October
4th 2
Thessalonians 1
A. Prologue
Greetings Paul Silvanus Timothy
1:
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the
Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2: Grace
unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
B.
Persecution
We know your suffering
3:
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet,
because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every
one of you all toward each other aboundeth; 4: So that we ourselves
glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in
all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5: Which is a
manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be
counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: 6:
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to
them that trouble you; 7: And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, 8: In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not
God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9: Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10: When he shall come to
be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
11: Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count
you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his
goodness, and the work of faith with power: 12: That the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according
to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s
second letter to the church at Thessalonica is written with Silas and
Timothy as co-workers, exactly the same as the first letter. Paul
says we are bound to give thanks to God for you because your faith is
growing so much and the love you have to each other is overflowing.
We are so proud of you because of your faithfulness and patience in
persecutions and troubles. These sufferings are a proof of your
godliness and God will bring those who persecute you into judgment.
Paul says that one day Gods mighty angels will come from heaven to
bring the judgment of God on those who do not know God and who refuse
to respond to the Gospel. They will face the eternal punishment of
everlasting destruction in which those who refuse Christ will be
banished from his presence and from the outward display of his
almighty power when Christ comes to his kingdom. At that time Christ
will be glorified with his saints and he will be admired but all
those who believe in Christ in the world. Paul says, and so we pray
always for you that God will count you worthy of his calling to glory
and that you will delight to do the good will of God – works of
faith in the almighty power of God. And that the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you might be glorified in
him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus.
- Who wrote this letter and why is it from this group?
- How does Paul express his relationship with the believers at Thessalonica?
- How would you describe in your own words the declaration that Paul makes in this passage?
No comments:
Post a Comment