{"id":26165,"date":"2020-11-06T13:13:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T13:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/2021\/01\/13\/preaching-on-2-thessalonians\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T17:17:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T17:17:07","slug":"preaching-on-2-thessalonians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-2-thessalonians\/","title":{"rendered":"Preaching on 2 Thessalonians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Historical Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to a group of Christians who lived in the Greek city of Thessalonica, known today as Thessaloniki. Paul traveled there to share the good news of Jesus, having just been released from prison in Philippi. It was in Philippi that Paul and Silas were beaten and locked up without a trial. But once city officials realized that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were released and told to get out. So Paul and Silas travelled 100 miles on the Ignatian highway to preach the gospel in Thessalonica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city of Thessalonica was a prosperous place and capital of one of the four Roman provinces. It was a free city where citizens were able to choose their own rulers. As soon as Paul arrived, he preached that Jesus was the Savior who had suffered and died for our sins and was raised to life. After three weeks, many people believed, but others were enraged, and a mob started a riot. Paul was chased out of Thessalonica too, but he left behind a new community of believers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of deep concern for them, Paul wrote two letters which are now part of the New Testament. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul addressed issues of increased persecution the new believers experienced, and their confusion over the timing of Christ\u2019s return. This is not a mystical prophecy written in secret code. Simply put, this is a letter, written by a pastor, trying to comfort God\u2019s people, and keep them from coming unhinged as they experience suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chart: Preaching Through 2 Thessalonians<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We know the weekly grind of sermon prep is hard, whether you are in the midst of series or planning a new series. Trying to find key verses you need to highlight in your sermon, finding the historical background to the book, discovering the flow\/structure of book, and even figuring out what is the theme of each section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why we created this chart! This chart is designed to\u00a0save you time<\/strong>\u00a0as you prepare to preach a new sermon series from the Book of 2 Thessalonians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will find a quick visual overview of the movement of the Book of 2 Thessalonians. It will help orient you and your hearers as you preach through the entire book or sections of the book. It provides, at a glance, one way to divide the book into pericopes. The chart includes key verses in the book, an overarching title for the book, the overall message of the book, and some historical background. It is color-coded to highlight certain defining aspects of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chart could be used as a slide in your church service. It could serve as an introduction to a new series or a weekly check-in before you begin preaching. It could even be printed out and given to the members of your church, as a resource to help them grasp the message of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/span>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Sermon Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the greeting (1:1-2) and the benediction (3:16-18), the pericopes are probably best aligned with the chapter divisions. Each has a logical flow of thought, and is marked by clear transitions. For example, chapter 2 begins with \u201cNow concerning the coming of our Lord\u2026.\u201d Chapter 3 starts with \u201cFinally, brothers\u2026.\u201d As a result, three of the following four series outline examples treat each chapter as one preaching pericope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example A<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Text: 2 Thessaloians 1:1-12<\/h2>\n\n\n\n