2 Thessalonians 1:1-11

2 Thessalonians 1:1. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

All nations have their special forms of salutation, and this is the Christian's greeting to his fellow-Christians, «Grace unto you, and peace.» How much there is in this prayer! «grace» the free favor of God, the active energy of the divine power; and «peace» reconciliation to God, peace of conscience, peace with all men. My brethren, what better things could I desire for you, and what better things could you wish for your best beloved friends than these, «Grace unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?»

2 Thessalonians 1:3. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren,

We do not feel this bond as much as we ought; we often feel ourselves bound to grumble and complain, but I question whether we think enough about being bound to praise God; and if we do not thank God as we ought for ourselves, it is little marvel if we are very slack in the duty of thanking him for others. Herein, then, let us imitate this devout apostle, and let us consider ourselves bound to thank God always for our brethren.

2 Thessalonians 1:3. As it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us,

You will perhaps say that this command is more easily given than carried out; and yet, my brethren, the grace of God always enables us to perform what the precept of God commands. «You who are troubled rest with us.» If you can get even a partial glimpse of the glory that is to follow your trouble, if you can see Christ suffering with you, and realize your union with him, if the blessed Spirit who pledges himself to be with all the Lord's people, shall be with you, you will find it no hard thing thus to rest: «You who are troubled rest with us,»

2 Thessalonians 1:7. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

This rest, then, it seems, is to be given to us mainly when Christ shall come with his mighty angels.

2 Thessalonians 1:8. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

I wonder what those persons, who say that it is not the duty of men to believe the gospel, make of this passage. Paul writes that those who «obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be punished with everlasting destruction.» Then, clearly, the gospel demands and commands man's obedience, and those who will not believe it shall be punished, not only for their other sins, but for this as their chief and damning fault, that they will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as set before them in the gospel of his grace.

2 Thessalonians 1:10. «Then he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe

Which passage means, I suppose, that as Christ will be admired in his own person, so his glory, reflected in all his children, will be a subject of admiration to the whole intelligent universe. The saints of God shall be so pure, so bright, such trophies of the Redeemer's power to save, that he shall be admired in them. We know that, in God's great temple of the universe, everything doth speak of his glory; and so, in the great spiritual temple of his Church, every separate saint shall show forth the glory of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:10. (Because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Therefore also we 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:

Ministers should be much in prayer for their people. When John Welsh's wife found him on the ground with his eyes red with weeping, and she found that he had been there supplicating by the hour together, she asked him what ailed him, and he replied «Woman, I have three thousand souls to care for, and I wot not how they all prosper; therefore must I wrestle with God for them all.» Oh, that we felt more the weight of our ministry! It is, perhaps, the great fault of this age that so many, who do preach, yet preach with so little earnestness, and are not sufficiently alive to the value of immortal souls. Oh, that the Holy Spirit would make our ministry to be «the burden of the Lord» upon us!

2 Thessalonians 1:12. That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This exposition consisted of readings from 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:1.