2 Thessalonians 1:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

NIV: God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you

NASB: For after all it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

CSB: since it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you

NLT: In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

KJV: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

NKJV: since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,

In this verse Paul tells the Thessalonians that God is just. In His good time He will recompense every wrong. Those who afflicted the Thessalonians had nothing to look forward to but divine retribution.

Justice is an outgrowth of God's righteous and holy character. He would be neither righteous nor holy if He let sinners off scot-free. Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." A holy God demands a penalty for sin, and Romans 6:23 tells us "the wages of sin is death." However, because Jesus died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3), all who believe on Jesus as their Savior receive the gift of "eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Paul's description of God as just would provide much comfort and hope to the suffering Thessalonians. They could leave any thoughts of revenge or retribution behind, and leave a response for undeserved persecution and afflictions in God's holy and capable hands.

Second Thessalonians 1:5–12 refers to the Thessalonians' trials as evidence that God is righteous and just. Paul indicates that the Thessalonians' faith and endurance would prove their status as inheritors of God's kingdom. Further, Paul assures his readers that God will avenge those who troubled the Thessalonians, giving the persecuted ones relief. When Jesus returns with His angels, He will inflict flaming fire on those who do not know God and on those who heard the gospel but rejected it. Their punishment will include eternal ruin and separation from God. When Jesus returns, those who have believed in Him will share in Jesus' glory and will marvel at Him. This look into the future was meant to help the Thessalonians continue to be steadfast under persecution and trouble. Paul prays that God would enable his readers to live successfully and worthy of their calling.

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.

Accessed 4/29/2024 8:35:33 PM