New Testament

Week 20: 1 & 2 Thessalonians

1) Introduction to the Pauline epistles.
a) Paul’s letters are the earliest writings we have in our New Testament. Beginning around
A.D. 50, Paul wrote to Christian churches in Asia Minor and Europe, explaining his
understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through his lens that we understand
much of who and what Jesus was.
b) Occasion.
i) Many of Paul’s letters were written to churches in cities where he had previously
ministered. Hearing reports of their struggles, he wrote letters of correction and
encouragement.1
ii) Sometimes he wrote to churches in places he had not yet been, but hoped to visit
soon, as a way of introducing himself and his teachings.2
iii) Occasionally he wrote directly to individuals to offer instruction and resolve
disputes.3
c) Style.
i) Sometimes his tone was tender and affectionate;4 other times he was forceful and
stern.5
ii) Sometimes he wrote authoritatively, claiming that what he taught was given by the
Lord himself;6 other times he resolved problems by offering his opinion.7
d) Copies of his writings were made and circulated among local churches, and eventually
his best-known letters came to be part of the New Testament canon.8
i) [SLIDE 2] They are not found in chronological order in our New Testament, but are
instead organized by length, with the longest epistle (Romans) first, and the shortest
(Philemon) last.9
e) Authorship.
i) Did Paul write all the letters that the New Testament that bear his name? This
question has been the subject of intense debate, especially over the last 150 years.

1
His epistles to the Thessalonians and the Corinthians would be included in this group.
2
The Epistle to the Romans is the chief example of this. See Romans 1:9–13.
3
The Epistle to Philemon is one example of this. If the Pastoral Epistles were written by Paul, then 1 and 2 Timothy and
Titus would also be in this group.
4
For example, see Philippians 1:7–11.
5
For example, see 1 Corinthians 11:17–22.
6
For example, see 1 Corinthians 7:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:8.
7
For example, see 1 Corinthians 7:6, 12.
8
In addition to the letters in our New Testament, there are also other letters Paul himself refers to, of which we have no
existing copies. These include an epistle to the Corinthians, written before 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 5:9); another epistle to
the Corinthians, written “out of much affliction and anguish of heart…[and] with many tears” between 1 and 2 Corinthians
(2 Corinthians 2:4; an earlier epistle to the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:3–4); and a lost epistle to the Laodiceans (Colossians 4:16).
There are also several early letters that claimed Pauline authorship, but were rejected from the canon, including a
3 Corinthians and an epistle to the Laodiceans.
9
If his letters were placed in chronological order, they would probably be as follows: 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and
2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy. (There is some
dispute on the exact order, however.)

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Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 2

There are some letters of Paul that contain teachings that contradict things he wrote
in his other letters, and some letters that read like copies of other letters.10
ii) [SLIDE 3] Of the thirteen letters in the New Testament that are ascribed to Paul,
only seven were undisputedly written by him: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians,
Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon.
(1) Everyone agrees: Paul wrote these epistles. They have a consistent message,
grammar, and word choice.
iii) Two others are disputed: Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians.
(1) Some scholars believe Paul wrote these three letters, while others say he didn’t.
iv) The remaining four are pretty widely regarded as not having been written by Paul:
Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus.
(1) These letters are considered pseudonymous, a fancy word that means they were
written by other people who claimed to be Paul, and used his name to give
authority to their writings.11
(2) Only the most conservative Biblical scholars still try to argue for Pauline
authorship of these books.
v) Note that I did not include the Epistle to the Hebrews. Although Paul is commonly
referred to as the author of Hebrews, no one today—even the most traditional
Biblical scholars—believes that Paul wrote it.
vi) We’ll discuss why or why not Paul is believed to be the author of each of these books
in the upcoming lessons.
f) It is impossible to understate the importance of Paul’s writings in the formation of New
Testament Christianity.
i) Paul wrote extensively on the nature of Jesus’ atonement and on how it affects man’s
relationship to God.
ii) Perhaps his greatest influence came during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th
and 17th centuries. The Reformers—especially Martin Luther and John Calvin—
appealed to Paul’s theology in their break from Catholic tradition.
iii) Many scholars and historians rightly argue that Paul is second only to Jesus as the
most important person in the origins of Christianity.
g) [SLIDE 4] At this point I’d like to again strongly recommend that you use a reliable
modern Bible translation alongside your King James Version. It’s going to be even more
critical now because Paul’s language is difficult and his ideas are complicated. The KJV
stays pretty faithful to Paul’s long, run-on sentences, but this makes him extremely hard
to follow. For example:
KJV 1 Thessalonians 3:9 NRSV 1 Thessalonians 3:9
9
For what thanks can we render to God again 9
How can we thank God enough for you in
for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for return for all the joy that we feel before our
your sakes before our God. God because of you?

