Athey Creek | Audio Podcast

After teaching the church at Thessalonica about the Rapture, the Antichrist, and Jesus’ Second Coming, Paul switches gears in 2 Thessalonians 2–3 to offer practical encouragement. As we study these chapters, we see him urge them to stand fast in faith, pray for the Gospel to spread rapidly, and avoid those who are idle and disruptive.

As we wrap up our series on “The End,” we come to the climax and the entire point of everything we’ve studied: Jesus is coming back. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, we see what will happen when He returns, and as we consider what it means to be ready for this, we learn what we should be busy doing and why it is essential to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Paul has some very important matters to address in his second letter to the church at Thessalonica, but he begins by offering them solid encouragement in several areas. As we look at the praise he gives them, the promises he reminds them of, and the prayer he offers on their behalf in 2 Thessalonians 1, we learn how to endure trials patiently, are reminded of God’s plan for humanity, and see why we should strive to be worthy of our calling.

Much like today, there was a lot of false information about the Antichrist being spread to the church at Thessalonica, and Paul writes to set them straight in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. As we break down Paul’s description of the Antichrist, we learn who this person is, how his impending coming is already affecting the world, and what will happen once he is no longer held back and arrives on the world stage.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul speaks of a future time known as the Day of the Lord, which begins with the Rapture of the Church and continues through the events of the End Times. As Paul gives us a glimpse of what is to come, we learn why we should be alert and walking in the light as we wait for it. We then wrap up the chapter by looking at the 22 commandments Paul gives to the church on how we are to treat others and conduct ourselves.