Kingdom Disciples

Two events must occur before the Day of the Lord begins - The Apostasy and the unveiling of the Man of Lawlessness in God’s House . Men spreading rumors in the church of Thessalonica were raising false expectations about the imminence of the “ Day of the Lord ” and the “ arrival ” of Jesus. The Apostle Paul warned the Thessalonians not to be alarmed or deceived by such rumors since two key events must occur before that day comes.

Paul concludes his first  Letter to the Thessalonians  with a series of exhortations calling on the disciples of Jesus to pursue righteous living in the interim between their conversion and his “ arrival ” from heaven. He ends by summoning the congregation to pursue complete sanctification, an exhortation with verbal links to the preceding sections of the Letter.

Paul responded to concerns about the dead in Christ by pointing to the resurrection that will occur when Jesus arrives from Heaven .  In his first Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reassured the congregation concerning the participation of saints who die before the ‘ Parousia ’ in the glories of that day. According to him,  BOTH  dead and living saints will assemble and “ meet ” the Lord as he descends from Heaven. Thereafter, they will be with Jesus “ forevermore .” He wrote these words in response to believers who were sorrowing over the deaths of fellow saints.

In Chapter 3 of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he issues a prayer that concludes the first half of the Letter. In it, he reiterates two requests stated previously. First, for the opportunity to return to Thessalonica to continue ministering to the congregation. Second, for God to increase the Assembly’s love for him and others. The fulfillment of both requests will make the faith of the Thessalonians complete on the day when Jesus “arrives” from Heaven.

If the Thessalonians continue to emulate the apostolic example, they will receive the Crown of Glory when Jesus arrives from Heaven . Opposition from the local synagogue had compelled Paul to leave Thessalonica prematurely. Though initially, some members of that group had welcomed his message, they turned against him once the Gentiles began to embrace the Gospel. Even after he left the city, some synagogue leaders pursued Paul when he preached the Gospel elsewhere in Macedonia.

To the Colossians, Paul emphasized the exalted position of Jesus that he attained through his death and resurrection . In his Letter, the Apostle stresses the exaltation of Jesus following his resurrection. It seems some members of the congregation were confused about his authority over the spiritual powers that remained hostile to God and His people; therefore, Paul reminds the Assembly of just how highly God exalted the very one who became the “ Firstborn of the Dead .”