New Testament Commentary - 2 Thessalonians 1

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
                  CHAPTER 1

At his Second Coming the Lord Jesus will take vengeance upon the ungodly.

 1 PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, aunto the bchurch of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
 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 achurches of God for your bpatience and faith in all your cpersecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
 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 asuffer:
 6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
 7 And to you who are troubled arest with us, when the bLord Jesus shall be crevealed from heavena with his mighty dangels,
 8 In flaming afire taking bvengeance on them that know not God, and that cobey not the dgospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
 7a the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven This of course speaks of the Second Coming and may well be much like unto such events as when the Lord appeared unto the saints in the land Bountiful near the temple in the Book of Mormon. Yet at his Second Coming he shall come in power and glory attended by angles as the host of heaven. Yet as 2 Thes. 2:3 points out, this coming WILL NOT come except and after there come a falling away first; that is that there will be a great apostasy from the truth of the Gospel, and therefore must be also preceded by a restoration of that gospel in preparation for that Second Coming. The early saints were in part so looking forward to that day, and those who are worthy will attend as the angels in attendance at the Lord's coming. But per their mortal existence they needed to endure in the faith until the end of their lives and understand that there would be those in apostasy which for their own success in the Lord they needed to resist and remain faithful in and of themselves.
 9 Who shall be apunished with beverlasting cdestruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
 10 When he shall come to be aglorified in his bsaints, 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 aworthy 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 agrace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.