Last week we started looking at this text, and today we’ll continue.

I mentioned last week that the word “coming” in vs. 1 is the Gk word “Parousia.” The word means “presence, arrival.” We describe Jesus’ return as his Parousia.

Paul is responding to some questions the people of Thessalonica had concerning the 2^nd Coming. They were “shaken in mind” and “troubled” about this, because some false teachers had been claiming that the “day of Christ is at hand” (.2end). So this chapter gives us some information about when Jesus will return and what kind of things must happen before Jesus returns.

Paul is speaking here about eschatology—the study of last things, end times events. We believe that the 2^nd Coming will consist of two main parts—rapture and revelation. Jesus will come for his saints at the rapture and with his saints at the revelation. Paul has in view here the 2^nd part of Jesus’ 2^nd Coming, i.e., when he comes in power and glory to establish his kingdom. Most of what he says here will happen just before Jesus’ glorious return, i.e., during the tribulation.

Paul teaches three things in this passage to correct any misunderstandings of the Parousia.