2Th 1:4-7 | KingComments | STEP | . It must have done the Thessalonians good that Paul spoke proudly of them among other churches of God. They themselves were not displaying their great efforts for the Lord. That would of course be inappropriate ( ). They must have known their own weakness. You maybe know such people who always talk about their great life with the Lord. They tell impressive stories about their spiritual mind and the special things that the Lord shows them. That is pure arrogance. Paul wants to encourage the believers and not flatter them ( ). It is a good thing to encourage believers who are suffering, which was the case with the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians were persecuted and afflicted. With “persecutions” you should consider that those who were persecuted were being chased, that they were not given any place of rest. “Afflictions” is the physical and spiritual suffering which they experienced from their persecutors. At the moment that Paul is writing this they were facing this suffering. You can derive it from the word “endure”. That is written in the present tense. When I try to say something about this, I feel insignificant and therefore quite incapable. What do I, who live in a continent where this is not to be found (yet?) know of persecution and affliction? Paul on the contrary knew what he was talking about ( ). He could stand next to them as a “brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation” ( ). We will surely experience tribulation if we really want to live for the Lord ( ). He can talk about their “perseverance and faith”. These two belong together. On the one hand ‘perseverance’ is the result of the testing of the faith ( ). On the other hand ‘faith’ is needed to persevere. You also come across this combination in Revelation 13 ( ). There it is also about a time when faith is severely tested because of persecutions. Through this letter the proudly speaking about their perseverance and faith is also addressed to the churches of God of today. Therefore the perseverance and the faith of the Thessalonians are still an encouragement for you and me and for the local church where we are. You see that it is possible to keep on going, even if you are young in the faith. Although we are not dealing with the kind of violent persecution to which the Thessalonians were exposed, it is good and important to know why God allows it that His children are being persecuted. Indeed, wrong conclusions are possible that seriously damage the life of faith. You may have heard – even possibly you thought yourself – that when something terrible happens to a person, it must be God’s punishment for a certain sin. In such cases there is a wrong picture of the way God deals with His children. This is the idea that the friends of Job had when they saw his suffering. They thought that the suffering of Job was the consequence of sins that he must have done. At the end of the book of Job you can read how God judges their idea ( ). In this way I am not trying to say that suffering could never be a consequence of a sin that has been done. I only want to say that it is not up to us to explain the suffering that happens to a person. . The suffering that the Thessalonians were enduring was the contrary of God’s dissatisfaction. It was absolutely a proof of God’s pleasure in them. He considered them “worthy of” His kingdom. The kingdom is as it were the reward for them who faithfully serve God in a time that nothing was to be seen yet of His kingdom in public glory. The suffering was God’s tribute to them. The tribulations are the proof that God was standing on their side. Otherwise satan would surely not have considered them to be worthy of persecuting them. Persecution absolutely goes together with entering the kingdom ( ). It is always: first suffering and then glory ( ; ). . Now that Paul has explained the real meaning of tribulation to them, he points out the great difference between the afflicted and those who are afflicting now and in the future, at the coming of the Lord Jesus. God judges righteously. That refers to the fact that with Him there is no respect of persons as well as to the fact that God discerns in a perfectly righteous way between the afflicted and those who are afflicting. He perfectly knows everyone’s circumstances and responsibility. It looks like the ones who are afflicting can go ahead uninterrupted. But do not think that God doesn’t notice this. When He deals with the case, He will revenge those who have afflicted His children. That means that the day of the Lord cannot possibly have come yet. Do you think that there can still be mention of people who do evil to His children when God executes His rights? Where ungodly men are in control, there cannot possibly be mention of the day of the Lord. . When the Lord Jesus will be revealed, when He appears, with in His company “His mighty angels”, the roles will be reversed. Those who have afflicted will get the punishment according to their deeds and the afflicted will get rest. That rest begins when the Lord Jesus has defeated all opponents. ‘His mighty angels’ enlarge the majesty of His performance. It is the angels through whom He exercises His power ( ). Each of those who have afflicted will fade by that view. Each afflicted believer will breathe a sigh of relief. Then persecutions and afflictions will be over, without any chance of repetition. For the persecuted and afflicted believer a rest will begin which will never be interrupted. That’s because that rest is anchored in and assured by the Lord Jesus. Paul was looking forward to enjoy that rest together with his afflicted loved ones in Thessalonica. He and they and all believers who have fallen asleep have entered into the rest. That will also be the case with us when the Lord comes for the church. Paul has written to them about that in his first letter ( ). In a kind of parenthesis Paul has pointed the Thessalonians to the rest which is ahead for them. Then he continues with what the coming of the Lord Jesus would mean for those who have afflicted. That is the main subject, for the Thessalonians were wondering how they were supposed to consider the afflictions that they had to go through. Due to the wrong teachings that were circulating among them, the idea that the day of the Lord has come, has gained ground. For that day would be accompanied by tribulation and oppressiveness, would it not? Is that not what they are going through now? Well, Paul says, when the Lord Jesus comes, it will certainly be accompanied by tribulation and oppressiveness, but not for you! The revelation of the Lord Jesus will be a terror for those who are persecuting you now. The “flaming fire” that will accompany Him, is not meant for you, but for those who persecute and afflict you. The fire is the instrument of His judgment ( ; ). His consuming fire will strike them as His revenge. He has promised that He would do that when He told you not to take revenge yourself ( ). Let that also be an exhortation for you not to revenge the evil that is being done to you. You read in the Old Testament that “the LORD will come in fire” ( ). Here you read that again of the Lord Jesus. One more proof that the Lord Jesus is the same as the LORD (Yahweh) in the Old Testament. It also shows that God, Who is a consuming fire ( ), is executing His judgment by His Son ( ; ). Now read 2 Thessalonians 1:4-8 again. Reflection: How do you experience ‘the righteous judgment of God’?

