seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silas[a] and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[c]
a. 2 Thessalonians 1:1 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
b. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6, 13.
c. 2 Thessalonians 1:12 Or God and Lord, Jesus Christ
This is from the easy English commentary.
Paul and his friends received news from Thessalonica after that church had received the first letter. This news showed that the Thessalonians still needed someone to teach them about some subjects. They had not understood some of what was in the first letter. So, the purpose of the second letter was to make things clear to them.
1 They must expect persecution because they trust in the Lord Jesus. But God has a purpose in allowing them to suffer and he will reward them (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). Paul and his friends write to give them strength and to encourage them.
2 The Thessalonians seem to have some strange ideas about the return of Christ. Some said that the Lord had already come. But this is not right (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). Some thought that the Lord would come at any moment. The return of the Lord will be sudden. But, there are things that must happen before he comes (2 Thessalonians 2:3‑12).
3 Some of the Thessalonian Christians were lazy. They had given up their work. It could be that they expected the Lord to come very soon. They depended on their friends to keep them and feed them. Paul had mentioned this subject in the first letter (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Now he tells them what they should do to those who refuse to work (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13).
In all of that country, the people knew about the love that these Christians had for each other. However, the writers had urged them to love more (1 Thessalonians 4:10). They had asked the Lord to cause the love of the Thessalonians to increase (1 Thessalonians 3:12). The love of these Christians was now more than it had been. They had done what the writers had asked them. And so, God had answered the prayer. That is why Paul and his friends thanked God.
News about the progress at Thessalonica had reached all of the regions of Macedonia and Achaia. They had heard how that church had started. They knew how the Thessalonians had received Paul and his friends. They knew that they had accepted the good news about the Lord Jesus. Then, although Paul had to leave them, their belief in the Lord continued to grow.
When Paul and his friends went to other churches, they spoke about the Thessalonians. They were so proud of them. They told how, although they had had much trouble, the Thessalonians remained loyal to the Lord Jesus. These Christians suffered with quiet patience. The result of all this persecution was to make their faith in God so much stronger. The writers were so impressed and pleased by this that they wanted everyone to know about it. This should encourage all the Christians as they too suffered for their faith in God.
The Lord Jesus will come from heaven. Then he will punish those who cause Christians to suffer. At the same time, he will give rest to those who have suffered. This rest will be relief from all their troubles. And they will not suffer any more. He will take away those who love him, to be with himself. They will start the rest that he has promised. And they will live in the kingdom of God. There they will enjoy him. And they will live with him in a life that has no end. The promise of this rest is not just for the Thessalonians. It is also for Paul, Silas and Timothy, since they too have suffered. They have suffered because of their trust in the Lord Jesus.
Christ is now in heaven where we cannot see him. But then he will come and all people will see him. It will be a magnificent sight as he comes through the clouds. He will come in power with his army of angels, and with fire. People will wonder and be afraid as he appears.
God has made the Lord Jesus the judge on his behalf (John 5:22). He will give effect to the judgements of God. The writers believe that God will punish one group of people first. They are the people who have caused Christians to suffer (verse 6 above). But the judgement of God is much wider than that. It extends to all who do not know God. These people do not respect God. They do not worship him or have faith in him. They do not know him as their God and Father.
Those who do not obey the gospel are those who have refused the Lord Jesus. God will forgive all who accept the gospel and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. God has dealt with their sins by the death of the Lord Jesus. But God will punish for their sins those who have not obeyed the gospel.
At the time when the Lord Jesus comes, the judgement of God will come into effect. Then the punishment of those who have not obeyed the gospel will begin. The Lord Jesus will receive honour and praise from those who believed in him. The Greek refers to them as the ‘holy ones’. All who love him are looking forward and waiting for him to come. When he appears, they will give him a great welcome. The glory of that day and of the Lord will excite them with great joy.
This is from the bible-studys.org site.
They were not moaning about the injustice of their persecutions. Rather, they were patiently enduring the sufferings they did not deserve (verse 4). This very attitude was positive proof that God’s wise process of purging, purifying, and perfecting through suffering was working to make His beloved people worthy of the kingdom (2:12), by being perfected (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 5:10).
Paul explained the duration and extent of what is elsewhere in Scripture called “hell.” First, it is forever, thus it is not a reversible experience. Second, destruction means ruin and does not involve annihilation, but rather a new state of conscious being which is significantly worse that the first (Rev. 20:14-15).
You see, just professing Christianity does not make you a Christian. We are Christians when we become new creatures in Christ. I will say one more time, there are only two choices. It is up to us where we spend all of eternity. We can choose Jesus and spend eternity in heaven with Him. The other choice is to reject Jesus and spend eternity in hell, totally separated from God.
