2 Thessalonians 1:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

NIV: Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

NASB: As a result, 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.

CSB: Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God's churches--about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring.

NLT: We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.

KJV: So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

NKJV: 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,

The Thessalonians met their persecutions and harsh trials with perseverance and resolute trust in God. Nothing moved them away from their confidence in God and their dependence on Him. As a result, Paul and his fellow missionaries boasted about the Thessalonians in their contacts with other churches. The church of the Thessalonians was setting a good example of faith under fire.

The apostle Peter also recognized that trials are a normal part of the Christian life. As one who walked with Jesus and listened to His teachings when He was on earth, Peter knew Jesus did not promise His followers an easy, prosperous life. Jesus had told Peter and the other disciples: "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). In his first letter Peter explains that God uses trials to prove the genuineness of our faith, and having been proven to be genuine, our faith will "result in praise and glory and honor" when Jesus comes again (1 Peter 1:7).

Second Thessalonians 1:1–4, as is customary in Paul's letters, begins with identification. He also names the two co-missionaries who are with him. His salutation of grace and peace are typical of the salutations in his other letters. In verses 3 and 4 he expresses thanks for his readers. Paul compliments them on their increasing faith, love, and steadfastness in the midst of their persecutions and afflictions.

The apostle Paul received word that some Thessalonian believers did not understand clearly what he had written about the day of the Lord. Paul had told them in his first letter that Christians were exempt from the judgment and tribulation of the day of the Lord. However, some of the Thessalonians thought the day of the Lord had already begun, because they were undergoing fierce persecution. Here, Paul seeks to relieve those misunderstandings. He also addresses the matter of idleness and tells the church how to deal with those who are idle. Paul commends the believers for perseverance and faith, encouraging them to live according to the teachings he had given them.

Second Thessalonians opens with Paul's typical greetings, then shifts into encouragement. In his prior letter, Paul had explained the nature of death, for a Christian believer, and given a description of Christ's eventual return for His people. Now, the Thessalonian believers were experiencing persecution. Though they seem to be enduring it well, Paul reminds them that judgment before God awaits all people. Those who are persecuted for His sake will be part of His kingdom, while those who reject Him will face fire and vengeance. After this, Paul returns to the subject of Christ's return, and the rapture, seemingly to combat misunderstandings which linger despite his earlier letter.

Second Thessalonians follows Paul's earlier letter to the same group of Christian believers. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul had praised them for their faithfulness and given them reassurances about the day of the Lord. This included teachings on the rapture and a description of death as ''sleep'' from a Christian viewpoint. In this second letter, Paul corrects possible misunderstandings about those ideas. Among his teachings here are the importance of a good work ethic and God's impending judgment on sin, including judgment on those who persecute the Christian church. Paul also provides the Thessalonians with reassurances that they have not somehow missed out on Christ's return.