2 Thessalonians

Chapter 1

vs 1

Hey, look, another letter by our good friends PS&T!

vs 2

This is familiar.

vs 3

It sounds like they read the last letter. Good for them!

vs 4

It also sounds like PS&T continue to see Thessalonica as the church worth boasting about.

vs 5

Something worth noticing about these verses in the first chapter is their focus on God. It is God's work that is making these things happen in Thessalonica, it is God's judgement that shows them to be worthy of entering the Kingdom.

vs 6-7

We are not to pay back wrong for wrong if you remember 1 Thess. But God can, and he will. Haha, persecuting suckers!

But not only that, God will give relief to those who are suffering without being able (or willing) to return fire. But notice when he will do it! It's not now. We pray for God's relief and it doesn't come. We pray for God to give trouble to those who trouble us, and he doesn't. Why? Because his promise is conditional on a time period - Jesus, blazing fire, powerful angels.

That of course doesn't mean that God won't trouble people and relieve people - it just means that he sometimes won't, but that doesn't cancel his promise - his promise is to do it with angels and Jesus and blazing fire - and you can't really summon the angel army every time someome spits on you.

vs 8

It's coming. And perhaps around now you're thinking "Yeah, bring it on, those bastards".

vs 9

Ouch. Ok, God, I was sort of thinking you'd ruff them up a bit, give them a good dose of leprosy or something. For some reason, my stomach suddenly turns when I think that those people, however bastardly, are going to suffer eternal destruction and a shut-out from God. It's not fun anymore. Now it's just sad.

vs 10

But that's not his reason for coming - it just happens that way. His reason for coming is to be glorified. To be marvelled at. And this isn't all about God either - by his grace it is also about us being allowed to be involved in the glorification, and in the marvelling.

Notice also PS&T's personal comment here - it wasn't because they believed in Christ (which of course they do) but because they believed the testimony of PS&T. We tend to say "I am nothing, Christ is everything, abase, shame, etc". Not PS&T. It's their ministry as much as it is God's ministry. They feel an ownership (perhaps a stewardship) - and with responsibility and accountability also comes reward. There's nothing wrong with them saying this.

vs 11

Ok... so are PS&T worried about the Thessalonians losing their salvation? Haven't they made it clear that the Thessalonians are going to be in God's kingdom, that they are included in the glorification and marvelling? Why then pray that God may count them worthy of his calling? I mean, the other half of the prayer is great - praying basically that everything good they do goes well and is based on faith. But why that first part?

I think we have to look at the bigger picture of this letter. You can obviously tell from these early verses that the Thessalonians are struggling under persecution and trials. They are enduring, but perhaps flagging. PS&T are obviously trying to encourage them to keep to the faith, and to keep doing these outward acts of faith. I think that's where this comes from. God's calling is more than just salvation - it's a calling to living a godly life, and it's a calling to suffering. And the Thessalonians have shown they are worthy of that calling by enduring. So I think the prayer is one for their continued endurance. What does that say about us? We don't suffer - perhaps we are not worthy of it?

vs 12

See, the purpose of their prayer was for the glorification of Christ and of the Thessalonians. Not for their salvation per se, but that Christ might be glorified through their lives.