Arthur E. Gove
Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1
FROM the first the Thessalonian believers had been inspired by the great hope of the Second Coming, but it is apparent that in aspects of that matter they were confused. They had other problems too. There was weakness in the matter of order, since the leaders in the church were not respected and honoured as they should have been. Alas, that in our own day there are leaders who do not command respect, those who do not deserve to be followed because they themselves are inconsistent and unspiritual. The main thrust of this letter, however, seems to have been to deal with the confusion connected with the Coming of Christ, a confusion which had been intensified by false teaching attributed erroneously to the apostle himself (2:2).
There was dismay because some of the saints had died and seemed to have been cheated of the blessings of Christ's Return. This was put right in Paul's first letter. Then there were those who lived in such an atmosphere of crisis that they gave up their daily work and wanted to wait around for the Coming while living on the charity of others (3:11-12). The main problem, however, was associated with their intense suffering. They were passing through deep tribulation and they wondered whether the day of the Lord, the judgment period, was already upon them. In fact this church had been born in tribulation, as is shown by Acts 17:1-9 and by many references in the two letters. Happily this did not cripple their testimony or prevent their growth, but rather the opposite. Nevertheless it was all very painful and hard to understand, as we well know. This letter, therefore, offered them and offers us now, some helpful advice as to how to face tribulation.
1. The heart must be right [(verses 1-4)]
The Thessalonians are an example to us all, for their church was clearly pleasing to God and one for which Paul could give sincere thanks. In spite of their sufferings and persecution, their faith was growing, their love for one another was abounding and their patience was outstanding. The apostle felt an obligation to thank God for them; it was only right and fitting that he should do so (v.3). He never lost a chance of telling other Christians of the way in which they were triumphing in the midst of much affliction (v.4). How right were their hearts with God! This no doubt explained how they were able to meet adversity, not only bearing it but actually growing spiritually because of it.
i. Their faith grew exceedingly. Paul had been rather anxious about this matter of their faith and sent Timothy to establish and confirm them (1 Thessalonians 3:2). It must have been a tremendous joy to him to find that Timothy's ministry had been so effective and that faith was not only preserved but constantly growing. The verb indicates 'organic growth as of a healthy plant' so that the only effect of the outward trials seems to have been to produce deeper rooting in God and increasing trust in Him.
Faith can only grow as we come to know more about the One in whom our faith has been placed. It therefore depends upon a growing heart knowledge of the Lord. God had permitted the testing of their faith because He knows that this is the only way by which it may be made more robust. A faith that cannot be tested, cannot be trusted. Not only Paul but Peter: "The trial of your faith ... more precious" (1 Peter 1:7) and James: "Count it all joy when ye fall into manifold trials" (James 1:2) remind us that an easy life can well lead to a shallow life. The Christian who has to meet tribulation must be sure that his heart is constantly fixed on his Lord. Only so can he be ready for the blow when it falls. Winston Churchill is most apt for us in our spiritual warfare when he comments that 'we must always be ready at our average moment to meet the enemy at his selective moment'. At all times our heart must be right.
ii. Their love abounded. The word used here refers to the kind of over-spreading resulting from fire or flood covering everything in its path. To us suffering may seem to deny rather than to prove that God is working out His purpose, and our first tendency might be to try to avoid it at all costs. The New Testament, however, teaches us that all our trials are an expression of God's love towards us, and are being used to develop our character for His [43/44] glory. Faith and love work closely together and it is love which enables us to trust the Lord even while we are in the furnace of affliction. God never wastes our suffering, as the Thessalonians were proving. They kept their hearts right and found that this enabled them to endure and to have ever growing faith and constantly expanding love. Their steadfastness was a cause of help and encouragement to "the churches of God" as Paul spoke freely to them about it (v.4). There are greater consequences than we know of when, instead of giving in, we keep going on in faith.
