(12) giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  (13) He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

(15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  (16) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominations or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.  (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  (18) And He is the head of the body, the church, who is at the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence.

The Apostle Paul wrote the first letter to the Colossians probably from prison in Rome.  The occasion for this letter was news from a Christian disciple from Colosse, Epaphras, telling him of teachers of false doctrine corrupting the church there.  The heretical teachings emphasized dietary laws, mandatory observance of holy days and especially a philosophy of various supernatural powers in the creation of the world.  The teachings were a combination of pagan and Jewish thought and Christian doctrine – relegating Christ to a minor place.  Christ was not denied but the heresy did not give Him a supreme place.  All of this philosophy was denying the real incarnation of God in Christ.  Clearly Paul felt a real threat to the Church in Colosse and thought it was necessary to write this letter.

Paul responds by proclaiming unqualified supremacy of Christ as Redeemer.  He gives thanks for the Christian Colossians and prays that they in turn will grow in giving thanks to God – thanks always be it for ill or good.  He tells them that they are not saved by man’s works – only God has qualified them.  God has conferred on us grace sufficient and they/we could never have done this ourselves.  Believers in Christ have the natural result of justification by grace and are delivered by God’s free grace, not by man’s work.  Believers have been rescued from the domain of darkness and if they step back into darkness, there is no proof that they were ever delivered in the first place.  We have been forgiven and sinners are justified – declared right before God – which is a gift by God’s grace through the redemption of Christ Jesus.  Our forgiveness and redemption in Christ is final and permanent.  Quoting C.S. Lewis – “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.”

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; (8) nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, (9) not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

(10) For even when we were with you, we commanded you this:  If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.  (11) For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.  (12) Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own Bread.

The Apostle Paul wrote the second letter to the Thessalonians.  The main point of the entire letter is to correct the wrong interpretation and application of end times.  There is indeed the any-moment possibility of Christ Jesus’ return but no one knows the time or day.  The principle is, we are to live as though the second coming will be today while working and leading our life as though it won’t be for years to come.  The key to work as Paul puts it, is to view it as a gift from God by working unto the Lord and not unto men.  Work is also a command from God.  Man is designed for work.  Work is a means of providing value and fulfillment to life – accomplishing something – figuring out a problem – gaining satisfaction. – putting food on the table without which there is no life.  Work is part of being fully human and occupies us so we are not idle.  Work has intrinsic value.

In a Greek world work was demeaning and meant being enslaved by the physical.  The Greeks felt the mind was good and matter was evil so they had slaves do the work.  The Thessalonian Christians were part of this culture.  Paul addresses this by saying those who were idle were in defiance of God’s principle of work as part of creation.  This is the third time Paul has addressed this so he is stern.  He calls for serious action against those who dont’ work.  He is talking about people who CAN work but won’t – calls them deadbeats and wants the other Christians to avoid them.

Paul also writes that he has provided an example for them to follow – he had a right and deserved to be supported by the Christian community (and was in some instances) but he set a pattern of how to live by earning his own living.  Example was the heart of his leadership – his words and the gospel he preached was the apostolic pattern to be followed exactly in his absence.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, (17) comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

3:1  Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, (2) and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

(3) But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.  (4) Ands we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. 

 (5) Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

The second letter to the Thessalonians was written by the Apostle Paul. The first part of Chapter 2 – we start with the last verses of chapter 2 –   addresses the principle of evil in the world and its final overthrow at the second coming of Christ.   Paul deals with the doubts of the Thessalonians regarding the worries of immanent end times.

He  tells his readers that he is confident that God will strengthen them in the face of persecution and temptation – God gives us eternal encouragement as shown by the incarnation, death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Paul deals here with the work of God in the world and gives thanks to God for the salvation of the Lord.  His point is:  salvation is from God and God’s choice is eternal.  Further,  “If you have chosen God you know it is because He first chose you.”

In the verses from Chapter 3, Paul begins by asking prayer for himself and that he be identified with his work for God.  It was Paul’s main interest and concern in life that the word of God should run “swiftly” and we feel his sense of urgency here to spread the word of the reconciling grace of God.  He asks to be delivered from wicked and unreasonable men – there is a senseless opposition to the gospel by men who have not faith;  the voice of truth is only recognized by those who are of truth.

All men have not faith but the Lord is faithful.  Paul expresses confidence in Christians who have believed.  They will be protected and the weakness of sinful human nature will be counter attacked by the presence of Christ in them.   God has given them/us hope, not just for present trouble but for future uncertainty.

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, (12) that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2:1  Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,  (2) not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

The Second letter to the Thessalonians was written by the Apostle Paul to correct false ideas about the Second Coming of Christ that had arisen in that church.  Paul had founded the church in Thessalonica but stiff opposition had forced him to flee that city.   He had sent back  his young disciple Timothy to find out what the conditions were and received an encouraging report to which he responded with his 1st letter to the faithful at Thessalonica.  Soon after that Paul wrote the 2nd letter to the Thessalonians to correct any misunderstandings about the end times – the second coming of Christ – and to counter false teachings and/or fraudulent letters written to them in Paul’s name.

The main point of the letter is in chapter 2, verse 2:  an exhortation by Paul that the saved not be alarmed by the expectation of the speedy second coming of Christ – that despite persecution the Christians were enduring, there would be an even greater age of trouble before the second coming.  Paul had not meant that the second coming was immanent, nor did he write what appears to be a fraudulent letter saying this – but something caused this alarm and there was a deliberate attempt to panic the Christians at Thessalonica.

Paul again speaks of his prayers for the faithful – we need continual help to reach our goal.  He speaks of the end times and  the perseverance needed to run this marathon.  The gracious purpose of God is the calling to salvation for the faithful and it all has its founding in the good pleasure of God – not by our merits but free grace through faith.