Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19990131.htm

II THESSALONIANS: EDIFYING NEW CONVERTS WITH CORRECT ESCHATOLOGY
Part III: Resting In God's Effectual Preservation Of Correct Eschatology In The Church
(2 Thessalonians 3:1-5)
  1. Introduction
    1. As we have pointed out in our notes so far, the Pretribulation Rapture view is countered by a host of other views that place the Church as experiencing some part of the Great Tribulation.
    2. As such, our view is often strongly criticized: Dave Hunt, in his newsletter, The Berean Call (Jan., 1999, p. 3) lists a letter from a reader who complained about his not trying to "panic" believers about the Y2K problem, but instead give "false assurances". Hunt, a Pretribulationist, views the Rapture coming before worldwide famine and chaos erupts as that time is the era of Tribulation! What crises the Y2K matter causes IF the rapture comes AFTER January 1, 2000, Dave thinks will be manageable for us Christians!
    3. Well, though we, like Dave Hunt, might correctly be Pretribulational in our beliefs, it can be discouraging to hold to this position in view of opposition we can face in doing so! Paul gives us confidence of God's work to preserve good eschatology in His people in the Church in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 as follows:
  2. Resting In God's Effectual Preservation Of Correct Eschatology In The Church, 2 Thess. 3:1-5.
    1. To understand Paul's thrust in 2 Thess. 3:1-5, we must keep in mind the opposition to the Pretribulational eschatology beliefs that existed in Thessalonica when Paul wrote this epistle to its believers (as follows):
      1. Externally, the believers and Paul had faced opposition from unsaved people, necessitating Paul's need to flee the area and be distanced from new believers there, cf. Acts 17:1-15; 18:5 with 1 Thess. 3:1-8.
      2. Internally, some believers in the Thessalonican Church had come to believe that they were in the Great Tribulation. This had some to fear facing the antichrist and some of them had irresponsibly stopped working, anticipating the soon return of Christ, 2 Thess. 2:1-2; 3:10-11; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, Introduction to 2 Thessalonians ("Purpose"), p. 1704.
    2. As such, Paul asked the Thessalonians to intercede to God regarding external opposition pressures:
      1. He asked them to pray that the Word of the Lord, the Gospel, would have free course and be glorified where he was in Corinth as had happened with the Thessalonians before, 2 Thess. 3:1 (1:1; Acts 18:5 indicate that Paul wrote this lett er from Corinth).
      2. He gave his reason as being the fact that he faced much opposition from unreasonable and wicked men at Corinth, 2 Thess. 3:2. Surveying Acts 18:6-17, we see just what Paul faced:
        1. He faced verbal abuse from unbelieving opponents while he preached the Gospel, Acts 18:6 NIV.
        2. Paul faced so much worry over an uprising that Christ spoke to him by night in a vision to encourage him to continue ministering, that he would not be physically harmed in the process, Acts 18:9-10.
        3. When the dreaded uprising against his ministry materialized, Paul witnessed a man being beaten at the Seat of Gallio, a head official of the whole Achaia region around Corinth, Acts 18:12-17.
    3. Nevertheless, Paul expressed confidence that God would establish even these new Thessalonian believers in spite of such opposition from outsiders, and even settle them in the Pretribulation Rapture position regardless of the errant Posttribulational views of those in their midst, 2 Thess. 3:3-5!
      1. Paul said the Lord was reliable to establish these new Thessalonian converts in the faith, keeping them from the Evil One. The definite article, tou appears before ponayrou "Evil" in v. 3b, a clear reference to Satan who leads the ponayron, "wicked men" of v. 2 to persecute the believers, cf. Acts 17:5-9.
      2. Paul also said he was confident that God would work in his readers to make them accept his teaching of the Rapture (in view of Paul's teaching in 2 Thess. 2:1-17 [last lesson]). He was confident they would thus settle down to live confidently, overcoming trials they faced to the contrary, 2 Thess. 3:4,5.
Lesson: (1) Where (a) Satan may move (b) unbelievers to oppose the spread of truth to the lost, or where (c) wicked beings or the (d) sin or (e) immaturity in NEW believers with a (f) vulnerability to false teachings (2 Thess. 2:1-2) may cause t hem to adopt an errant view of the Rapture, GOD is greater than all such obstacles to ADVANCE the Gospel and KEEP His people eschatologically true. (2) Thus, we should (a) intercede in prayer for one another to that end, (b) trusting God's oversight toward preserving us in the true eschatological view, and (c) keep ministering like Paul did at Corinth!