Hell is not only a fire, but a terrible darkness. One of the torments of hell is the fact that the lost will not be able to see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul prays that they will live the salvation they have received. It appears that Paul is trying to convey to them the necessity to walk uprightly before the Lord. The very life we live is a sermon to the world around us. We either draw people closer to God with our walk, or we drive them further away.
This prayer of Paul's is speaking of their walk, more than just a one-time conversion. The constant faith we have in Him causes us to turn our will over to His will. The power to minister comes from the Holy Spirit within us. Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power after the Holy Ghost had come upon them.
I think this is about "hell". I've heard a lot of people say "this is hell". Generally, when they say "this is hell" they have had something taken away. The aftermath of a hurricane or tornado can be "hell" to them. The devastation after a fire can be "hell" to them. I've heard other things called "hell"... like a particularly hard class in school or particularly difficult set of Ikea instructions. Those are just fluff. Cancer is hell, loosing a child is hell.... working on a COVID floor and dealing with death and dying every day.... that might be a hint of "hell". The word "hell" offends some people.The people in Thessalonica had been quite raw before they heard about what Jesus had done for them. They supported a thriving business that sold little shiny baubles that humans lusted after... called Idols. They had a little idol for everything... got a sneeze... get an idol..... got a wart... get an idol.... neighbor on your nerves... get that bigger idol... and everyone was happy.... until they found out Jesus would bring them happiness without having to buy those idols.
When those people became Christians... they didn't need the idols anymore. They were teaching their children not to need idols too.... so this was going to be a long time drop in idol sales if those vendors didn't do something about those Christians. So the Venders set out to discredit those Christians.... and the one thing they could talk about [I'm betting] is "ok... if your Jesus is coming back... where is he?" I bet they were beating them when they were saying that.... but that's just how I imagine things were going.
Paul thought Jesus was returning in his lifetime.... and he was evidently letting others think that too. Now... 2,000 years later.... Jesus is still watching us. There must be a person zero that Jesus is waiting for. God knows where each of us will be on our path when Jesus does return. God knows if I tried to stay on the path.... and He will know if I was trying to be Christlike. God knows what I will be doing that exact moment Jesus says... "Saddle Up" and where I will be at the exact second Jesus breaks through the clouds.... brighter than the sun [or a nuclear blast for that matter] with His Army of Angels. God knows if I will be sleeping.... or if I will be awake and waiting..... but one thing for sure.... Everyone everywhere alive or dead will hear the trumpet blast... it will wake the dead... according to Paul.
Once Jesus comes... then there will be only two places... Heaven and "hell'. From what I've read... Heaven is my heart's desire.... while "hell" is for the humans who were given every chance to join... and didn't. They were nudged on every wrong path... but they pushed back. They were given opportunities to help the poor and shelter the homeless.... but they refused, blaming the indigent for their own problems.... and they were given every opportunity to see the Gospel for the Gift it is... and they refused. "There is no God" they will say.... or "The Bible is just a way to keep people in line". Lately I've been hearing that my religion is just for elite white men and everyone else is a sucker for buying in. I think that is the cruelest response I've heard.... and I just started hearing it in the last few years.
I'm sure there is a "hell". People don't go through it.... it's a destination... not a scenic highway. People don't come back from there.... it's a destination not a vacation spot. It's not just a valley.... it's a sinkhole with no bottom. Rich people will hate hell because there is not money there. Satan sets all the prices and no one will be able to buy anything they want... because they are in "hell". Drunks won't like "hell" because there will be no booze... all the booze will taste boring because all the good booze makers are making wine in Heave... because it's what they love to do... and the wine won't get anyone drunk... but it will have an exquisite taste... and no one needs to get drunk in Heaven... because it's Heaven. If you want something it will be in "hell" but you won't be able to get it... because you are in "hell". "Hell" is full of disappointment.... worse than here on earth. If anyone thinks this is "hell" they are in for a real shock. Satan runs "hell" and he practiced his technique on Job.... and I saw how mean satan's tricks were back then... and he's been practicing since then.... "hell" just keeps getting meaner.
So... Paul says... the Christians in Thessalonica needed more information. They needed to be patient... and stop worrying. Paul said the Gospel is True.... Jesus said He would be back... and Jesus will be back.
And while Jesus is working on His return.... satan [who is really just an odd angel with an odd outlook] has been working on making "hell" perfect for all those who decided to disrespect God by thumbing their Godmade noses at the offer of Salvation.
When Jesus sees that person zero is ready... and satan's playground is ready... then He will return...those who are asleep will be awakened by a trumpet blast.... those that are still awake will meet Jesus in the air... the rest.... well they will be tossed. Those of us who are the adopted children of God.... we will be gone from this earth... but all those who "chose" to deny.... well they will be a guest of satan..... forever.... in "hell"
