WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.030 --> 00:00:02.860 Henry: Welcome to immerse, the daily bible reading experience. 00:00:02.988 --> 00:00:03.548 Day 20. 00:00:04.177 --> 00:00:06.277 Intro 3: II Thess: immersed in Second Thessalonians. 00:00:08.737 --> 00:00:11.797 Even though Paul had already written one letter to the new believers 00:00:11.802 --> 00:00:15.457 in Thessalonica, they still needed more guidance and encouragement. 00:00:16.117 --> 00:00:19.957 Someone claiming to be Paul had apparently also written to them, telling 00:00:19.957 --> 00:00:21.547 them something entirely different. 00:00:22.597 --> 00:00:25.897 One of the Thessalonians main concerns had been about when Jesus 00:00:25.897 --> 00:00:29.227 would return to Earth to initiate God's rule and its fullness. 00:00:30.457 --> 00:00:34.057 Paul had explained in his earlier letter that the exact time of Jesus 00:00:34.057 --> 00:00:35.647 return could not be predicted. 00:00:36.397 --> 00:00:40.357 He encouraged the believers to live in such a way that Jesus would be honored 00:00:40.357 --> 00:00:42.607 by their lives no matter when he came. 00:00:43.537 --> 00:00:48.127 But the false letter they had received said that the day of the Lord understood 00:00:48.132 --> 00:00:52.657 to refer to God's decisive victory over his enemies had already begun. 00:00:53.287 --> 00:00:56.767 These false teachers claim to have received visions and 00:00:56.767 --> 00:00:58.117 revelations confirming it. 00:00:58.897 --> 00:01:01.747 This was making the Thessalonians question what Paul had told them 00:01:01.747 --> 00:01:03.967 in person and in his first letter. 00:01:05.317 --> 00:01:09.337 So Paul wrote again, and since letters were usually dictated to a scribe, 00:01:09.727 --> 00:01:13.447 he now authenticated his letter with a personal signature at the end. 00:01:14.197 --> 00:01:17.587 This letter now known as Second Thessalonians, addressed these 00:01:17.587 --> 00:01:21.307 new concerns and reasserted some of Paul's earlier teachings. 00:01:22.237 --> 00:01:25.597 Paul explains that Jesus will not return until a figure called 00:01:25.597 --> 00:01:27.997 the Man of Lawlessness appears. 00:01:28.732 --> 00:01:31.612 This person will be the culmination of evil on earth. 00:01:32.242 --> 00:01:36.322 He will deceive the world into worshiping him as God and violently 00:01:36.322 --> 00:01:38.062 suppress the worship of anyone else. 00:01:38.692 --> 00:01:42.172 His arrival will be the climax of the struggle between good and evil, 00:01:42.622 --> 00:01:47.062 at which point Jesus will return to defeat the man of lawlessness 00:01:47.392 --> 00:01:48.922 and establish God's kingdom. 00:01:49.852 --> 00:01:53.422 Paul then confirms what he said before exactly how and when 00:01:53.422 --> 00:01:55.312 this will happen is unknown. 00:01:56.137 --> 00:02:00.487 The important thing is to live well for God now facing suffering 00:02:00.487 --> 00:02:04.057 and persecution with endurance and with hope in Christ's return. 00:02:04.867 --> 00:02:08.287 Finally, Paul again observes that some in their community were still 00:02:08.292 --> 00:02:10.087 refusing to work, to earn a living. 00:02:10.867 --> 00:02:15.187 Apparently, they had become even bolder in this idle way of life, possibly 00:02:15.192 --> 00:02:18.787 in the wake of the visions and the false letter claiming that the time of 00:02:18.787 --> 00:02:20.527 the Lord's return had already begun. 00:02:21.412 --> 00:02:24.052 So Paul is forced to oppose them even more strongly. 00:02:24.052 --> 00:02:28.012 In this second letter, he tells a community of believers to stay away 00:02:28.012 --> 00:02:31.792 from those who won't work, urging them to correct those who are idle the 00:02:31.792 --> 00:02:33.862 way they would, a brother or sister. 00:02:39.592 --> 00:02:42.052 The second letter to the Thessalonians, 00:02:44.632 --> 00:02:47.752 this letter is from Paul Silas and Timothy. 