Verse 1. "Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church
of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:"
This is Paul's second letter to the relatively new Christians in the City of Thessalonica,
and it was written probably a few months after the letter we call "First
Thessalonians." Three names were mentioned as authors of this
letter: "Paul and Silvanus and Timothy."
However, we can tell from 2 Thessalonians 3:17 that Paul was the principal
writer, though all three were instrumental in planting the church at
Thessalonica. The others were definitely his companions at the time and
they no doubt contributed to the creation of both of these letters, but he,
along with God's Holy Spirit, was the true author.
The three men were still in the City of Corinth, in the south of Greece, as
they were at the time of the first letter to Thessalonica. The words of Verses 1 and 2
in this Chapter are essentially the
same as those recorded in 1st Thessalonians 1:1, which is not surprising because
Paul often spoke and wrote those words when greeting other Christians. Since Paul's
first letter, false doctrines had crept in, leading them in the direction of
error and unbelief. This letter is written to restore them to simple faith
in "the Lord Jesus Christ."
Verse 2. "Grace to you and peace from God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ."
This verse records the standard greeting of the Early Church. Note almost
precisely the same words in 1 Corinthians 1:3. We have grace and mercy in our
Lord, and these became the typical greetings of the time. "Grace" was
more of a Greek term, and it is a wonderful comfort to us that God looks
upon the guilty and speaks words of pardon (the meaning of "grace").
"Peace" ("shalom" in the Hebrew) is more of a Jewish greeting, and as used at
that time, it implied a wish for joy and prosperity to the recipient.
The
English phrase "good day" originally was "God bless you today" and we
are left with the shortened form "good day," changed to that
meaning over time. It’s
nice to know that when someone says "Good day" they actually are asking
God’s blessings upon us, whether they know it or not. There is no greater blessing
possible than to receive the grace of God and to have peace "from God the Father," in and
through the "Lord Jesus Christ."
Verse 3. "We ought always to give thanks to God for
you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and
the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;"
Has your "faith" been "greatly enlarged?" Has your "love" toward others
grown "ever greater?" That should
be happening in the life of the true Christian. Notice that Paul did not thank THEM for what was
happening in their lives. He did not commend the Thessalonians for their
great faith or their growing love, for even though such aspects in their lives
were headed in a positive direction, it was not the people themselves who did it.
It was the Lord God who was doing these works in them, just as He is doing
it within believers today. In Galatians
5:22, we can see that such attributes as "faith"
and "love" are actually "fruits"
of the Holy Spirit in us. It is like we are trees and it is the Master
Gardener who plants, waters and nurtures us. The "fruit" we produce is His, not ours. "We ought always to give thanks to God" for He is
doing
what no one else can do.
Verse 4. "therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you
among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all
your persecutions and afflictions which you endure."
The "we ourselves" who spoke proudly of the
Thessalonian believers reflected in this verse, refers to "Paul
and Silvanus and Timothy," as we saw in Verse 1. These men, and
probably others within the body of Christ, the church, spoke "proudly" when they used words and
wrote in letters about the Thessalonians. How different and refreshing this
response actually is, when you consider the strong tendency in humanity to
criticize others.
There are many in the world who are trying hard to do good, and perhaps you
are one of them. If so, it really is a setback for you emotionally when
others focus on the negative in your life and criticize your actions.
Paul knew he was called by God to HELP the Thessalonians, not hinder them, and
so he honestly praised their "perseverance"
(patience) and their "faith." He, along with
Silvanus and Timothy understood that faith amazingly GROWS in "persecutions and afflictions," just like a muscle becomes
stronger when you use it. True faith is created in us by the Lord Himself
(Hebrews 12:2). As you and I should, these people were looking to the Lord
Verse 5. "This is a plain indication of God's righteous
judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which
indeed you are suffering."
While none of us like to suffer and we reasonably avoid it, "suffering" actually can be EXPECTED in the life of a
healthy, normal Christian. We don't seek it, we don't want it, but it will
come. We see this in many places within Scripture, such as Romans 8:17,
where it reveals we are "heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him..." Just like itching will
come as a wound begins to heal, suffering will result in some form
after we turn our backs on this world and trust in the Lord.
