in its proper category.

2Thessalonians 5:21 ...hold fast that which is the good.

literally. That means doctrine.

When a believer is out of fellowship, he follows one of the trends of his sin nature, either lasciviousness or asceticism.

Bob has no weakness when it comes to money. He has no interest in stealing, either a penny or a billion dollars. Now, if someone agrees with him, then they may have fellowship together based upon the same area of strength.

Bob covers v. 22–23.

1Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.

Verse 22 — “Abstain from all appearance of evil” is a mistranslation. It should be “Abstain from every category of evil.”

1961 1Thessalonians                                                                                  Lesson #12

12 10/08/1961 1Thessalonians 5:16 3 areas of orientation 5:23–28

1Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved, entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 23 — There is positional sanctification and experiential (practical) sanctification.

“The God who provides peace sanctify” — that means to set you apart — “wholly.” This means the whole of each of you be set apart, “spirit, soul, and body.” When they are, then you avoid every category of evil.

1Thessalonians 5:24 The One calling you is faithful, who also will do it.

Verse 24 — “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” God’s faithfulness is based upon a principle: the doctrine of divine essence. The pertinent area of the essence box is immutability, which means unchangeableness. God cannot change and He is therefore faithful. So if God cannot change it means simply to us that He is always faithful to us who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is faithful in saving us, we can’t lose our salvation; He is faithful in keeping us, we cannot lose our eternal security; and He is faithful to us in phase two. Cf. 1John 1:9; 2Timothy 2:12–13 (if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful— for He cannot deny Himself.—Peter denied Jesus thrice, and Jesus still remained faithful to Peter); Our salvation is all God’s work. We may simply appropriate it. 2Thessalonians 3:3; 1Corinthians 1:9;10:13; Hebrews 10:23; 1Peter 4:19.

All of these points and more are covered in the Doctrine of the Faithfulness of God, from NB#1.

1Thessalonians 5:24 The One calling you is faithful, who also will do it.

“he that calleth” is a present active participle, He keeps on calling people in this world. As long as there are members of the human race God is going to keep on calling. This is the presentation of the gospel to all members of the human race. And He who calls us is also the one who performs it. He performs for us salvation, He provides for us everything we need in phase two, and He has provided for us for all eternity. So “he will do it” also goes to phase three.

Faithfulness in this verse also has to do with dying grace. Remember that He will provide for you in your dying moments just as He provided for you in your living moments, and that after death you are going to enter into His presence where there is no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more death, the old things are passed away. God can never change His attitude toward the believer, He is faithful as of the moment of salvation. The calling has to do with the moment we receive Christ as saviour.

Bob discussing death with his uncle, who was certainly a believer. His uncle quoted a lot of Scripture. “Don’t grieve for me; I will grieve for you, since you are still on earth.”

The sanctification of body, soul and spirit. They will all be sanctified eventually; so that body must become eternal. Why do we know all the promises of eternity? Faithful is He Who called you. From the moment of salvation, God is faithful in all things that He has promised us. God is faithful to us based upon His character and not upon ours. God’s blessing is not based upon what we are at any time; God’s grace is based upon His character. God blesses us because He is faithful. God doesn’t bless us because we have stopped sinning.

The faithfulness of God doctrine is repeated. All believers in Jesus Christ have a future. There will be no sorrow or suffering and we will be restored to loved ones and relatives and friends in the future.

1Thessalonians 5:25 Brothers, pray also for us.

Verse 25 — God has seen fit to make us depend upon one another. This is the teamwork verse. The first word in this verse is “brethren” which means only believers should pray. This is a request to other members of the team. We are all on the same team and we are independent, we depend upon each other.

Universal military training teaches team work. A congregation and the pastor-teacher are on the same team. The congregation prays for the pastor.

“pray” — present tense, keep on praying. it is in the imperative mood, an order. It is middle voice, the subject is benefitted by the action of the verb. You personally will be benefitted by praying.

“for us” — “us” refers to the ministerial team here: Paul and the members of his team.

1Thessalonians 5:26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

Verse 26 — a holy kiss was simply a means of greeting. This did occur in the ancient world. There is a concept behind this, concept fellowship. Today, this would be shaking hands.

1Thessalonians 5:27 I adjure you by the Lord, this letter to be read to all the brothers.

Verse 27 — teaching the Word. “I charge [command] you by the Lord that this epistle be analysed.”

“be read” — Paul did not get up and tell them to read this. The word for “read” means to analyse, to explain verses by verse, line by line. They are not going to get it all by simply skipping through it. In other words, this refers to teaching. The word is in the aorist tense, that is, at certain points of time. This should be analysed at the point of time of the worship services. Passive voice: the subject receives the action of the verb, the Thessalonians are to receive information from this epistle from the ministry of teaching. Then we have an infinitive which expresses purpose. It is the first purpose of a worship service to analyse, to study God’s Word — “unto all” is dative of advantage. It is for the advantage of believers to have an analysis of every book and every line of God’s Word.

Notice that while they are getting this they are no “brethren” any more, they are “holy brethren.” So if you want to know what constitutes holiness it is getting a little doctrine in the frontal lobe, not your overt behaviour pattern.

1Thessalonians 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Verse 28 — the conclusion: concept grace. We don’t earn it, we don’t deserve it. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen [I believe it].” When you believe God’s Word you put it into action. When you put God’s Word into action you personally have peace and happiness and you become a source of blessing to all members of the human race. To the unbeliever you become a source of information regarding the gospel, to other Christians you become a source of comfort and blessing and stability and peace to them. You cannot lose, you cannot fail by using God’s Word for the Word of God never returns void.

END OF SERIES

2Thessalonians

The section headings come from E-sword. The Berean Literal Bible was used throughout.

1973 2Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #1

1 03/12/1973 2Thessalonians 1:1–2 Three areas of orientation; doctrine of grace

Chapter 1

The city of Thessalonica is living proof that Alexander the Great had relatives. Thessalonica was the name of the stepsister of Alexander the Great. He was very fond of her and it was inevitable that he would name a city after her. Between Alexander the Great and the apostle Paul the city became very famous. The modern name for the city is Salonika. The British had a campaign there in WWI. Even today there are over 200,000 people living there.

The church was founded on the second missionary journey and was composed with mostly Gentiles. Since the writing of 1Thessalonians false teachers had infiltrated this church. They were teaching that the church would go through the Tribulation and blurred all the distinctions between the Rapture and the second advent, between the Church and Israel. They did not understand either the fifth cycle of discipline or the change in dispensations. These teachers, in order to make their lessons stick, carried a letter and said it was Paul’s second epistle to them. It was a forgery, of course, and because of this forgery Paul had to send them a genuine 2Thessalonians in order to refute everything in the forgery. The human writer is Paul.

Paul wrote this epistle from Corinth around a.d. 51.

“Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus” — Paul is the writer, the others are simply associated with him as communicators of Bible doctrine. This was written about 51 AD. Paul was located at the time in Corinth. The first two verses are the introduction to the epistle, after that this chapter has three principles which are taught:

So a simple title for this chapter is The three areas of orientation. It is very important to wake up and be oriented to life. Bob wakes up and he has all of his faculties; and he says this might be orientation to life through Bible doctrine. We have a place in the plan of God that we wake up to.

Some people get up with the sun, and their day is half over by the time Monday morning class comes around.

The first two verses do not go with the first chapter, they go with the entire epistle.

Greeting

2Thessalonians 1:1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:...

Verse 1 — “Paul” is the human writer, his name means “little.” This was not his original name, this is the name he took when he understood some doctrine and it has to do with grace orientation. We all enter the plan of God as zero and the plan of God calls for God doing everything. Once this principle is understood it makes life a lot easier. The only way to go from zero to 100 is on the strength of God, on the work of God, and on the thinking of God which is doctrine.

Mention with Paul is Silvanus which is the correct name for Silas. Silas is merely a nickname. He was a prominent member of the Jerusalem church, according to Acts 15:22. The companion of Paul on the second missionary journey is said to have the gift of prophecy in Acts 15:32, was the bearer of Peter’s epistles to Asia minor, according to 1Peter 5:12. He was a well known, a prominent person, also remembered for his singing at Philippi.

Timotheus or Timothy [Timotheus being the Latin] is a convert of Paul during the second missionary journey. He had the gift of pastor-teacher. He is the most overrated person of the New Testament. Bob told his father that he should have had some input to his name; but he has since changed his mind on that.

Timothy was emasculated by the females in his congregation. The pastor-teacher needs to be more of a man than anyone there. Timothy of was raised by his mother and grandmother. He is told to take a snort of two because the women of Ephesus were pushing him around.

Bob knows that there are many women in his congregation are pushy and horsey. “Some of you ladies are more hardheaded than I am.”