10
One example of the latter is Ephesians, which reads a lot like Colossians, down to exact phrases being reproduced. For
this reason, many scholars believe Ephesians was not written by Paul, but rather by someone who copied Colossians in order to
sound like Paul. (Some scholars also believe that Colossians itself was not written by Paul.)
11
See lesson 2, pages 4–6; http://scr.bi/LDSARCNT02n

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Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 3

i) Reading solely from the KJV, does anyone had any idea what Paul is talking about
here?
ii) The KJV adheres closely to the original Greek syntax,12 but this makes Paul nearly
impossible for the modern reader to understand. His idea here is complicated, but a
modern translation makes it much easier to grasp.
iii) [SLIDE 5] My personal recommendation for a companion study Bible would be the
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), which is similar to the KJV in its phrasing.13
(1) The New International Version (NIV) is the most popular English translation,
and some of you have been using it in this class. I would only warn you here that
the NIV has a tendency to render passages in a manner that is acceptable to
modern Evangelical Christians; this sometimes means that Paul’s message is not
conveyed accurately. For this reason I would not recommend the NIV over the
NRSV.14
2) Introduction to 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
a) [SLIDE 6] Background on Thessalonica.
i) Thessalonica was the Roman capital of the province of Macedonia. It was founded in
316 B.C. and was a prominent center of land and sea trade routes.
b) [SLIDE 7] Paul’s missionary work in Thessalonica.
i) Thessalonica was the second European city visited by Paul, along with his
companions Silas and Timothy (Acts 17:1–9; 1 Thessalonians 2:2).15
ii) They first preached in a Jewish synagogue, gaining converts mostly from the God-
fearing Gentiles16 and prominent women of the city.
iii) They were forced to leave when Jews incited a riot and abused Jason, their host.
c) Occasion for these letters.
i) After leaving Thessalonica, Paul went to Athens. He wrote that he wanted to return,
“but Satan hindered us,” so he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica while he went on
to Corinth (1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:5; Acts 17:14–15; 18:1). Timothy eventually joined
Paul in Corinth, bringing good news of the faith and love of the Thessalonian saints
(1 Thessalonians 3:6; Acts 18:5).17 Paul then wrote his first epistle to the
Thessalonians from Corinth in A.D. 50–51.
12
Literally translated, this passage would read, “For thanks are we able God to repay for you for all the joy in which we
rejoice because of sake before God of us” (http://biblos.com/1_thessalonians/3-9.htm). As with all translations from a foreign
language, it requires some interpretation and reordering of words to make it intelligible in English; unfortunately the KJV does
not do a good enough job at this for the modern reader to follow Paul’s train of thought.
13
There are two popular NRSV study Bibles I recommend: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (ISBN 0195289617) and the
HarperCollins Study Bible (ISBN 9780060786847). You can search for either of these by ISBN number at Amazon.com.
14
N. T. Wright, an Anglican bishop and one of the foremost New Testament scholars in the world, has recently written: “…
I must register one strong protest against one particular translation. When the New International Version was published in
1980, I was one of those who hailed it with delight. I believed its own claim about itself, that it was determined to translate
exactly what was there, and inject no extra paraphrasing or interpretative glosses…. Disillusionment set in over the next two
years, as I lectured verse by verse through several of Paul’s letters, not least Galatians and Romans. Again and again, with the
Greek text in front of me and the NIV beside it, I discovered that the translators had had another principle, considerably higher
than the stated one: to make sure that Paul should say what the broadly Protestant and evangelical tradition said he said. …[I]f
a church only, or mainly, relies on the NIV it will, quite simply, never understand what Paul was talking about. * * * Yes, the
NRSV [New Revised Standard Version] sometimes lets you down, too, but nowhere near as frequently or as badly as the NIV.”
N. T. Wright, Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 2009), 51–52.
15
The first was Philippi (Acts 16:19–40), to whom Paul wrote his Epistle to the Philippians.
16
The God-fearers were Gentiles who worshipped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Law of Moses, but did not
take the final step of circumcision necessary to become proselytes.

