Paul, 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.

a. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: Paul was an amazing man and apostle of God, but he was not a "one-man show." Whenever he could, Paul worked with a team. Here, Paul mentions the men he worked with.

i. Silvanus (also known as Silas) was a long and experienced companion of Paul. He traveled with Paul on his second missionary journey and was imprisoned and set free with Paul in the Philippian jail (Acts 16:19-24). When Paul first came to Thessalonica, Silas came with him (Acts 17:1-9), so the Thessalonians knew Silvanus well.

ii. Timothy was a resident of Lystra, a city in the province of Galatia (Acts 16:1-3). He was the son of a Greek father (Acts 16:2), and a Jewish mother named Eunice (2 Timothy 2:5). From his youth, he had been taught in the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15). Timothy was a trusted companion and associate of Paul, and he accompanied Paul on many of his missionary journeys. Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians on a previous occasion (1 Thessalonians 3:2).

b. To the church of the Thessalonians: Paul himself founded the church in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9). He was only in the city a short time because he was forced out by enemies of the gospel. But the church of the Thessalonians left behind was alive and active. Paul's deep concern for this young church he had to suddenly leave prompted this letter, which followed the letter of 1 Thessalonians.

c. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Paul brings his customary greeting to the Thessalonian Christians, hailing them in the grace and peace of God the Father.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,

a. We are bound to thank God always for you: For Paul, the giving of thanks for God's great work was an obligation - he was bound to do so, and it was fitting, because of the work God did in them.

b. Because your faith grows exceedingly: Paul thanked God because the Thessalonians had:

·        Exceedingly growing faith.

·        Abounding love.

·        Patience and faith in all . . . persecutions and tribulations.

This faith and love, thriving in the midst of persecutions and tribulations, made Paul boast of the Thessalonians to other churches.

B. The persecuted Thessalonians and their persecutors.

Which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,

a. Which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God: God's righteous judgment was at work among the Thessalonians, beginning at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), and purifying them as followers of Jesus. The good result - showing them worthy of the kingdom of God - was manifest evidence that God was good in allowing them to suffer the persecutions and tribulations described in 2 Thessalonians 1:4.

i. To us, suffering often seems to deny God's righteous purpose; but where suffering is coupled with righteous endurance, God's work is done. The fires of persecution and tribulation were like the purifying fires of a refiner, burning away the dross from the gold, bringing forth a pure, precious metal.

ii. The idea behind counted worthy is not "seen as worthy" but "reckoned as worthy" as in a judicial decree. Paul's prayer is that the worthiness of Jesus may be accounted to them.

b. Since it is a righteous thing with God: Many people question the righteousness of God's judgment. They believe that God's love and His judgment contradict each other. But God's judgment is based on the great spiritual principle that it is a righteous thing with God to repay those who do evil. Since God is righteous, He will repay all evil, and it will all be judged and accounted for either at the cross or in hell.

i. The judgment of God means that there is nothing unimportant in my life. Everything is under the eye of a God I must answer to.

c. To repay with tribulation those who trouble you: God was also shown as righteous when those who persecuted the Thessalonians were repaid with tribulation according to their evil works. They probably believed they did God a favor when they persecuted the Christians, but the righteous God would repay them, not reward them.

i. In the first century, many Jewish leaders hated Christians because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and believed a crucified Savior was an offense. Many Romans hated Christians because they considered them "atheists," because they would not worship the national gods of Rome.

ii. The tribulation upon these persecutors of God's people are not purifying fires; they are the fires of a pure and holy judgment.

d. And to give you who are troubled rest: The Thessalonian Christians were persecuted and had tribulation, and God used it for His glory. But the time of persecution would not last. A day of rest is promised for every believer.

In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

a. In flaming fire taking vengeance: This is what the day of judgment will be like for those who persecuted the Thessalonians. For the persecutors, those who do not know God, and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, that will be a day of vengeance, and everlasting destruction.

i. In flaming fire: it isn't the fire that makes hell what it is. In the fiery furnace, the three Jewish young men were completely comfortable, as long as the Lord was with them in the fire (Daniel 3). What truly characterizes hell is that there, people are from the presence of the Lord, in the sense of being apart from anything good or blessed in God's presence. From the presence of the Lord sums up the Bible's understanding of hell. Nothing must be said more about its horrors, other than hell will be completely devoid of God and every aspect of His character, except one: His unrelenting holy justice.

ii. Is it wrong for God to take vengeance? Not when we understand what the word means in the ancient Greek language. "The term does not contain the idea of human revenge but rather denotes infliction of full justice on a criminal, giving him all, but no more, than his guilt deserves." (Hiebert)

iii. Everlasting destruction: We must not be moved from the idea that the punishment of the wicked is everlasting. As the blessings of heaven are eternal, the penalty of hell is also eternal.

b. To be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe: For the persecuted saints, those who believe, they will have God glorified in them on that Day, and they will see and admire Jesus more than ever.

i. When He comes, in that Day: Paul didn't have to say more than that Day. The Thessalonians knew perfectly well what Day he meant, because they looked and lived for that Day.

c. Because our testimony among you was believed: What made the difference between one destined for judgment and one destined for glory? Belief in the message Paul preached (our testimony), the simple gospel of Jesus Christ.

i. Paul knew what it was like to be transformed from a persecutor to the persecuted. He believed the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it changed his life.

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

a. Therefore we also pray always: Since the Thessalonian Christians were in the midst of persecution and tribulation, they needed prayer. Here, Paul assures them that he and his associates pray always for them.

b. That our God would count you worthy of this calling: God gives Christians a high calling, mentioned in the previous sentence. The calling is to see Him glorified in us at His coming. Paul rightly prays that the Thessalonians may be counted worthy of this calling, and he shows ways to fulfill this calling.

i. We live worthy of His call when we fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, living lives touched by His goodness, and displaying His goodness.

ii. We live worthy of His call when we fulfill . . . the work of faith with power, believing on Jesus and seeing His work done all around us by faith.

iii. We live worthy of His call when the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is glorified in us. We understand that this means more than the name of our Lord Jesus as a word, but also as a representation of His character.

iv. We live worthy of His call when we are glorified in Him, when He alone is our source of glory and exaltation, and who we are in Jesus is more important than who we are in anything else.

c. According to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ: This great work of living worthy of His calling can only happen according to the grace of God. It happens by His power, favor, and acceptance in work in us, moving along our will and cooperation.