II THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 1 - 3

SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS

Some thought that Your Christ would now reappear
Before the turning of another year,
And so Paul writes again to set them straight.
And yet with my regret I see the gate
Of that faith simple and credulous wait
Myself for cataclysmic fires in state.
When Paul wrote, despite troubles in the church,
There still were peaceful moments on his perch.
Today the man of sin has ruled so long
That he's the most ancient of every song,
And everyone around thinks that he's strong.
Beloved, I turn from strength and power to You,
And know the sword's a paper one in view,
While quietly You work, but then will sue.

2 THESSALONIANS 1

1 Paul, and Silvanus, Timotheus,
To the group of called out to see us
Of Thessalonians in God
Our Father and Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace too from God
Our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We’re bound to thank God always for
You, brothers, as is meet in store,
Since your faith grows exceedingly,
And charity of each of you
Abounds towards each other in view.
4 So that we ourselves glory in
You in the called out from the din
To God, for your patience and faith
In all your persecutions’ wraith,
And tribulations you endure:
5 Which is apparent token sure
Of righteous judgement of God, so
You might be counted worthy show
In the kingdom of God, for which
You also suffer at the pitch:
6 Seeing it is righteous with God
To punish tribulation’s prod
Of those who trouble you on sod.

When Paul writes these first letters, I am glad
To find him clear about things I find sad,
That You are one of three and three in one,
A polyglot when things are said and done.
He makes sure twice in this passage to show
That You are God the Father on the go,
And that our Lord and Master is Your Christ,
Jesus the sweet and sword-bearing that diced
The heresies of every century
And rose to reign in heaven eternally.
Beloved, Your righteousness is here to stay,
Your kingdom crashes in on earth someday,
And when that happens those who call You three
Will all be punished for their ministry.

7 To you who’re troubled now then rest
With us, when the Lord Jesus best
Shall be revealed from heaven with his
Mighty angels to come with whiz
8 Of flaming fire to get back at
Those who do not know God out flat,
And who do not obey at all
Our Lord Jesus Christ’s gospel call;
9 Who’ll be punished eternally
With such destruction by decree
Of the presence of the Lord, and
From the glory of his power’s hand,
10 When he shall come as glorified
In his saints, and to be admired
Among all who believe, because
Our witness among you in clause
Was credible in that day’s straws.
11 That’s why we always pray too for
You, that our God would count your score
As worthy of this calling, and
Fulfil all the good pleasure’s stand
Of His goodness, and work of faith
With power, not merely as in wraith;
12 That our Lord Jesus Christ’s name may
Be glorified in you today,
And you in him, according to
The grace of our God and the view
Of the Lord Jesus Christ in sway.

Beloved, the fond belief that time goes on
Through the millennium of spawn on spawn
Without a hitch or ditch to fall upon,
Must be impediment to minds that fawn
On fair religion, but do not repent.
It is a human ploy, unwarranted,
But true, that the immediacy when led
Is necessary for repentance bed.
That’s why, despite the centuries You’ve lent,
You do require that we believe You meant
That time should end upon a day come soon,
And Christ must come down with a shout at noon
And in the glory of a day unspent,
And not in centuries of peace in boon.

2 THESSALONIANS 2

1 Now we beseech you, brothers, by
The coming of our Lord (that’s nigh),
Of Jesus Christ, and that we come
Together unto him in sum,
2 That you not be soon shaken in
Mind, or be troubled by the din
Of spirit or by word, nor yet
By letter coming from our set,
Worried that Christ’s day is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you in band
By any means: for unless stand
The falling away first in land,
And the appearing of the man
Of sin, perdition’s son by plan,
4 Who shall oppose, exalting self
Above all that upon the shelf
Is called God, or worshipped at all;
So that he’s like God in the stall
Sitting in God’s temple, to show
That he himself’s God on the go,
The day of Christ must turn out slow.

Beloved, though human psycho-babble makes
Exception not at all before the stakes,
And we must think the day of judgement breaks
At any moment on our heads in flakes,
In order to repent and thoroughly,
Still fact was when Paul wrote in century,
Christ could not come back till apostasy
Had given ground and risen Papacy.
But now since popes have reigned upon the throne
And claimed for generations at the groan
To be the vicar of the Son of God,
It’s high time You should show Your arm and rod.
I turn from the throne filled on earth to find
Your heavenly throne untouched by human blind.

5 Don’t you remember when I was
Still with you, I told you these laws?
6 And now you know what keeps the day
Of his revealing from his sway.
7 For the secret of wickedness
Already works in his address,
Only the one who does allow
Will keep on till he’s gone somehow.
8 And then the evil one appear,
Whom the Lord shall consume with gear
By the breath of his mouth, and he
Destroy with his coming’s glory:
9 That one who comes by the decree
Of Satan, with all power and signs
And lying wonders by designs,
10 With all deceit of wickedness
In those that perish to confess;
Because they did not receive love
Of truth, to be saved hand in glove.