2. The mind must be right (verses 5-10)
We have already pointed out that there was a certain amount of confusion in the minds of the Thessalonian believers. Like the rest of us, they were plagued by the nagging question, 'Why?' They wondered how their harsh experiences tallied with the glorious hope given to them in the gospel. Human logic has no answer to such problems; only the people with renewed and enlightened minds can begin to understand the strange ways of God. They are first assured that everything is governed by "the righteous judgement of God" (v.5). Their experiences are then explained in the light of the Second Coming, the time when the full truth about the Church and the world will be manifested.
i. 'To you'. The truth about you is that you are being fitted for the kingdom of God. You will not always have to suffer. There is an end and an objective in all that God permits, and when that moment of fulfilment comes, then you will enjoy "rest with us". It will be, of course, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven, for He will come "to be glorified in his saints" (v.10), that is, to show out His glory to the whole universe through the people who have not only believed on Him but also suffered for His sake. At the present time those sufferings may seem to be acute and almost endless, but the same apostle assures us that they are only light afflictions which last for a moment but which are guaranteed to produce in us "a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).
The truth, then, about the Christian, especially the suffering Christian, is that God in His wisdom is allowing things to happen which will make him ready for the Coming in glory of the Lord Jesus. In that day He will be "admired in all them that believe". When the universe sees the glory of Christ shining out through His Church, all will wonder at the grace of God which can lift sinners to the place where they reflect the very glory of God. It is useless to try to reason out what we are going through; it must be enough to allow His Word to enlighten our minds as to the eternal destiny of the faithful believer and to interpret all our experiences in the setting of our being conformed to Christ so that we will be "counted worthy" of that kingdom. That is what we are suffering for (v.5) and that is the end which God has in view.
ii. 'To them' (v.6). There is another side to that Day -- a very sombre side -- and the apostle clearly judged it important that our thinking about that should also be clear. Christ will come "in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them ...". It is not that He will come seeking personal revenge, nor that we should take any pleasure in thoughts of revenge, but rather that when God begins to put everything right, His holiness demands that sin should not be left unjudged. Revenge involves the satisfying of a personal grudge. The Lord Jesus does not hold any personal grudges against His enemies, and nor must we, but when men refuse His mercy and will not obey His gospel, it becomes inevitable that they should bear the punishment of "eternal destruction from the face of the Lord" (v.9). If we are to endure tribulation triumphantly, we must get our heads right as well as our hearts; we must maintain a clear understanding of the fact that Christ is coming again and we must also have Spirit-enlightened minds as to the implication of that Coming. How different the future will be for those who trust Christ and suffer for their faith! Eternal glory for them! For those who refuse to do this there can be no glory but only lasting shame. We must not be confused. God will carry out His plan. A right heart and a right mind will enable us to face tribulation and be unmoved.
3. The walk must be right (verses 11-12)
In the closing verses of the chapter the apostle carries through what he has been saying to the realm of prayer and discloses that he is concerned that the Thessalonians' heart fervour and spiritual understanding may be worked out in daily living. Those who have such a great and glorious prospect must be careful that their present behaviour does not contradict it. Having spoken of a future day when they are to be "counted worthy of the kingdom" (v.5), he now [44/45] prays that even now "our God may count you worthy of your calling" (v.11).
Simply because we have a future hope, we are not to neglect our present daily duties. The right preparation for the future Day when the Lord will be glorified in us is so to live that even now there may be glory for Him in our daily walk: "That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (v.12). Trials do not so much make a person as reveal what that person is made of. The Psalmist's advice to those who had good cause for fretting because of evildoers was that they should "Trust in the Lord and do good" (Psalm 37:3). Those who are called upon to face tribulation need to have a right heart and a right head, but they equally need to have right hands and feet to be occupied in well-doing.
This chapter begins with grace and ends with grace. If it is a fact that in the last days the love of many will grow cold, then how we need God's grace to keep our hearts overflowing with love. If it is also true that such days are characterised by increasing darkness and perplexity, how wonderful it is that God's grace can enlighten and instruct our renewed minds. And if it is true that "the time is come for judgement to begin at the house of God", how right it is that we who "suffer according to the will of God" should commit our souls "in well-doing unto a faithful Creator" (1 Peter 4:19). Only so can we adequately face tribulation.
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