Gathered Together with Jesus—Pentecost 22C/Proper 27C (2 Thessalonians 2)

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

2 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, ² not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. ⁴ He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. ⁵ Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?

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¹³ But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

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                The Thessalonian letters have a distinctive apocalyptic dimension. Here in 2 Thessalonians Paul is addressing the concerns of the believers in Thessaloniki regarding the timing of Jesus’ return. From the beginning of the Christian movement, apocalyptic movements and concerns have emerged. Often, they coincide with transitional moments in history, such as what we’re experiencing at this moment. But it’s not new. I remember that during my youth, many of us assumed that Jesus would return at any moment. We were looking for the signs of that moment. It seemed as if everything spoken of in Scripture was coming true (regarding these eschatological questions, Ron Allen and I address them in a forthcoming book titled Second Thoughts on the Second Coming, WJK Books, 2023). So here in 2 Thessalonians Paul seeks to calm the folks concerning the timing of Jesus’ return. Jesus will return, that’s Paul’s message, but there’s no need to worry about the timing. Just be prepared.

                He tells the folks not to be alarmed by other teachers who were warning them that the day of the Lord had already arrived. While there will be signs that will signal that the end is near—signs such as rebellion and the revealing of the lawless one who is destined for destruction—even such signs are not full proof. Thus, Paul’s message here is somewhat ambiguous. Looking back, we might ask what rebellion Paul has in mind and against whom is this rebellion directed. Is it a political entity or perhaps God? Of course, there have been many rebellions through the centuries. If, as many scholars believe, this letter is pseudonymous, it could be a reference to the Jewish Wars that led to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. Reading from our point in time, it could also serve as a recognition that things will remain unsettled until the day of Jesus’ return. History has proven that to be true.  

                Regarding this word about the Lawless One, perhaps we can read it metaphorically. The author (Paul or the author writing in Paul’s name) likely had the Roman emperor in mind. They, like the figure of Antiochus Epiphanes who stands behind a similar person in the Book of Daniel, exalted themselves to a place of divinity. So, we read about the one who “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God” (2 Thess. 2:4). We know that Caligula attempted to place a statue of himself in the Jerusalem Temple but was deterred from doing so. While Caligula was killed in 41 CE, he wasn’t alone in envisioning himself with divine status. Whoever the author has in mind, if there is a particular person in mind, we can read into this person any number of historical figures, including current ones, who see themselves as an object of worship or veneration. Consider political leaders, often dictators or those who envision themselves similarly, who demand total loyalty from their followers. Recent memory brings to mind Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Putin, and even certain American politicians who shall remain unnamed (let the reader understand). The word here is simply this, such figures may elevate themselves to divine status but in the end, they will be destroyed. Yes, they will be revealed for who they really are!

                The lectionary creators ask us to jump down from verse 5 to verse 13. By doing this, we skip over more details regarding the lawless one, who is said to be at work in secret (behind the scenes) and waiting to be revealed. For now, he is being held back, but even after his revealing, when Jesus returns, the lawless one will be destroyed by Jesus’ breath.  The lawless one might try to mislead (be a trickster) and people will follow him believing the lie rather than the truth because they enjoy the lawless life, but that way leads only to destruction (verses 6-12).

             While the opening section of the chapter focuses on the congregation’s unsettledness regarding the return of Jesus, when we come to verse 13, we receive a word of encouragement. Paul offers a word of thanksgiving for the members of this community, who are beloved of God.  In fact, he notes that God had chosen them “as the first fruits for salvation.” Or as the First Nations Version renders it, they are “the first among those he will set free and make whole.” God does this by sanctifying them “by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” While the Thessalonian believers are the “first fruits of salvation,” it was through the Gospel preached by Paul and his companions that God called them into this experience of salvation so that they might experience the glory of Jesus.

                Having received the Gospel, which produced salvation, and having experienced the glory of Jesus, Paul calls on them to stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us.” In other words, don’t listen to other teachers. Simply pay attention to what they had received from Paul either through their preaching/teaching ministry in person or by their letters. This word about standing firm in the message given to the church by Paul does suggest that other teachers had come into the community and had produced confusion. That confusion may center on Jesus’ future return. It might also be a warning against falling prey to the Lawless One. Whatever the threat, Paul calls on the people to heed the message previously shared with them by Paul and his companions. There is here and elsewhere in the Pauline letters a sense of ownership of the communities Paul had planted. These teachings aren’t hidden ones, but ones preached openly.

                Although the letter is not complete, we hear something of a benediction in verses 16 and 17. Paul asks that the Lord Jesus and God the Father, who loved them and “through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,” would comfort their hearts and “strengthen them in every good work and word.” Having been chosen by God to receive salvation, they receive by grace eternal comfort and good hope, so that they might be strengthened to engage in “every good work and word.” In other words, salvation is not an end in itself. It is an act of divine healing so that one might share good works and words. As Molly Marshall suggests, according to Paul, “we cannot do what God desires without the divine assistance. Our speech and actions, if they be good are upheld by God’s power and encouragement” [1 & 2 Thessalonians, Belief, p. 170.]  We have our responsibilities, but we do not engage in them on our own. That is good news, especially for a community like the one receiving this letter that has experienced some form of trauma. That would be true of many of us as well. Ultimately, we all need that grace if we are going to pursue this path with Jesus.   

  Image Attribution: hrist in Glory, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55288 [retrieved October 30, 2022]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Charles_Seminary_(Carthagena,_Ohio),_Chapel_of_the_Assumption,_tabernacle_and_mosaic.jpg.