2 Thessalonians: Outlines



TRUTHS ESSETIAL FOR PROPER CHRISTIAN HOPE back to top

The Truth about the Children of Light back to top
  • Increased faith and love in persecution is a sign that believers will be counted worthy of kingdom (1:5)
  • Increased persecution is evidence that God is just and right (1:5)
  • God will give relief to those who are troubled, including the apostles (1:7)
  • Believers are chosen to be saved by God (2:13)
  • Beleivers are saved by the sanctifying work of the Sprit and through belief in the truth (2:13)
  • Beleivers are called through the gospel to share the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (2:14)
  • This is the basis for standing firm in the teachings we have received (2:15)
  • God loved us and gave us eternal encouragement and good hope by His grace (2:16)
  • He is the one who encourages our hearts and strengthens us for service in deed and word (2:17)
  • The Lord is faithful to strengthen and protect us from the evil one (3:3)
  • Beleivers encouraged to never tire of doing what is right (3:13)

The Truth about the Hopeless Enemies of the Gospel back to top
  • God will pay back trouble to those who trouble his church (1:6)
  • He will punish those who do notknow God or obey the Gospel of the Lord (1:8)
  • They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord (1:9)
  • God sends a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie (2:11)
  • So everyone who has not believed the truth, but has delighted in wickedness, will be condemned (2:12)

The Truth about Children Who Act Like Hopeless Enemies back to top
  • Avoidance of idler and rebel is commanded by Paul (3:6)
  • Idlers are commanded to settle down and earn the bread they eat (3:12)
  • Anyone in rebellion against apostolic authority is to be shunned so that they will be ashamed (3:14)
  • Yet, the rebel is not to be regarded as a pagan, but as a brother (3:15)

The Truth about the Man of Lawlessness back to top
  • The man of lawlessness will set himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2:4)
  • The man of lawlessness will oppose and exalt himself over everything worshipped as God (2:4)
  • The one who holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way (2:7)
  • The secret power of lawlessness is already at work (2:7)
  • The man of lawlessness will be destroyed by the splendor of Jesus coming (2:8)
  • Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed (2:8)
  • The man of lawlessness will be overthrown by Jesus, by the breath of his mouth (2:8)
  • The coming of lawlessness will be in accordance with the work of Satan (2:9)
  • The work of lawlessness will come with counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2:9)
  • The coming of lawlessness will be with every type of evil that deceives those who are perishing (2:10)

The Truth about the Coming of Christ back to top
  • God will comfort his people when Jesus is revealed from heaven (1:7)
  • Jesus will be revealed with blazing fire with his powerful angels (1:7)
  • He will be glorified in His holy people and marvelled at among those who have believed (1:10)
  • This will happen on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people (1:10)
  • The day of the Lord will not come until the rebellion when the man of lawlessness is revealed (2:3)
  • A Community In Need Of Re-Evaluation And Focus
  • A True Evaluation Of The Thessalonian Community
  • Thessalonian believers were suffering on behalf of God's kingdom (1:5)
  • They are included because they believed the testimony of Paul (1:10)
  • The Thessalonians are included in the throng of marvelling believers (1:10)
  • The Thessalonians faith and love are both growing (2:3)
  • Paul boasts about their perseverence and faith in persecutions and trials (2:4)
  • Paul has confidence in the Lord that the Thessalonians will be faithful (3:4)
  • Thessalonians told to avoid the idler and the rebel against his teaching (3:6)
  • Some among the Thessalonians are idle busybodies (3:11)

A COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS TO KNOW THERE'S STILL HOPE: A True Evaluation of the Reality and Necessity of God's Work in Their Midst back to top
  • Paul prays that God will count them worthy of his calling (1:11)
  • Paul prays that by God's power he will fulfill every good purpose of theirs (1:11)
  • Paul prays that God will fulfill every act prompted by faith (1:11)
  • He prays this so that they might be glorified in Christ (1:12)
  • He prays this so the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in them (1:12)
  • God chose the Thessalonians to be saved through the Spirit's sanctifying work (2:13)
  • Paul's request is that the Thessalonians might be encouraged and strengthened by God (2:16,17)
  • Paul's desire is that God will direct their hearts into His love and Christ's perseverence (3:5)
  • Paul's desire for the Lord of peace to grant them peace and be with them (3:16)

