Manifest Evidence
2 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction to 2 Thessalonians
Introduction to 2 Thessalonians
Second Thessalonians was probably written within a few weeks of First Thessalonians because of the similarity of language. In First Thessalonians we learned that some were confused over what occurs when a loved one dies in Christ. Could they miss out on the Lord’s return? Paul made it plain that those who are dead in Christ will be the first to be resurrected and those alive and remaining will meet them, the Lord, and His angel army in the air.
In Second Thessalonians a second problem related to the Lord’s return had surfaced either by a “charismatic” act like prophecy or a letter from someone that declared as if from Paul that the Second Coming of the Lord had already happened. This caused some in the church to quit working. Paul explicitly gives a timeline of specific events that MUST occur before His return.
It’s also in this letter that we see traditions emphasized or traditional teaching from the apostles as a plumbline for any “new” doctrine meaning if it doesn’t line up with the doctrine of the apostles, it must be suspect even if it seems to come through charismatic manifestation revealing that supernatural manifestations are NOT the plumbline. The Word is the plumbline. This is one of the earliest books written and you can see an establishing of doctrine forming clearly.
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul starts with his traditional greeting and includes his fellow authors like in the first letter.
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 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,
This is, again, very similar to the first letter, but I want to point out a couple of things:
Faith is growing exceedingly like before
Love is abounding toward each other like before
Paul and his companions are still boasting about them among the churches like before for their faith and patience in all their persecutions and tribulations
To reiterate, patience is the capacity to bear up under difficult circumstances. Tribulations is “to crush, press, compress, and squeeze with the goal of breaking. Endure is “to hold oneself upright, to bear up, hold out, and endure.” It’s the ability to BEAR PATIENTLY IN AFFLICTION, tolerating, putting up with, standing firm, and not losing courage under pressure. I think this is a fitting word for today. We’re not being crushed in any way close to the church back then, but we are in a trying time with our rights being challenged and that’s requiring patience.
3 We feel a personal responsibility to continually be thanking God for you, our spiritual family, every time we pray. And we have every reason to do so because your faith is growing marvelously beyond measure. The unselfish love each of you share for one another is increasing and overflowing! 4 We point to you as an example of unwavering faith for all the churches of God. We boast about how you continue to demonstrate unflinching endurance through all the persecutions and painful trials you are experiencing.
Paul reveals here that no matter what we’re going through, these three things—growing faith in Christ, increasing love for each other, and unwavering hope—are the keys to coming through victoriously!
The Purpose of Persecutions and Tribulations
The Purpose of Persecutions and Tribulations
5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
Let me make very plain was persecution, tribulation, and suffering for Christ is and isn’t. It is unfair treatment and unrighteous pursuit of you because of your faith in Jesus Christ by other people. It is being targeted for your faith and being mistreated. It is NOT sickness, car wrecks, poverty, accidents, or death unless you accept the call to be a martyr, which I can assure you none of us have to face that in this country. Persecution is not suffering from the very things Jesus died to rescue us from! But He did PROMISE that we would be persecution and hated like He was.
Now let’s get into the “manifest evidence” aspect of Paul’s introduction. Paul is saying that their RESPONSE TO PERSECUTION AND TRIBULATION is manifest or PLAIN EVIDENCE of the righteous judgment of God. Manifest means “proof and evidence.” Evidence of what? THAT THEY ARE WORTHY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
The word “judgment” carries the “idea of a separating, the process of distinguishing and selecting, making a decision. The NT uses the word primarily in a FORENSIC sense, especially of divine judgment” (Spirit-Filled Life Bible Matthew 5:22). Interestingly, forensic is “of or pertaining to argument or debate, especially in a court of law.” I.e. judgment here is the idea of EXAMINING EVIDENCE in order to come to a decision for or against. In this case, you have two groups God is examining—the believer and his or her response to tribulation and those inflicting the persecution. For the believer, growing in faith, love, and hope is EVIDENCE to God versus denying Him to get the persecution to stop. For the sinner, the fact that he or she is persecuting the believer is evidence that His judgment is just. We’ll get more into that but let’s look at the next phrase.
Counted worthy is “to consider something of a comparable merit or worth…to regard as being valuable for” the kingdom of God.
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
The purpose of tribulations is to make us valuable of His kingdom. I.e. our response to tribulation reveals the inner working of the kingdom in our hearts. How much affect does it have on us? Have we embraced the value of the Kingdom so it can make us valuable TO the kingdom? Or are we lukewarm believers that will withdraw from God when persecuted? Will we become offended with Him in the midst of difficult times?
Suffer means “to suffer, be affected by something from without, to be acted upon, to undergo an experience” that causes pain.
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Peter gives key things to do in the midst of suffering. He first says that you are BLESSED. Blessed means “ENJOYING FAVORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES!” Paul went so far as to say that we’ve been “GRANTED” to suffer for Christ. I’ll get to that in a second.
He then says not to be afraid or troubled by their threats. Afraid is a fear that causes one to run away. Troubled is “to cause acute emotional distress, mental distress... using various emotions like fear.” Instead we are to “sanctify the Lord in your hearts.” Sanctify means “to feel reverence for and to honor as holy, devote.”
