2 Thessalonians 1:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

NIV: They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might

NASB: These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

CSB: They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord's presence and from his glorious strength

NLT: They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.

KJV: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

NKJV: These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

The result of unbelief is eternal punishment. The wicked will not be annihilated or experience only a temporary punishment. Their punishment will be everlasting suffering in hell. Jesus warned against being "thrown into the eternal fire" (Matthew 18:8). Matthew 25:41 reports that at the Judgment of the Nations Jesus will tell unbelievers, "Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Referring to those unbelievers, Matthew 25:46 says, "And these will go away into eternal punishment."

According to 2 Thessalonians 1:9, the punishment of unbelievers in hell will consist not only of suffering in the "fires," but also banishment from the presence of the Lord. The word translated "presence" is literally "face." Whereas believers will see the Lord face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12), unbelievers will be driven from the face of the Lord and will never know the joy of being in His presence and the delight of observing the splendor of His power. Their knowledge and shame at this destiny is part of their suffering in eternity.

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 5/7/2024 6:18:33 AM