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BACKGROUND
First, some background on these books. 1 Thessalonians is believed to be Paul’s first epistle and his earliest writing, possibly the oldest writing in the entire New Testament. And 2 Thessalonians appears to have written not long after. Thessalonica was the largest and most prosperous city in Macedonia. After establishing the church there, Paul was forced out of the city by the Jewish leaders. Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to check on the state of their faith. In response, he heard that they were doing well, and their faith was strong. These epistles, kind of like Philippians, aren’t very corrective in tone, but more complimentary. And a major theme of both of these books is the Second Coming of Christ. The Thessalonians apparently had a number of questions and concerns on the topic, and Paul wished to clarify their understanding of it.
So I’d like to begin our study of this book with a discussion question:
ICEBREAKER
Who is a teacher that has had an impact on your life? How did they impact you? For me, two people come to mind. First, my high school art history teacher. Mrs. Hughes. She taught with such passion and mastery of the subject matter that she instilled in me a love for art and architecture and culture and history that has never left me. I always looked forward to going to her class, and left a better person because of it. She enriched my life in a meaningful way, and I’m forever grateful for it. Then, second, my father is probably the greatest teacher I’ve ever known. Amongst all the other things a father teaches his son, I am perhaps most grateful for how he instilled in me a love for the scriptures, and a passion for teaching them. His love for Christ and truth have never faltered to this day and he continued to search them and find inspiration and meaning in them. I am forever grateful for his example and knowledge.
TRANSITION
Well, we are a church of teachers. Whether we do it as missionaries, as ministers, as Sunday school or primary or seminary teachers, as parents, as grandparents, as speakers in Sacrament meeting, we all end up teaching something at some point in this church, and quite often. Therefore, teaching is a skill that we all need to develop if we wish to magnify our discipleship in God's kingdom. But teaching can be hard. That’s one of the reasons I started these videos, was to give help to teachers and parents in the church who are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the responsibility of teaching the scriptures to their families or others. With my experience as a teacher, I felt that perhaps I could help a little. Well Paul has some help for teachers here in 1 Thessalonians. He was one of the greatest teachers to ever live and by example he’s going to give us some great suggestions on how to become more effective, more Christlike teachers of the gospel. Now he’s going to do this by example. We’re going to examine the way that he teaches and treats the Thessalonians in an effort to learn how to be teachers more like him. And in that study, we will learn to teach more like Christ, because that’s who Paul sought to emulate .
SEARCH
So the first thing I want you to do is make a label on the title page of 1 Thessalonians that looks like this. Labeled: How to be a more Christlike gospel teacher. And then, I’ve gone through and pulled out what I feel to be some of the best and most important principles from these chapters. And the way I’ve approached this is to create a thinking map, or a poster even that gives my students the scripture references these principles are found in and a place to write their thoughts in each of the provided boxes. When they’re finished, they’ll have an excellent visual reference to becoming greater teachers. So, I would give my students the sheet and some time to study quietly on their own and fill in as many boxes as they can in the time provided. I would also tell them that if they struggle with interpreting any of the verses, not to get too worried about it and just skip it for the time being because you’ll be going over each one with them together as a class. And that’s what I’d like to do with you now.
So first:
1:2
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
Christlike teachers pray for their students. They make mention of them in their prayers and thank God for the privilege of teaching them, for being put into a position where we can influence and bless them. Now depending on your class size you may not be able to pray for each student individually each and every time you pray. But certainly you can pray for them collectively. And even when we do that, it’s completely appropriate to pray for a few individual students by name. Especially those who you know are struggling in some way or you don’t seem to be connecting with. This practice can change the way we see our students and influence the way we treat and work with them. I believe that prayer really can make a difference in the lives of others. It has the power to call down the powers of heaven for the benefit of our fellow man. It can change them, and it can change us.
