II Thessalonians 3:1-18 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. (v. 4) Paul has real confidence in the Thessalonians – in this case, confidence that they will follow his teachings (commands). Earlier I posted about the “third-person compliments” (I Thessalonians 1:9) …
Category Archives: RTB 2020 – Epistles
April 12 / II Thess. 2:1-17
II Thessalonians 2:1-17 Paul’s long sentences and parenthetical expressions often make for difficult reading. I posted in part on this difficulty yesterday. This happens twice today, in verses 1 and 2, then immediately again in verses 3 and 4. Look below at how these verses can be more easily understood when you read the entire …
April 11 / II Thess. 1:1-12
II Thessalonians 1:1-12 I was having trouble with verse 6: …since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you. I wondered how Paul knew that the unbelieving tormenters in Thessalonica were being repaid with affliction. Did Silas and Timothy bring back word to that effect? Then I realized that the …
April 10 / I Thess. 5:12-28
I Thessalonians 5:12-28 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. (vv. 12-13) That short phrase, “in the Lord” is important. When I first read it, I thought Paul might …
April 9 / I Thess. 5:1-11
I Thessalonians 5:1-11 Instead of triads today, I saw two interesting duets. Here’s the first: …the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night … and …sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman. (vv. 2-3) The thief and the pregnant woman… The former comes …
April 8 / I Thess. 4:13-18
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 I get the feeling from today’s reading that Paul thought Jesus’ return was in the very near term. Now, almost 2000 years later we still wonder about His return – yet we still believe and wait. I appreciated Paul’s compassion for his readers, especially his regard for their concern for their fellow …
April 7 / I Thess. 4:1-12
I Thessalonians 4:1-12 Paul writes “more and more” twice, in verses 1 and 10. There are really different senses for what Paul is saying in different translations. For example, the NKJV has that you …abound more and more… and that you …increase more and more… (respectively). The words “abound” and “increase” have an evangelistic ring …
April 6 / I Thess. 3:1-13
I Thessalonians 3:1-13 I would have let you find your own triads today, but there is one that shows up in the NKJV only. Whereas the ESV has …we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ… (v. 2), the NKJV has …Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our …
April 5 / I Thess. 2:13-20
I Thessalonians 2:13-20 Please forgive my focus on the triads! But when you look for the triads, you find them. The triad in verse 19 is clear: hope, joy, crown of boasting. But another is more hidden in verses 13 and 14: …you received … and accepted the word of God… (v. 13), you became …
April 4 / I Thess. 2:1-12
I Thessalonians 2:1-12 The triads… Once you are aware of them, you tend to see them quite often. I counted three today; the first two are obvious: …how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct… (v. 10) and …we exhorted … and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of …