Smoodock's Blog

During the fall season of 2019, I participated in a Sunday School class that studied Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonian believers. It was led by one of the officers of my local church, and I thoroughly enjoyed being in the class. I found the young man both knowledgeable and courteous to opposing points of view, which he willing shared with the class. I don’t remember anyone challenging any position he took on the subjects discussed, but he was very willing to not only present the church’s position, but the positions of other denominations.

I didn’t always agree with his understanding. For example, he believed that at least part of the New Covenant Scriptures were written post 70 AD, a position I soundly believe is in error. It seems to call into question who the witnesses for the Lord are, as that pertains to the writers of the Bible. If we can’t reasonably identify the witnesses, we have no strong authority for what we believe. At least this is how I perceive the importance of the matter.

I didn’t express my opinion about these things, because I didn’t want to appear to oppose him in a church assembly environment. It is also the reason why I recently (spring of 2019) resigned my position as Sunday School teacher in my local body. I had changed my eschatological position and that position opposed the belief that Jesus’ Second Coming would occur sometime in our future. I believe that event had already occurred cir. 70 AD and was never meant to be a physical coming. Rather, Jesus returned in the persons of the Roman Armies to judge Jerusalem, just as the Lord had done many times before under the Old Covenant, and Paul speaks of that coming event in his epistles to the Thessalonian believers.

I don’t believe it is necessary to point out any other differences, as my verse-by-verse study here will explain my point of view adequately enough without pointing out what I perceive to be the errors of my denomination or any of its local teachers. This study was conducted from a more or less historical and exegetical point of view. I began a study of both of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians from and eschatological perspective. That study can be found HERE. May the Lord bless all who come here to study his word.

First Thessalonians:

Second Thessalonians: