2 Thessalonians2:1

Translation

Now brothers,

concerning the arrival

of our LORD JESUS CHRIST and our being gathered

to Him, we make this special request of you,

Paraphrase

Now brothers and sisters, concerning the time when THE SUPREME RULER whom we serve, who is THE SPIRIT-ANOINTED MESSIAH AND SAVIOR arrives on the scene to do what only He can do and we are brought together to be assembled before Him, we make the following request of you based on the special relationship we have with you:

Footnotes

1

The people of ancient times would say that this word meant “brothers” because it is a masculine form, but they would admit to using it in an inclusive way to include both “brothers and sisters.” It comes from two words which mean “from the same womb.”

2: “arrival”

The Greek word used here refers to times when a powerful figure, such as a king, would show up on the scene in order to resolve a crisis that only he could resolve. It was often used of military situations. It also has a strong emphasis on the “presence” of the hero. The fact that the hero has now arrived and is present means that something will happen and things can change. But translations usually look for a quick way to communicate things rather a than long explanation for just one Greek word, therefore, this word is sometimes translated “coming” sometimes “appearing,” and sometimes “presence.” I prefer the word “arrival” in the translation column and the explanation in the paraphrase column.

3: “gathered”

This Greek word has the word “synagogue” included in it, therefore, in the paraphrase column, I included the idea of being “assembled.”

WHERE DID PAUL GET THIS INFORMATION?

As in his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul was basing his comments on the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 24 and its corresponding passages in Mark and Luke. That means that his mention of the arrival of Jesus was a reference to the way Jesus removed the sacrificial system in AD 70. Paul also thought that the part about the saints, both dead and alive, being gathered to Him in order to participate in some small way in the judgment on the nations would happen at the same time as the fulfillment of what I am calling “the next Antiochus.” Paul and the disciples thought it would all happen at the same time. We now know that there will be another fulfillment, another “coming” of Jesus, but Paul was not aware of that. In fact, it appears that the part about us being gathered to Him did not happen in AD 70, so that is still waiting its fulfillment.

The term I have translated as “arrival” and has been translated by others as “appearing, presence or coming,” is used in the New Testament of both the AD 70 destruction of the temple and of another “arrival” of Jesus that is yet in the future. That term is not exclusive to a future event.

The point here is that, as you read this passage, keep in mind that parts of it have already been fulfilled once by Titus, the Roman general who destroyed the temple, and some things will have a double fulfillment but we cannot predict how they will be fulfilled again.