PAUL'S PRAYERS AND DEVOTION FOR THE THESSALONIAN BELIEVERS back to top

Paul's Prayers for the Thessalonians back to top
  • Paul prays that God will fulfill every act prompted by faith (1:11)
  • Paul prays that God will count them worthy of his calling (1:11)
  • Paul prays that by God's power he will fulfill every good purpose of theirs (1:11)
  • Paul prays this so that they might be glorified in Christ (1:12)
  • Paul prays this so the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in them (1:12)
  • Paul's request is that the Thessalonians might be encouraged and strengthened by God (2:16,17)
  • Paul's prayer request that the word will spread rapidly (3:1)
  • Paul's prayer request is to be delivered from the hands of evil men (3:2)
  • Paul's request is that God will direct their hearts into His love and Christ's perseverence (3:5)
  • Paul's request for the Lord of peace to grant them peace and be with them (3:16)

Paul's Devotion and Ministry back to top
  • Paul sees it as necessary to thank God for the Thessalonians (1:3)
  • Paul doesn't want them to be confused or deceived about the coming of the Lord (2:1-3)
  • Paul had instructed the Thessalonians about the man of lawlessness when with them (2:5)
  • Paul rejoices in the election of the Thessalonian believers (2:13)
  • Paul reminds them of his model, and the reason for such a model in their presence (3:6-10)
  • Paul worked day and night to provide for himself while he was with them (3:8)

DIACHRONIC OVERVIEW back to top

The Present and Future of Believers back to top
  • Increased persecution is evidence that God is just and right (1:5)
  • Increased faith and love in persecution is a sign that believers will be counted worthy of kingdom (1:5)
  • God will give relief to those who are troubled, including the apostles (1:7)
  • The Lord is faithful to strengthen and protect us from the evil one (2:3)
  • Believers are saved by the sanctifying work of the Sprit and through belief in the truth (2:13)
  • Believers are chosen to be saved by God (2:13)
  • Believers are called through the gospel to share the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (2:14)
  • This is the basis for standing firm in the teachings we have received (2:15)
  • God loved us and gave us eternal encouragement and good hope by His grace (2:16)
  • He is the one who encourages our hearts and strengthens us for service in deed and word (2:17)

The Future of Unbelievers back to top
  • God will pay back trouble to those who trouble his church (1:6)
  • He will punish those who do notknow God or obey the Gospel of the Lord (1:8)
  • They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord (1:9)
  • God sends a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie (2:11)
  • So everyone who has not believed the truth, but has delighted in wickedness, will be condemned (2:12)

Pending Eschatological Events back to top
  • This will happen when Jesus is revealed from heaven (1:7)
  • Jesus will be revealed with blazing fire with his powerful angels (1:7)
  • This will happen on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people (1:10)
  • He will be glorified in His holy people and marvelled at among those who have believed (1:10)
  • The day of the Lord will not come until the rebellion when the man of lawlessness is revealed (2:3)
  • The man of lawlessness will oppose and exalt himself over everything worshipped as God (2:4)
  • The man of lawlessness will set himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2:4)
  • The one who holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way (2:7)
  • The secret power of lawlessness is already at work (2:7)
  • The man of lawlessness will be destroyed by the splendor of Jesus coming (2:8)
  • Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed (2:8)
  • The man of lawlessness will be overthrown by Jesus, by the breath of his mouth (2:8)
  • The coming of lawlessness will be in accordance with the work of Satan (2:9)
  • The work of lawlessness will come with counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2:9)
  • The coming of lawlessness will be with every type of evil that deceives those who are perishing (2:10)