2 Thessalonians 1 "Worthy!"

Introduction to 2 Thessalonians - Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll

2 Thessalonians 1 - NIV

2 Corinthians 1 - Enduring Word Commentary

1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul gives his familiar opening greeting to the Thessalonians. This second letter comes in a relatively short period time after the first one. There are similar themes in terms of staying steadfast in the midst of persecution and also further teaching on the end times. Whenever a church is being persecuted, Paul tends to point to the end times as a means of encouragement for the trials they are going through. Paul says in Romans 8:18, 

"Our present suffering is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in Christ Jesus." 

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

I think Paul had a healthy pride in the Thessalonians. He gave thanks to God because they were the fruit of his ministry. They were an affirmation of the call on Paul's life to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. Importantly, the Thessalonians were growing "more and more". They not only had received the gospel, they believed in it, and were growing in obedience to it. And the fruit of that is always more and more love for one another. 

Paul also let them know that as they stood firm in the face of persecution, it was evidence of how strong their faith in Jesus was. It's easy to have faith when things are going good, but faith is forged in the fire. 

Second century church father Tertullian said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." 

5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Though it might seem like those persecuting them were getting away with something, God's justice will be meted out when Jesus returns from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. Jesus came in humility and gentleness, but he will return in fire. 

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. - Guzik

Note the finality of Jesus' return and judgment. The worst part of this judgment is being cut off from the presence of God. Jesus uses the term "weeping and gnashing of teeth" in Luke 13:28 for those who find out their eternal destiny will be spent apart from God. 

The fiery judgment that will be brought on those who reject the gospel is sobering to say the least. It should motivate us to share the Good News with those who don't know Jesus. It is always good to help someone in need, but the greatest need everyone has is forgiveness of sin and salvation to eternal life. Paul calls this in Corinthians the "indescribable gift". 

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. “The perpetual duration of this death is proved from the fact that its opposite is the glory of Christ. This is eternal and has no end.” (Calvin)

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have seen many times how dedicated Paul is at praying for all the churches he has started. It is interesting that he prays, "Our God may make you worthy of his calling." 

In Ephesians 4:1 Paul urges us them to "live a life worthy of our calling".  What does he mean when he says here "God may make you worthy of his calling?" Another version says to "Count you worthy of your calling.:" The NLT says, "God may enable you to live a life worthy of your calling."

Since Paul is talking about Jesus' return, I think he means even though we will not be judged for our sin, we will be judged for what we did with the grace he has given. I think this is the sense which Paul says that we would be "counted worthy" of our calling. But we do need to remember that it is God working in us that makes us worthy. We can't do it on our own. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to live a life worthy of our calling as we "walk in the Spirit", as Paul says in Galatians 5. 

In all of this our goal is to "Bring God glory!". When we live a life worthy of our calling, we bring glory to God! When we live a life worthy of our calling, the name of Jesus is glorified! This is our ultimate goal as Christ followers.  

Who do you know that needs to know of the finality of God's judgment when Jesus returns? This is always tricky in terms of how we share the gospel with this person. May we be led by the Holy Spirit as we share the love of Christ for them while also realizing their dire need to come to Jesus before it is too late.