Daily Scripture Reading 2Thessalonians 1:1 - 2:10
How do you react when life gets hard? Do you complain? Do you question God’s love? Do you have the attitude that if God were good, then He would not allow you to suffer?
What is your attitude toward religious freedom? Do you believe people who have religious freedom are more fortunate than those who do not? Do you feel sorry for those who live in societies where Christians are openly mistreated?
Do you view persecution as a sign of God’s punishment or favor?
Today, we will start reading through the book of 2 Thessalonians. The Christians in Thessalonica experienced a lot of opposition. Paul did not feel sorry for them amidst their persecution. In fact, we will see as we read through today’s passage that Paul had the opposite mentality about affliction.
2Th. 1:1 ¶ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, ¶ To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th. 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2Th. 1:3 ¶ We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is only fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another increases all the more,
Out of all the characteristics Paul could have mentioned to praise the Thessalonians, think about that upon which he focused: faith and love.
2Th. 1:4 so that we ourselves boast about you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
The 17th chapter of Acts records Paul’s first visit to Thessalonica. Some Jews and many Greeks believed Paul’s message, but the rest of the Jews became jealous and set the city in an uproar. Then Paul traveled to Berea and Acts 17:11 says those in Berea were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, indicating the Jews in Thessalonica were of low character. That passage gives us an indication of the persecutions and afflictions endured by the Christians in Thessalonica.
2Th. 1:5 ¶ This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
The pronoun “this” refers to the perseverance and faith displayed by the Thessalonians amidst their suffering. Their perseverance indicated that they will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God.
Today, there are many Christians who complain about God when they have to endure hardship. They question God’s love when life is unfair. Furthermore, we often thank God for our religious freedom and lack of persecution.
Paul drew a different meaning from the suffering of the Thessalonians. In his mind, persecution was an opportunity for them to be worthy of the kingdom of God. This means affliction is good and desirable, not something to be avoided.
We can’t demonstrate our love for God by following Him only when life is easy. We demonstrate true love and loyalty to the Creator by being faithful when life is difficult and unfair. Perhaps the lack of persecution in our culture is an indication that we are not worthy of the kingdom of God.
2Th. 1:6 Since it is right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
2Th. 1:7 and to give rest to you who are afflicted and to us as well at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
2Th. 1:8 executing vengeance on those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Amidst all our suffering on earth, we can be hopeful that we will experience rest once we reach heaven.
2Th. 1:9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, AWAY FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND FROM THE GLORY OF HIS MIGHT,
2Th. 1:10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our witness to you was believed.
2Th. 1:11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill all your good pleasure for goodness and the work of faith with power,
Once again we see the concept of being counted worthy by God. Paul did not pray that the Thessalonians would be free of hardship here on earth. He prayed that their hardship would cause God to count them worthy.
2Th. 1:12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2Th. 2:1 ¶ Now we ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
2Th. 2:2 that you not be quickly shaken in your mind or be alarmed whether by a spirit or a word or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Note the term “day of the Lord”.
2Th. 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it has not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
2Th. 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the sanctuary of God, exhibiting himself as being God.
The day of the Lord will not come until after the man of lawlessness is revealed.
2Th. 2:5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
2Th. 2:6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
2Th. 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
This verse makes it clear that something is currently restraining the man of lawlessness. The verse does not make it clear who or what is doing the restraining. Since evil is being restrained, the most likely explanation is that the Holy Spirit and/or the church, defined as all believers in the world, is doing the restraining.
2Th. 2:8 And then that lawless one will be revealed—whom the Lord Jesus WILL SLAY WITH THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming—
This passage indicates that in the future the Holy Spirit and the church will be removed from the earth. This is commonly called the rapture. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed during a time period called the tribulation. After that Jesus will come back to earth.
2Th. 2:9 whose coming is in accord with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
The pronoun “whose” refers to the lawless one.
2Th. 2:10 and with all the deception of unrighteousness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
It is normal for Christians to look at persecution as bad and undesirable. That leads to the mentality that living in a society with religious freedom is preferable to living without that freedom.
However, Paul had a different take on this. He looked at persecution as an opportunity to be worthy of God.
What level of religious freedom do you experience in your culture?
How much persecution have you endured for being a Christian?
How has affliction and hardship made you a stronger and better person?
How have you seen other people become better while enduring hardship and disappointment?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”