‏ 2 Thessalonians 1:4-7

The Afflicted and Those Who Afflict

2Thes 1:4. It must have done the Thessalonians good that Paul spoke proudly of them among other churches of God. They themselves were not displaying their great efforts for the Lord. That would of course be inappropriate (Pro 27:2). They must have known their own weakness. You maybe know such people who always talk about their great life with the Lord. They tell impressive stories about their spiritual mind and the special things that the Lord shows them. That is pure arrogance.

Paul wants to encourage the believers and not flatter them (1Thes 2:5). It is a good thing to encourage believers who are suffering, which was the case with the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians were persecuted and afflicted. With “persecutions” you should consider that those who were persecuted were being chased, that they were not given any place of rest. “Afflictions” is the physical and spiritual suffering which they experienced from their persecutors. At the moment that Paul is writing this they were facing this suffering. You can derive it from the word “endure”. That is written in the present tense.

When I try to say something about this, I feel insignificant and therefore quite incapable. What do I, who live in a continent where this is not to be found (yet?) know of persecution and affliction? Paul on the contrary knew what he was talking about (1Cor 4:12). He could stand next to them as a “brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation” (Rev 1:9). We will surely experience tribulation if we really want to live for the Lord (2Tim 2:12).

He can talk about their “perseverance and faith”. These two belong together. On the one hand ‘perseverance’ is the result of the testing of the faith (Jam 1:3). On the other hand ‘faith’ is needed to persevere. You also come across this combination in Revelation 13 (Rev 13:10). There it is also about a time when faith is severely tested because of persecutions.

Through this letter the proudly speaking about their perseverance and faith is also addressed to the churches of God of today. Therefore the perseverance and the faith of the Thessalonians are still an encouragement for you and me and for the local church where we are. You see that it is possible to keep on going, even if you are young in the faith.

Although we are not dealing with the kind of violent persecution to which the Thessalonians were exposed, it is good and important to know why God allows it that His children are being persecuted. Indeed, wrong conclusions are possible that seriously damage the life of faith. You may have heard – even possibly you thought yourself – that when something terrible happens to a person, it must be God’s punishment for a certain sin.

