Thursday, August 19, 2010

What Paul was thinking....

...about the Thessalonians.

"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness." 1 Thess 2:1-3

Is Paul laying out as eschatological principle for all time or is he writing a letter to the Thessalonians? Is the Bible written to us or for us? Reading Doug Wilson, I have taking his counsel to not immediately ask "How does this apply to me?" but what was Paul saying to the church? He was concerned about the church being shaken and alarmed by a certain teaching. He presents an argument to refute that teaching. He is actually reminding them of this argument which he presented in person (2 Thess 2:5), likely quoting Daniel to them. He is reminding them to be faithful to scripture and to wait for God to fulfill his promises, which include in this case, the Destruction of the (standing) temple.

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