1:3-4
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
So what’s Paul doing in these verses here? He’s praising them. Christlike teachers praise their students good works and encourage them. Now this is just one example of Paul doing this, but we see him doing this throughout his letters. Even to the people that he’s correcting or who have problems he’s trying to solve. So let’s encourage our students. We can praise them when they have put forth effort, and strive to always teach with an uplifting and inviting spirit. I try not to tell my students what they should do. I try to avoid that word in my teaching. Rather, it’s usually better to tell them what they can do. For example, rather than browbeating them with, you should be doing better, you should be obedient, you should dress modestly, you should pay your tithing, we can say something like: You don’t have to be like the rest of the world. You can stand out for righteousness; you can be the light of the world. You can set an example to the people around you.” Can you see the difference there? It’s small, but significant.
1:5
5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
Christlike teachers teach with the power of the Holy Ghost. This has got to be one of the most important of principles. Teachers must have the Spirit. We’ve got to be connected to that power, and open to its guidance. It’s usually not advisable to try and teach a lesson to others until we have felt the power of the Holy Ghost witness of the truth we’re teaching. It has to sunk deep into OUR hearts before we can expect it to sink into their hearts. Then and only then, can we teach with real power. And when that happens, the power doesn’t come from us at all, but the Spirit, which is exactly what we want.
2:2
2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
Christlike teachers teach with boldness. So this is a balancing principle to some of the others we’ve already covered. We should be careful not to hold back from teaching the truth to our students. We don’t need to sugar coat it or avoid tough or sensitive topics. We also shouldn’t be afraid of offending students who may not be living what we’re teaching. As long as we’re teaching the gospel simply and purely, without speculation or exaggeration, we don’t need not be concerned about that. I taught in Arizona for years and I once got a phone call from a mother who wasn’t happy that I taught the principle of modesty. She said it made her daughter feel uncomfortable. I told that mother that I was always very careful not to call attention to any specific student and that I would never teach my own opinions on the subject or create my own definition of modesty. But what I taught, and what I teach are the standards set forth by the church in writing in the For the strength of Youth pamphlet, without embellishment or editorializing. I politely but firmly told her that I would continue to teach the truth to my students. That I didn’t feel right avoiding certain topics or principles because they might make someone feel uncomfortable. I’m sure I’ve made some students feel uncomfortable when I’ve spoken about our standards on pornography, or media, or language, or honesty. What actions and decisions my students make when they leave my classroom are theirs and theirs alone. They’ve got to make those decisions by themselves. But as a teacher, I’m going to make sure before they leave, that they know the truth. That’s my calling as a teacher. To teach them truth, in a spirit of love, and encouragement, and understanding. And to love them, and respect them, and help them regardless of whether they follow the truth or not. But at least they’ll know it. Holding back the truth for fear of offense, is not love at all. Like Paul, and like Christ, we’ve got to be “bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel”.
2:3
3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
Christlike teachers teach with sincerity. We don’t want to just go through the motions. If we don’t really care about the experience our students are going to have in our lessons, or if we don’t really care about them, then they are going to know it. People, and especially teenagers can see right through a fake persona. They can tell when we don’t care. So let’s teach from the heart. And if we find it hard to develop a love for those we teach (and trust me, I know, some students are harder to love than others) then pray for it. Pray for that Christlike unconditional love. Ask, and ye shall receive.
2:4-6
4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
A Christlike teacher is not a men pleaser. They aren’t worried about popularity, but they strive to teach how God wants them to teach. Again, more balancing here. Yes, we should love our students, but we also shouldn’t be too worried about what they think of us. Especially with the youth. We’re not seeking to be their best friend. We’re not trying to be one of them. I remember the first year that I taught seminary. I was young, and not too much older than they were, and (to be honest) I wanted to be liked by them—that was very important to me. And so I was quite permissive. I wasn’t willing to confront them because, hey if you tell them no, or to follow the rules, or challenge them to rise to an expectation, they might not like that, and then they might not like me. And I tried to be really buddy, buddy with them, and talk like them and act like them. Well, that worked well for a couple of months, but then they started to take advantage of that fact. They began to walk all over me. And then, to try and maintain some semblance of control in the classroom, I had to start getting after them. The effect this had is that by the end of the year, they neither respected nor liked me. I suggest that rather than worrying about them liking us, we place our emphasis on creating a certain type of environment in our classrooms. One of respect, love, and vision—that you want them to experience something special and unique while they’re with you. I have no problem with setting high expectations for my students. Creating rules, and following through on those rules, without anger, without lecture, without frustration. I just go in with that mindset. Today, I am going to create an environment where all individuals will have the opportunity to feel the Spirit. My job, or my calling is to create that kind of atmosphere and defend it vehemently. If there are individuals that are making that impossible, my job or calling is to face that issue head-on, to open up a can of worms if need be. I believe that if we approach our teaching in this way, our students will not only respect us, but like us as well.
