Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus,
unto the church of the Thessalonians
in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace,
from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
2Thessalonians 1:1-2
As we begin this second letter to the Thessalonica Church we must ask the question: Why the need to write? This will be answered in this blog. Paul was writing to them again from Athens and the person who came to Paul from Thessalonica was the same man who came the first time, only this time the reason was different. The Thessalonican Christians had question in regard to Paul's first letter to them and the problem was about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This needed clarification and only Paul could clarify what he wrote,therefore, this man came for that clarification.
Once again for those who hold fast to Arianism, that which teaches that Jesus was a man and not God, or that Jesus was "a god," but not God we look to the Greek grammar for clarification. the Greek word: "kai," translated "and," or "also," and is not used as we use the word "and" in our English language. We do at times use it as did the Greek but often it is only due to context which is a correct way to understand this word only the Greek grammar is more succinct. The Greek work, "kai," can be used copulative, that is the word means to unite and often refers to sexual intercourse, but has a larger meaning, "and" serves to connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal rank. In Greek when the antecedent noun does not have the definite article and then "kai" is used and the next noun does not have the definite article this word is copulative making both nouns to be equal. Therefore when Paul joins God and (kai) with Jesus in the sentence the meaning is that both are equal therefore this speaks to the fact that Jesus is God, not just equal to God but has the same rank as God. The word "kai" can also be used cumulative or have a cumulative force, a separation between nouns and often used with other particles or small words. Example: I see Bill, and John. This is cumulative or is a separation between nouns. In English we do not put the definite article with those words: I see the Bill, and the John, but in our English idiom we understand this separation between the two, in Greek there is clarity so that there is clarification as to how we are to understand this phrase: "God our Father and Lord (the word "the" in English Bibles is added for there is no definite article before Lord in the original Greek) Jesus Christ. Those who will not accept the Trinity do not understand Greek or the ignore Greek grammar.
Paul continues: "We ought to thank God always concerning you, brethren, as it is meet, because your faith increases exceedingly, and love abounds of every one of you all toward each other: so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you" (2Thessalonians 1:3-6). Question: Is your faith growing? This is the thrust of this blog to aid you to grow in faith, to become more like Jesus Christ, to be an Authentic Christian and not just "Christian" in name, or to be a nominal Christian, a cultural Christian. The Thessalonians were under persecution. Claudius (41-54) was having problems in Britain and elsewhere as in Alexandria for there was violence, bloodthirsty and a longstanding dispute between the Greeks and the Jews and both parties had sent to Claudius deputations and his reply: "As for the question which party was responsible for the riots and feud (or rather, if the truth be told, the war) with Jews....I was unwilling to make a strict enquiry, though guarding within me a store of immutable indignation against whichever party renews the conflict; and I tell you once and for all that unless you put a stop to this ruinous and obstinate enmity against each other, I shall be driven to show what a benevolent princeps can be when turned to righteous indignation." Christians were thought to be just another sect of Judaism and from history we are told that the Greeks in general held animosity towards both Jews and Christians. Then came Nero (54-68) and while he attempted to bring to Rome some civility, at least at the first, in time the situation in Rome was growing worse. He needed to find a way to settle this problem. Once such thing he did was to punish suspects and Paul was in Rome at this time and was apparently also considered a suspect for ecclesiastical history informs us that under Nero Paul was beheaded. While much of the persecutions Christians had to undergo from local cities and governors, this persecution had the blessing, at least in some sense, the approval of Rome.
Why this history? We need to understand the times, what were the Christians undergoing so we can understand their thinking and when there was some confusion about what was written they needed clarifications for some were taking this in ways that did not seem to be what Paul had written. This is done today and in the next blogs I will address how their problem is also a problem today. I hope and pray that you read this letter and take time to examine what I write. we are to grow in faith and one way this is done correctly is to have a correct view according to Scripture and not some man's speculation.
For thou shalt worship no other God:
for the LORD, whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God: lest thou make a convenant
with the inhabitants of the land, and they
go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice
unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou
eat of his sacrifice.
Exodus 34:14-15
God Loves you with jealousy
Richard L. Crumb
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