And please note we do NOT seek suffering and we are NOT in any way to bring
suffering into our lives or the lives of others through our bad behavior.
Scripture says, "What credit is it if you are beaten for
your faults... but when you do good and suffer for it, if you take it patiently,
this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps"
(2 Peter 2:20-21). "Suffering" is HIS work; intended for our good.
Father, fill us with grace, peace and thankfulness to God. Let our
love for the Lord and for one another grow ever greater as we trust in You.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - 2 Thess. 1:6-10
Verse 6. "For after all it is only just for God to
repay with affliction those who afflict you,"
We often hunger for justice in this world and God IS JUST - He will "repay with affliction those who afflict you," just as it
says in this verse. Part of our difficulty in seeing the justice of God is
that we are too small and our lives are too brief to appreciate the utter fairness of
God. Sometimes a person will drift into our lives, cause us harm and then
leave. We don't know what happened to them; we only know our pain.
But God will judge every wrong. You don't know all of the details about
the lives of those who hurt you and they WILL be judged in ways you know nothing
about. And so will you also be judged if you harm others. A
good part of God's judgment will occur in the future, and we aren't there yet.
And the scariest judgment will not be on this earth at all; but in eternity,
where there is no court of appeal. But here is good news: The judgment of
God fell on Christ, not only for you, but also for the one who hurt you.
If it was not for His cross, we would all be lost - forever.
Verse 7. "and to give relief to you who are afflicted
and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels in flaming fire,"
There very definitely is a time of ultimate judgment that will come upon
humanity. As the Apostle Peter said in the power of the Holy Spirit:
"The heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in
store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and
perdition (destruction) of ungodly men" (2
Peter 3:7). Peter also tells those who are concerned because the Lord is
taking so long in judging sin, that "with the Lord one day is
as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8, a
quote of Psalm 90:4).
And then Peter continues by giving us more information about the "flaming fire" mentioned by Paul - it shall be an event that will come with
a "great noise" in which "the
heavens will pass away," and "the elements will
melt with fervent heat; both the earth and works that are in it will be burned
up" (2 Peter 3:10). Sin WILL be judged by the Lord - utterly, once
and for all. The Lord Jesus will return to judge us and the injustice of
this world will be no more.
Verse 8. "dealing out retribution to those who do not
know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."
Most people in this world have a deep hunger for justice, which, oddly
enough, shows itself in many forms. Some get so angry about real or
perceived acts of injustice that have been committed against them or someone
they have loved, that they themselves act out in anger. They incredibly commit acts
of injustice of their own against the innocent, trying in a perverted way to right the wrong
that has been done to them.
I have good news for you: justice WILL be done. In fact it has already
been done in the Person of Jesus Christ. Isaiah the Prophet spoke and
wrote hundreds of years before Jesus came to this earth, but he gave us a clear
picture of what Jesus' mission would be. Prophesies are often in the past or
present tense
because in the Mind of God, these things are already accomplished. Jesus has "borne our griefs... carried our sorrows... He was wounded for
our transgressions and by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:4-5).
The price has been paid for each sin of every person in the history of this
world. He died for you and me.
Verse 9. "These will pay the penalty of eternal
destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His
power,"
Those who reject the "gospel" (the good news),
as reflected in Verse 8, referring to the salvation offered in the Lord
Jesus, will pay a terrible price. They will get what they want and spend
eternity "away from the presence of the Lord."
The true nature of hell is the absence of the good presence of God. Jesus described, in the language
of that day, what the place called "hell" will be
all about. He said it is a place where "their worm
does not die and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44, a quote of Isaiah
66:24).
The Jewish and Roman cultures of that time had adopted a lot of Greek
philosophical ideas, which contained a surprisingly modern grasp of human psychology.
