The Apostle Paul's letter to the
Thessalonians serves as a message to the church concerning the misconception of
the coming of Christ being very near (vs 1-3). It also reflects the fallacy in
human nature, like for instance, how as Christians we could be easily misled
and swayed from the truth as we know it by the devil "the man of sin"
whom the Lord will destroy at his coming
Clearly, misconception was prevalent
among some Thessalonians who had the impression that the day of Christ had come
or near at hand. Paul then took it upon himself to rectify the mistake and
belief concerning the coming by reminding them of those things he had told them
while he was with them. He pointed out that Christ will not come until a
falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed. This man, who is
presently hindered from being revealed but once those restraints have been
removed the man will be exposed and destroyed (vs 4-8).
There are a number of important lessons
to be learned from this scripture. Among others, we learn that if
errors/mistakes arise among Christians, we should take the first opportunity to
rectify them and prevent them from spreading further. Christians will always
face a subtle adversary in the form of Satan, who is always on the prowl, ready
to use whatever means at his disposal to deceive us by distorting the truth
even by means of words of the scripture or words innocently spoken by good men
of God.
In addition to warning the church against
apostasy and false beliefs about the coming of the Lord before the fulfilment
of the precedents, Paul describes the characteristics of the man of sin and the
fate that awaits him (vs 4-8); Paul further describes the coming of the lawless
one whose coming will be in accordance to the working of Satan. He proceeds to
point out that ''with all the power, signs and lying wonders" the lawless
one will deceive those who have no love for the truth. Furthermore, God will
send a strong delusion to those who deny the truth, that they might believe the
lie and be condemned for condoning and enjoying unrighteousness instead of
believing the truth (vs 9-12)
The Apostle Paul concludes his letter by
giving thanks to God, he is grateful that God has chosen not only the
Thessalonians but every church of Christ today for salvation through
sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth, having called them/us by
the gospel to obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (vs 13-14).
Paul therefore encourages or exhorts
them/us to keep up the faith by standing fast and holding to the traditions
taught by word or epistle, and he prays that Jesus and God the Father will
comfort their/our hearts and establish them/us in every good word and work (vs 15-17).
All in all, verse 16 in particular serves as a message of hope for us, indicating
that our Lord Jesus Christ and God our father through their grace are a source
of eternal encouragement and good hope.
In conclusion, I believe it is of utmost importance for Christians and believers in
Christ to commit to their faith by worshipping God in spirit and in truth in
accordance to what is written in the holy book, the bible.
Be Blessed.
Bathokozile (Thoko) Nkonyane
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