Christian Living
“BLESSED BE THE NAME OF Our LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS THE CHRIST, FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY AND JUST AND RIGHTEOUS!” Amen. An Adoration.
“Paul, Silas, and Timothy”
RELIGION – BELIEF IN AND WORSHIP OF A SUPER HUMAN CONTROLLING POWER
“THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER,”
2 Thessalonians 1:1) Paul, and Silvanus (Silas), and Timotheus (Timothy), Unto The Church Of The Thessalonians IN GOD Our FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: 2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1. 2) GRACE Unto you, and PEACE FROM GOD Our FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 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: 1 Thessalonians 1:3. 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: Psalm 33:5. 6) Seeing IT IS A RIGHTEOUS THING WITH GOD To Recompense (Repay) 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; Deuteronomy 33:2. 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.
Nelson’s Compact Bible Commentary – v1, Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy (Timotheus), were also the authors and editors of 1 Thessalonians. Silvanus (Latin for Silas) had been Paul’s traveling companion ever the start of The Second Missionary Journey. He had Participated In The Founding Of The Church At Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4). Timothy also was accompanying Paul on his Second Missionary Journey. His report from The Thessalonian Church had been occasion for The Writing of 1 Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 3:6-8). v2, Paul’s salutation is similar to those in other ancient letters (see Galatians 1:3; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:2), but his expression is filled with Spiritual Meaning. GRACE Is The Unmerited (Unearned) Favor GOD GIVES TO BELIEVERS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. PEACE refers to The End Of Enmity (Hatred) Between GOD And people. The Thessalonians Could Experience PEACE WITH GOD Even During Severe Persecution. v3, The FAITHFULNESS Of The Thessalonian Church In Persecution Gave Paul REASON TO PRAISE GOD. These Christians had experienced persecution But CONTINUED TO GROW IN CHRIST, in agreement with The Apostle’s Earlier PRAYER in his FIRST LETTER to them (see 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 4:9, 10). Here The Apostle PRAISES GOD Because The Thessalonians’ FAITH IS GROWING EXCEEDINGLY. They wee growing beyond all natural expectation. Abounds pictures an expansive growth similar to the sudden surge of flood waters. v4, Persecution Not Only Tests FAITH but reveals IT AND CAUSES IT TO GROW. Continued FAITH AND ENDURANCE THROUGH Persecutions PROVIDE A TESTIMONY FOR CHRIST, of Which Paul was boasting to the Other Churches. v5,6, Although the Thessalonians were enduring persecution (see Acts 17:5-9; 1 Thessalonians 2:14), Paul explains that their persecutors would be Repaid By GOD. THE JUDGMENT OF GOD Requires That the unrighteous BE PUNISHED for their persecution of The Righteous (see Psalm 9, 10, 17; 137; Revelation 6:9, 10). Also if The Believers handle their persecutions properly, They Will Be Counted Worthy Of REWARD IN THE COMING KINGDOM OF GOD (Matthew 5:12; 1 Peter 2:19, 20). v7-9, Rest is The Relief from affliction That Will Come AT CHRIST’S RETURN (see Revelation 6:11). The Christian’s Race or Warfare on this earth necessarily includes tension. AT THE COMING OF CHRIST We Will Experience Release From That Tension FOREVER, Even As We Remain Active In HIS SERVICE. THE PROMISE OF FUTURE ETERNAL REST Helps The Suffering Christian To Endure Present Trials (see v. 4). WHEN THE LORD JESUS IS REVEALED: PRESENTLY THE LORD JESUS IS ENTHRONED IN GLORY AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER (John 17:5). BUT ONE DAY, “Every Eye Will See HIM” (Revelation 1:7). Notice The Threefold Description Of HIS APPEARANCE: FROM HEAVEN, WITH HIS Mighty Angels, IN FLAMING FIRE. HE IS ENCIRCLED WITH LEAPING FLAMES OF FIRE, TAKING VENGEANCE on those who rejected HIM. WHEN CHRIST COMES IN JUDGMENT HE WILL BAPTIZE WITH FIRE. The Persecuted Thessalonian Believers Could Be Encouraged By The Fact That When JESUS IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN WITH HIS Angels, HE WILL BRING FLAMING FIRE AND EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION On the enemies of GOD, the ones who were persecuting Them (Revelation 19:12; 17-19; 20:10-15). v10-12, In contrast to the destruction of the wicked, CHRIST WILL BE GLORIFIED IN HIS SAINTS. CHRIST WILL BE GLORIFIED NOT ONLY AMONG BUT ALSO IN THE SAINTS, FOR BELIEVERS REFLECT HIS GLORY. Paul continued to PRAY that the Thessalonian Believers would live in a manner Worthy Of GOD, IN A WAY THAT WOULD GLORIFY CHRIST (1 Thessalonians 2:12).