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Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 4

(1) This makes 1 Thessalonians the oldest book in the New Testament, written before
any of the gospels or other letters.18
ii) 2 Thessalonians is harder to nail down. It’s an apparent attempt to deal with some
follow-up questions and concerns the Thessalonians had. Perhaps the Thessalonian
saints wrote back to Paul, or Paul received word from someone who came from
Thessalonica with questions about his first letter.
(1) Some scholars have questioned the authorship of 2 Thessalonians.19 Assuming
that it was written by Paul, it would probably follow not too long after the first
letter—so, again, Corinth, A.D. 50–51.
3) [SLIDE 8] Paul’s love for the Thessalonian saints and his conduct among them.
a) 1 Thessalonians is filled with expressions of gratitude for the love the faith of the saints
in Thessalonica. He commends them for the example they have set for the other
Christians in area:
KJV 1 Thessalonians 1:6–10 NRSV 1 Thessalonians 1:6–10
6
And ye became followers of us, and of the 6
And you became imitators of us and of the
Lord, having received the word in much Lord, for in spite of persecution you received
affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit,
7
So that ye were ensamples to all that 7
so that you became an example to all the
believe in Macedonia and Achaia. believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
8
For from you sounded out the word of the 8
For the word of the Lord has sounded forth
Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia,
also in every place your faith to God-ward is but in every place where your faith in God
spread abroad; so that we need not to speak has become known, so that we have no need
any thing. to speak about it.
9
For they themselves shew of us what manner 9
For the people of those regions report about
of entering in we had unto you, and how ye us what kind of welcome we had among you,
turned to God from idols to serve the living and how you turned to God from idols, to
and true God; serve a living and true God,
10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom 10
and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom
he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues
delivered us from the wrath to come. us from the wrath that is coming.
i) In spite of the persecution the Thessalonian converts received, they became imitators
(KJV “followers”) of Paul (1:6) and an example for other believers throughout
northern and southern Greece (1:7). In fact, it’s become so well-known that Paul
doesn’t even have to mention it anymore—people he meets have already heard of the

17
There are discrepancies between Acts and Paul’s own description of his travels in his letters. Some of these are minor—
for example, Acts 17:13–15 says that Silas and Timothy remained behind in Beroea while Paul went on to Athens, but
1 Thessalonians 3:1–2 Paul says that Timothy was sent from Athens to Thessalonica. Other discrepancies are more significant
—the most prominent example is the dramatic difference between Paul’s account of his own post-conversion activities in
Galatians 1:13–2:14 and Luke’s account in Acts 9:1–31. When we encounter such discrepancies, it’s best to accept Paul’s
version of events, because he experienced them himself firsthand.
18
The accepted date for Mark, the first written gospel, is the late 60s for, which puts 1 Thessalonians about 15–18 years
earlier. Even if we accept the earlier date proposed for Mark (about A.D. 55), 1 Thessalonians still precedes it by 4–5 years.
19
The concerns mainly have to do with lack of any contextual references as to the occasion of the letter (contra
1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:10); the more distant and less affectionate tone taken by Paul in the second letter; a reference to forged
letters ascribed to Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:2) and “every letter” being written in his own hand (3:17), things that would be
unlikely be issues so early in Paul’s ministry; and a shift in Paul’s expected timing of the Second Coming from very soon
(1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11) to a delayed time after a rebellion and rise of an antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1–12). Supporters of
Pauline authorship respond that persecution may have intensified in Thessalonica and that his first letter may have incited a
frenzy of “end times” speculation, requiring Paul to take a harsher tone and correct their doctrinal error.