00:02:49.567 --> 00:02:54.157 We are riding to the church in Thessalonica to you who belong to God, 00:02:54.187 --> 00:02:56.857 our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:02:58.327 --> 00:03:03.427 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 00:03:06.307 --> 00:03:11.197 Dear brothers and sisters, we can't help but thank God for you because 00:03:11.197 --> 00:03:14.737 your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 00:03:15.952 --> 00:03:19.882 We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and 00:03:19.882 --> 00:03:24.802 faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. 00:03:25.882 --> 00:03:30.592 And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make 00:03:30.592 --> 00:03:36.502 you worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering in his justice. 00:03:36.982 --> 00:03:39.142 He will pay back those who persecute you. 00:03:40.282 --> 00:03:43.732 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted. 00:03:44.062 --> 00:03:45.232 And also for us. 00:03:45.232 --> 00:03:50.002 When the Lord Jesus appears from heaven, he will come with his mighty 00:03:50.007 --> 00:03:54.532 angels in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know 00:03:54.532 --> 00:03:59.632 God, and on those who refuse to obey the good news of our Lord Jesus. 00:04:00.532 --> 00:04:05.422 They will be punished with eternal destruction forever separated from 00:04:05.427 --> 00:04:08.002 the Lord and from his glorious power. 00:04:09.337 --> 00:04:15.457 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people, praise from 00:04:15.457 --> 00:04:22.177 all who believe, and this includes you for you believed what we told you about him. 00:04:23.257 --> 00:04:27.877 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to 00:04:27.877 --> 00:04:29.917 live a life worthy of his call. 00:04:30.637 --> 00:04:33.517 May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things 00:04:33.517 --> 00:04:35.017 your faith prompts you to do. 00:04:36.052 --> 00:04:40.192 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live 00:04:40.612 --> 00:04:42.532 and you will be honored along with him. 00:04:43.852 --> 00:04:49.132 This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:50.662 --> 00:04:55.102 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the 00:04:55.102 --> 00:04:59.812 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 00:05:00.757 --> 00:05:04.417 Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the 00:05:04.417 --> 00:05:06.397 day of the Lord has already begun. 00:05:07.207 --> 00:05:08.437 Don't believe them. 00:05:08.857 --> 00:05:13.687 Even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or 00:05:13.687 --> 00:05:20.107 a letter supposedly from us, don't be fooled by what they say for that 00:05:20.107 --> 00:05:24.427 day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and 00:05:24.427 --> 00:05:26.497 the man of lawlessness is revealed. 00:05:27.292 --> 00:05:32.122 The one who brings destruction, he will exalt himself and defy 00:05:32.122 --> 00:05:35.812 everything that people call God in every object of worship. 00:05:36.442 --> 00:05:40.972 He will even sit in the temple of God claiming that he himself is God. 00:05:41.962 --> 00:05:45.502 Don't you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 00:05:46.312 --> 00:05:49.042 And you know what is holding him back for? 00:05:49.042 --> 00:05:54.292 He can be revealed only when his time comes for this lawlessness 00:05:54.292 --> 00:05:56.032 is already at work secretly. 00:05:56.422 --> 00:05:59.572 And it will remain secret until the one who is holding 00:05:59.572 --> 00:06:01.912 it back steps out of the way. 00:06:02.872 --> 00:06:05.632 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed. 00:06:06.022 --> 00:06:10.252 But the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy 00:06:10.252 --> 00:06:12.142 him by the splendor of his coming. 00:06:13.162 --> 00:06:16.702 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit 00:06:16.702 --> 00:06:18.862 power and signs and miracles. 