The Greeks even had success using electroshock therapy, by making emotionally depressed
patients grasp electric eels. The words of Jesus in Mark 9:44 represent
idiomatic expressions of that time. The "worm" and
"fire" describe the horrors of mental illness.
To see the Lord in all "the glory of His power" (as
seen in this verse in 2 Thessalonians) will bring madness to all who are then
shut "away from the presence of the Lord and from the
glory of His power." It is the ones who reject what He has done who "will pay the penalty of eternal destruction." Those
who don't want him will sadly get what they want.
Verse 10. "when He comes to be glorified in His saints
on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed - for our
testimony to you was believed."
"When" in this verse is "hotan"
in the Greek language of the time, which is actually better translated, "whenever," implying uncertainty - Paul and the rest of us
who love the Lord KNOW that He will return, but we don't know when. And
note that the Lord, at the time of His return will "be
glorified IN His saints on that day." It does not say "by" them or
"through" them, but "IN" those who long for His
return. As Paul said, the Thessalonians "BELIEVED"
the words given to them about the Lord, just as we should believe God's Word, as
revealed in what we call the "Bible."
Jesus will be "marveled at" by "His saints" on the "day" of
His return to this world. Yes we "who have believed"
expect Him, but we have incomplete comprehension of the wonders of our Lord. Our tendency,
as humans, is to compare everything with our own abilities. For
example, we can only think of one person at a time, but God thinks of each one
of us
individually and also all at once, every moment of every day. The Lord is
more than we know. He is God, He is wonderful, and He will "be marveled at" because when we see Him, we will discover
that He is greater than we ever imagined.
Father, we surrender right now and we trust in the Lord. Forgive us
our sins. We place our hope in You, Lord, and long for Your return to
rescue all those who believe. We praise Your Holy Name. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
Verse 11. "To this end also we pray for you always,
that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for
goodness and the work of faith with power,"
You have an amazing potential that was carefully placed into the depths of your soul at the inception of
life. Your environment, however terrible or wonderful your
experiences may have been, was carefully created for God's "work of faith"
to
be done in you. And it's not
just about you. There are others out in the world who were meant to
encounter you and receive your story, your comfort; for you are the only one who
has ever been just like you are. Whether you see it or not, God has a specific "calling"
and purpose for you.
And just as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, it is our prayer for you that
"God will count you worthy for your calling."
In other words, that you will become the person in God's kingdom that He
meant for you from before the creation of this world. He intends
that you will be a person of moral "goodness."
That you will have an unusual "faith," to the
extent that others will be drawn to believe in the Lord through you.
There is "power" from the Holy Spirit available
for the lives of those who are willing to allow such a "work
of faith" in their lives. It's not just you who will do it -
it's the "power" of God in you that will bring it to pass.
Verse 12. "so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be
glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord
Jesus Christ."
For you to achieve the potential that God has in mind for you, it is not
expected that you will somehow get or even want the glory, the credit for what you have done.
The world expects you will want the credit, but that is not how things are in the body of
Christ which we call the "church." True faith necessarily contains love
for the Lord Jesus to such an extent that our whole being begins to delight in
giving the glory to Him. Someone might say "thank you" for what we have
done, but inside we know the truth, and we say "thank You" to our Lord.
"The Lord Jesus Christ" is wonderful, and to be
able to represent Him and speak about Him to others is a great gift that tells
of the "grace of our God" within the ordinary lives in
which most of us live. This is the purpose for which you and I were created.
And note that you do not become "worthy of your calling"
(Verse 11) through anything that might be considered your own strength. As
the Lord said to Paul in another place, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for power is perfected in (human)
weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). The
whole point of your life is that you will give up living for yourself and instead
be in concert with God. The "Lord Jesus" is
to "be glorified" through His "grace" manifested - "in YOU."
Dear Lord, thank You that You can and will do in us what we cannot do, not
only for ourselves, but also for others and for Your kingdom. Let the Lord
Jesus be glorified in our lives. Let us be worthy of the calling, the will
of God. In Jesus Name. Amen.
