A Torah Verse By Verse Commentary Of Paul's Epistles by Re'tzon Ha'El - HTML preview

Introduction

Yet another epistle written from Athens, Paul, Timotheus and Silvanus again address the immature Thessalonian ecclesia. Despite having endured greater persecution and tribulation since the first epistle, the believers had increased in faith and love, all to Yeshua’s glory. They were further comforted by the preaching of hope of Yeshua’s return, to judge the wicked, and save the righteous, a theme that had been commenced in the first epistle.  

This second missive further elaborates Yeshua’s return, which needed clarification, as false teachings had since sprouted amongst the congregants, regarding the events and the timing surrounding it. Worse still, some had been hoodwinked into believing that the time was already at hand, which cultivated much trepidation within the vulnerable babes in Messiah, who were not thoroughly versed in scripture. Paul carefully unfolds the course of events that must precede the second advent, and prophesies on the anti-Messiah and the apostasy that shall surely ravage the earth, and separate the true Christians from the false, prior to Yeshua’s gathering of the righteous. I shall give a comprehensive study of the son of perdition, which shall greatly put into context parallel scriptures from both the Tanakh/Old Testament and the Brit Chadashah/New Testament. 

Paul strongly encourages the flock, to hold on to the teachings of Messiah, and prays for Yeshua the Son and Elohim the Father to comfort and continue endowing them with grace and hope unto good deeds, which we shall see can only be found in Torah obedience.

In closing Paul urges the ecclesia to continue praying for him to be delivered from enemies of the gospel, who hinder his preaching of truth to the lost. He reciprocally prays for the ecclesia in Thessalonica who were still enduring persecution, to be imbued with hope and guidance by the Holy Spirit to continue obeying Elohim, and not to lose hope in Yeshua’s return. Additionally, he exhorts them to dissociate themselves from the wicked, especially those planted within the ecclesia, and to continue emulating his ways which entailed a righteous conduct of living. He also encourages self-sufficiency through diligent wholesome work, and not to be idle, as some had become amongst them. For the unruly and disorderly he advised fostering an atmosphere of attempting to rehabilitate such offenders, who after repeated rebellion, were to be ostracised altogether, for the sanctity of the rest of the body of Messiah.

It shall be clearly revealed in this commentary, the central role of Torah obedience in our lives, which attracts the protection and comfort from Elohim when we are faced with adversity. This strengthens our faith and hope in the sure coming of Yeshua, our Messiah, for the salvation of the just, and retribution of the wicked.