2:7-8
7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
I love the back and forth here from Paul. Always carefully balancing his approach with those he taught. Christlike teachers are not men-pleasers and are not worried about getting glory, BUT they are gentle. They are affectionately desirous of those they teach because their students are dear unto them. They treat and cherish their students as if they were their own children. I’ve actually had the opportunity to teach two of my own children as their seminary teacher. And when I first did that, I found myself wanting to teach better and to be more prepared than ever before because I was now teaching my own son as well. And then I thought to myself, well that’s kind of lame. Why should I be doing anything different than I have in past years. Every single one of my students is somebody else’s son or daughter and they’re hoping and praying that they their children will have a positive experience with the gospel also. I should treat all of my students and every year of teaching as if I was preparing to teach my own children and cherish them in the same way.
2:9
9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
Christlike teachers work hard. They work hard to teach well. We don’t want to be one of those teachers that finally cracks open the scriptures or manual on the very day they are supposed to teach, or during sacrament meeting the hour before. Christlike teachers put in the time they need to prepare themselves mentally and spiritually. Now we need to have balance and not overdo it. My personal standard it that I spend at least two hours preparing a lesson before I teach it. I find it very difficult to do the minimum work required to teach a quality lesson with anything less. On the other hand, don’t spend 6-8 hours either. I’ve found that when I put too much time into preparation, I usually find myself getting frustrated because I don’t have enough time to teach what I’ve prepared. I’ve prepared too much. I’ve overdone it. We need to seek a healthy balance in our efforts to teach others. But certainly, the people that we teach deserve our very best. So let’s put in the work to be highly effective and prepared teachers.
2:10
10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
Christlike teachers are not hypocrites. They seek to be righteous themselves. Now that doesn’t mean that we have to be living a certain principle or commandment of the gospel perfectly in order to teach it to another person. But we should at the very least have a commitment to and a belief in what we’re teaching. We don’t want to teach a gospel principle to others if we don’t feel that it’s a divine principle ourselves. Still, I believe we can teach the principle of controlling our anger when we may still struggle with that a bit. We can still encourage people to do missionary work, even when we don’t feel that we’re the greatest missionaries in the world. However, the best teachers are those who teach by example. Jesus lived everything he taught. He never taught anything that he wasn’t willing to do himself, and he showed that.
2:11-12
11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
Christlike teachers exhort, charge, and invite their students to walk worthy of God. I don’t think we should ever end any gospel lesson without issuing some kind of invitation or challenge. Gospel teaching is not simply about dispensing information. It’s about edifying and enriching lives. We’re not just trying to fill the time, or survive the class. We’re seeking to give them an opportunity to change—to inspire them to love and live the phenomenal truths of the gospel of Christ. When I was going through the training process of becoming a seminary teacher, there was a specific phrase they drummed into our heads. Never go and teach something until you are confident and excited to teach it yourself. That’s stayed with me. That’s how I know that I’ve prepared enough and am ready to teach. I’m confident and excited.
2:19-20
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
20 For ye are our glory and joy.
Christlike teachers find joy in their student’s righteousness. Nothing makes me happier than when I see my former students living the gospel in joy. I love getting mission announcements, wedding invitations, and pictures on social media of growing happy families in the gospel. Sometimes I run into a former student at the temple, or with their spouses and children and it always brings a smile to my face. That is the joy of a teacher, to see that the gospel has truly had an impact on their lives.
