Q: In 2 Thess 1:3 and 1 Thess 1:2, how could Paul always thank God for them?
A: Paul almost every day thanked God for them in prayer. We should do the same for fellow Christians.
Q: In 2 Thess 1:4 (KJV), should we glory in others?
A: The Greek word translated "glory" in the King James can also mean boast, or rejoice in. Yes, we should share in the joys of others. A person might feel happy when the children, parents, or other blood relatives do well. Similarly, we should feel happy if our brothers and sisters, related to us by Christ’s blood, do well.
Q: In 2 Thess 1:5 and 1 Thess 2:12, since we are saved by grace through faith, how are we counted worthy of God’s kingdom?
A: We are counted worthy in our goal, position, and striving.
Experiential: 1 Thessalonians 2:12 says that our goal is to walk worthy, just as we are to aim for perfection in 2 Corinthians 13:9,11.
Positional: 2 Thessalonians 1:5 explicitly states that their expressions of faith are evidence (tokens in KJV) of God’s righteous judgment counting them worthy. It is God’s declaration that counts them worthy, and their expressed faith is the evidence, not the cause. See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament and More Hard Sayings of the New Testament p.112-114 for more info.
Striving: Christian life on earth involves striving towards the goal of making our experience in God, match our position in God.
Q: In 2 Thess 1:6,8, does God pay back people with trouble and take vengeance on people?
A: Yes. Sometimes God disciplines people in this life. He also punishes in the next life. Some may appear to get off easy in this life (Habakkuk 1; Psalm 73; 37:1; Job 21:7), God’s punishment is fair, for He is an impartial judge, as 1 Peter 1:17 says.
Q: In 2 Thess 1:9, will the ungodly be suffer forever, or will they be destroyed?
A: Both.
1. Hell is eternal punishment in Matthew 25:41,46. Satan and others will be tormented forever in Revelation 20:10.
2. It is perishing in Luke 13:3; John 3:15, 16, 10:28 and others. It is everlasting destruction in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, and unbelievers will be destroyed in 1 Corinthians 6:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 11:18; and other verses.
3. No verse in the Bible says people are annihilated.
How can both 1 and 2 be true? See When Critics Ask p.493-494, When Cultists Ask p.297, and the next question.
Q: In 2 Thess 1:9, how can the ungodly both suffer forever and be destroyed?
A: First, see the answer to the previous question. It could be in two possible ways, or it could be both.
1. Ruins: Since many earthly things can be destroyed and still exist. These provide crude examples of how people can be destroyed and still exist forever. Cars can be destroyed and then sent to the junkyard. A house can be destroyed by fire, and then the charred remains bulldozed and hauled away. Finally, the ungodly still exist, even after their bodies are destroyed.
2. Asymptotes: Something can be in the process of being made non-existent, and yet the thing can still be eternal because the process takes forever. For example, say that every year the size of a thing decreases by one-half. How many years will there be until the size is exactly zero? The answer is an infinite number of years. I have not seen anything in the Bible that either supports or contradicts this speculation about asymptotes.
Some who teach what is essentially the asymptote view present it as an alternative to the traditional view (ruins). However, these views complement each other, and showing the reasonableness of the asymptote view does nothing to detract from the traditional view.
Q: In 2 Thess 2:2, were others writing fraudulent letters in the name of Paul? How do we know that Paul’s letters in our Bible are genuine?
A: We trust the letters are genuine for two main reasons.
1. God promised to preserve His word in Isaiah 55:10-11; 59:21; 1 Peter 1:24-25; Matthew 24:35.
2. Confirmation by the early church writers, including Polycarp, who was a disciple of the apostle John.
Q: In 2 Thess 2:3, who is the man of lawlessness?
A: Most see this as the Antichrist. However, Hard Sayings of the Bible p.661-663 says it is unclear; it could have referred to someone at that time, such as the Emperor Caligula, who set up a statue for the worship of himself as a god.
Q: In 2 Thess 2:3, does this prove that true Christianity was lost from the earth?
A: No, for two reasons. It does not say that all were deceived, and the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, has not appeared yet.
Q: In 2 Thess 2:7, who is holding back the secret power of lawlessness?
A: 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 gives us four clues.
1. He was currently holding back the power of lawlessness, and will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way.
2. Eventually he will be taken out of the way.
3. At that time, the lawless one will appear.
4. Then Jesus will come and overthrow him.
This is likely an angel that is preventing the Antichrist from coming.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.663-664 for a different answer.
Q: In 2 Thess 2:11-12 and 1 Kings 22:4-24, why does the God of truth send delusions to people?
A: There is an important lesson to learn here.
1. God does not and cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18; Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29; Titus 1:2).
2. For those who have already refused to believe the truth, God permits them believe what they want.
3. God did not lie to them, but does permit lying spirits to send strong delusions in order that they would believe their chosen lies.
4. Just as seriously, Romans 1:18-32 shows that those who choose to exchange God’s truth for sin are given over to become more depraved.
5. Even in the midst of delusions, God still sees there is a way they know they have chosen to believe delusions. For example, Ahab was told he was being told a lie in 1 Kings 22:14-24.
See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.410 and When Critics Ask p.495 for more info.
