The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Thessalonica
1 Paul and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God our Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of every one of you toward another, aboundeth, 4 So that we ourselves rejoice of you in the Churches of God, because of your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye suffer. 5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for the which ye also suffer. 6 For it is a righteous thing with God, to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, 7 And to you which are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall show himself from heaven with his mighty Angels, 8 In flaming fire, rendering vengeance unto them, that do not know God, and which obey not unto the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 9 Which shall be punished with everlasting perdition 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 made marvelous in all them that believe (because our testimony toward you was believed) in that day. 11 Wherefore, we also pray always for you, that our God may make you worthy of this calling, and fulfill 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 of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Editor’s thought - We read in verses three trough five how the apostle, is continuously in praise and the thanking of God for the growth of the Thessalonian church. As such, he rejoices over that growth because, they, through patience, via faith, have become made known, for they walk in the righteous and Holy path that has been set before them. No matter that divers trials and tribulations that they have experienced have been put before them as an obstacle or as a stumbling block.
R.P. Woitowitz Sr.
“Having mentioned their persecutions and tribulations, which they endured principally for the cause of Christ, the apostle proceeds to offer several things for their comfort under them.
He tells them of the present happiness and advantage of their sufferings, (See 2 Thessalonians 1:5) Their faith being thus tried, and patience exercised, they were improved by their sufferings, insomuch that they were counted worthy of the kingdom of God. Their sufferings were a manifest token of this, that they were worthy or meet to be accounted Christians indeed, seeing they could suffer for Christianity. And the truth is, Religion if it is worth anything, is worth every thing; and those either have no religion at all or none that is worth having or know not how to value it, that cannot find in their hearts to suffer for it. Besides, from their patient suffering, it appeared that, according to the righteous judgment of God, they should be counted worthy of the heavenly glory: not by the worthiness of condignity, but of congruity only; not that they could merit heaven, but they were made meet for heaven. We cannot by all our sufferings, any more than by our services, merit heaven as a debt; but by our patience under our sufferings we are qualified for the joy that is promised to patient sufferers in the cause of God.”
Matthew Henry - Theologian
Related Scripture
2 Thessalonians 1:3 - Read 1 Thessalonians 1:2
2 Thessalonians 1:5 - Read Jude 6
2 Thessalonians 1:7 - Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16
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