Teaching the New Testament

After two weeks of looking into the life of Paul and the background into Paul's letters, we started NT 2 with the study of 1 & 2 Thes. I am privileged and honoured to be able to continue teaching New Testament to first-year MDiv/BD students. This cohort is responsive and today's class was exceptional especially when we discussed the doctrine of pre-tribulation rapture from 1 Thes 4 and 2 Thes 2. I talked about how this doctrine came about, so much so now it is a view held by many churches. Rapture is clearly taught in 1 Thes 4 and no one is denying that but the question is its timing. Nowhere in 1 Thes 4 or anywhere else in the New Testament that the rapture is said to take place before the tribulation. In fact, 2 Thes 2 teaches exactly the opposite. Paul writes to the church to correct possible misunderstanding on the timing and nature of the coming of the Lord. Paul says there will be two signs, first the apostasy and second, the man of lawlessness will be revealed before the day of the Lord and our assembling to meet Him. No where in 2 Thes that the rapture or being caught up in the air to meet the Lord is said to happen before the tribulation. As the coming of the Antichrist (man of lawlessness) takes place before the coming of the Lord and that the saints will be still on earth when the Antichrist comes, the Thessalonians text suggests that believers will go through the period of the tribulation when Antichrist appears. Why else would Paul tell the Thessalonians to watch out for the revelation of the man of lawlessness if they are caught up or raptured away before the tribulation?