2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 - Homiletics

1 . The time of the advent. The erroneous notions of the Thessalonians concerning the advent. Our Lord's references and the references in the Epistles to the advent. There is no reason for the assertion that the apostles believed in or taught the immediate coming of Christ. They announced the certainty of the advent, but the precise time was not within the sphere of their inspiration.

2 . The practical influence which the doctrine of the second advent should have upon us. Negatively, it should not deprive us of our sober reason or fill us with alarm. Posttively, its certainty should inspire us with hope and fill us with joy; its uncertainty should stir us up to watchfulness and preserve us in patience. We must not measure by our impatience the purposes of him with whom "one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

2 Thessalonians 2:3 . — Importance of religious knowledge.

We are surrounded by many influences tending either to lead us into error and delusion, or into scepticism and infidelity. We must add to our faith knowledge, and seek to be rooted and grounded in the faith. The truth ought to be the great subject of inquiry. Let us cultivate the love of the truth; let us pursue the truth wherever it leads, lest we should render ourselves liable to the condemnation of those who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness; and lest we should be led from error to error, and be lost in a perfect maze of falsehood.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-9 .—The doctrine of antichrist.

Antichrist is the caricature or counterpart of Christ.

1 . He is the man of sin, the personification of iniquity; whereas Christ is the righteous One, the personification of righteousness.

2 . He is the mystery of iniquity; whereas Christ is the mystery of godliness.

3 . His advent is announced by the same word as the advent of Christ.

4 . His coming occurred in its proper season; so also Christ came in the fulness of time.

5 . His coming is after the working of Satan; whereas Christ's coming is in the power of the Holy Ghost.

6 . He performs miracles of falsehood, a counterpart of the real miracles which Christ performed.

7 . He sitteth in the temple of God, thus occupying the proper seat of Christ.

8 . He shows or exhibits himself as God, whereas Christ is the true manifestation of the Godhead. In short, the kingdom of light which Christ has established has its counterpart in the kingdom of darkness.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 . — Sanctification.

1 . Its nature. It denotes separation and consecration. It consists in the mortification of sin and the production of holiness.

2 . Its properties. Universal, adapted to our peculiar characters, discernible, progressive, in this life always imperfect, constant, and eternal.

3 . Its Author. The Holy Spirit the immediate Author; it is his peculiar office to produce holiness in the soul. He not only purifies our affections, but takes up his abode in our hearts.

4 . Its instrument. The belief of the truth. The instrument with which the Spirit works is the Word of God. We must not disjoin these two; the agency of the Spirit and the instrumentality of the Word are both equally essential and equally important.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 . — Retention of Scripture.

Whilst we reject the false and wrong, we must hold fast to the true and right. This is an age of testing.

1 . We must examine the evidences of the Word of God.

2 . We must endeavour to find out its meaning by careful study, and by prayer for the guidance and teaching of God's Spirit.

3 . We must bring all doctrines and opinions to the test of Scripture, and draw our belief from the Word of God, and not from the opinions and traditions of men.

4 . We must ever walk up to the light which we have. The Spirit is promised to guide us into all truth, and if we depend upon him and follow his guidance, we shall not be suffered to go astray.