1 Thessalonians 3-5
The Will of God
and the Rapture

Paul was concerned that the Thessalonians would have been overwhelmed by the afflictions from the Jews that they would abandon the faith. This is not belief that Christ died for their sins, but that God would reward those who diligently seek Him according to the revelation about the Messiah. So he sent Timothy to establish (make firm) and encourage (call alongside as he climbed the mountain) them in the faith they already had. If they succumbed to the pressure from the Jews, they would not be unborn again, but would not progress to glory. At the end of the last chapter Paul viewed the Thessalonians as the basis for his glory, crown/reward and in the Kingdom when Christ returned. If they failed to follow the path of faith, the labor he invested in them would have been in vain. Although he had great love and fondness for them (the chiastic center of the last two chapters), he was very conscious of what he was exchanging his life for. It looks like the higher priority was not their loss of glory, but his own (cf Heb 12:2). This understanding best explains all the facts.

Timothy brought good news (same word as gospel) of their faith. They were still believing the good news of the Messiah who would reward His faithful servants (Isa 40:10). Therefore Paul was encouraged that all the effort he had expended and distress he had experienced in the development of their faith was worth it. The apostle who died daily in his service to Christ (1Cor 15:31 -another passage in which Paul anticipates reward resulting from “successful” service) is revived (now we live) by the prospect of the Thessalonians being steadfast in their faith. This is conditional, and not a reference to their justification, but rather their progression in the faith, which would result in joy for Paul at the judgment seat of Christ. When Paul stands before Christ (2Cor 5:9-10) to be recompensed for his deeds, he would have joy on account of the sanctification of the Thessalonians, as a result of his ministry. This is why he was praying exceedingly that he would be able to see them and perfect (bring to completion for service -Mt 4:21 as in mending nets) what was lacking in their faith. To “perfect” is used for restoring someone overtaken in a fault (Gal 6:1), and being prepared for good works (Heb 10:5; 13:21). A fully trained, reproductive disciple is like his/her discipler (Lk 6:40), able to repeat the process with others. The Thessalonians were lacking an understanding of the process of the Christian life which Paul fervently wanted to correct, so they wouldn't go off track under the stress of afflictions. Obviously, they were not deficient in their understanding of Christ's substitutionary atonement, for they were clearly born again. So the lack has to be concerning their progress in the faith (Phil 1:25).

 So Paul prays that God would direct him to see them, and that the Lord would make them increase and abound in love. “Increase” and “abound” are in the optative mood, used to express the strongest possible wish for something to happen. Paul wants their love to abound so they might be blameless in holiness when they stand before the judgment seat. Failure to love as Christ loved is blameworthy. Note the priority of love: one another, fellow believers in the Body, have precedence over others. This is consistent with Jesus' great command for believers in John 13:34-35. The love (agapao – self sacrifice for another's best interest) which Paul modeled for them, in leading them to faith, and guiding them to maturity, is the same love they needed to demonstrate toward others. Only then can their hearts be established blameless and holy before God on the day of judgment (Mt 24:44). 

 Paul exhorts the believers to live so they please God. This is parallel to his instructions in Colossians 1, and consistent with the OT righteousness God blesses/rewards (careful to do what is right in His sight). Most people are curious about the will of God for aspects of their life, such as school, job, spouse, house, etc., known as the “subjective will of God” (things that vary from person to person). The attitude is sometimes: “Well, I want to know God's will, and then I'll decide whether or not I like it, and will do it.” God's will is what is good, acceptable/pleasing, and perfect (Rm 12:1-2), because those are characteristics of God. “Perfect” implies that anything else is second best. “Good” implies that anything else is not so good. “Pleasing” implies that if we knew all that God knows, we would be as pleased with suffering as with comfort. Most people don't know or experience God's will because they are not committed to doing it (Jn 7:17). God is not going to communicate His subjective will to us if we're not obeying His objective will (what He's commanded). See the sermon on the Will of God on Truthbase.net.

One revelation of the will of God is clearly specified in this passage: our sanctification-holiness, the second aspect of our salvation, necessary for glorification. We can chose to sanctify ourselves by obeying the truth (1Pt 1:22) or remain unholy. The specific will of God Paul commanded is sexual holiness, as in abstaining from immorality/fornication. To be holy is separate or distinct from those around us. Paul elaborates that this means possessing or controlling one's passions-emotions-desires so that one lives honorably, not in the passion of lust, as the Gentiles do. Those who lack this holiness will not see God (Heb 12:14), and will lose their inheritance in the Kingdom (1Cor 6:9; Eph 5:5). God will particularly avenge those who take advantage of or defraud a brother/sister in this area. To defraud is to promise one thing and deliver another. Many people use sex as a means of boosting their worth and value at the expense of another. Paul solemnly testifies that God will discipline those who defraud. God has not called us to uncleanness, but to glory and virtue (2Pt 3:1), which have their root in holiness or sanctification. Sexual sin, as do all others start in our mind/value system, when we falsely believe that our desires are better and more important than God's desire for us. God isn't withholding something good from us (remember Satan's lie in Genesis 3?), but is keeping us from something that isn't good for us at the present time. If we trust that God will give what's best, when it's best, we'll avoid a lot of trouble and scars that can hamper us for the rest of our lives. Beware of defining your spirituality by your sexuality, or any single benchmark. Success or failure in this area does not equate with being godly or ungodly. However, causing others to stumble and sin will reap judgment. See comments on 1Corinthians 6:18. The person who rejects the revelation of Scripture doesn't reject man, but God, because the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth. The natural man/woman who follows only animal passions is not following the Spirit, but has quenched Him (1Thess 5:19).

 John 15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 17 I command these things to you, that you may love one another.”

