Scripture Reading: 2 Thes. 1:1-12
The opening of 2 Thessalonians is very much like that of 1 Thessalonians. In 1:1 and 2 Paul says, “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This Epistle and the First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians were both addressed to the local church in Thessalonica, a city of the Roman Empire in the province of Macedonia, north of the province of Achaia. This church was composed of all the believers in Christ in that city. Such a local church is of the believers and is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This indicates that such a local church is born of God the Father with His life and nature and is united with the Lord Jesus Christ organically in all He is and has done. On the one hand, it is of human beings, in this case the Thessalonians; on the other hand, it is in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ. The organic union in the divine life and nature is the vital base for the believers to live a holy life for the church life, which is the theme of the two Epistles to the Thessalonians.
In chapter one of 1 Thessalonians we see the structure of a holy life for the church life. This structure is composed of faith, love, and hope. As we shall see, 2 Thessalonians also has the same structure.
Second Thessalonians is a book of encouragement and correction. The young believers in Christ at Thessalonica needed further encouragement; they also needed some correction. Paul encouraged these believers in his first Epistle. Nevertheless, in the second Epistle he gives them a further word of encouragement. While he is encouraging them, he also corrects them in certain matters.
Actually, 2 Thessalonians is more a book of correction than a book of encouragement. Paul was wise, gentle, and kind. Therefore, he does not directly give a word of correction. Rather, first he encourages the believers and then goes on to correct them. If we read this Epistle carefully, we shall see that a word of encouragement is followed by a word of correction. Then there is some further word of encouragement and after that another word of correction. This book, therefore, is composed of two sections of encouragement and two of correction, in addition to the introduction and the conclusion. In this message let us consider Paul’s first word of encouragement to the believers at Thessalonica.
In 1:3 Paul says, “We ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, even as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all to one another is increasing.” We have emphasized the fact that the basic structure of the genuine Christian life is constituted of faith, love, and hope. Such a life does not originate from the ability of the believers’ natural being; it originates from the infusion of what God is into the believers. It is carried out by their sacrificial love toward their Lord, who loved them and gave Himself for them, and toward His members, whom He has redeemed through His death in love. This life lasts and stands unchanging by the sustaining power of the hope that looks for their beloved Lord, who promised that He would come to take them to Himself. Such a life is the content of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
In 1:3 Paul mentions the Thessalonians’ faith and love. In the first Epistle faith and love are regarded as part of the structure of the believers’ life for the church. Here, in the second Epistle, faith and love are growing and increasing in their Christian life.
In verse 4 Paul continues, “So that we ourselves boast in you in the churches of God for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions which you are bearing.” The endurance spoken of here issued from the hope of the Lord’s coming back and was supported by this hope. Such endurance of hope is always accompanied by faith. Hence, it says here “your endurance and faith.” Both are needed in persecutions and afflictions.
In verse 5 Paul goes on to say, “A plain indication of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which also you are suffering.” God’s judgment is righteous and just upon all men. It will be finalized in the future (Rom. 2:5-9; Rev. 20:11-15). How God deals in this age with different people is an indication, a token, a proof, of the future execution of His righteous judgment.
The believers have been called into the kingdom of God and glory (1 Thes. 2:12). To enter into this kingdom we need to pass through sufferings (Acts 14:22). Hence, the persecutions and afflictions are a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment that we may be accounted worthy of the kingdom.
The kingdom is the goal of the Christian life. Today we are living in the church life with the goal that one day we shall enter into the kingdom of God. The New Testament emphasizes the cross, the church, and the kingdom. The cross produces the church, and the church ushers in the kingdom. As we are living in the church life, our goal is to enter into God’s kingdom.
This goal is neglected by many Christians. If you were to ask certain Christians what the goal of their Christian life is, they would probably say that their goal is to go to heaven. This kind of answer is very poor. The church life does not usher the believers into heaven; it ushers us into the kingdom. Actually, the church life is preliminary to the kingdom. It is a preliminary stage of the kingdom. This is the reason that, in a very real sense, the New Testament considers the church life to be the kingdom. Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Because Romans 14 speaks concerning the church life, the kingdom of God in this verse signifies the church life. According to Paul’s understanding, the church life is the kingdom. Of course, the church life today is not the kingdom in full. Rather, it is the kingdom in a developmental stage, a preliminary stage. We are in this preliminary stage of the kingdom with the kingdom in full as our goal. We are proceeding from the preliminary stage to the stage of fullness. This is the correct understanding of the proper goal of the church life.