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Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 5

Thessalonians (1:8) and how they turned away from pagan idols to serve the living
God (1:9) and believe in the resurrected Son of God (1:10).
b) Paul likewise reminds them of the purity of his own motives when he taught them:
KJV 1 Thessalonians 2:5–9 NRSV 1 Thessalonians 2:5–9
5
For neither at any time used we flattering 5
As you know and as God is our witness, we
words, as ye know, nor a cloke of never came with words of flattery or with a
covetousness; God is witness: pretext for greed;
6
Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, 6
nor did we seek praise from mortals,
nor yet of others, when we might have been whether from you or from others, 7though we
burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. might have made demands as apostles of
Christ.
7
But we were gentle among you, even as a But we were gentle among you, like a nurse
nurse cherisheth her children: tenderly caring for her own children.
8
So being affectionately desirous of you, we 8
So deeply do we care for you that we are
were willing to have imparted unto you, not determined to share with you not only the
the gospel of God only, but also our own gospel of God but also our own selves,
souls, because ye were dear unto us. because you have become very dear to us.
9
For ye remember, brethren, our labour and 9
You remember our labor and toil, brothers
travail: for labouring night and day, because and sisters; we worked night and day, so that
we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we might not burden any of you while we
we preached unto you the gospel of God. proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
i) Paul defends his own conduct, and that of Silas and Timothy, recalling how they
didn’t speak with flattery or out of greed (2:5), nor sought the Thessalonians’ praise
—although they could have imposed their weight of authority them as apostles (2:6).
Instead they were gentle (2:7), sharing themselves freely (2:8) and working with
their own hands so they wouldn’t be a burden to the new converts (2:9).
(1) The use of the word apostle raises the question here if Paul was, by this time, a
member of the group of twelve apostles in Jerusalem.
(a) Although he does frequently refer to himself as an apostle in other letters,20 in
this case he’s referring to himself, Silas, and Timothy together as “apostles”
(2:6). It appears that, at least in this case, he means it in the generic sense of
“ones sent forth,” rather than a specific priesthood office.
4) Paul teaches the Thessalonians on the doctrine of sanctification:
KJV 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12 NRSV 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12
1
Furthermore then we beseech you, 1
Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and
brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you
that as ye have received of us how ye ought learned from us how you ought to live and to
to walk and to please God, so ye would please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you
abound more and more. should do so more and more.
2
For ye know what commandments we gave 2
For you know what instructions we gave you
you by the Lord Jesus. through the Lord Jesus.
3
For this is the will of God, even your 3
For this is the will of God, your
sanctification, that ye should abstain from sanctification: that you abstain from
fornication: fornication;
4
That every one of you should know how to 4
that each one of you knows how to control
possess his vessel in sanctification and your own body in holiness and honour,
honour;
20
See Romans 1:1, 5; 11:13; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 4:9; 9:1–2; 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 11:5; 12:11; Galatians 1:1, 17; Colossians
1:1.

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Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 6
5
Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the 5
not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles
Gentiles which know not God: who do not know God;
6
That no man go beyond and defraud his 6
that no one wrongs or exploits a brother or
brother in any matter: because that the Lord sister in this matter, because the Lord is an
is the avenger of all such, as we also have avenger in all these things, just as we have
forewarned you and testified. already told you beforehand and solemnly
warned you.
7
For God hath not called us unto 7
For God did not call us to impurity but in
uncleanness, but unto holiness. holiness.
8
He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not 8
Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not
man, but God, who hath also given unto us human authority but God, who also gives his
his holy Spirit. Holy Spirit to you.
9
But as touching brotherly love ye need not 9
Now concerning love of the brothers and
that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are sisters, you do not need to have anyone write
taught of God to love one another. to you, for you yourselves have been taught
by God to love one another;
10
And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren 10
and indeed you do love all the brothers and
which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge
you, brethren, that ye increase more and you, beloved, to do so more and more,
more;
11
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do 11
to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own
your own business, and to work with your affairs, and to work with your hands, as we
own hands, as we commanded you; directed you,
12
That ye may walk honestly toward them 12
so that you may behave properly towards
that are without, and that ye may have lack outsiders and be dependent on no one.
of nothing.
a) Paul is concerned here with how a Christian can “walk [i.e., live] and please God” (4:1).
What type of conduct does God consider to be moral?
i) [SLIDE 9] He has in mind here the idea of sanctification (4:3). The Greek word here
is αγιασμος (hagiasmos), a word that is closely related to “saint” (αγιος / hagios).
The idea here is one of holiness, of being set apart or consecrated to God. We treat
our bodies not as if they belong to us, but as sacred things that belong to God
(1 Corinthians 6:19).
b) What types of conduct does he list as holy?
i) “Abstain from fornication” (4:3). The KJV word “fornication” is a translation of the
Greek word πορνειας (porneias), which refers to any form of sexual immorality.21
ii) “Possess his vessel” (4:4). The KJV translation is literal here; Paul is using the term
vessel (container) as a euphemism for something else. The general idea probably has
to do with self-control in sexual matters.
iii) Avoid “lust of concupiscence” (passionate lust), which the Gentiles who don’t know
God engage in (4:5).22
iv) Not to defraud or exploit your fellow Christian (4:6).
v) “Love one another” (4:9); in fact, one must increase in love constantly (4:10).