This is the famous Rapture passage. Paul had heard of their faith and love from Timothy in 3:6, but their hope wasn't mentioned. So Paul corrects their wrong thinking, which was that those who had died have missed the return of Christ, and they would not be with them in heaven. Believers grieve when a loved one dies, but should not grieve like worldlings do. We grieve when we lose something of value, and don't think it can be replaced or restored. But God is more than adequate for any of our needs (see “Can God Meet Emotional Needs” on Truthbase.net), and can replace any relationship with Himself or another person if that were best. Believers will also see each other again when Christ returns. Those who have fallen asleep, Paul's way of describing death, since physical death is a temporary condition, will be resurrected (Dan 12:3). When Christ returns to set up His Messianic Kingdom, those who died “in union with Christ” will first be resurrected, then those who are living will be raptured to meet the Lord in the air (Acts 1:9), together with them. The word “rapture” means to be caught up, used in Acts 8:39 of Philip being taken away from the eunuch, and in 2Corinthians 12:2-4 of Paul's visit to heaven. Revelation 12:5 is also applicable.

There are three different major views on the timing of the rapture, all in reference to the Tribulation: Pre, Mid, and Post Tribulation. The Tribulation is the Seventieth Week (period of seven years) of Daniel's prophecy in 9:27. The Pre-trib people believe Christ will return and the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation. The Mid-trib folks argue that the Rapture will occur in the middle of the seven years. And the Post-tribs believe believers will go through the Tribulation and be raptured at the end of it. Amillennialists, who don't believe that there is a future Messianic Kingdom, consider it all poetry to be ignored.

Although it doesn't make a huge difference in how one lives to please God, the Pre-trib position has the best support, both logically and Scripturally. Why would Christ come to take believers up to heaven (John 14:1-3) only to immediately return to earth again for the Kingdom. The marriage feast of the Lamb, with His Bride, the Church in heaven, would be an appropriate way to pass the time of the Tribulation on earth. Ancient wedding feasts often lasted seven days. The imminency of Matthew 24:36, 42-46, Revelation 3:10, and an argument we'll see in 2Thessalonians 2:6-8 are good places to start your study. Don't spend too much time studying the issue; making disciples is much more profitable and pleasing to God. But if you want to study the issue in more depth, see J. Dwight Pentecost's “Things To Come.” The teaching of the Rapture should encourage and comfort believers (4:18).

 2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

In light of the fact that faithful believers will live with Christ and the unfaithful won't, Paul tells the believers to exhort one another (not evangelize the sleepers) and build each other up. A number of questions about whether a passage is addressed to believers or unbelievers can be resolved by looking at the corrective action for the “bad” behaviors. It is almost always, “obey and behave,” and almost never “believe that Jesus died for your sins.” In verse 10 Paul affirmed that Jesus did die for the Thessalonian audience so that they might live together with Him. How do you encourage and build up others in light of the return of Christ? By warning of dangers and helping others understand and obey so they will please God and do well at the judgment seat of Christ. Being a good example helps as do the appropriate words, as Paul outlined in 2:10-12, and specifies in 5:14-15 below.

Paul begs them to know or pay attention to those who minister to them, are over them in the Lord, and admonish/warn them of inappropriate, dangerous temporal values and actions. The normal reaction to being corrected is to find fault with those who have exposed our faults. Instead, Paul says we should respect, honor them in love for their willingness to risk rejection to help us.

Psalm 141:5 “Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.”

Those who don't acknowledge anyone over them in the Lord, nor are submitted to a Biblical Body of believers (Eph 5:21) are usually deceived and headed for well-earned destruction.

It is not only the job of leaders to minister, it is the responsibility of all of us to encourage and build up others (5:11). All believers are charged to admonish/warn the unruly (those out of line), comfort (this word means to “speak alongside” as opposed to encourage which means to “call alongside”) the feeble-souled, and support (restrain/hold back) the weak. Comforting the feeble-souled is not the “there there now” but a speaking of the words or stories that move them from weakness of soul/will, to strength. Restraining the weak or those without strength to resist sin on their own is probably the better translation in light of upcoming judgment at the return of Christ. Being patient/long-suffering (fruit of the Spirit) is necessary in ministry because people have spent so many years developing and ingraining wrong values and habit patterns. God intended that the sociological dynamic of a Body of believers would provide incentive, examples and encouragement to make the Christlike changes. But when the church culture is that of sit, soak, and sour, it's time to start anew (short of an unusual Holy Spirit inspired revival of sleeping saints; usually they only wake up to throw rocks). The whole Body has the responsibility to see that no one repays evil for evil (much more evil for good, which usually happens when sin is exposed). The Body should chase after what is good for one another, and all.

• rejoicing always, because we know that in all things we are more than conquerors, headed for glory;
• pray without ceasing, because that is how we express dependence upon God and draw grace from the Vine to live contentedly above our circumstances;
• in everything give thanks, because we know that whatever God has allowed into our lives is for our benefit and He will work it together for our good;

Paul's benediction is a commendation of peace and grace, sandwiching a desire for their sanctification (the will of God -4:3). He asks that God would sanctify them completely, so their entire being: spirit (the part of us that relates to God), soul (mind, will/values, emotions), and body would be guarded/preserved (optative mood -strong wish) blameless at the judgment seat of Christ when He returns. God is faithful to provide all we need, and His will/desire is such, since He calls us to it, but it's not automatic. God will not sanctify us against our will. We need to yield and submit to His Spirit and truth for it to occur. Otherwise, there would have been no need for the warnings and instruction in the letter. Only those who apply what Paul wrote will be blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. God is always faithful; we need to be too. Paul closes with a request for prayer, a reminder to express affection to all with a holy kiss, and a solemn command to read the letter to all. Finally he wishes the grace of the Lord Jesus the Messiah to be theirs.