We lose Timothy after 2Timothy. He represents a principle. Neither Silas nor Timothy amount to very much. Humanly speaking, Silas and Timothy were weak sisters. In their association with Paul, they are his students. The principle is that God uses all kinds of people. Grace will make these two men useful in the plan of God.

Paul is similar to Moses and Jeremiah, who were super-prophets from the Old Testament.

Silas never has authority of his own; he has delegated authority.

By spiritual gift each one of these men represents a concept. The concept is that communication must have with it authority. This is communication gifts which are connected with doctrine. Paul, of course, has the most authority and the highest authority ever given. Silvanus only has delegated authority and Timothy has local authority, the gift of pastor-teacher So in spiritual gifts of communication there is a variation of authority.

“unto the church” — the dative of the noun ekklêsía (ἐκκλησὶα) [pronounced ek-klay-SEE-ah]. This is dative of advantage. This is the local church because it is specified as “the ekklêsía (ἐκκλησὶα) [pronounced ek-klay-SEE-ah] of the Thessalonians.” The word is generally translated “assembly” or “church.” The function of the local ekklêsía (ἐκκλησὶα) [pronounced ek-klay-SEE-ah] is that of a classroom. A classroom means students. The students are the members of the congregation. The professor is the pastor-teacher.

The pastor-teacher is the policy-maker, not the administrators. There are five or six who disagree with Bob, yet they do not have the background that Bob has.

Bob will not give one ounce of advice to other pastor’s sheep.

Ekklêsía (ἐκκλησὶα) [pronounced ek-klay-SEE-ah] is actually used in five ways.

When you believe in Jesus Christ, you are entered into the church universal. The local church is the classroom, where Bible doctrine is communicated.

Notice that the local church in Thessalonica is said to be “in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The preposition en plus the locative means “in the sphere of God the Father.” God the Father is the author of them plan and it refers not simply to positional truth as such but it means that every believer is in the plan of God and every local church is in the plan of God. This is really the most important thing: God can prosper a local church just as He can prosper an individual, or God can remove a church from the scene just as He can an individual. “in the sphere of the Lord Jesus Christ” is positional truth, union with Christ.

Many preachers spend their time asking for money, even begging for money. And that is not a grace approach.

2Thessalonians 1:2 ...Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 2 — the word that needs the greatest emphasis is “grace.” Notice that grace and peace are said to be from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. “From” is the preposition apo, the preposition of ultimate source. God the Father is the author of the plan, the local church at Thessalonica is a part of that plan. Jesus Christ is the basis of entering that plan. The job of God the Holy Spirit in this dispensation is to glorify Christ and to clarify the scripture. Therefore under that concept He is not mention.

1973 2Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #2

2 03/19/1973 2Thessalonians 1:3–4 Supergrace attitudes

Thanksgiving

2Thessalonians 1:3 We ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, just as it is fitting, because your faith is increasing exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all to one another is abounding,...

Verse 3 — “We are bound” is an obligation verb, the present active indicative of opheilô/opheileô (ὀφείλω/ὀφειλέω) [pronounced of-Ī-low,of-ī-LEH-oh]. This is a static present, it does not refer to a continuous obligation but an obligation which occurs at certain times, an obligation which can only occur when Bible doctrine exists in the soul of the believer. The believer in reversionism does not have this obligation, he only thinks of God in terms of using God. “We are obligated,” then, is a static present for certain situations related to the supergrace life and/or times when the believer has doctrine in his soul. The active voice: the believer produces the obligation under supergrace. The indicative mood is the reality of the obligation.

God must be free to give. He is able to give anything. These things are not a problem for God. The problem comes with being able to give without strings and for the believer to have capacity for them.

This is not a trade-off with God; he gives us and we return the favor by thanking Him.

The key is the cup. There is a mental attitude towards God; these are the ones who love God. Rom 8:28 applies to the supergrace believer.

The obligation is stated in the infinitive, the present active infinitive of eucharisteô (εὐχαριστέω) [pronounced yew-khahr-ih-STEH-oh]. Eu means well, good, or well done; charis (χάρις) [pronounced KHAHR-iç] is grace. It comes to mean giving thanks, but it is thanksgiving based upon grace orientation. The present tense is, again, a static present. The static present refers to an occasion. The active voice: again the believer under supergrace produces the action, and the infinitive indicates the purpose of the Christian way of life — obligation when there is doctrine.

The principle from these two verbs: When you have doctrine in your soul it changes your whole attitude, and it also changes your obligations. Once you have doctrine in your soul that is the cup. You start reaping what God sows, and when you reap what God sows your life changes completely in your soul. You are occupied with the person of Jesus Christ, you recognize the celebrityship of Christ, and thanksgiving is merely an extension of the celebrityship of Christ. We cannot repay God for what He has done for us. The only thing that we have going for us in response to His provision is thanksgiving which is strictly a mental attitude. Eucharisteô (εὐχαριστέω) [pronounced yew-khahr-ih-STEH-oh] which means to give thanks is merely the mental attitude of response to grace on the part of a supergrace believer. God gives to us without strings. The believer has the capacity for these things, this is a part of glorifying God in the angelic conflict. When God gives without strings the only thing that can go back to God on the part of the believer is a mental attitude which is comparable to the attitude with which things are given. When God gives it is all because of the cup in the soul. The cup is running over now and because of the existence of the cup [Bible doctrine in the soul] there is a mental attitude toward God, and these are the ones who love God in Romans 8:28, a verse which only applies to the supergrace believer. Eucharisteô (εὐχαριστέω) [pronounced yew-khahr-ih-STEH-oh] is a mental attitude toward God of love.

People give to you, but what they want to hear is, how good they are for giving to you. They want your approbation; they buy your attention or affection. But God does not buy our attention or affection.

Some people have their worship gaze; and they go through communion with this worship gaze. Without doctrine in the soul, the Eucharist is a bust. Baptists would put this at the end of service, so that people could take off. The only ones who stayed around were those who needed good luck in the coming month.

When people give you something, they want instant love; they want instant approbation.

The basis for loving God is doctrine in the soul. When you have this, that is true thanksgiving. People thank God for their new car or their new car or the fact that their children got through school. Unbelievers have that; and unbelievers are sometimes thankful for these things.

There have been great lovers of God; but few were as great of a lover like David did. David was impressed by Who and What Christ is.

“thank God” — we have to have enough doctrine to thank God. David was a man after God’s own heart; David reaped what God sowed. There never was a man who loved God the way David did. True thanksgiving is merely thinking love. That is what eucharisteô (εὐχαριστέω) [pronounced yew-khahr-ih-STEH-oh] means and that is what the communion table is the Eucharist. You cannot fake it. You have the doctrine or you do not.

“for you” — Paul is only thankful at certain times for the Thessalonians — peri (the preposition) plus the pronoun means “concerning you.”

“brethren” refers specifically to the believers of Thessalonica; “as it is meet” — “it is” is present active indicative of eimi (εἰμί) [pronounced eye-ME] the absolute status quo verb. Again it is a static present which means on a certain occasion, the occasion which warrants it. The active voice: it is only fitting at certain times. The indicative mood is the reality of the fact that it is fitting to be thankful for certain believers under certain condition, i.e. supergrace, and that is brought out by the word “meet” which is a present nominative of the noun axios (ἄξιος) [pronounced AX-ee-oss] which means worthy or fitting or suitable. When is it right to give thanks for another believer? When is it fitting? When is it worthy or suitable? When there is some kind of a contact with a supergrace believer. The principle is “my cup runneth over” if you have through doctrine in the soul occupation with the person of Christ, and then this overflows to others. That provides the occasion brought out by a series of static presents.

Now Paul is going to give us the reason for this thanksgiving: “because that” — the Greek hóti (ὅτι) [pronounced HOH-tee] is the causal use of the conjunction, and it relates back to the verb opheilô/opheileô (ὀφείλω/ὀφειλέω) [pronounced of-Ī-low,of-ī-LEH-oh] which means obligation. Notice the principle: There are certain people who inspire love for God. Thanksgiving, eucharisteô (εὐχαριστέω) [pronounced yew-khahr-ih-STEH-oh], is love toward God; and the people who inspire this type of thing are always supergrace believers, they have doctrine in their soul. Here is the concept of interrelationship. The doctrine in the soul causes a love for God and that is expressed in this mental attitude, and it overflows from someone else who loves God. Mutual thanksgiving is the expression of a love back and forth. If you truly love someone you are thankful for them.

“your faith” — ho pistis (πίστις) [pronounced PIHS-tihs] plus the pronoun humôn. Pistis (πίστις) [pronounced PIHS-tihs] without the definite article always refers to faith as you understand it. With the definite article pistis (πίστις) [pronounced PIHS-tihs] refers to that which is believed or doctrine. This is literally “the doctrine of yours.” There is a plural possessive pronoun there.