How well these verses here describe the way
That Satan shall send out demon in sway
Impersonating John Paul come to stay,
Raised as it were from the tomb to the day!
That evil wraith shall take the form and flesh
Of that one human You had loved afresh
And falsely claim to be what he is not,
And stand to rule the world’s appointed lot.
Beloved, the attempt shall then fail indeed,
And all the glory of the saints in lead
Shall slay that wicked monster clothed in light
And cast him down into abysmal night.
Let me love truth, Beloved, until that time
When evil rises to die in its crime.

11 And for this reason God will send
Them strong delusion, so they’ll end
By their believing in a lie:
12 So they may all be damned thereby
Who did not believe in the truth,
But had pleasure in the uncouth.
13 But we’re bound to give thanks alway
To God for you, brothers who stay
Loved of the Lord, because God chose
From the start you to save from foes
Through Spirit’s sanctification
And belief of the truth when done:
14 To that he called you by our word
Of gospel, to obtain unblurred
Our Lord Jesus Christ’s glory stirred.
15 So, brothers, stand fast, and hold well
Traditions you’ve been taught to spell,
Whether by voice or writing’s swell.
16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself,
And God, even our Father’s shelf,
Who has loved us and given more
Eternal consolation’s store
And good hope through grace, 17 comfort more
Your hearts, and stablish you in each
Good word and work of which we preach.

Again, Beloved, St. Paul forgets to state
That Father and Son come on scenes not late
Are well accompanied by Spirit’s thrust.
The formula is lacking for our trust.
Again, Beloved, St. Paul turns things around
And makes the Son first person on the ground,
And Father second. Perhaps he would spread
The tale that they are of one substance bled.
If St. Paul himself can't get Trinity
In the right order and in number three,
Beloved, I turn from such idolatry,
And grasp eternal consolation’s fee,
Good hope through grace, and set my heart to see
Good word and work You accomplish in me.

2 THESSALONIANS 3

1 At last now, brothers, pray for us,
That the Lord’s word in omnibus
May fill us and be glorified,
Just as it is in you beside;
2 And that we may be saved at last
From the irrational in cast
And wicked men: for not all men
Are imbued with such faith again.
3 But the Lord’s faithful, who shall come
Establishing you and in sum
For keeping you from evil scum.
4 We’re certain the Lord in your way
Will keep you doing now today
And always the things we command.
5 And may the Lord direct your hearts
Into God’s love, and for your parts
Into the patient waiting for
The coming of Christ at the door.

Beloved, create in me the will to do
As well as doing of the good and true,
That I may not fail to escape the pall
Of evil ones who cry the siren call.
Beloved, fill me with that salvation’s store
That flees the wicked deed and those in store
Who would encourage such in me and mine.
Beloved, come enter in, and sit, and dine.
Direct my heart into Your love indeed,
And keep my eye in patience on the steed
That nears and bears Your Christ sent to my need.
Beloved, I seek that coming now and still
While darkness creeps above the lonely hill
That guards my path and roof, apple and dill.

6 Now we command you, brothers, in
The name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
That ye withdraw yourselves from din
Of every brother that is diced
To act disorderly, and not
After the tradition as taught
Him from us in our preaching’s plot.
7 For yourselves know how you should be
To follow after our decree,
We did not act disorderly
Among you to any degree.
8 Nor did we eat any man’s bread
For nothing; but we worked instead
By day and night, so we might not
Be any burden in your lot;
9 Not that we lack authority,
But to be an example free.
10 For even when we were with you,
We did command you this to do,
That if anyone would not work
Neither then should he eat and shirk.
11 For we hear that there are some which
Act disorderly in your hitch,
Who do not work at all, but they
Are busybodies every day.
12 Now such ones we command and say
By our Lord Jesus Christ, that they
Work calmly and eat their own hay.

Beloved, what happened to those who must stand
And wait and Milton spoke upon the land
Of providence in commonwealth and king?
What happened the service without wing?
Beloved, remember Whittier who saw
The oriflamme of hope beneath the claw
Of Yankee soldiers streaming on the hill,
And yet could not go out to meet the kill.
Some work and some retire, and that is still
The law of life, let St. Paul foot the bill.
I work today and rest here when I must,
I wear out now, but later I may rust.
Beloved, accept the will to do as much
As action of the heavy ones who clutch.

13 But you, brother, do not give way
As weary in well doing’s play.
14 If anyone does not obey
Our work by this letter, then stay
To note that man, and do not bide
With him, but shame him for his pride.
15 But counsel him, not as a foe,
Admonishing like brother’s row.
16 Now the Lord of peace or Islam
Himself give you peace and such calm
Always by every means and balm.
And may the Lord be with you all.
17 The greetings of Paul with my own
Hand, written like a sign in stone
In every letter, so I write.
Our Lord Jesus Christ’s grace in call
Be with you every one and all. Amen.

I swear, Beloved, if swearing is allowed
By such as me beneath the Brethren cloud,
The spawn of Quakers who speak not aloud,
That Islam is the faith of peace with You,
And not the quarrelsome terrorist crew.
Let me be a true Christian if that means
I’m not a Protestant in Catholic scenes,
But follower of Christ alone before
The shutting of the golden temple door.
Let me be a true Muslim if the score
Is peace in keeping Your law well in reach,
And following in silence what some preach.
Let me be true to You, Beloved, and not
The fool of names, on any book a blot.

AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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