3:2-3
2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
Now a little background on this one first. The Saints in Thessalonica had been sorely persecuted for joining the church. Paul wanted to make sure they were doing ok in their afflictions, so he sent Timothy to help and strengthen them. So what do Christlike teachers do? They seek to help their students in their afflictions and trials. We want to be there for our students. To let them know that we care and that we’re willing to help them in any way that we can. A very exciting development in church education over the last few years has been an increased focus on teaching youth how to work through and deal with their doubts and questions about the church and gospel. Rather than just telling them what you feel the solution or answer to their question is , we show them how to navigate those questions and doubts on their own and how to find the answers themselves. It’s apparent that Paul had taught the saints in Thessalonica in such a way that they were able to maintain their faith even though he wasn’t there with them at the time. That’s our goal as teachers. To teach them how to study the scriptures, or live the gospel, or face their doubts on their own, without us there to do it for them.
3:8-10
8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
And this is a great concluding set of verses that reiterates some of the principles that we’ve already talked about. Teachers find joy in their students faith. They pray for them night and day. They seek to increase their student’s faith where it is lacking.
And that’s going to round out our chart here. There we have it. Thirteen powerful principles to becoming more Christlike teachers of the gospel.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
After reflecting on those verses, what’s your plan to becoming a greater teacher? Which of these do you need to work on most? I invite you to choose at least one to focus on over the next couple of weeks. And then, once you feel you’ve increased or improved in that thing, come back, and try another.
CONCLUSION
Teaching is one of the most important callings we are ever going to have in this life. And I’m not just talking about formal teaching callings in the church. We’re all called to be teachers as disciples of Christ. I know that it can seem overwhelming at times, and there will often be times when we feel inadequate. We are all going to have lessons that we feel didn’t go very well. But remember, if you struggle as a teacher, you’re not a failure. That’s normal. Like any other skill, teaching requires practice, trial and error, and time. And that’s ok. We are all going to have students that don’t seem to be responding to our message. THAT doesn’t mean that we’re failures. Take Jesus for example. How many people rejected Him? Many. And he was the greatest teacher to ever live. And don’t forget that God has provided us with a lot of help. The Holy Ghost can help us, God can help us through prayer, and we can turn to loving leaders, spouses, and friends for support. Remember that God is the one that has called you and like President Monson used to say, “Whom God calls, God qualifies”. Or like you always hear me say ever week. Let’s get out there and teach with power.
ICEBREAKER
Now I wish I could do this next icebreaker with you for real, because I’ve found it to be really fun and effective. However, a big caution here. I’ve presented this idea before on this channel and I got some push back from people in the comments who felt that this was not a good idea or a betrayal of trust even between teacher and student. Now, I see that a little differently, and so, all I can say about that is, know your students. Ok. Know your teaching style and consider the kind of relationship you have with your classes. I admit that this may not be the best idea for all situations or students. Although, I’ve never had a big issue or complaints about it. So, proceed with caution. But I’m just going to explain it to you, and let you decide and then, I’ll also provide you with an alternative icebreaker activity to choose from. So what I do is have a relaxation exercise with my class. I tell them to put their heads down and relax. I turn out the lights and put on some soft music and tell them to breathe deeply. And I would let that go on for at least a minute or two and then, when everybody was good and relaxed, maybe even some might fall asleep, I slowly pull out a horn. One of those plastic air horns that you see at soccer games. They’re called vuvuzelas. I used to do this with an air horn but found that that WAS a bit much. A little too loud and startling. But the vuvzela isn’t quite so jarring. I’ll put a link in the video description below to where you could purchase one on Amazon if you’re interested. But, when you blow on it, they will be startled and surprised.
TRANSITION
Once they’ve settled down a bit, I like to ask this question:
What event in the Plan of salvation is going to be kind of like that. And turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-7 for a hint.
What do those verses say?
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
What is the event? It’s the Second Coming. That’s “the day of the Lord” that Paul is talking about in vs. 2. And how is the Second Coming like the experience we just had?
