Pauls Epistles to the Thessalonians Lesson 11 What

Paul’s Epistles to the Thessalonians Lesson 11: What Everyone Needs to Know About the Second Coming 2 Thessalonians 1: 1 -4 September 5, 2010

I. Introduction to Lesson 11 A. Is 2 Thessalonians a “Re-run”? B. What we already know from Acts 17 and 1 Thessalonians 1. The birth of the church 2. Paul’s sudden (forced) departure 3. Thessalonians’ reception of the gospel 4. Apostles’ conduct; their identification with their Judean brethren (chapter 2). 5. Paul’s inability to return, sent Timothy 6. Sanctification 7. Second coming and dead saints (raised) 8. Second coming and living saints (watchful) 9. Final instructions, benediction, closing

C. So what’s new in 2 Thessalonians? Why the need for a second epistle? 1. Persecution – it may have intensified, or at lest raised questions, doubts (2 Thes. 1). 2. Paul’s teaching on the Second Coming was being twisted (2 Thes. 2). 3. Paul’s teaching on idleness must have been ignored (2 Thes. 3) D. The structure of our text – 3 sections: 1. Vss. 1 -4 Greeting, thanksgiving, praise 2. Vss 5 -10 Encouragement for sufferers, based upon the Second Coming. 3. Vss. 11 -12 Paul’s prayer for Thessalonians E. My (changed) approach in this message

II. Greeting, thanksgiving, boasting (1: 1 -4) A. Note three changes from 1 Thes. greeting 1. Paul prayed for growth in 1 Thes. (3: 12; 4: 10); he praises God for growth here. 2. 1 Thes. : Praised God; 2 Thes. emphasizes the necessity (“ought”) & appropriateness (“rightly so”) of praise. 3. In 1 Thes. , no need for boasting (1: 8 -10); here, Paul does boast to churches (vs. 4). B. So what how should Paul’s words affect us? 1. Ecclesiology (how we do church) 2. Eschatology (the Second Coming) 3. Persecution 4. Prayer