It is actually here the doctrine which causes the growing — “groweth” is the present active indicative of hyperauxánō (ὑπεραυξάνω) [pronounced hoop-er-owx-AN-oh]. This means to grow in a fantastic way, and doctrine grows in a phenomenal way under the daily function of GAP. As it grows, so does the mental attitude. We could translate this “the doctrine which is believed by you grows.” Doctrine causes growth.

“and the charity” — hê agápē (ἀγάπη) [pronounced ag-AH-pay], mental attitude love. Obviously this mental attitude love is the same as eucharisteô (εὐχαριστέω) [pronounced yew-khahr-ih-STEH-oh]. In other words, thanksgiving is a form of agápē (ἀγάπη) [pronounced ag-AH-pay]. Your mental attitude changes. Doctrine changes you on the inside. Changes made on the outside become hypocrisy; changes on the inside are the things which count with God.

“of every one of you toward each other” — here is where doctrine in the soul develops a true mental attitude in life; “aboundeth” — present active indicative of pleonázō (πλεονάζω) [pronounced pleh-on-AHD-zo] which means to have more and more and more. You don’t try to have an abundance by trying to have an abundance. Doctrine in the soul, category #1 love. occupation with the person of Christ, loving God the Father — all of this comes through the celebrityship of Christ. This doctrine in the soul, then, becomes the cup and then God can fill this cup. When this cup is filled with divine blessing it also includes overflow to others.

Verse 3 is obviously a prosperity verse. Verse 4 shows how this also works in adversity. Your circumstances under these conditions are going to change. But it is the same person regardless and that is the principle that is taught in the next verse.

2Thessalonians 1:4 ...so as for us ourselves to boast in you in the churches of God about your endurance and faith in all your persecutions, and in the tribulations that you are bearing.

Verse 4 — “So that” is the conjunction hôste (ὥστε) [pronounced HOH-steh] plus the infinitive which introduces a result clause. It means “with the result that.”

“we ourselves” — Paul and other believers influenced by this wonderful principle of doctrine in the soul; “glory” — present active infinitive of kaucháomai (καυχάομαι) [pronounced kow-KHAH-om-ahee] which means to boast in. It doesn’t mean to boast from arrogance, it means recognition of the accomplishment of a job. In other words, when Paul says “we” he is referring to himself and other pastors who have taught the Thessalonians. Paul is not boasting from arrogance, this is the expression of a job well done. So “we ourselves recognize a job well done in you” is the concept. All the teaching of doctrine has resulted in some living examples of how God blesses in supergrace.

“in the churches of God” — these are local churches that Paul has taught the truth correctly, or where some other pastor-teacher has taught the truth correctly.

“for your patience and faith” — “for” is the preposition hupér (ὑπέρ) [pronounced hoop-AIR], “on behalf”; of your patience,” hupomonê (ὐπομονή) [pronounced hoop-ohm-ohn-AY] which doesn’t mean to endure, this refers to a mental attitude, a happy mental attitude [+H]. It means to be occupied with Christ, to have supergrace capacity, supergrace blessings, +H — all of these things in adversity. This is why Paul recognizes a job well done. “We ourselves recognize a job well done in you and in the churches of God on behalf of your patient frame of mind and faith-rest” — pistis (πίστις) [pronounced PIHS-tihs] without the definite article, what is believed applied.

“and” is the ascensive us of kai and it means “even your faith in persecution” — diōgmós (διωγμός) [pronounced dee-ogue-MOSS]. This is a dative of advantage plural and it means persecutions from others. The pressures of life in general.

Once David went negative towards doctrine, he went to Philistia and he began to reap what he sowed as opposed to what God sowed. What really happened was negative volition brought on my a frantic search for happiness.

“and tribulations” — also a dative plural of advantage from thlipsis (θλίπσις) [pronounced THLIP-siss] which means great pressure, great affliction, especially mental suffering.

“that ye endure” — the present active indicative of anechomai (ἀνέχομαι) [pronounced ahn-EHKH-ohm-ahee] which means to have again and again and again and again. The principle is that God has designed a certain amount of suffering for the believer who gets into supergrace. He has designed a period of great prosperity. Then there is a period of adversity. God has designed the supergrace life so that whether it is prosperity or adversity His provision is there, His grace is sufficient. In other words, God has to demonstrate His love toward you under varying circumstances of life. Once you enter into supergrace and come under the blessings of God in supergrace then God is going to give you a variety of circumstances to show you that these blessings which He provides hold up under any circumstance of life. You will soon learn that the circumstance doesn’t make any difference. What does count is the blessing based upon doctrine in your soul.

We can only enjoy adversity during phase II, as there is no adversity in phase III. You might be bored, but do not react to your boredom. God’s provisions work for prosperity and for adversity.

1973 2Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #3

3 03/26/1973 2Thessalonians 1:5 Concepts of suffering

The Judgment at Christ's Coming

2Thessalonians 1:5 This is a plain token of the righteous judgment of God, for you to be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer.

Verse 5 — the principle of time orientation. Once you believe in Christ and enter into the family of God time only goes into two ways. You are either on God’s time or you are on cosmos time. Cosmos time is a road of reversionism; God’s time is the road to supergrace. God’s time has all the blessing from God. Cosmos time really has no blessing from God but really self-induced misery and discipline. Whichever road one goes is dependent entirely upon two factors: finding a right pastor and recognizing the authority of that pastor. Both of these involve positive volition. Going negative means loss of time. God has only given you so much time to get there because your life is only so long. If you are slow in taking in doctrine and negative and unstable you may or may not get a cup, and God does not pour without a cup. The whole Christian life begins when you get that cup. When you are in God’s time you are not only blessed in the supergrace blessings but you begin to understand the whole realm of God’s program. You are never on God’s time when you are in reversionism, when you are negative.

Bob gets calls all the time, long distance calls from people who have others pastors. The believer needs to find his right pastor and show up every time that he teaches.

David had a cup in his soul and God have him 300 malcontents. Everything that David wanted and did not even think of was given to him. No one lives a normal Christian life until he has a cup. The whole Christian life begins when we get this cup. Don’t run around and witness; sometimes better for us to not tell anyone that we are Christians.

Every time that God pours, the devil grinds his teeth.

Bob teaches everyday because he believes that we need doctrine everyday.

That brings us to the principle of legitimate suffering in verse 5. We have here suffering as part of God’s pouring. If you take the road of reversionism all of the suffering is self-induced misery and divine discipline. If you take the road of positive volition toward doctrine and get the cup it includes not only the materialistic blessings but also the supergrace blessings which include suffering. So God’s time is broken up into periods of prosperity, periods of suffering; period of prosperity and suffering at the same time. But this is legitimate suffering, as with Job. God had been pouring and pouring for Job and he had nothing but prosperity. Adversity came along which was legitimate but great. At first he held up under it beautifully. Later he went down and then recovered. So Job’s period of suffering is divided into two parts: legitimate suffering under having the cup, God pouring, and then legitimate suffering changed to self-induced misery and divine discipline when job went into reversionism. However, he recovered and it became legitimate suffering again with God pouring. The solution to problems is doctrine. There is going to be a variety of activity in your life, some of which is adversity, and if it is legitimate adversity it is just as much designed for your blessing as all of the materialistic things under the supergrace concept. In other words, the supergrace status is the only place to suffer. Every supergrace believer will endure suffering, but God also provides for the believer during that time. Romans 8:28 only applies to supergrace believers. There is no circumstance in life for which there is not fantastic blessing. The believer’s confidence in the Lord is increased. Adversity seasons your life and makes life palatable. This confidence in God increases and this provides stabilization. You used Bible doctrine all the way and you stay relaxed. You do not get into discouragement or bitterness or react with a frantic search for happiness. So adversity isa blessing. No one gets strength without adversity. Exercise for the Greeks is called agonize, which is agony. Out of agony comes greater strength and the same is true of adversity. The strength that you have gained makes prosperity more fun.

In verse 5 the first two words are not found in the original. Next we have the phrase “a manifest token” — éndeigma (ἔνδειγμα) [pronounced EN-dighe-mah]. It means evidence. Éndeigma (ἔνδειγμα) [pronounced EN-dighe-mah] in its very construct means something on the inside manifests itself on the outside.

The Thessalonian believers had the cup, they had doctrine in the soul. They carried with them everything which was necessary in life. God demonstrates through the supergrace believer that there is no situation in life, prosperity or adversity, for which there is not fantastic blessing. So first of all it is a demonstration of His grace provision. Secondly, this legitimate suffering when the priesthood really begins to function is designed for another reason. This reason has to do with the angelic conflict. Every time God can pour into that cup adversity and the believer utilizes the doctrine involved it is a setback in the angelic conflict, it is a victory of grace. The believer doesn’t earn it or deserve it, it is strictly a victory of grace. So suffering is used in the angelic conflict under the victory of grace principle.

