Confusion about the day of the Lord is fraying the church.

Paul corrects rumors and forged messages, calls them back to steady work and

anchors hope in Jesus appearing not panic.

Hello.

This is Seek Go Create.

You're listening to read the New Testament in 90 days, 27 books in order in context.

We're walking through the New Testament, the way it was written, so you can

hear it the way the first churches.

Did I continue reminding you?

Make sure you get the free reading plan and go to our hub where all the details

are, all the links to all the past episodes and YouTube and everything that's

there at K two M Foundation slash NT 90.

A lot of great info there to help you get the context, background and all

for all that we're doing today, we're moving into sec. Second Thessalonians,

a quick follow up letter to a church that's still confused and starting to

panic, Let's get some context here.

The author again, Paul, probably with Sylvanus and Timothy the

date, possibly months, maybe about a year after First Thessalonians.

So we're putting it at about a d. 51, maybe into 52.

The audience is the church at Thessalonica.

We gave some background on them in the last episode, 21,

22 years post-Resurrection.

The first letter helped.

We just read that one, but.

Of course, like people, new problems have emerged.

Let's get some historical context.

The Empire Rome still stable, just like before communication is flowing, so

there's a lot of information going back and forth, and so these letters and the

trade routes are able to move freely.

Temple is still intact in Jerusalem.

Nothing's changed there.

Religious tensions though are still continuing between these believers,

these followers of the Messiah and the Jewish Temple leadership.

this church, the Thessalonians, have received Paul's first letter, but someone

is now circulating a forged letter.

Claiming that the day of the Lord has already come.

So the tension there, some believers think they've missed it.

Others have quit working, entirely convinced ordinary

life doesn't matter anymore.

I'm sorry, I'm not chuckling at that.

I'm just thinking that applies for some of us today also.

But again, we're trying to stay in context with the first century here

so that we could learn from it.

Why is this letter written out?

Why is Paul sending it?

He writes.

Urgently to correct the confusion and call them back to steady faithfulness.

Here's what we're gonna see in this letter.

Second Thessalonians is corrective.

Paul studies a panicking church.

Here's what we'll hear about.

Don't be shaken, not by spirit spoken word or letter seeming to be from us.

The day hasn't come yet.

Certain things must happen first.

The signs will be unmistakable.

We've already seen some of those signs in Matthew and other places.

The man of lawlessness must be revealed before that day.

Keep working.

If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

Stand firm hold the traditions taught by word or letter.

The Lord is faithful.

Paul is blunt.

Expecting the Lord's return doesn't mean abandoning responsibility.

It means living faithfully until he comes.

And just a reminder here, there is nothing in Second Thessalonians that says.

Anything about a group of people being raptured or taken

away to some other place.

This is all about a building up to the day of the Lord that we

will see is going to occur in the not too distant future in a 70.

So I wanna remind you of that.

There is a scripture in two Thessalonians that some have used to try to

explain something called a rapture.

That is not the case.

We'll talk more about that later, but I just wanna remind you of that.

This is discussing and talking about the day of the Lord that is building

up to the event that we know is the end of the age and the end times that is

discussed throughout the New Testament, which is going to occur at a 70 when

the destruction of the temple occurs.

Okay, here's our reading assignment.

Have fun with this one.

Read Second Thessalonians over one to two sessions.

It's a short one.

You could read it in one sitting, maybe read it a couple of

times to make sure you get it.

What's after that?

Next we move to First Corinthians, a gifted but divided church

that needs to be recentered on the cross and the resurrection.

Remember, that's the glue that holds these people together.

It's that Resurrection.

It separates them out from the other kingdoms, Rome and Jerusalem, that these

people are living in the context that they're living in during this time.

Once again, remember to download those items, and check out the info at K

two M Foundation slash NT 90, and let's do this before you read second.

Thessalonians, picture this.

It's 80 51.

Late.

The first letter helped, but new problems have emerged.

Someone is circulating a letter claiming to be from Paul, saying the

day of the Lord has already come.

The Thessalonians are rattled.

Some think they've missed it, others have quit working.

Entirely convinced the end is so near that ordinary life doesn't.

Matter anymore.

Paul writes again urgently, clearly.

Don't be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed.

Now, let's read.