Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. This lesson is part of a series of lessons on the book of 2 Thessalonians. In this lesson I’m going to look at chapter one, verse four, and talk about perseverance.
Watch the video or scroll down to read a transcript.
Transcript:
Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. This lesson is part of a series of lessons on the book of 2 Thessalonians. In this lesson I’m going to look at chapter one, verse four, and talk about perseverance. Let’s start by reading verse 4.
2Th. 1:4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
The word perseverance is a translation of the Greek word hupomone. Hupomone is used multiple times throughout the New Testament. Before I look at the details of verse four, I want to look at a couple other passages to see what the Bible teaches about perseverance, because these verses in 2 Thessalonians actually illustrate a teaching that we see elsewhere in the New Testament.
Let’s start in James.
James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The word endurance is a translation of the same Greek word, hupomone, that is translated perseverence in 2 Thessalonians. Notice, James said we should consider it joy when we encounter various trials, because those trials produce endurance, or perseverence. Endurance, or perseverence, is a good thing because it leads to something else. Endurance leads to perfection or completeness, but we have to go through trials in order to gain endurance. In other words we have to go through trials in order to get anywhere close to being perfect and complete.
Paul wrote something similar in Romans.
Rom. 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Paul wrote that we should exalt in tribulations because tribulation brings perseverance. That’s essentially what James said. Paul went on to give a little more detail about the benefits of perseverance. Perseverance brings proven character. Proven character brings hope.
What we see in both of these passages is that perseverance is a good thing. Perseverance produces good character. However, in order to have the perseverance that produces good character, it is necessary to go through tribulation.
None of us want to suffer persecution or affliction; however, ultimately, persecution and affliction are good for us because they make us stronger. They build perseverance. Perseverance yields good character and hope.
With that as some background, let’s go back to 2 Thessalonians.
2Th. 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; 4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
The Thessalonians were undergoing persecution and affliction. If you remember from previous lessons, we talked about the background of 2 Thessalonians. Paul had planted the church in Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. That is recorded in Acts 17.
When Paul went to Thessalonica, he went into the synagogue and started preaching the gospel. Some Jews believed and some leading Greeks believed. However, many of the Jews were opposed to Paul’s message. They joined with some evil men from the marketplace, started a riot, and drove Paul out of Thessalonica.
That tells us the church in Thessalonica was planted amidst a riot. It also tells us there was a lot of opposition to Christianity within Thessalonica. We see that reflected in 2Thess 1:4. Paul acknowledged that the Thessalonians were suffering a lot of persecution and affliction.
However, as we saw in the verses in James and Romans, persecution and affliction are good things and produce perseverance, which produces good character. That’s what happened with the Thessalonians. Paul said he spoke proudly of the Thessalonians because of their perseverance and the faith that they had in the midst of the persecutions and afflictions. Paul wrote this after he had written in verse three that he believed it was necessary to give thanks for the Thessalonians because their faith was greatly enlarged and their love for one another was growing ever greater.
In other words the Thessalonians are an illustration of the teachings in James and Romans. James and Romans tell us to rejoice in the midst of trials and tribulations because adversity produces good character. The Thessalonians illustrate the good character that comes from enduring persecution and affliction.
None of us living in the 21st century like persecution and affliction. No one has ever liked trials and tribulations. However, we should learn this lesson from the Thessalonains. As much as we want to avoid persecution and affliction, when we are faced with it, when suffering comes into our lives, we should rejoice just as James and Romans tells us to because ultimately, suffering and persecution are good for us. The obstacles that we face in life make us better people. They make us stronger people. They give us perseverance. It is through perseverance that we develop a godly character and become more and more the person that God wants us to be.
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