by Gary L. Evans
(revised 7/30/2023)
Thessalonians — Part 6
1Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
The word “feebleminded” is from the Greek “ol-ig-op’-soo-khos” which means “little spirited, that is, faint hearted.” We should offer comfort to others who are depressed by the troubles of this world.
1Th 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
We must be willing to suffer persecution quietly, and not to seek vengeance. And do not expect that unbelievers are capable of understanding us when we complain about not being treated fairly, because most of them will not show any empathy or sympathy. We must focus our attention on serving The Lord in sincerity and truth. God is our Judge, and also He is the Judge of everyone in this world.
1Th 5:16-17 Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.
Always be aware that God Most High sees everything in our lives, and commune with Him in your thoughts. He hears you. And be diligent in being thankful for all of the good things God gives you.
1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Thanksgiving from the heart is the way to true happiness and peace of mind in this evil world. We can always compare ourselves to others, but what can that produce other than disappointment? Never be covetous of others, not only because it is transgression of The Tenth Commandment, but also because it is the way to misery and mental depression. If we do compare ourselves, consider how much we have that many others lack. Are you able to see with your eyes? God gave them to you. Are you able to hear with your ears? God gave them to you. Can you walk and talk? God gave you those abilities. Everything you have is the gift of God. Do not be ungrateful, but instead be thankful and make wise use of them. And The Lord will give you more.
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
Do not refuse The Holy Spirit. Study God’s Word daily. If you are a new convert, The Baby Jesus dwelling in you needs “The Sincere Milk of The Word.” And if you are mature in Christ, the The Young Man Christ Jesus dwelling in you needs Strong Meat, Bread, and Wine from The Lord’s Table, which is The Word of God.
1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
The Holy Mind of Christ within us gives us insights about God’s Word. Listen to each other during study, because students very often perceive things that increase the knowledge of their teachers.
1Th 5:21-23 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will receive our full reward at The Return of Christ. We must remain faithful and avoid sin so that we are worthy. The Holy Spirit within us provides us with the power to endure and be successful in doing God’s Will for us in this world.
1Th 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
God is faithful, and He will protect your mind from deception and will also empower you to be successful in accomplishing His Will.
1Th 5:25-28 Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
The first epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
Thessalonians — Part 7
2Th 1:1-5 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. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; 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 counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Paul shows the members of this assembly his appreciation for their continued faithfulness to Christ and their willingness to endure the persecution from the unbelievers of the world around them.
2Th 1:6-7 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
God will Judge everyone according to their deeds, so our part is to endure suffering and remain faithful. Our Father will deal with anyone who harms us in due time.
Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
When our Lord Returns to this earth, He will bring with Him all of His Elect who have lived and died and returned to Heaven before us.
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Christ will establish His Eternal Kingdom right here on earth. And everyone, the good and the bad, will gather and bow before Him.
2Th 1:8-10 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Everyone who has accepted Christ in this flesh world and overcome the deception of Satan will be rewarded with unimaginable benefits, the first one being Eternal Life, and secondly with assignments that will last for the Eternity as kings and priests of The Lord. This is called The First Resurrection.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Everyone of The First Resurrection will rule with Christ for one thousand years, and it is implied also that they will rule with Him thereafter for The Eternity. These will be most happy.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. Those who are still dead in their sins must wait until The Judgment. At that time there will be a second test and a Second Resurrection, so that all among the dead who overcome the deception of Satan at the end of that one thousand years will gain Eternal Life. These will receive their final testing when Satan is loosed for a short while at the end of The Millennium.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Those who did not believe in Jesus and did not enter into The New Covenant but were deceived by Satan will be “weeping, wailing, and gnashing their teeth” in anguish for having rejected The Truth. For them there will be fear and trembling as they wait for The Day of Judgment at the end of The Millennium, because they will still be subject to The Second Death, the Death of The Soul.