Well, you as the teacher were kind of playing the role of Satan there. Satan wants us to be spiritually asleep. He wants us to be relaxed and unconcerned about some future judgment. I mean, the best time to pull a prank on somebody is when they’re asleep. Remember scout camp or girls camp? That’s when you played pranks on people, right? It reminds me of this verse in 2 Nephi 28:21 where Nephi says, speaking of Satan:
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
A couple words that stand out to me there: pacify, lull, and carefully. To get a baby to sleep you might give them a pacifier, or sing them a lullaby, and you will be very careful not to startle or wake them up. That’s what Satan is trying to do to all of us. He wants to put us to sleep, so that we will not be prepared or ready when the Savior returns.
ALTERNATE ICEBREAKER
Now quickly, for the alternate icebreaker activity, you could just have a little discussion about the funniest prank they’ve ever pulled on someone at a youth camp or family camping activity or just when somebody else was asleep. Do they have any experiences with that. You know the old classic where you put shaving cream or whip cream on their hand and then tickle their nose. I’ve had that one done to me. Or, the shake the tent in the middle of the night and growl like a bear. Or maybe somebody has honked the horn and screamed while you were sleeping in the car. The old standbys. You could probably just have a quick little discussion of some of their experiences with sleeping pranks. That might be a better way to begin this portion of the lesson depending on your style and class. But back to the lesson.
SEARCH ACTIVITY #1
Paul uses two different metaphors in those verses we just read. Do you see them? What is the second coming going to be like for some?
A thief in the night. A thief in the night sneaks up on you without you knowing. They come when you are vulnerable. In your sleep. That’s like the second coming. For many it will come out of nowhere. It will be a total shock to many. Like the air horn.
And he also compares it to a woman in labor, that’s what travail means. A woman doesn’t know exactly when the child will come. At some point, the labor pains hit, and the baby is coming, and you can’t do anything to stop it. That’s like the second coming as well.
But Paul tells the Saints that their experience is going to be different if they heed his counsel. It won’t be like that to them. They are not in darkness; they are not going to be surprised. They may not know the exact moment when the thief is coming, or when the labor pains are going to begin, or when the horn will sound. But there is a key difference for them. They are not asleep, they are watching, they are ready, they are sober, they are prepared. They know the thief is coming, and so they are awake and waiting and prepared to face him. They know the baby is coming, so they have the bags packed, the doctor informed, and everything in place for the moment when it starts. And then with our air horn example, do you think you would have been startled by the noise if you had had your heads up, and you were staring at me, awake, and saw me lift the horn to my lips and take a deep breath? No. You would not have been startles. You may not have known the exact moment I was going to blow the horn, but you would have been ready for it. You would not have been surprised when the sound finally came. That’s how our Heavenly Father wants us to be. And he gives those kind of people a name. What are they according to those verses?
The children of Light, the children of the Day. That’s who we want to be. We want to be fully awake. Fully aware, spiritually, for that day of days.
SEARCH ACTIVITY #2
And that for me is the theme of the rest of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. How can we be the Children of Light? What actions and attitudes will help us to be prepared for the Second Coming. I would make a label at the top of the page that looks like this: How to be a Child of Light OR How to be prepared for the Second Coming. And Paul has a lot of great advice for us.
And here, rather than just giving them a giant list, you could play a little game with them. I would divide my class into two teams or more depending on the size of the class. It could be boys vs. girls or some other arrangement. But I am going to give you the first letter of every word in a sentence and the challenge is to be the first team to have a person discover that phrase. Whichever team finds it first, gets a point. By the end of the game, the team with the most points earned wins. Or, a fun additional activity with this game is to give them a chance to roll the big dice. I have a large 20-sided dice that I use for this activity. Once a team gets the correct answer, they earn a chance to roll the dice. And then, we just add up the numbers as we play and the team with the highest score wins. I’ll put a link in the description below to Amazon where you could purchase one of these if you’re interested.
And here are the clues. I won’t go in order, but I will at least give you the chapter the answers are found in. Now your students should play this game with a marking pencil in hand. Because once they are found, you are going to encourage everybody to mark that phrase. That way, this is more than just a game, it’s a marking activity, and by the end, everybody will have these key ideas marked in their scripture on how to be children of Light.