Heart is “kardia” in the Greek and it’s the seat and center of human life. It’s the seat of desires, feelings, affections, passions, impulses…the heart or mind.” This is saying that when face with trouble, we are not to enter into fear but instead devote ourselves to the Lord in reverence and honor in our desires, feelings, affections, passions, and impulses of our heart and mind. I.e. make a strong internal commitment to follow Him at all costs. YOU’RE MAKING HIM STRONGER IN YOUR EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THE THREATS TO BECOME THE FOCUS.
And, quickly, note that suffering isn’t always the will of God in verse 17. We must be wise and recognize what is unnecessary suffering and come against it.
It’s Been Granted
It’s Been Granted
28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. 29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
Terrified is “to be fearful as the result of being intimidated.” I.e. don’t let the threats of those who are hostile to you intimidate you. By not entering into fear, you’re providing PROOF of their destruction and your salvation! IT’S NOT NORMAL TO NOT BE AFRAID OF PERSECUTION, THREATS OF DEATH, AND SUFFERING. Your response of faith, peace, love, and hope is, again, evidence that the kingdom of God is in you and that you put your hope in eternity and His resurrection. Heaven is more real to you than what you might lose here.
Paul then says it’s been GRANTED to you to not only believe in Him but to suffer! Granted means “to show someone a favor, be kind to.” Mind blown!
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Remember how we response is forensic evidence? Paul says here that our lack of fear is PROOF to the one persecuting of their eventual destruction. Why? Because the greatest fear of mankind is death. To not fear death is evidence of one Who has defeated death. Facing persecution correctly results in GREAT REWARD!
6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Lord returns, the persecution of the believers is the only evidence needed to JUSTIFY GOD’S JUSTICE. Tribulation at the hand of unbelievers equals tribulation upon themselves. When He returns, we’ll have rest. Those who persecuted believers will find themselves in a world of hurt.
The word “revealed” is apokulupseos and means “revelation, uncovering, unveiling, disclosure.” It’s another one of those words that refers to the Second Coming of Christ. It’s not just the appearance (epiphaneia) like the first coming but it’s also the INTERPRETATION at His apokulupseos. It speaks of “the removal of ignorance and darkness by the communication of light and knowledge.” I.e. His manifestation at His return makes everything plain. He did live once. He was crucified. He was resurrected. He was sitting in heaven waiting for the go ahead. And just as He was truthful in all of those things, He will now do exactly what He said—destroy those who did not believe.
Taking vengeance is very plain. Taking means “to cause people to undergo some experience, with the probable implication of” punishment. Vengeance is DESERVED PUNISHMENT. God is just, and it’s a guarantee that those He punishes at His return dang sure deserved it. And it’s a guarantee that those who chose hell over heaven also deserve it because your eternal destination is not based on whether you were a good person or not. It’s based on belief in Jesus Christ and that belief gives us His nature and His nature is the qualification for being a child of God that has entrance into His kingdom. Without His nature, you cannot enter in.
Paul says that this just punishment is on those who don’t KNOW God. Know is “to acknowledge the high status of a person or event, to honor, to show honor to, to respect.” It’s to perceive and know that Jesus is the Christ. Obey is “to listen to something…in order to give an answer, to yield to a superior command, to believe.” It’s not just a listening to but is an attentive listening that leads to a confession of faith!
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If you refuse to make Him Lord before His coming, you won’t have the opportunity at His coming. Now to me and in light of the book of Revelation, we see that there’s a definite focus on those who were hostile to God, His people, and His city. Again, not everyone will take the mark. But you can see that some people are indifferent or even kind to believers while others set believers up as their enemies and focus on persecuting them due to some sort of inner hostility.
9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
Destruction is utter ruin. It comes from a word that means “to kill.” And what is interesting is that their death is due to being removed “FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND FROM THE GLORY OF HIS POWER.” Matthew says that God is kind to the sinner and the saved. But His kindness does end at some point and the common grace displayed to all humans ends. To be absent from the presence of the Lord is death for those who don’t believe both eternal and physical. Power is “ischus” and is His strength. It’s that power word that gives us a picture of a strong bodybuilder. In His strength is a glory, a splendor.
All of this will happen on that Day. Every time you see the word “Day” capitalized, it’s referring to His Second Coming when He returns to judge the world and fully establish His kingdom. For us it’s a day of redemption where we will MARVEL AT SEEING HIM. For unbelievers, it’s a day of retribution where they will MOURN AT SEEING HIM.
11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
With all of this in mind, Paul said that they always prayed for them to be counted worthy of this calling. Remember that a calling is “to urgently invite someone to accept responsibilities for a particular task, implying a new relationship to the one who does the calling.” It’s an “invitation to the kingdom of God and its privileges” but it’s important to know that His kingdom is at war with the enemy’s; therefore, we will suffer persecution.
22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
Hated is “to dislike strongly, with the implication of aversion and hostility.” Our responsibility is to endure. And endure isn’t hiding out somewhere waiting for some secret rapture. It means “to resist by holding one’s ground.” It’s an active posture knowing that He will rescue you!