Q: In 2 Thess 2:15, should we hold to the traditions we have been taught? Didn’t the Pharisees do that?
A: Paul is speaking of what they saw the apostles do. He is not speaking of simple traditions of men, which Paul spoke against in Colossians 2:8.
Q: In 2 Thess 3:3, does God keep Christians from evil?
A: -Many times, yes. However, neither 2 Thessalonians 3:3 nor any other verse says God insulates us from every misfortune and temptation. (Just ask Job.) Instead, 1 Peter 1:5-6 says that we will have trials, but that God will shield us. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 says that we will be tempted, but not beyond what we can bear.
Q: In 2 Thess 3:12 and Prov 30:24-25, should we save money for the future, or not take thought for the future as Mt 6:31,34 and Php 4:6 suggest?
A: Christians are to have balance, and there is a balance here. As both Proverbs shows in mentioning the exemplary behavior of the ant that stores food for winter, we are to plan and save for the future. However, as Proverbs 31:21 shows, the noble wife has no fear for her family when it snows, because she has been working diligently to clothe them. Thus we should prepare for the future without being anxious or worrying about it. See Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.237-238 for more info.
Q: In 1 Thess and 2 Thess, what evidence do we have that these books should be in the Bible?
A: There are at least three reasons.
1. Paul wrote it, and he was an apostle. Peter attested that Paul’s words were scripture in 2 Peter 3:15-16.
2. Paul himself said he was apostle in 1 Timothy 1:1; 2:7, Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 9:1, 2 Corinthians 1:1, 11:5; Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:1.
3. Evidence of the early church. See the next question for a few of the writers who referred to verses in 2 Thessalonians.
Q: In 2 Thess, how do we know that what we have today is a reliable preservation of what was originally written?
A: There are at least three good reasons.
1. God promised to preserve His word in Isaiah 55:10-11; 59:21; 1 Peter 1:24-25; Matthew 24:35.
2. Evidence of the early church. Here are a few of the writers who referred to verses in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians chapter 11 110-155 A.D.
Irenaeus 170-202 A.D. says written by the Apostle
Shepherd of Hermas 115-140A.D.
Justin Martyr wrote 138-165 A.D.
The Muratorian Canon (c.170 A.D.) mentions 2 Thessalonians
Clement of Alexandria wrote 193-217/220 A.D.
Tertullian fl. [flourished] 200-240 A.D.
Hippolytus 222-236 A.D.
Chrysostom 396 A.D. wrote down five sermons on 2 Thessalonians, which we still have today. He said it was written by Paul in Homily 3.
others
3. Earliest manuscripts we have of 2 Thessalonians show there are small manuscript variations, but zero theologically significant errors.
p30 1 Thess 4:12-13,16-17; 5:3,8-10,12-18,25-28; 2 Thess 1:1-2; 2:1,9-11 (early 3rd century)
p92 Eph 1:11-13,19-21; 2 Thess 1:4-5,11-12 (c. 300 A.D.) The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts has a photograph of part of p92 on p.614.
Vaticanus 325-350 A.D.
Sinaiticus 340-350 A.D.
Bohairic Coptic 3rd/4th century
Sahidic Coptic 3rd/4rth century
Gothic 493-555 A.D.
Q: In 2 Thess, what are the manuscript variations with the Textus Receptus, the basis for the KJV?
A: Jay P. Green, Sr. in the Interlinear Bible records variations in 6 words between the Textus Receptus and the majority text. These are in 5 places (2 Thessalonians 1:8,10,12; 2:4; 3:6). He does not record any additional alternates.
Q: In 2 Thess, what are the manuscript variations?
A: The book of 2 Thessalonians has a total of about 826 Greek words and a word-for-word accuracy of 98.5%, with only 12 words in question. These are in 8 verses (9 places), out of 47 total verses. Below are the variations with the primary choice and the top alternate choice. Aland, from which this primarily is based, also gives a judgment of the degree of certainty for each variation.
2 Thess 1:2 "our Father and Lord" vs. "Father and our Lord" vs. "the Father and Lord" (2 words)
2 Thess 2:3 "of wickedness" vs. "of sin"
2 Thess 2:4 "in the Temple of God to sit" vs. "in the Temple of God as God to sit"
2 Thess 2:8 "the Lord Jesus" vs. "the Lord"
2 Thess 2:8 "will consume" vs. "will destroy"
2 Thess 2:13 "first" vs. "from the beginning"
2 Thess 3:6 "they received" vs. "you received"
2 Thess 3:16 "way" vs. "place/location"
2 Thess 3:18 add "amen" at the end
Bibliography for this question: The Greek New Testament Third Edition by Kurt Aland et al., The Greek New Testament Fourth Edition by Kurt Aland et al., Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by George Ricker Berry, the Interlinear Bible by Jay P. Green, The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 8, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament 2nd edition by Bruce M. Metzger, The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts edited by Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett, The Expositor's Greek Testament edited by W. Robertson Nicoll, and footnotes in the NASB, NIV, NKJV, and NRSV Bible translations. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible : An Introduction to Paleography by Bruce M. Metzger also has interesting information on the characteristics and quality of the copying of each manuscript.