Another factor involved is the fact that the believer’s confidence in the Lord is intensified by suffering, and if you didn’t have suffering you wouldn’t have stability. Adversity or suffering seasons your life, like salt seasons food. What you really are is what you are in adversity as well as in prosperity. This confidence includes stability — you are a stabilized person when you go through some adversity under supergrace and you use Bible doctrine all the way. When you use doctrine in adversity you gain strength, therefore when you get into prosperity the strength that you have gained makes for more fun.

Believers thought, because of the suffering they were enduring, that they were in the Tribulation. But that was not the case, which Paul will explain.

Éndeigma (ἔνδειγμα) [pronounced EN-dighe-mah] = evidence, proof, proof from inside. Extreme suffering of believers does not mean that the Tribulation is here. Éndeigma (ἔνδειγμα) [pronounced EN-dighe-mah] is an inner strength manifest on the outside. It is called a “manifest token” in the KJV but we can make it one word — “evidence.”

“of the righteous judgment of God” — the genitive singular of dikaios (δίκαιος) [pronounced DIH-kai-oss] indicates that God never loses His character over these things. It is used here for +R which is not compromised in these things. Prosperity and adversity both go in the cup, but not at the same time. God pours one and then He pours the other. When this occurs we, if we have this cup, doctrine in the soul, then we remain stabilized. That is the éndeigma (ἔνδειγμα) [pronounced EN-dighe-mah], and the éndeigma (ἔνδειγμα) [pronounced EN-dighe-mah] lines up with dikaios (δίκαιος) [pronounced DIH-kai-oss], God’s dikaios (δίκαιος) [pronounced DIH-kai-oss]. So the fact that we have adversity and the fact that God pours in that direction should not change us. If you are up and down, and all over the place, then you are in trouble.

Bob sees a lot of people recently, and they have been facing difficulties.

The word “judgement” is krisis (κρίσις) [pronounced KREE-sihs] and it means a judicial sentence “of the God.” The letters ij is an active suffix, it means the act of judging. Krima (κρίμα) [pronounced KREE-mah] means to receive judging. The fact that God can bless a believer in suffering in time is a token or a manifestation of His perfect essence and His perfect plan. So it is important for the believer to recognize this particular principle.

Notice that God calls this judgement. This is an act of judgement but not judgement in the sense of condemnation but in God’s estimate of the situation. Judgment here does not mean judgement like cursing, judgement here means God’s good sense to know when we should have suffering.

“that” introduces the purpose clause. The purpose clause is brought out also by the infinitive — “that ye may be counted worthy”, the aorist passive infinitive of kataxióō (καταξιόω) [pronounced kaht-ax-ee-OH-oh]. The word means to be considered worthy, to be worthy according to a standard. Who is worthy for this kind of suffering? When it is legitimate suffering you have to be worthy only in the sense that God can only vindicate His Word. God is not impressed with us because He is no respecter of persons, but He is impressed with doctrine in our souls. He has saved our soul so He is impressed with our soul because He saved it, not because there is anything good in our soul. But He must vindicate His Word, therefore when we get doctrine in our souls then we get to supergrace. That is when we get the cup. The cup is supergrace capacity. This is where we are counted worthy. We are worthy according to divine standards, we have doctrine in the soul, God has been pouring blessing, now He pours some legitimate adversity. Why? We are worthy. We are not worthy, doctrine in the soul is worthy. The cup is constructed of doctrine and God must vindicate doctrine in our souls. The aorist tense is a gnomic aorist and the gnomic aorist means that this is an absolute principle. All suffering is divided into three categories:

Then this is in an infinitive to express the purpose. God’s plan is designed so that every believer will have the pleasure of having a cup and have the pleasure of receiving adversity. God has found enough doctrine in your soul to count you worthy for suffering.

Notice it says “the kingdom of God.” The kingdom of God in the Pauline epistles refers to the kingdom of regenerate and it refers to a kingdom of priests. The kingdom of God in this passage emphasises the priesthood of the believer in the Church Age.

“for which” — the preposition hupér (ὑπέρ) [pronounced hoop-AIR] means “on behalf of which”; “ye also suffer” — present active indicative of paschô/pathô (πάσχω/πάθω) [pronounced PAHS-khoh/PATH-oh/PEHN-thoh]. Paschô/pathô (πάσχω/πάθω) [pronounced PAHS-khoh/PATH-oh/PEHN-thoh] in the present tense is an iterative present which means they suffer occasionally, at certain intervals. This is God’s pouring. It is also an active voice: every supergrace believer suffers for himself. The indicative mood is the reality of this concept.

1973 2Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #4

4 04/09/1973 2Thessalonians 1:6–9 Doctrine of the baptism of fire

In verses 6, 7 we have an eschatological conditional clause. The purpose of this clause is to introduce the whole doctrine of eschatology which is found in the second chapter and which deals primarily with the Tribulation, second advent, and an occasional reference to the Millennium. But the primary purpose is to explain the fact that the Tribulation is a time of great reversion on the earth and that this reversionism causes a great deal of the trouble to which the Tribulation is attached. We have come in fundamental circles to call this the great tribulation because once in Matthew we find the word “tribulation” related to it. After the Rapture of the Church we have Daniel’s seventieth week which is perhaps a better way of designating it.

People try to build doctrine on experience, and decide that, because we are in difficult times, that we must be in the Tribulation.

Technically, it should be called “the great reversion” because that is what it is. This period of reversionism is going to get a great deal of explanation because the Thessalonians were the people who had been persuaded since Paul left that they were going through all or part of the Tribulation. That is the big problem. They thought they were going through the Tribulation because they were having so much trouble.

We must remember that 490 years were promised from the time that the Jews would come back from the fifth cycle of discipline; 483 years were fulfilled up to the time of the cross, resurrection and ascension. Then the Church Age interrupts that concept and the last seven years or Daniel’s seventieth week occurs after the Church is removed because it is the conclusion of the Jewish Age. The Jewish Age cannot be concluded while the Jews are out under the fifth cycle and therefore God ordained that it would be concluded at the proper time because the Jewish Age ends at the second advent. The Church comes into the picture on the day of Pentecost, goes out under its resurrection, and then the Jewish Age continues to its proper conclusion which is the second advent. At the conclusion of the Church Age the Church goes up; at the conclusion of the Jewish Age Christ comes down. The Jewish Age has been interrupted but not concluded. This the Thessalonian believers did not understand, and starting at this particular point and going to the end of the book this point will be brought up from time to time; eschatology is the primary subject.

2Thessalonians 1:6 For indeed it is righteous with God to repay those oppressing you with affliction,...

Verse 6 — the word “seeing” isn’t there at all. We have a compound particle, eiper (εἴπερ) [pronounced Ī-per], the combination of the conjunctive particle plus per, the enclitic particle. It introduces an intensive first class condition. Verse 6 is the protasis and verse 7 is the apodasis — “If indeed” or “If it be so,” which is the idiomatic expression. This is a first class condition.

The problem begins immediately with the word “tribulation.” It is used here is the sense of catastrophe or disaster. The word “tribulation” is used in a technical sense in Matthew, it is not used in a technical sense here. There is tribulation or disaster or catastrophe in every generation. First of all, there is catastrophe to those in any generation who are reversionistic believers. Their catastrophe is dramatized by the sin unto death. Then there is catastrophe or disaster to those who are in supergrace so that God can demonstrate that grace provision is greater than any adversity. Again, this is not technical. Then we have the occasional suffering for blessing in the life of the supergrace believer, and that is not technical. Then we have any punishment for carnality in the life of a believer moving toward supergrace or in supergrace — in other words, a carnal believer — and that is not technical.

The only technical use of tribulation is found in Matthew — “ye shall have great tribulation.” Technically in that chapter it is describing the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week. The angelic conflict means that every generation will face some sort of tribulation or disaster or catastrophe.

“If so be that you have tribulation.” This is an intensive first class condition and means that they did have disaster or tribulation. But the existence of catastrophe, adversity, disaster, even to the maximum does not indicate that the Tribulation is here, a common misconception among believers. People have thought for centuries that, any time that difficulties were too great, that they must be in the Tribulation.

The Tribulation as a technical word is found with such infrequency that really it is a misnomer to call Daniel’s seventieth week the Tribulation. It can be done but it isn’t emphasized. What Daniel’s seventieth week should be called is Daniel’s seventieth week or the end of the Age of Israel. The Thessalonians were all mixed up. They had been taught clearly the eschatology of the Church, the eschatology of Israel, and how the two are never mixed up. After Paul left the Thessalonians apathy set in and with apathy came the misapplication of doctrine — they now have the Church going through the Tribulation. So at this point Paul hits them with the major subject of the book.

