2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 Part 2: Paradise, Beige, and Boiling Blood

Part II (NASB)

The Thessalonians’ concern for those who have died already indicates that they have accepted the Jewish understanding of what makes up a human being. As Greeks, they would have believed that all people have two parts to their being: one of flesh and the other of spirit. That which is spirit remains even though the flesh will die and decay. As Greeks, they would believe that at death, the spirit of the person, what they called psyche, would enter the afterlife. 

Greeks believe that upon a person’s death, he or she would travel to Hades and depending upon their actions in life would find themselves in three possible places there: Elysium—for the righteous, the heroes, and those whom the gods favored, an eternal paradise—the Asphodel Meadows—where most people’s psyches would end up, a vast, flower covered plain were people who have abandoned their labors wander or possible a land of neutrality for those who were neither righteous not unrighteous—or Tartarus—where the wicked were consigned to eternal punishment. If I recall correctly, this place involves rivers of boiling blood…

So their concern for their Christians brothers and sisters that have already died is justified, since what Paul has taught them about eternal life is NOT what they have always known. Without Christ Jesus, there is not eternal life in all of Hades: Elysium, Asphodel, or Tartarus. This supports my interpretation of olethros aionion to mean eternal destruction and not one of ongoing consciousness. As I have already pointed out, Paul could have used specific Greek words to mean conscious awareness of one’s state in death (Hades) or eternal punishment (Tartarus), and his Greek audience would have understood him.

But please do not misunderstand, I am not saying that these latter two conditions don’t exist—that there is conscious awareness of our state in death or that there isn’t eternal punishment—I am just saying that Paul IS NOT establishing them here as Church doctrine. In telling the Thessalonians this in his first letter to them, he is trying to allay their concerns and worries for the fate of their dead loved ones from the congregation. Don’t fret about this, Paul says, for God is faithful to His promise of eternal life for all who believe, even those that have gone on before. 

I taught school for several years—both adults and youths—and I have been described as a preacher-teacher by my parishioners, so I tend to seek meaning in scripture that will edify a believer faith, prompting that person to walk just a little closer to God. I ask myself how these possible meanings can help bring them into this closer walk. So if a person interprets scripture in a way that doesn’t result in a closer walk with God I have to ask myself if this is an understanding that God would want us to have? In other words, if the understanding doesn’t cultivate the attitude of Christ or the fruits of the Spirit is it one that we should stubbornly cling to?

How does Paul’s description of the persons and events of the end-times in 2 Thessalonians bring about a stronger faith among this congregation of Christian Gentiles? 

I will say this up front, just as I did back in Galatians when we looked at Paul’s statement about the source of eternal life: Is eternal life possible through faith in Christ or because of the faith of Christ: Your Milage May Vary. Despite what some Christian claim, just as I stated when discussing the topic of the rapture, who or what the lawless one is or was or will be is not a matter of dogma—it’s not a requirement to believe one specific way or another. 

I’ve been in the process of rewatching several of the Star Trek series from the past. DS9, Voyager, and now I’m working on Enterprise—much to my wife’s chagrin. 

Anyway, I just watched an episode of Enterprise where the antagonists hi-jack the Enterprise so they can wage war on another sect of their religion. Both sides in this war believed the same things about the same things except one side said creation was accomplished in 8 days and the other in 9 days. They destroyed their home world over this! I say this because we shouldn’t go to war over this, but we usually do. 

Nevertheless, I believe it is our responsibility to explore, discuss, and test our faith and to reason together. 

Different traditions and denominations and congregations understand what is saying in 1 Thessalonians chapters one and two differently. Some hear him speaking about THE temple in Jerusalem and about specific, real-world events. And if this brings these Christians comfort while strengthening in them the image of Christ, well good for them. 

Others say that this is a historic event that has already happened, and others still that it is only imagery used by Paul—or some other writer—to meet a specific need at a specific time: It does not apply to us and is not intended for us. Again, YMMV.

Regardless of the content or context of your understanding of what Paul is saying here, that understanding should draw others into a closer walk and must reveal Christ Jesus. 

By this time, Paul is writing to a confused congregation—one that is actively being deceived, it appears. His words here are words of encouragement to keep trusting in the message that they received from him and to remain obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Can your favorite interpretation claim to be doing that? Remain faithful, Paul says, the end is not here yet. But I’ll tell you, the apostle goes on, this is what the end looks like. 

I touch upon my understanding of the lawless one and Paul’s teaching in 2 Thessalonians in the First Day episode called, “What Makes a Vulcan Cry?” To put it briefly, the lawless one is revealed when apostasy increases and is indicated by other, unworthy things, taking the place of God in Christians’ hearts. It’s making the soapbox more important than the soap. The lawless one is not here to deceive the lost, I’m afraid. It is here to scatter the found. And who can argue that today, with the Church spanning the globe in a myriad of denominations and traditions, we aren’t more scattered than we ever have been? 

When I think of the lawless one, I think of Ezekiel 14:1-8.

“1 Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put in front of their faces the stumbling block of their wrongdoing. Should I let Myself be consulted by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Anyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will let Myself answer him in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, 5 in order to take hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who have turned away from Me due to all their idols.”’

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, I the LORD will let Myself answer him Myself. 8 I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.”
It's easy to sit on the hill and root for Nineveh’s destruction, but it’s something entirely different to ask ourselves if we truly are obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ? 

The lawless one has them, but who ...