In such cases there is a wrong picture of the way God deals with His children. This is the idea that the friends of Job had when they saw his suffering. They thought that the suffering of Job was the consequence of sins that he must have done. At the end of the book of Job you can read how God judges their idea (Job 42:7-8). In this way I am not trying to say that suffering could never be a consequence of a sin that has been done. I only want to say that it is not up to us to explain the suffering that happens to a person.

2Thes 1:5. The suffering that the Thessalonians were enduring was the contrary of God’s dissatisfaction. It was absolutely a proof of God’s pleasure in them. He considered them “worthy of” His kingdom. The kingdom is as it were the reward for them who faithfully serve God in a time that nothing was to be seen yet of His kingdom in public glory.

The suffering was God’s tribute to them. The tribulations are the proof that God was standing on their side. Otherwise satan would surely not have considered them to be worthy of persecuting them. Persecution absolutely goes together with entering the kingdom (Acts 14:22). It is always: first suffering and then glory (Lk 24:26; 1Pet 1:11).

2Thes 1:6. Now that Paul has explained the real meaning of tribulation to them, he points out the great difference between the afflicted and those who are afflicting now and in the future, at the coming of the Lord Jesus. God judges righteously. That refers to the fact that with Him there is no respect of persons as well as to the fact that God discerns in a perfectly righteous way between the afflicted and those who are afflicting. He perfectly knows everyone’s circumstances and responsibility.

It looks like the ones who are afflicting can go ahead uninterrupted. But do not think that God doesn’t notice this. When He deals with the case, He will revenge those who have afflicted His children. That means that the day of the Lord cannot possibly have come yet. Do you think that there can still be mention of people who do evil to His children when God executes His rights? Where ungodly men are in control, there cannot possibly be mention of the day of the Lord.

2Thes 1:7. When the Lord Jesus will be revealed, when He appears, with in His company “His mighty angels”, the roles will be reversed. Those who have afflicted will get the punishment according to their deeds and the afflicted will get rest. That rest begins when the Lord Jesus has defeated all opponents. ‘His mighty angels’ enlarge the majesty of His performance. It is the angels through whom He exercises His power (Psa 103:20).

Each of those who have afflicted will fade by that view. Each afflicted believer will breathe a sigh of relief. Then persecutions and afflictions will be over, without any chance of repetition. For the persecuted and afflicted believer a rest will begin which will never be interrupted. That’s because that rest is anchored in and assured by the Lord Jesus.

Paul was looking forward to enjoy that rest together with his afflicted loved ones in Thessalonica. He and they and all believers who have fallen asleep have entered into the rest. That will also be the case with us when the Lord comes for the church. Paul has written to them about that in his first letter (1Thes 4:15-17).

In a kind of parenthesis Paul has pointed the Thessalonians to the rest which is ahead for them. Then he continues with what the coming of the Lord Jesus would mean for those who have afflicted. That is the main subject, for the Thessalonians were wondering how they were supposed to consider the afflictions that they had to go through. Due to the wrong teachings that were circulating among them, the idea that the day of the Lord has come, has gained ground. For that day would be accompanied by tribulation and oppressiveness, would it not? Is that not what they are going through now?

Well, Paul says, when the Lord Jesus comes, it will certainly be accompanied by tribulation and oppressiveness, but not for you! The revelation of the Lord Jesus will be a terror for those who are persecuting you now. The “flaming fire” that will accompany Him, is not meant for you, but for those who persecute and afflict you.

The fire is the instrument of His judgment (Lev 10:2; Psa 97:3). His consuming fire will strike them as His revenge. He has promised that He would do that when He told you not to take revenge yourself (Rom 12:19). Let that also be an exhortation for you not to revenge the evil that is being done to you.

You read in the Old Testament that “the LORD will come in fire” (Isa 66:15). Here you read that again of the Lord Jesus. One more proof that the Lord Jesus is the same as the LORD (Yahweh) in the Old Testament. It also shows that God, Who is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29), is executing His judgment by His Son (Acts 17:31; Jn 5:27).

Now read 2 Thessalonians 1:4-8 again.

Reflection: How do you experience ‘the righteous judgment of God’?