21
Porneia is also the origin of the English word pornography (porneo = “to prostitute”, graphy = “to write”).
22
We’ll discuss Greek sexual morality more in the next lesson on 1 and 2 Corinthians.

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Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 7

vi) Live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands so that you’ll
be dependant on no one (4:11–12).
c) What’s interesting to me about these verses is how little difference there is between
these instructions and the sort of counsel Latter-day Saints receive every six months at
General Conference: Chastity, honesty, love for others, and self-reliance.
5) [SLIDE 10] Eschatological concerns.23
a) In this next passage, Paul addresses some concerns the Thessalonians are having.
Apparently they were awaiting Jesus’ glorious return, and were bothered by the fact that
some of the Thessalonian saints had died before he came back. Paul comforts them with
these words:
KJV 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:4 NRSV 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:4
4:13
But I would not have you to be ignorant, 4:13
But we do not want you to be uninformed,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, brothers and sisters, about those who have
that ye sorrow not, even as others which died, so that you may not grieve as others do
have no hope. who have no hope.
4:14
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose 4:14
For since we believe that Jesus died and
again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will
will God bring with him. bring with him those who have died.
4:15
For this we say unto you by the word of 4:15
For this we declare to you by the word of
the Lord, that we which are alive and remain the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent until the coming of the Lord, will by no
them which are asleep. means precede those who have died.
4:16
For the Lord himself shall descend from 4:16
For the Lord himself, with a cry of
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the command, with the archangel’s call and with
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend
the dead in Christ shall rise first: from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise
first.
4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall 4:17
Then we who are alive, who are left, will
be caught up together with them in the be caught up in the clouds together with
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we
shall we ever be with the Lord. will be with the Lord for ever.
4:18
Wherefore comfort one another with these 4:18
Therefore encourage one another with
words. these words.
5:1
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, 5:1
Now concerning the times and the seasons,
ye have no need that I write unto you. brothers and sisters, you do not need to have
anything written to you.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day
5:2 5:2
For you yourselves know very well that the
of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. day of the Lord will come like a thief in the
night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety;
5:3 5:3
When they say, “There is peace and
then sudden destruction cometh upon them, security,” then sudden destruction will come
as travail upon a woman with child; and they upon them, as labor pains come upon a
shall not escape. pregnant woman, and there will be no
escape!

23
As a reminder, eschatology is the theology or doctrine of the new age, the coming time when God will destroy the
wicked and usher in his kingdom on the earth. See lesson 8, page 4; http://scr.bi/LDSARCNT08n

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Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 8

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that

5:4
But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for
5:4

that day should overtake you as a thief. that day to surprise you like a thief.
i) In this passage Paul uses “sleep” as a euphemism to refer to those who have died
(4:13, 14, 15).
ii) He comforts the Thessalonian saints in the knowledge that, just as Jesus was
resurrected, so too will those who died be resurrected (4:14).
iii) He also states that those of us who are alive will not precede (go ahead of, KJV
“prevent”) those who have died into glory when Christ comes (4:15). Rather, when he
does come, those who have died “in Christ” will be resurrected, and all of us—the
living and the resurrected—will be caught up into the air to meet him (4:16–17; cf.
D&C 88:96–98).
iv) When will this happen? Paul doesn’t say, but he does tell them it will come suddenly,
“as a thief in the night”24 or as labor pains upon a pregnant woman (5:1–3). When it
does happen, though, Christians will not be surprised (5:4).
v) What’s interesting about this passage is Paul’s use of the word “we” in 4:15 and 4:17.
It’s clear that he expects Jesus’ coming to be very soon, so soon, in fact, that he and
the Thessalonians to whom he is writing will be alive when it happens.25
(1) Paul’s expectation is not unique: Virtually every Christian since the 1st century
has expected that Jesus’ second coming would be in their own lifetime, or at least
in the immediate future. (This includes the early Latter-day Saints, who built
Zion in Jackson County, Missouri, in the anticipation that Jesus would return
shortly.26)
(2) Jesus did not say when he would return, but that that knowledge is reserved for
the Father (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32).
(3) Paul’s expectation that it would take place in his lifetime is perfectly natural. He
had received understanding through the Spirit of what would happen at that
time, but he did not know when it would happen.
b) Apparently Paul’s teaching on this subject caused some sort of a “last days frenzy”
among the Thessalonians. They expected that it was going to happen immediately. In his
second letter, Paul had to dampen their enthusiasm a bit by telling them some things
had to happen first:
KJV 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4 NRSV 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4
1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the 1
As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our and our being gathered together to him, we
gathering together unto him, beg you, brothers and sisters,
2
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be 2
not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed,
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor either by spirit or by word or by letter, as
by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ though from us, to the effect that the day of
is at hand. the Lord is already here.