You build doctrine only upon what the Bible teaches; never upon feelings, experience, or things which occur in life. This is what holy rollers do. They have to have the stupidest frantic search for happiness.

“a righteous thing” — dikaios (δίκαιος) [pronounced DIH-kai-oss] doesn’t mean a righteous things at all, it refers to justice. It means righteousness in the sense of being fair or equitable. We should translate this “a just thing.”

“with God” is the preposition para, the preposition of immediate source — “from the immediate source of God.”

“to recompense” — the aorist active infinitive of a compound verb, antapodídōmi (ἀνταποδίδωμι)[pronounced an-tap-ohd-EE-doh-mee], which means to give from the ultimate source instead of something else. It comes to mean to make retribution, but it is a little stronger than that. It means in stead of people gaining something from your unhappiness they lose something from your misery; “tribulation” — thlipsis (θλίπσις) [pronounced THLIP-siss], which means pressure, affliction, distress, adversity. It is not technical. Paul at this point is explaining the fact that the existence of pressure does mean they are in the Tribulation. This is not the Age of Israel concluded, they are in the Church Age and there is thlipsis (θλίπσις) [pronounced THLIP-siss] in the Church Age.

“to them that trouble you” — the present active participle has as its subject those who are putting pressure on them. The word for trouble is the verb that goes with the noun — thlíbō (θλίβω) [pronounced THLEE-bo]. This means at least two categories of humanity. The Thessalonians are receiving pressure from unbelievers; they are receiving pressure from believers. The believers are in reversionism and are antagonistic to doctrine. The unbelievers are also antagonistic to doctrine and since the Thessalonians started out with so much doctrine they are now in a jamb as far as this is concerned. Generally speaking, whether it is believer or unbeliever, apparently it is religion. This will come out in the second chapter. It is the religious type reversionism which is putting so much pressure on them, the frantic search for happiness in religion. When you bump into someone from that category, just keep on moving; be ships that bump in the night. There is no more painful, asinine, tense than a religious type.

2Thessalonians 1:7 ...and to you being oppressed, repose with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with His mighty angels,...

Verse 7 — an apodasis. “And to you” — he gets down from the principle to their situation. This is a dative of advantage and it refers to believers who are positive toward doctrine under pressure — “who are troubled,” present passive participle of thlíbō (θλίβω) [pronounced THLEE-bo]. The present tense is not linear aktionsart. The participle is linear aktionsart but this is an iterative present and that means that they get this periodically but they don’t get it all the time. The passive voice means they receive this pressure from time to time. The participle simply indicates the fact that this is a consistent way of life but not every second. This is really pressure of persecution.

“rest with us” — no one was ever persecuted like the apostle Paul. Paul had religious Jewish people on his back constantly, they are called the Judaizers. So Paul is now telling them to join him in the course of action which is outlined by Bible doctrine. It is brought out simply by a noun, it is not a verb — “rest,” the accusative singular of ánesis (ἄνεσις) [pronounced AN-es-is]. It means tranquillity, peace, rest in time of pressure, in time of disaster. This really means to relax. Your peace and tranquillity must come from doctrine in the soul. So in effect ánesis (ἄνεσις) [pronounced AN-es-is] is the act of having a relaxed mental attitude. It means among other things that you do not over think disaster. Over-thinking of disaster is a sign of subjectivity. The whole emphasis at this point is a relaxed soul. The pressure cannot reach. Tranquillity is probably the best word to describe the sealing off of the subconscious. Operation over-think is bringing up things which we regret doing. We have all done things which are regrettable. We all have things in our background, where we believe that God ought to punish us for those things for the rest of our lives. But God does not deal with us on the basis of our wrongdoing, but on the basis of His Own character.

Bob gives the example of a man who has done some terrible things on his way up. To assuage his guilt complex, he turns liberal; and he gives a lot of money to various welfare type things. This is a self-preservation, self righteous reaction, by which he seeks to seal up his subconscious hatch. Let’s say that he gets cancer, he believes that he is now being punished for all the terrible things that he has done. Whatever he tries to do is a losing battle. He needs Bible doctrine and grace orientation.

Bob says that people raised in Christian homes are just babies; and this is why they want thees, thous; because they cannot handle literal translations from the Bible. Bob is astounded by the total immaturity of believers. The Thessalonian church was an example of this type of thing. When they are under pressure, everything goes to pieces. Supergrace is important, because you understand grace as you have never before. You do not respond to past acts with a guilt complex—that is sin! Knowing doctrine makes you free from things like that.

We expect a verb, but we get a noun instead; and that places great emphasis on that noun.

Bob has emphasized a guilt reaction, but all mental attitude sins are excluded from this noun ánesis (ἄνεσις) [pronounced AN-es-is]. No mental attitude sins can coexist with tranquillity, and you never have tranquillity when you’re jealous or bitter or vindictive, have a guilt reaction, anxiety, etc. +H is a continuum from tranquility to ecstatics.

“with us” — Paul is not the only one to have enough doctrine to have this tranquillity. He includes Silas and Timothy. Timothy is fine when he is under Paul’s guidance, but having his own church was too much for him. Call him Timmy and we want to take out our handkerchieves and wave them.”

This should really end the sentence. The rest of the verse starts a new sentence. Division of chapters and verses is not inspired.

“when” is the preposition en plus the locative, and it indicates the second advent — “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed.” This is not meeting Him in the air, this is coming from heaven to earth. The future active indicative of apokalupsis (ἀποκάλυψις) [pronounced ap-ok-AL-oop-sis] means to be manifested, to be announced, to be set forth, or to make an appearance — “When the Lord Jesus shall make an appearance from heaven.” This is operation footstool in view here — “with his mighty angels.” We have en plus the locative, meaning “In the sphere of” — “In the sphere of the Lord Jesus, making an appearance from heaven accompanied by his mighty angels.”

2Thessalonians 1:8 ...in a fire of flame, inflicting vengeance on those not knowing God and on those not obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus,...

Verse 8 — “In the sphere of flaming [burning] fire” — the same en plus the locative — “burning” is the genitive from phlóx (φλόξ) [pronounced flox] — “In the sphere of a fire of burning,” literally; “giving punishment.”

The word “taking” is a present active participle of didômi (δίδωμι) [pronounced dihd-OH-mee] which indicates the duration of the baptism of fire — constantly giving. The word “vengeance” is incorrect, it is ekdíkēsis (ἐκδίκησις) [pronounced ek-DIHK-ay-sis] which means “justice.”

Baptisms are divided into real baptisms and ritual baptisms. A real baptism is an actual identification. A ritual baptism is illustrative and related to water. Four real baptisms.

(These two doctrines were taken out of NB1 and are more detailed than what is given in this lecture)

“on them that know not” — oida (ὀίδα) [pronounced OY-da] plus the negative describes the unbeliever survivors of the Tribulation. They are said to “know not” and “obey not” the gospel. Why do they know not? The category oida (ὀίδα) [pronounced OY-da] plus the negative refers to those who are negative at the point of God-consciousness and as unbelievers entered reversionism. Then we have those who are negative at the point of gospel hearing and who became reversionists. Here is where we have our first areas of strong delusion.

“Obey not” is hupakouô (ὑπακούω) [pronounced hoop-ak-OO-oh] which means a rejection of what is heard. The present active indicative is iterative present, it does not describe everyone in the Tribulation, only those who are negative at God-consciousness, negative at gospel hearing; whereas we have another group who are simply negative at gospel hearing and never did get to hupakouô (ὑπακούω) [pronounced hoop-ak-OO-oh].

2Thessalonians 1:9 ...who will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,...

Verse 9 — “who shall be punished” — “who” is a qualitative relative pronoun, it refers to those who obey not the gospel or those who rejected at the point of God-consciousness. “Who shall be punished” is the future active indicative of the verb tínō (τίνω) [pronounced TEE-no] which means to incur punishment, to incur punishment as a result of correct justice. So it is translated, “Who shall be punished with justice.” This means punished with proper legal procedure. Notice also that the punishment is said to be eternal. The baptism of fire is the down payment on the lake of fire for the unbelievers of the Tribulation —

“everlasting destruction.” This is the noun ólethros (ὄλεθρος) [pronounced OAF-eth-ross] and it means not destruction so much as terrible agony. It means an agony so great that it perpetuates in the soul the most unusual type of pain. The unbeliever suffers not only in the burning sense but he suffers in his soul is a way that is indescribable. It means something that would destroy but can’t destroy. Once you are destroyed you no longer suffer but when you put eternal with it it means you are brought up to the point of the ultimate in agony and suffering, and yet do not depart unconscious. There is no loss of consciousness forever and ever and ever. That is divine justice on the unbeliever. Notice that tínō (τίνω) [pronounced TEE-no] indicates that this is a correct and right type of justice.