Quest Study Bible – v4, “What kind of persecution were the Thessalonians facing?” It’s possible that secular leaders, thinking that Christians undermined the stability of the political scene, had begun to harass them. Pockets of persecution may have broken out against a family or a leader, and perhaps these had become frequent enough to trouble The Church. Some people, no doubt, were beaten, while others may have been imprisoned or robbed of their livelihood. v5, “How did persecution show THAT GOD WAS RIGHT?” When The Righteous suffer, it proves the wickedness of those who persecute. GOD’S JUDGMENT YET TO COME WILL REWARD The Righteous Who Suffer, And IT Will Punish the wicked who now inflict pain. The Suffering Thessalonians Would Be Rewarded Because Of Their Perseverance In Suffering. v7, “Blazing Fire,” A metaphor (a likeness) that stresses two things: (1) GOD WILL BE PRESENT. (2) There will be JUDGMENT. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT FIRE and JUDGMENT are often used together. v8, “Why punish people only because they didn’t know GOD?” This expression—borrowed from THE OLD TESTAMENT— is a way of describing those who Willfully Rejected GOD, not those who had never heard of HIM. The Phrase those who do not know GOD is another way of saying “those who have no Personal Relationship With GOD.” Their personal responsibility becomes more clear in The Phrase and do not Obey THE GOSPEL. Paul reassured The Believers in Thessalonica that JUSTICE would eventually come to their persecutors.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Bible Commentary – v1-4, Where There Is THE TRUTH OF GRACE, There Will Be An Increase Of IT. The Path Of The Just Is As THE SHINING LIGHT, Which Shines More And More Unto THE PERFECT DAY. And Where There Is THE INCREASE OF GRACE, GOD MUST HAVE ALL THE GLORY. Where FAITH Grows, LOVE Will Abound, For FAITH WORKS BY LOVE. It Shows FAITH AND PATIENCE, such as may be proposed as a pattern for others, When Trials From GOD, and Persecutions from men, quicken the exercise of Those GRACES; For The PATIENCE and FAITH Of Which The Apostle Gloried, Bore Them Up, And Enabled Them To Endure All Their Tribulations. v5-10, RELIGION, If Worth Anything, IS WORTH EVERYTHING; and those have no RELIGION, or NONE worth having, or know not how to Value IT, who cannot find in their hearts any will to suffer for IT. We cannot by all our sufferings, any more than by our services, Merit (Be Good Enough For) HEAVEN; but by our Patience Under Sufferings, We Are Prepared For THE PROMISED JOY. Nothing more strongly marks a man for Eternal Ruin, than a spirit of persecution and enmity (hatred) To THE NAME And People Of GOD. The thoughts of this should be terrible to wicked men, And Support (*To) The Righteous. FAITH, LOOKING TO THE GREAT DAY, Is Enabled Partly To Understand THE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE, which appears confused to unbelievers. THE LORD JESUS WILL IN THAT DAY APPEAR FROM HEAVEN. HE WILL COME IN THE GLORY AND POWER OF THE UPPER WORLD. HIS LIGHT WILL BE PIERCING, AND HIS POWER CONSUMING, to all in THAT DAY shall be found to be chaff (dry outer shells, **Psalm 1:4, The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.). THIS APPEARANCE will be terrible to those that know not GOD, especially to those that rebel against Revelation, and obey not THE GOSPEL OF Our LORD JESUS CHRIST. This Is The Great Crime Of Multitudes, THE GOSPEL IS REVEALED, and they will not Believe IT; or if they pretend to Believe, the will not obey IT. BELIEVING THE TRUTHS OF THE GOSPEL, Is In Order To Our Obeying THE PRECEPTS (DOCTRINES, TEACHINGS) OF THE GOSPEL. Though sinners may be long spared, they will be punished at last. They did sin’s work, and must receive sin’s wages. Here GOD Punishes sinners by creatures (***the created) as instruments; but then, It Will Be DESTRUCTION FROM THE ALMIGHTY; And Who Knows THE POWER OF HIS ANGER? It will be a Joyful Day to some, To The Saints, To Those Who BELIEVE And Obey THE GOSPEL. IN THAT BRIGHT AND BLESSED DAY, CHRIST JESUS WILL BE GLORIFIED (MOST EXCELLENT) And ADMIRED BY HIS Saints. And CHRIST WILL BE GLORIFIED AND ADMIRED In Them (****or, CHRIST WILL BE SEEN In Them). HIS GRACE AND POWER WILL BE SHOWN, When IT SHALL APPEAR WHAT HE HAS PURCHASED FOR, AND WROUGHT (WORKED) IN, AND BESTOWED UPON, Those Who BELIEVE IN HIM. LORD, If THE GLORY Put Upon THY Saints Shall Be Thus Admired, How Much More Shalt THOU BE ADMIRED, AS THE BESTOWER (GIVER) OF THAT GLORY! THE GLORY OF THY JUSTICE In The Damnation of the wicked will be Admired, but not as THE GLORY OF THY MERCY IN THE SALVATION OF BELIEVERS. How Will This Strike THE ADORING Angels With HOLY ADMIRATION, And Transport THY ADMIRING Saints WITH ETERNAL RAPTURE! The Meanest (Poorest) Believer Shall Enjoy More Than the most enlarged heart can imagine while we are here. CHRIST WILL BE ADMIRED IN ALL Those THAT BELIEVE, The Meanest (Poorest) Believer Not Excepted (Will Not Be Left Out). (*,**,***,****This person’s interpretaton). v11-12, Believing Thoughts And Expectations Of THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST Should Lead Us To PRAY TO GOD MORE, For Ourselves And Others. If There Is Any Good In Us, It Is Owing To TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS GOODNESS, AND THEREFORE IT IS CALLED GRACE. There Are Many Purposes Of GRACE AND GOOD-WILL IN GOD TOWARD HIS People, And The Apostle PRAYS THAT GOD WOULD Complete In Them THE WORK OF FAITH WITH POWER. This In Order To Their Doing Every Other Good Work. THE POWER OF GOD NOT ONLY BEGINS, BUT CARRIES ON THE WORK OF FAITH. AND THIS IS THE GREAT END AND DESIGN OF THE GRACE OF Our GOD AND LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHICH IS MADE KNOWN TO Us, AND WROUGHT (WORKED THROUGH CHRIST) IN Us. Amen.
BLESSINGS TO You IN CHRIST JESUS!
HE LIVES! 