It is so much better beyond our comprehension, my friends, to be counted worthy to take part in The First Resurrection, which is that Eternal Life promised to us in The New Covenant sealed with The Blood of Christ.
2Th 1:11-12 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is by God’s unmerited favor toward us that we have been brought to repentance and into belief in Christ Jesus. We cannot take credit even for our own faith, because even our faith is The Gift of God. We are therefore thankful for everything our Heavenly Father has given to us, starting with our own existence, and then for each talent and ability that He has given to us, and finally for our faith in Jesus and our hope in obtaining Eternal Life.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
Thessalonians — Part 8
2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
The subject is THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND OUR GATHERING TOGETHER WITH HIM. Call this the “rapture” if you want to, even though that word is not in The Bible, because this will be exactly how it will happen. We are not going anywhere. Our Lord is coming back here to this earth to establish His Kingdom.
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
We must not be upset or startled by anything in this world, not even by any of Paul’s letters or by any of the other Apostles or by any verse of Scripture, as that Christ has already returned.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The Lord CANNOT RETURN UNTIL AFTER:
1) The Falling Away, which is The Great Apostasy
2) The appearance of The Man of Sin, The Son of Perdition
The Apostasy is already well underway. Many so-called Christian churches have completely rejected The Word of God and have incorporated secular psychology and philosophy into their teaching. Many do not even teach about repentance anymore, and even allow practicing homosexuals into the clergy as preachers and teachers. No unrepentant sinner can enter The Kingdom of God. Repentance from sin is the first requirement for anyone to enter into The New Covenant. Such “churches” are not Christian, my friends, so do not be deceived by them.
That Man of Sin is none other than That Old Serpent, Satan, The Devil when he is cast out of Heaven down to earth by Michael.
Rev 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
When Satan is cast out of Heaven, this will be the appearance of that Man of Sin. He is also called, The Son of Perdition. Satan will come into this world pretending to be Jesus Christ returned.
Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
The Second Beast of Revelation will be The Antichrist at the end of this world, Satan, The Devil, and after our Lord returns he will be cast into The Bottomless Pit. At the end of The Millennium he will be released to test all of those who are still dead in their sins to give them an opportunity to overcome the deception of Satan. Then Satan will be cast into The Lake of Fire, which is The Second Death, also called The Death of The Soul. The word “perdition” means “death,” and that is why Satan is also called “The Son of Perdition,” because he is the only son of God who has already been condemned to The Second Death.
We must not ever be deceived no matter how convincing things may seem in this world. Jesus explained all of this to us when He taught The Seven Seals.
Mat 24:23-24 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Jesus explained that the world would be overwhelmed by many false Christians, that is, many antichrists, false prophets. And eventually one would come, The Antichrist, who will perform many miracles to deceive everyone on earth, except for The Very Elect. But even we will need to remain on guard so that we are not deceived by him.
Mat 24:25-26 Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
All other people will be convinced by The Lie that The Antichrist is Jesus Christ returned, and they will zealously try to convince us also to come with them to Jerusalem to worship him. Many so-called Christians, who have believed the false doctrine of Rapture Theory, are eager to bow in worship to the first “Christ” that comes into this world. They have been set up by that Doctrine of Devils for that purpose, so they will lose their souls.
What did Jesus teach us? He commanded us not to go with them! He commanded us not to believe them! We must think clearly in this matter, my friends. Bowing to a false god is transgression of The First Commandment, and The Antichrist will be a false god.
Mat 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
When our Lord does come AFTER THE APPEARANCE OF THE ANTICHRIST AND AFTER THE GREAT APOSTASY, His arrival will occur faster than lightning streaking across the sky all around the earth. Recall that we will all undergo the Change of Body at that moment, so believe me, we won’t need anyone to tell us that The Lord has come back. EVERYONE WILL IMMEDIATELY KNOW!
