The Skeptics Annotated Bible (948 page)

(2.16) “The wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”

17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

18 Wherefore
we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

(2.18)
“We would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.”

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?

(2.19)
“Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”
Paul believed that those alive in 49 CE would live to see Jesus come.

20 For ye are our glory and joy.

3
Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;

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.

(3.4, 13) Paul thought that the tribulation that he believed would precede Jesus’ coming had already passed, and that Jesus would come within his lifetime.

4 For verily, when we were with you,
we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass
, and ye know.

(3.4)
“We told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass.”

5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

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?

11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.

12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

13 To the end
he may stablish your hearts
unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father,
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
with all his saints.

(3.13) “He may stablish your hearts … at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

4
Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4 That
every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour
;

(4.4)
“Every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour.”
Every man should know how to possess his penis or his wife (depending on the translation) in a holy way.

5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

6
That no man
go beyond and
defraud his brother in any matter
: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

(4.6)
“That no man … defraud his brother in any matter”
91 Is it wrong to steal?

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope
.

(4.13) “Concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” Christians shouldn’t mourn the death of their fellow believers. They’ll be OK and you’ll see them later in heaven. The people you should mourn are dead nonbelievers. They have no hope; they will be tortured forever in hell.