Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)

Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)

2 THESSALONIANS 1

1 Paul, Silas and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Application Notes

1:1 Paul wrote this letter from Corinth less than a year after he had writ­ten 1 Thessalonians. He and his companions Timothy and Silas had visited Thessalonica on Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-10). They established the church there, but Paul had to leave suddenly because of persecution. This prompted him to write his first letter to this group of believers, the 1 Thessalonians, which contains words of comfort and encouragement. Paul then heard how the Thessalonians had responded to this letter. The good news was that they were continuing to grow in their faith. The bad news was that false teachings about Christ's return were spreading, leading many to quit their jobs and wait for the end of the world. So Paul wrote to them again. While the purpose of Paul's first letter was to comfort the Thessalonians with the assurance of Christ's second coming, the purpose of his second letter was to correct false teaching about the Second Coming. 

1:1 Paul, Silas, and Timothy were together in Corinth (Acts 18:5). Paul wrote this letter on behalf of all three of them. Paul often included Timo­thy as an associate in sending his letters (see Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1). (For more on Paul, see his profile on page 1899. Silas's profile is on page 1911, and Timothy's profile is on page 2103.)

1:1 Thessalonica was the capital and largest city of the Roman prov­ince of Macedonia. The most important Roman highway, the Egnatian Way--extending from the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea to modern­day Istanbul--went through Thessalonica. This highway, along with the city's thriving seaport, made Thessalonica one of the wealthiest and most flourishing trade centres in the Roman Empire. Recognised as a free city, Thessalonica was allowed self-rule and was exempted from most of the restrictions placed by Rome on other cities. Because of this open climate, however, the city had many pagan religions and cultural influences that challenged the Christians' faith.

1:3-12 Paul's letters were always affirming, even when he was cor­recting or disciplining the church to which he was writing. He began most of his letters by stating what he most appreciated about his readers and the joy he felt because of their faith in God. We should also look for ways to encourage and build up other believers. When you speak with or write to fellow believers, begin with encouragement and a few words acknowledging their strengths. Follow with clear evidence of God working in their lives. End with a prayer that draws them closer to God. (For more on encouragement, see the note on 1 Timothy 4:12-16.) 

1:4-6 Paul had been persecuted during his first visit to Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-9). Those who had responded to his message and had become Christians were continuing to be persecuted by both Jews and Gentiles. In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, he had said that Christ's return would bring deliverance from persecution for the believers and judg­ment on the persecutors. Some believers, however, misinterpreted Paul's words and expected Christ to return right away to rescue and vindicate them. Therefore, Paul had to point out that while waiting for God's kingdom, believers could and should grow in their perseverance and faith through the hardships they were suffering. 

1:4 The keys to surviving persecution and trials are perseverance and faith. When faced with crushing troubles, we can have faith that God is using our trials for our good and for his glory. Knowing deep down that God is fair and just will give us patience in our suffering because we know that he has not forgotten us. In his perfect timing, he will relieve our suffering and punish those who persecute us. If you or a friend are experiencing a trial or persecution, remember God's timing. Write down any times you recognise God working, and ask him to give you endurance and faithfulness as you wait on him to move in your life. 

1:5 As we live for Christ, we will experience troubles because we are trying to be God's people in a perverse and distorted world. Much of the adversity and suffering we face in life is due to this fallen and sinful world, the battle between good and evil, and the struggle between our sinful nature and our new nature. Paul teaches that part of God's plan is to use these trials and difficulties for our benefit and to help us grow strong and mature in our faith so that we can be worthy disciples of Jesus. Our problems can help us look upward and forward instead of inward (Mark 13:35-36; Philippians 3:13-ltl), they can build strong character (Rornan 5:3-4), and they can provide us with opportunities to comfort others who are also struggling (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). So take courage, because if you are sincerely trying to follow Jesus, then your troubles may actually indicate that you are living faithfully for him and he is working powerfully through you to grow you into full spiritual maturity. During these difficult times, you are experiencing the privilege of showing that you are worthy of God's kingdom (also see 2 Thessalonians 1:11). 

1:7 The relief mentioned by Paul has two dimensions: (1) We can gain relief in knowing that our sufferings are strengthening us, making us ready for Christ's kingdom. (2) We can gain relief in the fact that one day everyone will stand before God. At that time, wrongs will be righted, judgment will be pronounced, and evil will be terminated. 

1:9 The everlasting destruction that Paul describes is the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:14-15)--the place of eternal separation from God. People who refuse to follow Jesus will be separated from God for eternity without hope for salvation. 

1:11-12 The Christian's primary calling from God is to become more and more like Christ (Romans 8:29). This is a gradual, lifelong process that will be completed when we see Christ face-to-face (1 John 3:2). To be worthy of this calling means to want to do what is right and good (like Christ). We aren't perfect yet, but we're moving in that direction as God works in us. 

Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)