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
Thessalonians — Part 9
2Th 2:4-5 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
That Man of Sin, The Son of Perdition, must come BEFORE our Lord returns according to promise. We will be able to recognize him by the things he will say and do. The word “opposeth” is from the Greek “an-tik’-i-mahee” which means “to lie opposite, that is, be adverse (figuratively repugnant) to.” So The Antichrist will be opposite of God Most High, and he will exalt himself above God, and he will go into The Temple and claim to be God. A Temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem before that day, my friends. And it must be according to this prophesy. This event will be very repugnant to true Christians, but it will seem right and good to all other people in this world, because they will be deceived to believe the lie that HE IS GOD!
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
This passage should read, “the abomination of the desolator,” because it refers not to a thing but instead to The Antichrist. And what will be that abominable thing The Desolator will do? He will claim to be God!
Mat 24:16-18 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
When That Old Serpent, Satan, The Devil, stands in The Temple in Jerusalem claiming before the whole world that he is God, then don’t waste time looking back. Just get away from him immediately, at least mentally if that is all you can do. Whatever you do, do not allow him to deceive you. That one will be The Antichrist.
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
Michael holds him back, and when the set time comes and he throws him out of Heaven, then he will be revealed to this world.
2Th 2:7-8 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
When The Lord returns, He will cast Satan into The Bottomless Pit.
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
The Antichrist will come into this world with supernatural deception and performing the miracles of Satan. How? Because he will be Satan, The Devil.
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
But everyone in this world who has not entered The New Covenant will be helpless to stand against him mentally, because they will not have The Mind of Christ, and will willingly bow in worship to him.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
This will be THE FINAL EXAM, the final testing of this flesh world. Our Father’s Word has been available for all men to read and to learn to understand for two thousand years. No one has any excuse not to know how this world will end. But people simply refuse to believe God’s Word. It’s just not very important to them. Most love this world more than they love God, that is, even if they actually believe in God. And most so-called Christians don’t really believe, but instead trust those men who lord over them in their churches to tell them what’s important. So God will put them under strong delusion to believe THE LIE.
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Why will God Most High do this? So they will all be damned.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
Thessalonians — Part 10
2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
All who are brought into The New Covenant were predestined by God for this purpose. We were with God in Heaven before this world was established. Our souls were created In The Beginning, even in The First Earth Age. This is The Second Earth Age. God chose His Elect at the destruction of The First World to be given to The Lord’s service in this world and to receive Eternal Life. We were chosen to believe The Truth of God’s Word.
2Th 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And for that reason The Lord called us to believe The Gospel, to believe The Good Message about The New Covenant sealed with The Blood of Christ.
2Th 2:15-17 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
God has loved us and has given us even our belief in Jesus. And now we work for Eternal rewards, and our consolation is the hope of our calling into The Truth of God’s Word.
2Th 3:1-3 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
The Holy Spirit in us protects us from The Evil One, who is Satan, The Devil, the god of this world.
2Th 3:4-5 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
Our work is to be willing to share our knowledge of Christ with anyone who may be open minded to listen, and to patiently wait for The Return of Jesus Christ.
2Th 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
We should not fellowship with false teachers, or with anyone who claims to be a Christian but who believes and propagates false doctrines contrary to what we learn in The Holy Scriptures.
2Th 3:7-9 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
The Lord allows ministers to receive support from their students, but we are taught not to ask for anything in return for our service. Jesus taught us that anyone who wants to be the greatest among believers must become a servant to them, not a master.
2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
We should work honestly and diligently in this world to support ourselves and our families.
2Th 3:11-12 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
Men who have been presumptuous and expected the members of the assembly to give them money and support, should humble themselves and get a job and support their own selves and teach the assembly free of charge.
2Th 3:13-14 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
And if you are having fellowship with such a presumptuous person, and he is unwilling to submit to this doctrine, then have nothing more to do with him. Maybe he will be ashamed and repent.
2Th 3:15-18 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The second epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.