Prepare For Christ’s Return - 2 Thessalonians

 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (ESV)

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

The letters Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica were probably the first of his writings.  They were probably written around the 50s AD.   This would have been, probably, less than 20 years after Christ’s death.   Probably a main difference between the early church and today’s church is the mindset of Christ’s return.   When Christ said He would return the early church was much more understanding the the word “imminent” much different that we comprehend it.   Christ’s return is imminent.   That is taught throughout Scripture.  One commentator states that one out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament tells something about either Christ’s return or His establishing His kingdom on earth.   It was a MAIN theme of discussion that Jesus had with His disciples.   

In the above passage Paul is writing to tell the church that the rumors or false teaching they heard about Christ ALREADY coming, was false.   Paul goes on to warn them about what it will look like before Jesus comes.  Chapter 3 of 2 Timothy does the same things.   In the letter to Pastor Timothy Paul stresses the condition of the world around us. In this letter to Thessalonica he stressed the leadership of the sedition against God.   

The point we should take from this is that the church should be understanding, believing and acting with the expectation of Christ’s return.   In this letter Paul is trying to tell them Christ has not already come, but that they should also be actively working for Christ to love the brothers and expand the kingdom, until He does come.   Even though there was a false teaching going around that Christ had already come, there was also a false belief that since He was coming any time they (believers) did not have to do anything but sit around and wait (chapter 3 of this letter).   The fact is, Christ is coming again.  We are to be diligent until He does return and we should watch for and be aware of activities in society that will lead up to that moment.   We are to anticipate Him coming at anytime and be actively preparing the Church for that moment all the time.