“from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power” indicates that this is where they missed the boat. “From” is apó (ἀπό) [pronounced aw-PO], ultimate source; “the presence” is prósôpon (πρόσωπον, ου, τό) [pronounced PROS-oh-pon] which is used for the face. We as believers are going to be face to face with the Lord, they are excluded from face to face with the Lord; and they are excluded from the glory of his power. The word “glory” refers to His essence and the word for “power” here refers to power as a faculty, as an endowment — ischus (ἰσχύς) [pronounced ihs-KHOOÇ], and it means His power and His ability to make believers happy forever and ever without once being bored, frustrated, disillusioned, being discouraged. You will never miss a beat; you will be tremendously happy; and the unbeliever is in constant agony, not even passing out from the pain. There is no relief from the pain.

Streets paved with gold will be in the Millennium; not in eternity.

1973 2Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #5

5 04/16/1973 2Thessalonians 1:10–12 Bride and believers during the Tribulation and Millennium

Everything cannot be explained away on the basis of environment. Psychology is an extension of satanic concepts. Bob had the perfect childhood.

No matter what dispensation you are in, if you have doctrine, you can enjoy your life.

2Thessalonians 1:10 ...when in that day He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at among all those having believed because our testimony to you was believed,...

Verse 10 — we have now arrived at the Millennium. When the Millennium comes we are going along for the ride. Why does God the Son bring us with Him at the second advent? Here is the answer.

“When” — hótan (ὅταν) [pronounced HOH-tan] means “on the occasion of.” It tells us all about ourselves as believers in the Church Age. It means we have lived for X amount of years as believers in the Church Age. The Church Age is the most intensive attack upon the individual believer of any period in human history, much worse than the Tribulation which is a greater attack upon groups. Remember that in the Tribulation the attacks shifts back to Israel, and the attack is going to be upon the unbelieving Jew, the saved Jew — 144,000 Jewish evangelists are obviously saved. The fantastic thrust of the Tribulation is going to be an attack upon Israel, but the intensity of the angelic conflict lies in the Church Age. The most difficult period in human history for the individual believer is the attack upon the universal priesthood in the Church Age. When God takes us all out at the Rapture that only leaves as the target of Satan Israel. The Church will be in heaven for seven years and then will be returned back to planet earth, and “on the occasion” of this is what we have at the beginning of this verse.

“he shall come” — aorist active subjunctive of érchomai (ἔρχομαι) [pronounced AIR-khoh-my]. Érchomai (ἔρχομαι) [pronounced AIR-khoh-my] takes the second advent and views it from the standpoint of Church Age believers who have only been in heaven for seven years in a resurrection body. The aorist tense is a constative aorist and gathers into one entirety everything that takes place around the second advent. The active voice: Christ does the returning. The subjunctive mood is used here for an indefinite temporal clause, which means this will not happen tomorrow. It will happen in the future, but the Church Age must run its course, the Rapture of the Church must occur, there are seven years allotted to the Age of Israel [the Tribulation], and then in that shortened seven years this event will occur.

“to be glorified” — this is an aorist passive infinitive of endoxázō (ἐνδοξάζω) [pronounced en-dox-AD-zo]. Doxazô (δοξάζω) [pronounced dox-AD-zo] is to glorify; endoxázō (ἐνδοξάζω) [pronounced en-dox-AD-zo] means to be invested with glory. In fact, it means to be invested with permanent glory. The permanent glory with which the Lord Jesus Christ is invested is the rulership of the world. This is a culminative aorist. The result of all his is that Jesus Christ is going to rule the world. He will rule forever. He will be crowned. He has already refused to rule the world when Satan offered it. What He refused from Satan He will accept from the hand of God the Father as a part of the Father’s plan, and that will be investment with permanent glory. That is the culminative aorist. The passive voice: Jesus Christ legitimately receives this glory. The infinitive denotes God’s purpose. God’s purpose is to take the only celebrity of the Church Age and give Him the ultimate, perfect glory.

It does not matter what dispensation you are in. If you have the capacity, then you can enjoy it.

“in his saints” is not quite correct, it is en plus the instrumental of hagios (ἅγιος) [pronounced HA-gee-oss] and it should be translated “by his saints.” “Saints” refer to the Church Age believer only, which is the bride of Christ. In other words, when Jesus Christ is crowned and invested with the permanent glory of rulership, the very moment He is, His bride is there too.

“and to be admired” — someone else is there beside the Church in resurrection body. We have the aorist passive infinitive of thaumázô (θαυμάζω) [pronounced thau-MAUd-zoh]. The word means to be regarded with admiration, to be revered, to be adored; “them that believe” are the Tribulational believers who have survived the Tribulation. Again, the aorist tense is culminative. The passive voice: Christ receives the admiration and the adoration. The infinitive indicates this is the Father’s purpose at the coronation of Jesus Christ;

“them that believe” is a dative plural aorist active participle of pisteúô (πιστεύω) [pronounced pis-TOO-oh]. It is a constative aorist, it starts right after the Rapture, to the second advent, the period of the Tribulation, and all the people who believe in Jesus Christ during Daniel’s seventieth week are involved in this constative aorist. In other words, at different times during the Tribulation people believe. The dative case is the dative of advantage, it is to the advantage of anyone who lives in the Tribulation to believe in Christ. The most advantage comes immediately: freedom from the baptism of fire. These people who are alive at the second advent will become the nucleus for the Millennial civilization. They enter the Millennium in their physical bodies, in contrast to the Church Age believers who enter the Millennium in resurrection bodies.

“(because our testimony among you was believed in that day)” — a parenthesis; “our testimony” is the communication of the gospel to people in the Church Age, specifically Paul communicating the gospel to the people of Thessalonica. But they merely form the pattern for all evangelism in the Church Age. This sets up the fact that in every dispensation there is always evangelism. “Our testimony” refers to Paul and his team of believers witnessing to the people of Thessalonica; “was believed among you” is where the parenthesis should end — the aorist passive indicative of pisteúô (πιστεύω) [pronounced pis-TOO-oh]. This is also a constative aorist to indicate that the Thessalonians believed over a relatively short period of time. They received faith. In other words, faith is something which came as a response to information. “Have faith” is a lot of malarkey. You must have information, and faith comes as a result of correct information. Faith is inherent to the human soul as a non-meritorious system of perception — you learn a lot of things by faith — but faith never acts in your soul without information. Therefore the importance of the passive voice here. All evangelism which is bona fide and correct has information, gospel information, related to it. Faith merely has information on which to function because faith in itself in non-meritorious. Faith must have an object, and the object means information. Faith never functions without an object; faith is a transitive verb. The parenthesis is closed here.

“in that day” — a reference to the Millennial reign of Christ. The parenthesis relates the Thessalonian believers to all of this. “In that day” is a completion of the basic sentence in verse 10 which reads:

2Thessalonians 1:10 On the occasion of his coming to receive glory by his saints, and to be adored in all of those having believed [in the Tribulation] in that day [the Millennium].

2Thessalonians 1:11 ...for which also we pray always for you, that He may count you worthy of the calling of our God, and He may fulfill every good pleasure of goodness and work of faith with power,...

Verse 11 — we have some functional orientation. Paul does some orienting, he is praying for the people with whom he has no face to face or visual contact. “Wherefore” isn’t wherefore at all, it is a prepositional phrase eis (εἰς) [pronounced ICE] and should be translated “To this end” or “For this purpose.”

“also we pray” — the present active indicative of proseúchomai (προσεύχομαι) [pronounced pros-YOU-khoh-mai]. The present tense is an iterative present. Paul doesn’t pray all the time but he does pray on special occasions for the Thessalonians. The active voice: Paul is doing the praying and so are the members of Paul’s team. The indicative mood is the reality of this prayer.

“that” introduces a purpose clause; “for you” is not quite correct. The preposition peri means “concerning you.” Paul is praying concerning these people.

“our God” — the pronoun here is not only possessive but mutual: “that our mutual God”; “would count you worthy of this calling.” “Would count worthy” is the aorist active subjunctive of axioô (ἀξιόω) [pronounced ax-ee-OH-oh] and it means “esteem.” It means to esteem you having the capacity.

“Of the calling” is the genitive of description singular of the noun klêsis (κλσις) [pronounced KLAY-sis] for God’s plan. It is a plan designed for each one of us in eternity past. In other words, this passive says God has a plan for us; whether we have the capacity to appreciate it or not brings us right back to Bible doctrine. The fact that the Thessalonians were all fouled up is the fact that they had their doctrine mixed up.