00:06:19.582 --> 00:06:24.592 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction 00:06:25.072 --> 00:06:29.512 because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 00:06:30.862 --> 00:06:36.292 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived and they will believe these lies. 00:06:37.312 --> 00:06:40.732 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than 00:06:40.732 --> 00:06:44.212 believing the truth as for us. 00:06:45.157 --> 00:06:47.347 We can't help but thank God for you. 00:06:47.407 --> 00:06:50.017 Dear brothers and sisters, loved by the Lord. 00:06:50.767 --> 00:06:53.947 We are always thankful that God shows you to be among the 00:06:53.947 --> 00:06:55.987 first to experience salvation. 00:06:56.647 --> 00:07:00.127 A salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy, 00:07:00.367 --> 00:07:04.957 and through your belief in the truth, he called you to salvation. 00:07:04.957 --> 00:07:08.737 When we told you the good news, now you can share in the 00:07:08.737 --> 00:07:11.227 glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:07:12.142 --> 00:07:17.452 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep 00:07:17.452 --> 00:07:22.732 a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. 00:07:24.262 --> 00:07:30.802 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father, who loved us and by 00:07:30.802 --> 00:07:36.622 his grace, gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen 00:07:36.622 --> 00:07:39.742 you in every good thing you do and say. 00:07:42.172 --> 00:07:46.342 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. 00:07:46.852 --> 00:07:51.142 Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes. 00:07:51.532 --> 00:07:53.482 Just as when it came to you. 00:07:54.022 --> 00:07:58.102 Pray too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people. 00:07:58.432 --> 00:08:02.842 For not everyone is a believer, but the Lord is faithful. 00:08:03.202 --> 00:08:06.262 He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 00:08:06.742 --> 00:08:10.402 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue 00:08:10.402 --> 00:08:12.682 to do the things we commanded you. 00:08:13.792 --> 00:08:18.202 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression 00:08:18.622 --> 00:08:22.822 of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. 00:08:24.202 --> 00:08:28.852 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the 00:08:28.852 --> 00:08:31.252 name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:08:32.272 --> 00:08:36.712 Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don't follow the 00:08:36.712 --> 00:08:41.662 tradition they received from us for you know that you ought to imitate us. 00:08:42.262 --> 00:08:44.182 We were not idle when we were with you. 00:08:44.692 --> 00:08:47.872 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. 00:08:48.412 --> 00:08:53.092 We worked hard day and night, so we would not be a burden to any of you. 00:08:53.902 --> 00:08:57.712 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to 00:08:57.712 --> 00:08:59.482 give you an example to follow. 00:09:00.157 --> 00:09:03.877 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command. 00:09:04.717 --> 00:09:10.447 Those unwilling to work will not get to eat yet we hear that some of you are 00:09:10.447 --> 00:09:15.217 living idle lives, refusing to work in meddling in other people's business. 00:09:15.967 --> 00:09:19.417 We command such people in, urge them in the name of the Lord 00:09:19.417 --> 00:09:23.827 Jesus Christ, to settle down and work to earn their own living. 00:09:24.922 --> 00:09:30.412 As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 00:09:31.312 --> 00:09:35.032 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. 00:09:35.842 --> 00:09:38.992 Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 00:09:39.712 --> 00:09:44.812 Don't think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. 00:09:47.197 --> 00:09:52.957 Now, may the Lord of Peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every 00:09:52.957 --> 00:09:56.377 situation, the Lord be with you all. 00:09:57.697 --> 00:10:03.697 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting, Paul, I do this in all 00:10:03.697 --> 00:10:06.217 my letters to prove they are from me. 00:10:07.807 --> 00:10:11.947 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. 00:10:13.822 --> 00:10:16.702 This concludes today's Immer Reading experience. 00:10:16.822 --> 00:10:18.052 Thank you for joining us.