Many Christians, including us, are dull in understanding the genuine revelation of the New Testament. For this reason, though many read the Bible, they do not see anything. Their situation can be compared to that of the Israelites, who, in the words of Paul, have a veil upon them whenever they read the Old Testament (2 Cor. 3:14-15). Because they are veiled, they do not see anything when they read the Bible. Because many Christians are veiled, they do not understand what Paul means when he says that God has called us into His kingdom and glory. Some Christians interpret the kingdom to mean a heavenly mansion. According to their understanding, to enter into the kingdom is to go to heaven. They hold this concept of the kingdom because they are veiled. They read the Bible, but they do not see God’s revelation.
In His mercy, the Lord has removed at least a great part of the veil from our eyes. We surely have seen something of God’s revelation, and we shall not be cheated any longer. We know that to go to heaven is not our goal. There is not such a thing revealed in the Bible. God’s goal is that we live a church life that will usher us into the kingdom. This means that we should live a life in the preliminary stage of the kingdom that will lead us into the full manifestation of the kingdom.
In 1:5 Paul speaks of being “accounted worthy of the kingdom of God.” This implies that some believers may not be accounted worthy of the kingdom. In order to be accounted worthy of the kingdom, we need our faith to grow, our love to increase, and our endurance to be maintained. For the church life we need to have a life composed of the basic structure that includes a growing faith, an increasing love, and a lasting endurance. If we have such a life, we shall be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God.
In verse 5 Paul also tells the Thessalonians that they are suffering for the kingdom. This word corresponds to that in Acts 14:22, which says, “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Paul admonished the saints to bear suffering because we need to suffer in order to enter into the kingdom of God.
In verse 6 Paul says, “Since it is just with God to repay with affliction those afflicting you.” This verse indicates that God is judging and that He will judge in the future. We should not think that God is not judging today. There may be times when it seems that our God is not active. For this reason, atheists may say, “Where is God? It seems to us that there is no God in this universe. If there is a God, then He must be sleeping or retired.” No, God is now judging.
More than fifty years ago, I devoted much time to the study of the prophecies in the Bible. In particular, I paid attention to the prophecies concerning the return of the Jews to their own land and to the re-formation of the nation of Israel. As I studied world history and observed the world situation, I wondered how it would be possible for the Jews, who have been scattered over the earth for centuries, to return to their own land and once again be formed into a nation. However, in 1948 the nation of Israel was formed and was even recognized by the United Nations. From that time onward, and especially since 1967, the Middle East has been the focal point of the world situation. How happy I have been to see the fulfillment of prophecies concerning the nation of Israel! God is fulfilling prophecy. Furthermore, He is actively carrying out His judgments. Therefore, instead of being troubled by any kind of opposition, we need to stand with God, with the One who judges those who afflict His people. As Paul says in 1:6, it is just with God to repay with affliction those who afflict His people.
Verse 7 says, “And to you who are being afflicted, rest, with us at the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power, in flaming fire.” The Greek word translated “rest” also means relief, ease, repose, liberty. In this age the believers suffer persecutions and troubles for the Lord. At the Lord’s coming back they will be relieved of their sufferings and enter into the Lord’s rest and enjoy its liberty.
In this verse Paul speaks of the unveiling of the Lord Jesus. The Lord is here today; however, He is veiled. His coming back will be His unveiling. Although the universe is immeasurably vast in its dimensions, with the Lord there is no such thing as distance. He is everywhere. One day, at His coming, He will be unveiled, and everyone will see Him.
We thank the Lord that we are not shortsighted. Through His grace, we have both insight and foresight. We are able to see through the veil. Unbelievers, however, do not know what is behind the veil. But we, the believers, know that the Lord Jesus will be unveiled.
At the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power, we shall rest. The time has not yet come for us to rest. Our rest will be at the Lord’s coming, at His unveiling.
In verse 8 Paul continues, “Dealing out vengeance to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This verse covers two conditions and two stages. It speaks of God’s dealing out vengeance to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of Christ. Certain people do not know God; others do not obey the gospel.
