Letters of Paul to the Early Church - Robert H. Mounce

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it will be like because you already know that the Day of the Lord will come without warning, like a thief in the night. When everyone is convinced that all is safe and secure, then destruction will come as suddenly as the labor pains of a pregnant woman. There will be no way to escape.

      But since you are not in the dark about that fateful day, it won’t take you by surprise. You are all children of the light, children of the day. You don’t belong to the night or to its darkness. So let’s stay awake and be alert, not fall asleep like others. Night is for sleeping. Those who get drunk drink at night. But since we belong to the day let us stay sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the certainty of salvation as a helmet. It isn’t God’s plan for us to experience his wrath but to be saved from it through Jesus Christ our Lord, the one who died for us so that whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we know for sure that we’ll live with him forever. So keep on encouraging one another and building one another up, just as you’re already doing.

      We urge you, dear friends, to respect those in your assembly who provide leadership, who work so tirelessly in directing the affairs of the church and provide instruction in the faith. Give them your love and respect for all the work they do. And live peacefully with one another. We urge you to warn those who step out of line. Encourage the downhearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Instead, try to do what is best for the other person and for everyone.

      Do everything with a happy heart. Talk to God all the time. Be thankful no matter what happens, for this is what God has planned for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

      Be careful not to put out the fire of the Spirit. Don’t scoff at prophetic speech, but test everything that is said and hold on to that which is helpful. Stay clear of all evil no matter what form it takes.

      And now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your entire being—who you are: spirit, soul, and body—be kept free from all blame until that day when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will make all of this happen because he is absolutely trustworthy.

      Pray for us, dear friends. Greet Christian friends with genuine affection. By the authority of the Lord I charge you to read this letter to the entire congregation.

      And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

      Paul’s Second Letter to the Church in Thessalonica

      This is Paul, along with Silas and Timothy, writing to you believers who live in Thessalonica. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you with a fresh experience of grace and peace

      We are so thankful to God for you dear friends, and rightly so, because your life of faith in Christ is flourishing and your love for one another continues to grow. When we are speaking in other churches we boast about how patiently and with what faithfulness you are meeting all the persecutions and trials that come your way. Your willingness to endure hardship is truly remarkable and shows that you are worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are now suffering.

      Since God is just, you may be sure that he will repay with hardship those who are making it so hard for you. And on the day when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, he will bring relief for those being persecuted, and for us as well. He will appear in flames of fire to punish those who have rejected God and refused to accept the Good News about our Lord Jesus. Their punishment will be eternal destruction, a separation from the presence of the Lord and his glorious power that continues forever. But on that same day he will receive glory and honor from all who believe in him. And this includes you because you accepted what we told you about him.

      That is why we keep asking God to help you live in a way that is worthy of his calling. May he grant you the power to carry out every good thing your faith encourages you to do. To live this way will bring honor to our Lord Jesus and you will share that honor because of the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

      Chapter 2

      And now dear friends, we need to clear up any confusion there might be regarding the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and our part in that climactic event. It is important that you don’t get upset or alarmed when you hear someone say, or read in a letter supposedly from us, that the Day of the Lord is already here. Don’t let anyone deceive you about that. That day will not come until the final rebellion takes place and the Man of Wickedness has appeared, the evil one who is destined for hell. He will oppose every so-called god and exalt himself over everything that can be worshipped. He will break into the temple of God, take his seat on the throne and claim that he himself is God!

      Certainly you remember that when I was with you I told you about this great and terrible event? You know what is now restraining this monster so he won’t be revealed before his appointed time. The spirit of opposition to God has always been at work behind the scenes and will remain that way until the one who is holding it back is removed. Then the Lord will destroy the Man of Wickedness by the breath of his mouth. He will eliminate him by the splendor of his coming. When this Wicked One comes, Satan will give him the power to perform all sorts of phony miracles, signs, and wonders. He will use every kind of wicked deceit to mislead those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to love the truth that would have saved them. Therefore God will send them a delusion so powerful that they will believe the lies they are being told. Condemnation will fall on those who refuse to believe the truth and chose the pleasures of wickedness.

      We can’t help but thank God for you, dear friends. You are loved by the Lord and were among the first to experience salvation by the purifying work of the Spirit and your willingness to believe the truth. It was through the message we preach that God called you to a salvation in which you share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

      So my friends, stand firm and keep a good grip on the basic Christian doctrines we passed on to you, whether in person or by letter.

      Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loves us and by his grace provides constant encouragement and hope for the future, encourage your hearts and strengthen you to always do and say what is good.

      Chapter 3

      Finally, dear friends, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread quickly throughout the land and be received with honor just as it was with you. Pray that God will protect us from wicked men devoid of conscience, for not every one has faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen those who belong to him and keep us safe from the evil one. We are confident in the Lord that you are living as we directed and aren’t about to change. May the Lord guide you into a deeper experience of God’s love and the steadfastness of Christ on your behalf.

      Dear friends, we charge you in the name of Jesus to stay away from any so-called believer who is not carrying his share of the load and isn’t following the instructions we left with you. You know you should live the same kind of disciplined life that you watched us live when we were there. We didn’t accept food from any one without paying for it, but worked as hard as possible night and day so we wouldn’t be a burden on any one. Of course, as apostles we had the right to make demands of you, but we wanted to give you an example of how to live. Remember what we used to say: “Whoever refuses to work, has no right to eat!”

      We hear that some among you are living disorderly lives. They would rather meddle in the affairs of others than go to work. By the authority of Jesus Christ we now command people like that to settle down and work for the food they eat. As for the rest of you, never lose your enthusiasm for doing what is right.

      Keep an eye out for any believer who refuses to obey what we have written in this letter. Stay clear of people like that so they’ll feel ashamed. However, don’t treat them as if they were enemies; correct them as fellow believers in Christ.

      Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every circumstance. May the Lord Jesus Christ be your constant companion.

      To mark this letter as genuine I am now going to sign it, as I always do, with my own hand—Paul.

      May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with every one of you.

      Paul’s

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