“and fulfill” is an aorist active subjunctive from plêroô (πληρόω) [pronounced play-ROH-oh] and it means here to fill up a deficiency. What is our deficiency where God’s plan is concerned? Lack of doctrine which leads us to supergrace. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist, it is God’s objective for us to enjoy His plan by having GAP-ed it all the way to supergrace. The active voice means every believer priest has to GAP it for himself. The subjunctive mood means this is potential. The principle is that God wants us to enjoy in our soul what He has provided. Our deficiency is lack of doctrine in the soul, failure to appreciate what God has given with no strings.

“his good pleasure” — the accusative singular of eudokia (εὐδοκία) [pronounced you-dohk-EE-ah] means his purpose, which is his pleasure, but the word means first of all purpose, intent. It is His purpose that we reach supergrace and it does give Him pleasure when we do because He then starts pouring the blessings.

“goodness” is not goodness. It is agathōsunē (ἀγαθωσύνη) [pronounced ag-ath-o-SOO-nay] which means giving with no strings. That is grace.

“and the work of faith with power” — the word “faith” doesn’t always mean faith. Pistis (πίστις) [pronounced PIHS-tihs] means “faith” but it generally means what is believed and it refers to doctrine. Here it is a descriptive genitive singular of pistis (πίστις) [pronounced PIHS-tihs] — “the production of doctrine by power,” literally. This is the supergrace life.

2Thessalonians 1:12 ...so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 12 — the purpose of phase two. “That” — purpose clause” — “the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “name” means the celebrityship, the uniqueness. “That the uniqueness of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified” — aorist passive subjunctive of endoxázō (ἐνδοξάζω) [pronounced en-dox-AD-zo], and it means to be invested with glory. This is an ingressive aorist. The last time we had this word was the Millennium, when He is coming back, but this means there is no question about how Jesus Christ is going to be glorified, invested with glory at the second advent, but with doctrine in the believer’s soul He is crowned right now. The passive voice: Jesus Christ receives this from any believer who reaches supergrace, because supergrace is the status of the celebrityship of Jesus Christ. The subjunctive mood is the potentiality; it all depends on whether you receive supergrace or not.

“in you” — a reference to the means of glorifying Jesus Christ. “In you” means in your soul, you must have a cup. You invest Jesus Christ with the glory that belongs to Him, the glory that the Father gave Him by seating Him at the right hand, when you have a cup in your soul and He can start pouring.

“ye in him” — this takes us back to positional truth where God made it possible for this to have a start: salvation.

“according to” is the preposition kata which refers to a norm or a standard; “according to the norm or standard of the grace of our God [God the Father] and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1973 2Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #6

6 04/23/1973 2Thessalonians 2 Doctrine of the Church will not go through the Tribulation; Rapture cf. Second Advent

We have studied how doctrine was received in the Old Testament and in the New. We saw how Moses’ authority was rejected, even though he was listened to. Moses taught as no one had taught the Word. There were also teaching angels and the priesthood. A specialized priesthood in the Old Testament. It was all available throughout. Sometimes, only a few would respond. God would bless undeserving but supergrace believers.

We have a moment-by-moment Sabbath, the rest of Bible doctrine leading to the supergrace life. Every believer priest is the recipient of grace provision from eternity past. But God has assigned supergrace provision. There is surpassing grace for eternity.

God is glorified by being the host and pouring the supergrace blessings.

We have come to the end of the Church Age. Christ is the firstfruits. The bride is completed and resurrection is the order of the day. The bride is raptured.

144,000 Jews will communicate doctrine at the beginning of the Tribulation.

These Thessalonian believers had become confused about the rapture and the baptism of fire; and they have assumed that they are in the midst of the Tribulation. They have teen taught eschatology, but they were confused. We will see the difference between the resurrection and the rapture of the church.

Strong delusion can only come through negative volition towards doctrine.

We need to first study the difference between the rapture of the church and the second advent of Jesus Christ.

Napoleon was very stabilized until he divorced Josephine. Napoleon’s ego had to be kept intact. Josephine had an affair with someone in the army, and Napoleon divorced her and married and 18 year old chit. His ego failed when he was being defeated in Spain. He could not get over what happened in 1812. He was brilliant at Waterloo, but he was depressed on the day of Waterloo. He let another man handle things, who was brave and stupid. The truly great people who have a lasting effect on the nation.

Cæsar had an affair with Cleopatra, but he was able to function apart from that.

There has been a problem with some who believe that the church will go through the Tribulation. People who had adversity with their emotional revolt. Most of them have not studied history. They know nothing of intense suffering of man. Ghengis Khan the whole civilization of inner Asia wiped out.

The doctrine above is found in NB2, but it does not match up very well.

1973 2Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #7

7 04/30/1973 2Thessalonians 2:1–2 Doctrine vs. experience and false doctrine

Chapter 2

Deception is the business of Satan. Since Satan has become the ruler of this world he has discovered that his genius is only good for deception. Satan has two basic systems of deception. One is religion and the other is revolution. Religion is designed to neutralise doctrine in the angelic conflict; revolution is designed to neutralise the laws of divine establishment in the angelic conflict. In the first part of this chapter it is Bible doctrine which is under attack.

Slavery was not even remotely an issue during the Civil War. A Satanic government will collapse until God has a reason for keeping it going.

There were a lot of religious people in the ancient world and some of them got to the Thessalonians. False prophets are always in the midst and for that reason there is a great deal of eschatology in the Bible. Technically we do not need all of the eschatology that we have in order to glorify God, but we do need it from the standpoint of understanding His plan only as it relates to us in the future. And what relates to us in the future relates to us now because Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. The Thessalonians were under a special attack in this field. The attack is still going on today. There are claims that the Church goes through the Tribulation, there are several claims that the Rapture will take place in the middle of the Tribulation and that the Rapture occurs at the end of the Tribulation. These are false doctrines and are an attack upon the whole concept of dispensations.

The Man of Lawlessness

2Thessalonians 2:1 Now we implore you, brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him,...

Verse 1 — “Now we beseech.” In view of the fact that the object is to glorify God, in view of the fact that Jesus Christ is glorified by supergrace living, he says “We beseech.” It is the present active indicative of the verb erôtaô (ἐρωτάω) [pronounced air-o-TAW-oh]. The word “beseech” would be parakaleô (παρακαλέω) [pronounced pahr-ahk-ahl-EH-oh] but it is not found here. erôtaô (ἐρωτάω) [pronounced air-o-TAW-oh], which means to request, to ask. However this is a dramatic present and it means therefore an urgent request. In the Attic Greek this verb was used for interrogation. In the Koine Greek in the dramatic present it is an urgent request.

Why does Paul make an urgent request instead of giving a command? Because everyone must decide for himself in the priesthood what he is going to do about doctrine after salvation. In salvation the issue is “what think ye of Christ”? After salvation the issue is “what think ye of doctrine”? In order that this issue might be thoroughly understood Psalm 138:2 says, He has magnified His Word above His name. Christ does not become an issue again until one reaches supergrace or is very close to it with the fourth floor of the ECS where the believer has capacity to love , category #1. At the same time from the launching pad comes love for Jesus Christ. Then when the person reaches supergrace or very close to it he is occupied with the person of Jesus Christ. He fulfills 1John 4:19 — “we love him because he first loved us.” In that area God begins to pour. And as God the Father can pour, because the cup is there is supergrace, Jesus Christ is glorified. He is glorified before the whole realm of demons. With this in mind Christ is never an issue until supergrace is reached. There is no such thing as love at first sight, love must have capacity. The capacity comes with spiritual maturity, the point at which the priesthood functions. There is a hindrance to reaching supergrace and this is the problem with the Thessalonian believers. They are anticipating going through the Tribulation.

The active voice: the apostle says “we” but he is speaking for himself and the right pastor of the Thessalonian church at that time. In other words, he takes the position of the pastor as an apostle. The indicative mood is the reality of being hung-up and therefore not moving forward to supergrace.

Whenever someone is under great pressure, and they know about the Tribulation; and they build doctrine upon experience, then they assume that they are in the Tribulation or getting close to the Tribulation.

Suffering intensified boredom, loneliness, frustration, and other reactor factors. Doctrine, rather than life experiences, has to become the norm by which we judge everything else. That will remove us from a period of strong delusion.

“by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” — we have the preposition hupér (ὑπέρ) [pronounced hoop-AIR] which should be translated “under the coming.” Hupér (ὑπέρ) [pronounced hoop-AIR] is a preposition of authority, it means to be under the authority of. These people need to be under the authority of the true doctrine of the Rapture and of the second advent. They need to be under the doctrine; “the coming” is parousía (παρουσία) [pronounced par-oo-SEE-ah], used for both the second advent and the Rapture; here it is used for the Rapture. We know because of “and our gathering together to him.” That is the Rapture. It is the genitive of description of episunagôgê (ἐπισυναγωγή) [pronounced ep-ee-soon-ag-oh-GAY] — epí (ἐπί) [pronounced eh-PEE] means upon, with escort; it means an escort or a guard of honour. We are not only the bride of Christ at the point of the Rapture but we are the guard of honour. We escort Him, as it were.

