Paul wrote the saints in Thessalonica, “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 [a]Christ had come.” (2 Thess. 2:1-2).
Other translations, “not to become easily unsettled or alarmed” NIV, “Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed” NLT help us to understand that Paul was comforting, and informing these saints who were hearing that the day of Christ had come. Those false teachers were creeping in as was predicted by Jesus and the apostles. Jesus warned of false teachers long before the church was established calling them “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matt. 7:15), and Peter said of them, “false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction” (2Pet. 2:1). Then there is Jude, “These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.” (Jude 19).
Christians are to expect and watch for false teachers, and false teaching, for these things will continue to happen. Paul said, don’t Be Shaken. Apparently, there were some members who are claiming that the day of the Lord has already come and gone. This was and still is a false teaching. To say such means Jesus will not come again, that we have no hope or expectation of any future Day of the Lord. Understand that 1st and 2nd Thessalonians are chronologically the first two letters written. Twenty years have passed from the church’s founding in 32 AD and Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians and false doctrine was not far behind. Approximately 4 years later Paul dealt with this issue at Corinth (1 Cor. 15) “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (v.17) and “we are of all men the most pitiable” (v.19). Paul names two men, Hymenaeus and Philetus, “…who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:17–18).
Paul tells Timothy, “Let everyone who names the name of [c]Christ depart from iniquity…”, “…in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (vs.19-26). Those false teachers who say Christ’s return already happen are not speaking God’s words but their own misguided words, and they still to this day attack the members of the church with this kind of teaching.
Brethren and friends, if Christ has already come then, where was I and why didn’t I see Jesus “coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7), how did I miss Jesus, “come in the glory of His Father with His angels” (Matt. 1:16:27), and why do the many false “churches” that teach this damnable heresy, still practice the Lord’s Supper (1Cor. 11:26)?
We who have “salvation through [b]sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” must prevent false teachers from having a foothold in the church, and “and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our [c]epistle” “salvation through [b]sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, ” (2 Thess. 2:13, 15). • Stand fast in the God breathed truth, (2 Tim. 3:16-17) – that sanctifies, (John 17:17). • Stand fast against the world and its ways, stand fast against false teachers, stand fast against innovation. • Stand fast against those who teach a different and perverted gospel, and not what is written (Gal. 1:6-10).
Knowing with certainty that they will never stop—never sleep—always bombard your faith—they seek every way to shake you from your foundation. And remember, the Lord Jesus is King and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace (2 Thess. 2:16).