1 Thessalonians 2:20-Paul, Silvanus and Timothy Emphatically Affirm that the Thessalonians Were Their Glory and Joy at the Bema Seat Lesson # 37

1 Thessalonians 2:20 For you are our glory and joy! (NET)

1 Thessalonians 2:20 emphatically asserts that each and every member of the Thessalonian Christian community was Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s glory as well as their joy.

This assertion makes explicit what is implied by the two rhetorical questions in verse 19.

Consequently, this assertion in verse 20 confirms what it is implied by these two rhetorical questions in verse 19.

Both of these questions in verse 19 are of course directed at the Thessalonian Christian community.

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are asking these questions.

The first asks the Thessalonians, “who is our confident expectation of blessing, joy, crown which produces boasting?”

The second asks the Thessalonians, “Is it in fact each and every one of you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?”

These two rhetorical questions in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 present the reason for the previous assertions in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18.

Verse 17 asserts that when Paul and Silvanus were orphaned from the Thessalonians for a short period of time (in presence, never in heart), they made every effort with great desire to see their faces.

Verse 18 gives the reason why they made every effort to see the Thessalonians again by asserting that they did so because they wanted to enter into their presence again, but Satan had hindered them.

In fact, Paul attempted to see them on more than once occasion to do so.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 asserts that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community was Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s confident expectation of blessing, joy and crown which produces boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming.

Therefore, this verse also presents the second reason as to why Paul, Silvanus and Timothy sought to enter into the presence of the Thessalonians again.

They did so because the Thessalonians were their confident expectation of blessing, joy and crown of boasting at the Bema Seat.

This means that the service Paul, Silvanus and Timothy rendered on behalf of the Thessalonians would be a cause of blessing, joy and rewards at the Bema Seat since the Lord Jesus would reward them for their faithful service to the Thessalonians.

Now, here in 1 Thessalonians 2:20, the reference to “glory” (doxa) in this verse pertains to the praise as well as the reward Paul, Silvanus and Timothy will receive from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat for their faithful service to Him as a result of faithfully serving the Thessalonian Christian community.

This noun doxa, “glory” here in 1 Thessalonians 2:20 parallels the expression ē stephanos kauchēseōs (ἢ στέφανος καυχήσεως), which we translated “crown to boast of” in 1 Thessalonians 2:19.

The noun stephanos pertains to a reward given by the Lord Jesus Christ to a faithful believer at the Bema Seat.

The noun kauchēsis means “boasting” and specifically “that which one boasts about.”

In other words, it is the act of taking pride in someone.

Here it refers to Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s boasting about the Thessalonians in the sense of taking great pride in them as those who obeyed the gospel despite great persecution and undeserved suffering.

The noun kauchēsis is in the genitive case and functions as a genitive of product meaning that the word is the product of the noun to which it stands related which is the noun stephanos.

This would indicate that the Thessalonians were Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s crown which “produces” boasting in the sense of great joy for being commended for faithful service by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.

Therefore, here in 1 Thessalonians 2:20, the noun doxa pertains to Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s boasting about the Thessalonians in the sense of taking great pride in them as those who obeyed the gospel despite great persecution and undeserved suffering.

It also indicates that the Thessalonians were Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s crown which produces boasting in the sense of great joy for being commended for faithful service by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat.

The reference to “joy” (chara) in 1 Thessalonians 2:20 refers to the joy Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s will experience at the Bema Seat because of serving the Thessalonians despite great persecution and undeserved suffering.

This joy is the result of the Thessalonians’ positive response to the gospel at the moment of justification when they trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior which resulted in the Father declaring them justified.

This joy was also the result of the Thessalonians’ positive response to the gospel after their justification when they appropriated by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.

They did by considering themselves dead to the sin and the cosmic system of Satan and alive to God and so consequently, they experienced their sanctification and salvation.

This joy was also the result of the Thessalonians obeying the command to love one another.

Therefore, 1 Thessalonians 2:20 asserts that each and every member of the Thessalonian Christian community was Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s glory in the sense of praise and rewards at the Bema Seat from the Lord Jesus Christ as well as their joy.

The reason for this assertion is that these three me would be rewarded at the Bema Seat by the Lord Jesus for faithfully serving Him as a result of faithfully serving the members of His body, namely, the Thessalonian Christian community.

The Thessalonians’ initial positive response in faith to the gospel which resulted in their justification was the direct result of the faithful service of these men.

Also, the Thessalonians’ positive response of faith and obedience to the gospel after their justification was also the direct result of the faithful service of these men.

The Thessalonians’ faith in the gospel at justification and after justification glorified God because this faith appropriated His omnipotence to deliver them from eternal condemnation, condemnation from failing to keep the Law perfectly, spiritual death, the sin nature, personal sins, Satan and his cosmic system.

This faith appropriated God’s omnipotence to transform them into the image of His one and only Son Jesus Christ.

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy will be rewarded by the Lord for being His instruments in communicating the gospel to the Thessalonians so that this could all take place.

Therefore, the Thessalonians’ faith in and obedience to the gospel presented to them by Paul, Silvanus and Timothy will be a source of great joy for the latter since it will result in the Lord rewarding them because they were instrumental in glorifying Him and manifesting His omnipotence, grace, love and mercy.

The Thessalonians’ faith in and obedience to the gospel at justification and after justification and as a result fulfilling the Father’s will for their lives to become like Jesus Christ not only would result in rewards for them but would also serve as proof that they had fulfilled the ministry the Lord gave them as a stewardship.

If the Thessalonians remained faithful in life, they too would be rewarded.

This would be a cause of great joy for Paul, Silvanus and Timothy since they were instrumental in the Thessalonians executing the Father’s will for their lives, which results in rewards since they communicated this will to them through the presentation of the gospel.

Therefore, all the persecution and undeserved that Paul, Silvanus, Timothy and the Thessalonian Christian community experienced and endured in life because of responding in faith and obedience to the gospel will have been worth it.