24
This famous phrase appears only twice in the New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10. The concept,
however, appears in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39.
25
The JST amends 4:15 and 4:17, changing “we” to “they.”
26
Even Joseph Smith speculated on the date of the second coming. See D&C 130:14–17, and notes to Doctrine and
Covenants lesson 27, pages 7–8; http://scr.bi/LDSARCDC27n

© 2011, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.
Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 9
3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for 3
Let no one deceive you in any way; for that
that day shall not come, except there come day will not come unless the rebellion comes
a falling away first, and that man of sin be first and the lawless one is revealed, the one
revealed, the son of perdition; destined for destruction.
4
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all 4
He opposes and exalts himself above every
that is called God, or that is worshipped; so so-called god or object of worship, so that he
that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, takes his seat in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God. declaring himself to be God.
i) He tells the Thessalonians not to be misled by some spiritual manifestation, or by
preaching, or by a letter purporting to be from Paul, that the second coming of Christ
is going to happen any moment now (4:2). Two things have to happen first:
(1) There must be a “falling away” first (4:3a).
(a) [SLIDE 11] The phrase “falling away” is a translation of the single Greek word
αποστασια (apostasia), which is the origin of the English word “apostasy.”
This word refers to a mutiny, defection, or rebellion, in which people without
authority overthrow the proper rulers and take their place.
(2) The “man of sin,” “the son of perdition” must be revealed (4:3b). (Older, better
manuscripts read “man of lawlessness” instead of “man of sin.”)
(a) We’ve previously discussed the term “son of perdition”: Jesus used it in his
Great Intercessory Prayer as a reference to Judas (John 17:12).27 Perdition
means “destruction,” and the son of perdition would be someone who is
destined for destruction.
(b) Paul says that this man will exalt himself above every other object of worship,
and actually sit down in the temple of God and claim to be God (4:4). To Paul
“the temple” would have been the Jerusalem Temple, which at this time was
still standing.
(c) So who is this man? We don’t really know.
(i) Paul probably is using Old Testament passages that are connected with the
abomination of desolation spoken of in Daniel 11:31 and 12:11 (and
repeated by Jesus in his Olivet discourse28). His wording in 4:4 makes
allusions to Isaiah 14:13–14, Daniel 11:36, and Ezekiel 28:2–9, which
speak of a false ruler who tries to exalt himself above the true God.
(ii) In the rest of the passage (2:5–12) Paul indicates that someone is holding
this man back for now (2:6–7).29 He doesn’t say who this is, only that his
arrival will be by Satan’s working (2:9) and God will destroy him (2:8).
(3) As Latter-day Saints we affirm that the first part of Paul’s prophecy has been
fulfilled: There was a great apostasy, or “falling away,” that caused the loss of true
priesthood authority and revelation.
(4) It’s unknown if the second part of Paul’s prophecy has already come to pass, or
still has a future fulfillment. Rather than speculate fruitlessly, it’s better that we
wait for modern prophets to warn us of any coming calamities.

27
See lesson 17, page 10; http://scr.bi/LDSARCNT17n
28
See Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14. We discussed this in lesson 8, pages 5–6; http://scr.bi/LDSARCNT08n
29
In the KJV rendering “he who now letteth will let,” let means to restrain (the opposite of what “let” means today).

© 2011, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.
Hurricane West Stake Adult Religion Class New Testament: 1 & 2 Thessalonians Week 20, Page 10

6) [SLIDE 12] Next week we’ll continue our study of the writings of Paul by examining his
letters to the saints at Corinth.
a) Reading: 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians.

© 2011, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.