There is no excuse for not knowing God. Some may say, “The gospel was never preached to me. I lived before the gospel was preached.” Those who reason in this way will not be able to excuse themselves for not knowing God. According to the Bible, God is made known through His creation (Rom. 1:20). Furthermore, God is made known to man’s conscience. Man can know God through creation and by means of his conscience. Our conscience tells us that there is a God. For this reason, no one can say that he does not have a way to know God. Anyone who does not know God will suffer punishment. Those who heard the gospel but did not accept it and obey it will also be punished. Therefore, God will deal out vengeance to two categories of people — to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel.
Verse 9 continues, “Who shall pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His strength.” Those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel will pay the penalty of eternal destruction. This is eternal perdition.
In verse 10 Paul speaks of Christ coming to be glorified in His saints: “Whenever He comes to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at in all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.” The Lord is the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8). He has been glorified in His resurrection and ascension (John 17:1; Luke 24:26; Heb. 2:9). Now He is in us as the hope of glory (Col. 1:27) to bring us into glory (Heb. 2:10). At His coming back, on the one hand, He will come from the heavens with glory (Rev. 10:1; Matt. 25:31), and on the other hand, He will be glorified in His saints. For Him to be glorified in His saints means that His glory will be manifested from within His members. It will transfigure their body of humiliation into His glory like His glorified body. He will be marveled at, admired, wondered at, in us, His believers, by the unbelievers.
From Colossians 1:27 we know that we have Christ in us as our hope of glory. This indwelling Christ is the coming glory. Christ will come from the heavens, but He will also come out from within us. Therefore, the coming of the Lord is both from the heavens to the earth and also from within us. For Christ to come from within us is for Him to be glorified in us. Christ is now within us as glory. But this Christ of glory is concealed in us; He has not yet been manifested. At His coming back, the Christ of glory within us will be glorified in us. This means that He will come out of us and will be made manifest from within us. Thus, His coming will be a marvel. This is the reason that Paul says that when Christ comes, He will be glorified in His saints and marveled at in all those who believe.
As believers, we all may have the assurance that we have Christ in us and that this Christ is the Christ of glory. However, our unbelieving relatives, friends, and neighbors do not know that we have Christ in us. But when Christ comes, not only from the heavens but also from within us to be manifested, then our unbelieving relatives, neighbors, and friends will marvel.
The Christ who is glorified in us will be marveled at by unbelievers. Someone may say, “Aren’t you my son-in-law? What has happened to you?” Then that one may respond, “I testified to you a number of times about Christ living in me. But instead of believing me, you mocked me and despised me. But now you marvel because my Christ has come out from within me to be manifested in glory.” One day this will be our situation.
We have Christ in us, and we are in the process of being filled with Christ. But our Christ is veiled, even to us. When the Christ of glory comes out from within us and is manifested, others will marvel at us.
Sometimes even we may find it hard to believe that the glorious Christ is within us right now. Doctrinally, we may believe that Christ is in us. However, we may have some doubts. In the past I wondered if I really had Christ in me. I said to myself, “Is Christ really in you as the hope of glory? Look at how poor you are. It seems that you were better years ago than you are today.” Perhaps you also have doubted that Christ is in you. But the day will come when the Christ in you, the hidden Christ, will be made manifest. That manifestation will actually be the glorification of Christ in us. When He comes out from within us, He will be marveled at by all the unbelievers.
Verse 11 says, “For which also we pray always concerning you, that our God may count you worthy of the calling, and may fulfill every good pleasure of goodness and work of faith in power.” To call us into the heavens is not God’s calling; it is to call us into His kingdom and glory.
The Greek word rendered “good pleasure” also means delight. The apostles prayed that God would fulfill the delight, the good pleasure, of the Thessalonians in goodness.
In verse 12 Paul concludes, “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.” The grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord Himself within us as our life and life supply that we may live a life that will glorify the Lord and be glorified in Him.
In verse 12 Paul speaks of the name of the Lord Jesus being glorified in us and of our being glorified in Him. Such a glorification will be according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. This grace is something far more than unmerited favor. Grace is the processed Triune God becoming the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit for our enjoyment. It is according to such a grace that the name of the Lord Jesus will be glorified in us and that we shall be glorified in Him. As we enjoy this grace, it will cause the Lord Jesus to be glorified in us and us to be glorified in Him.
When we read these verses in chapter one of 2 Thessalonians, we see that they are truly a word of encouragement. In 1:1-12 we have encouragement concerning the basic structure of a holy life for the church life. We have encouragement for our faith, love, and hope.