So the answers to the following clues are in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
T N M G B A D H B I A M
Answer: 4:6 that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter. So be honest with your fellow man
L O A
Answer: 4:9 love one another
W W Y O H
Answer: 4:11 Work with your own hands. Stay busy. Be anxiously engaged in a good cause
A F F
Answer: 4:3 Abstain from fornication. So, be sexually pure
I M A M
Answer: 4:10 Increase more and more. We should always be striving to be better. Like we talked about last week, in Philippians.
And a harder one here
P G
Answer: 4:1 Please God. Don’t please the world, but your Heavenly Father.
Moving on to Chapter 5, verses 8-28
A F A A O E
Answer: 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. Don’t even get close to evil. Don’t even give anybody the excuse to think you are doing evil. My favorite example of this principle is former apostle Elder L. Tom Perry who at high class business meetings would order a glass of milk, so that it was absolutely obvious that he wasn’t drinking alcohol He said that he could have ordered a soda or some other kind of drink that didn’t stand out as much, but then he was worried that somebody might assume he was drinking alcohol. So he ordered milk. And he said that even though it was kind of embarrassing at first, others would start joining him for a milk instead of alcohol, and even brought him more business opportunities. If we go out of our way to avoid even the appearance of evil, we distance ourselves that much further from temptation.
E O A
Answer 5:11 Edify one another. Build each other up, teach each other, help each other
P W C
Answer 5:17 Pray without ceasing
B A P A Y
Answer 5:13 Be at peace among yourselves
H F T W I G
Answer 5:21 Hold fast that which is good
Q N T S
Answer 5:19 Quench not the Spirit. Be sure not to ignore the promptings of the Holy Ghost, don’t listen to music, or watch movies, or read books, that cause the Spirit to leave
R E
Answer 5:16 Rejoice evermore, so be happy
B P T A M
Answer 5:14 Be patient toward all men
I E G T
Answer 5:18 In everything give thanks
S T W
Answer 5:14 Support the weak
D N P
Answer 5:20 Despise not prophesyings
E F T W I G
Answer 5:15 Ever follow that which is good
Well there you go! Who won? And now you can look back over your scriptures and see all the things that you can do to become a child of light. A disciple that is fully awake. And if we are children of light, the Second Coming won't startle us. That great and terrible day will not come as a thief in the night. We’ll be prepared and ready for it. It will be a great day for us, not a terrible one.
2 THESSALONIANS
BACKGROUND
Now for 2 Thessalonians, a very short book which also deals with the theme of being prepared for the Second coming. Maybe just a few quick ideas. Some background first. Some of the members in Thessalonica were being taught by others, by false teachers, that the Second coming had already happened, that Jesus had already returned and that they had missed it. Some of these false teachers apparently had gone so far as to create fake letters supposedly from the apostles teaching these false doctrines.
Well Paul puts that idea to rest with probably the most famous or well-known verses in 2 Thessalonians. chapter 2:1-3
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Now as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we know exactly what he’s referring to here. What is this “falling away” of which Paul speaks. That falling away is what we know as the Great Apostasy. The Second Coming was not imminent in Paul’s day. The Apostasy would come first. And it has. Which is why we needed Joseph Smith and the Restoration. If you are ever trying to explain to somebody the necessity of the Restoration with biblical precedent, these are some great verses to be ready to share.
If you wish to focus more on the doctrinal aspect of these verses, there is a great video you could show that explains very well the concepts of gospel dispensations, apostasy, and restoration. I’ll put a link in the video description below to that video.
But I also like to focus on a different aspect of 2 Thessalonians. Keep in mind that this is a book directed to people that are being deceived.
ICEBREAKER
And so for an icebreaker, I’d like to tell you a little story from a talk I once heard. A talk given by Elder David E. Sorensen that has stuck with me over the years.