“unto him” is the preposition epí (ἐπί) [pronounced eh-PEE] plus the accusative and it means “upon him” or “around him.”

2Thessalonians 2:2 ...for you not quickly to be shaken in mind, nor to be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as if by us, as that day of the Lord is present.

Verse 2 — “That” introduces a purpose clause. The purpose clause is not introduced in the usual manner by a conjunction, this is a prepositional phrase, eis (εἰς) [pronounced ICE] plus the infinitive, an aorist passive infinitive of saleuô (σαλεύω) [pronounced sal-YOO-oh], and it is the object of the preposition eis (εἰς) [pronounced ICE]. We have an ingressive aorist. The passive voice means to receive instability. The word saleuô (σαλεύω) [pronounced sal-YOO-oh], means to be disturbed, and therefore in the disturbed state to be agitated. It can means, as translated, to be shaken. But they received the disturbance under conditions where they were looking for disturbance — the reactors: discouragement, boredom, disillusion, self-pity and loneliness, frustration, jealousy and bitterness. When you are hypersensitive to false doctrine is when experience has become the criterion.

“that ye be not shaken” — the word “soon” is also a part of this phrase, it is the adverb tachéōs (ταχέως) [pronounced tahkh-EH-oce] which means quickly.

“in mind” — we have a prepositional phrase, apó (ἀπό) [pronounced aw-PO] meaning “from the source of,” plus the ablative of noús (νούς) [pronounced noose]. Noús (νούς) [pronounced noose] is the left lobe. When you have emotional revolt, the frantic search for happiness which is the reaction (which always triggers the emotional revolt), you actually have a reversal of GAP. The misuse of this information brings it over to the noús (νούς) [pronounced noose]. The noús (νούς) [pronounced noose] is the source of objective information but the noús (νούς) [pronounced noose] is also the waste basket for what you do not use. If it stays in the right lobe it has to be your criterion. Really this is the mechanics as to why when the vacuum opens up it sucks false concepts into the right lobe where the doctrine is no longer. This is why in Hebrews chapter six you have to relearn doctrine because it is no longer there.

“or be troubled” — being troubled means that once you are out from under doctrine in your right lobe as a priest you are not troubled, this means to scream. It is the present passive infinitive of throéō (θροέω) [pronounced thro-EH-oh]. It has with it a noun, qrooj, which means to be so nervous that you could scream. Throéō (θροέω) [pronounced thro-EH-oh] means to be nervous and scream. In other words, to blow your cork. Once you have had doctrine and you turn your back on doctrine, and you make your experience or what is happening to you your criterion, it is like nervousness that is built up in people because they go without something they enjoy, something that is pleasant to them. Nervousness is built up for a lot of reasons. When doctrine isn’t your life you are nervous and irritable. That is what has happened to these people.

There are three sources by which they could be attacked: “by spirit” — dia plus the genitive of pneuma (πνεμα) [pronounced PNYOO-mah]. Pneuma (πνεμα) [pronounced PNYOO-mah] here refers to demons. This, of course, is the last stage; “through a spirit,” literally, refers to the demons teaching you. The demons teach you when you drink of the cup of demons. You can’t drink of the cup of the Lord [supergrace] and the cup of demons at the same time. Supergrace precludes demon influence. But when the vacuum opens up and attacks the right lobe you have demon teaching. This is the last state being worse than the first. The first is a frantic search for happiness, the last stage is to be under demon influence, to drink of the cup of demons. No one drinks of the cup of demons without eventually dying the sin unto death. Whichever way you go with this is your attitude toward doctrine.

There is another way in which all of this can be accomplished: through verbal teaching — “nor by word.” This is what happens in the early stages when you are on that cycle of frantic search for happiness, emotional revolt, intensification of reactors. Dia plus the genitive of logos (λόγος, ου, ὁ) [pronounced LOHG-oss] refers here to oral teaching of false doctrine. Logos (λόγος, ου, ὁ) [pronounced LOHG-oss] can be true of false doctrine, depending upon the context. Here it is the teaching of false doctrine. In this case we have false teachers communicating, it is a case of right believer priest, wrong pastor.

The third way is “nor by letter” — dia plus epistolê (ἐπιστολή) [pronounced ep-is-tol-AY], and that today would mean setting up a false criterion in writing. Today the epistles are all in the canon. Once the canonicity issue is settled it just simply means to read books that have false teaching and accept it.

“as from us” — dia plus the genitive plural of egô—hêmn (ἡμόν) [pronounced hay-MOHN], and it should be “through us,” which indicates they claimed that Paul had written this.

“as that the day of Christ is at hand” — the great tragedy here is the phrase “day of Christ.” “Day of Christ” is the Rapture, but we have here hê hmera tou kouriou — “the day of the Lord.” The day of the Lord is the second advent. It is translated here in the KJV “the day of Christ” but there is no Christos (χριστός) [pronounced krees-TOHSS] here. This forged epistle claimed that the second advent, the day of the Lord, is at hand.

“is at hand” — the perfect active indicative of (ἐνίστημι) [pronounced en-is’-tay-mee]. The intensive perfect means that it is drawing to a close with the result that it is almost here. In other words, you are in the Tribulation is what this says. This false epistle said that they day of the Lord is almost here; the perfect tense means just about here. In other words it says they are in the closing part of the Tribulation. But maximum suffering does not mean that the Tribulation has occurred.

1973 2Thessalonians                                                                                    Lesson #8

8 05/07/1973 2Thessalonians 2:3 GAP reversed by emotional revolt of the soul; demon possession cf. demon influence; 7 titles for the man of sin

2Thessalonians 2:3 No one should deceive you in any way, because it is not until the apostasy shall have come first, and the man of lawlessness shall have been revealed—the son of destruction,...

Verse 3 — “Let no man deceive you” is the aorist active subjunctive of the verb exapatáō (ἐξαπατάω) [pronounced ex-ap-at-AH-oh]. Apatáō (ἀπατάω) [pronounced ap-at-AH-oh] means to deceive; with an ex in front of it it means to deceive someone with something so that they are completely led astray. We can translate it “deceive thoroughly.” The believers in Thessalonica are thoroughly deceived and led astray with false doctrine, specifically the mid-Tribulational or post-Tribulational Rapture. The principle applies to any false doctrine. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist, that is a series of things have occurred with the result that we have at the culminative point a complete and thorough deception. The believers are completely confused.

What is strong delusion? The average fundamentalist will say it is something an unbeliever has from rejecting the gospel so many times, but strong delusion is synonymous with exapatáō (ἐξαπατάω) [pronounced ex-ap-at-AH-oh] which means to be thoroughly deceived.

We begin with reactors like loneliness, frustration, jealousy, bitterness, being jilted or phased out. These potentially lead the believer into a frantic search for happiness. This always triggers emotional revolt. This causes the intensification of whatever reactor factors threw you off track to begin with. The reactor factors are intensified. This is how believers go off the deep end and get into the tongues movements.

Emotional revolt shuts down all of the valves.

Bob and a professor who continually degraded Christianity. He developed a great bitterness against how he was disenchanted by his denomination. But he was able to recall points of doctrine, which remained in his left lobe. He could not apply Bible doctrine, but he knew some doctrine.

There are people who believe in Jesus Christ, but take a wrong turn, suffer strong delusion, and advocate Satanic programs and ideas. He drinks from the cup of demons rather than from the Bible doctrine of the Word.

Here in effect is a command, but a command that cannot be obeyed apart from many, many acts of GAPing it. Therefore the imperative mood is not used, the subjunctive mood is used. The subjunctive mood often carries the strength of the imperative mood, especially with the negative. So we have the aorist active subjunctive and this is called the prohibitive subjunctive. The subjunctive plus the negative has exactly the same strength as an imperative. The prohibitive subjunctive is different from the imperative in that it recognizes many free will acts of positive volition are going to be necessary to avoid this deception.

Then the active voice: the believer himself must be free from deception. There is only one way that you can be free from deception: “Ye shall know the truth [doctrine] and doctrine shall make you free.” “Stand fast, therefore, in the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage.” The yoke of bondage is false doctrine, demon influence, Satanic doctrine entering the right lobe of the believer. So we have the concept of deception and the only way to avoid it is to have doctrine in your own soul. So “Let no man deceive you” really means to be deceived with something to the point of being led astray, and in this case it is reversionistic revolution, revolt against God.