"There was a man who worked for the United States Treasury Department. His job was investigating cases where counterfeit money was involved. He was so good at what he did that all it took was a quick look at a bill and he could tell if it was genuine or counterfeit. One evening at a press conference following his breaking up of a major counterfeit ring, one of the reporters directed this statement to him :”You must spend a lot of time studying counterfeit bills to recognize them so easily. “His reply to this was “No, I don’t ever study counterfeit bills. I spend my time studying genuine bills; then the imperfection is easy to recognize. Elder David E. Sorensen, CES Fireside for Young Adults March 6, 2005 Brigham Young University
I think that there is a clue in that story in how not to be deceived. Know the real thing! Don’t spend your time studying lies, but get to know the truth so well, that anything deviating from it will become easily identifiable.
2 Thessalonians has a lot of “counterfeiting” words in it? Or words that suggest the idea of deceit. Can you find them? I’ll give you the verses. But look for any word or phrase that suggests trickery or deception. With my seminary students, I might throw out a small treat to those who find the word or phrase first.
2:2
2:3
2:7
2:9
2:10
2:11
And what are they?
2:2. Shaken in mind, troubled
2:3 deceive you
2:7 mystery of iniquity
2:9 signs and lying wonders
2:10 deceivableness of unrighteousness
2:11 strong delusion, believe a lie
Then, as you always hear me say. The scriptures never present a problem without the solution being nearby.
Our question then becomes, “How can we protect ourselves from being deceived?” I see 5 suggestions.
Now you could just simply put these references up on the board and have your students search for the suggestions. Or you could also use this letter tile handout activity. What you do is read the suggested verses and then unscramble the letter tiles to reveal the message from that verse.
2:10
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Suggestion #1: Love the truth. How do you know if you love the truth? Well, how do you know if you love another person? You spend time with them. You sacrifice for them. You learn all about them? You enjoy being with them. Well, do the same things with the truth. It reminds me of the man in the story. How did he recognize the counterfeit bills? He studied the real ones. He spent a lot of time with the real ones. We should do the same with truth. We need to love the truth. If we fill our lives with truth and goodness, then we will easily recognize the lies and the evil. So study the scriptures, listen to the general authorities, attend your church meetings, and on top of that, spend your time watching good movies, reading good books, listening to good music, learning about good things. Then when the evil things come along, you will know the difference.
2:15
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
Suggestion #2 Hold the Traditions is the answer. We need to stand fast and hold to the traditions which we have been taught. There is a lot of criticism these days of the ways of the past. To be old-fashioned, traditional, conservative, conventional is not usually considered to be a good thing. It’s much more desirable to be progressive, forward thinking, and modern. Unfortunately, new things and ideas have not often stood the test of time. They are often passing fads, fleeting, and unproven. Not that all has been rosy and perfect in the past, and I’m not saying that progress is a bad thing. But if we cut ourselves off from the past, we are much more likely to be deceived. I think that’s why we are commanded to study the scriptures. Books that are very old. They are filled with traditions and principles and truths that are eternal and unchanging. What was true for Moses, was true for Paul, and Joseph Smith, and us. Let’s hold fast to those things.
3:4,7
4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
Suggestion #3 is Follow the Prophets
You might notice that in our day, most prophets are men of age. They have experience and foresight. They are not going to be easily deceived because they have already seen a thing or two. Therefore, we must trust in their vision. If we do, we won’t be deceived.
3:6
6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
Suggestion #4: Withdraw from the Disorderly
Withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly, however 3:15 adds "yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother” Be careful who you spend your time with. Withdraw from those who you feel are trying to deceive you, or that you feel are drawing you down the wrong path. I like that Paul tells us not to count him an enemy though, and to admonish them as a brother, but if they are having a truly negative impact on your life or spirituality, there is a time to withdraw from that kind of influence.
3:13
13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
Suggestion #5 Stay Busy
Be not weary in well doing. Be anxiously engaged in a good cause. We’ve heard Paul say that a lot. Stay busy doing good things. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop as they say. Work hard, find righteous causes to champion, and live for something more than just passive entertainment.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
How has one of these suggestions helped you in the past?
Which one do you most need to implement in your future?
CONCLUSION
I promise you that if you do these things, you will not be deceived. You will see through the counterfeits, the deceivableness of unrighteousness, the lies, and the strong delusions. You will see things as they really are.
