The Judgement at Christ's Coming
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The Problem in Thessalonica
Idleness fueled by an incorrect understanding of the second coming of Christ
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
False teachers taught that Christ had already come. Many of the Thessalonians embraced this teaching and ceased from work because they believed they were experiencing the fulness of the kingdom of heaven.
Paul’s Words of Thanksgiving (1-4)
Paul’s Words of Thanksgiving (1-4)
Same team as in 1 Thessalonians
this letter was probably written a matter of months after the 1st letter was received
The greeting is almost identical to the one in 1 Thessalonians. The notable difference is the description of God as our Father.
Grace and peace summarize the the blessings that the Thessalonian church now enjoy in Christ. Peace appears again at the end of the letter in Paul’s benediction, where the apostle expresses his desire that the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. We don’t want to move on from this prayer for the Thessalonians’ peace, especially in light of the inclusio that this theme forms in the letter. This church was a burdened, persecuted church, and the hope that the apostle offers them is the grace and peace of God that is theirs at all times and in every way. We must be careful to understand that the cessation of their persecution is not required to have and benefit from the sustaining grace and peace of God, and also know that their suffering is not a formidable foe of these blessings of their salvation.
The Thessalonians’ faith remains the substance of Paul’s gratitude to God (see 1 Thess 1:3, 8; 2:13, 19-20; 4:9-10). The genuineness of their faith is evident, known and continues to grow. (1:4)
A mark of the praiseworthiness of their faith is the increasing love they have for one another (1:3)
Paul ends his words of thanksgiving by acknowledging that the Thessalonians continue to experience and endure persecutions and afflictions (v. 4). When we get to verse 5, Paul expresses his thoughts on the mistreatment of the Thessalonians and the destiny of both the believers and their persecutors. In the following verses, Paul offers comfort to the Thessalonians by declaring:
… God considers is just to repay with affliction those who afflict you (6)
when the Lord Jesus is revealed [He will] inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (8)
they will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might. (9)
Paul is acknowledging the forth-coming punishment of the enemies of God and His people, and perhaps even praying to this end (v. 11).
Imprecation and Encouragement (5-12)
Imprecation and Encouragement (5-12)
Imprecation: a spoken curse
In the context of Scripture, the curse is the judgement of God
There are expressions of imprecation in Scripture.
Some of the psalms are categorized as imprecatory psalms
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
Let there be none to extend kindness to him,
nor any to pity his fatherless children!
May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!
Jeremiah prayed a imprecatory prayer
Therefore deliver up their children to famine;
give them over to the power of the sword;
let their wives become childless and widowed.
May their men meet death by pestilence,
their youths be struck down by the sword in battle.
May a cry be heard from their houses,
when you bring the plunderer suddenly upon them!
For they have dug a pit to take me
and laid snares for my feet.
Yet you, O Lord, know
all their plotting to kill me.
Forgive not their iniquity,
nor blot out their sin from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you;
deal with them in the time of your anger.
Some Questions that Imprecation Provokes
How are we to understand vengeance?
Should vengeance provide us with joy and encouragement?
Should we pray imprecatory prayers today?
Some Interpretive Principles
Imprecation recognizes God as the sole source the deliverance of His people and judgement on those who reject Him.
Biblical imprecation is concerned with justice. God’s vengeance does not contradict His justice, but is a means He by which He executes it.
We have a mandate. We have the same mission as the Thessalonian church did: to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). We are not called to undertake the conquest of Canaan as was the case in the OT. We aim to proclaim the gospel to bring more into the kingdom and care for one another.
Our prayer of imprecation should reflect a concern that God’s justice would prevail and a desire that God’s kingdom would expand.
Paul’s Encouragement to the Thessalonians
The evidence that God’s judgement is righteous (right/just) (v. 5) are the sufferings and persecutions of the Thessalonians (v. 4). In v. 5, Paul expands on his discussion about the trials of the Thessalonians he referenced in v. 4. How does this work? How can it be that the clear evidence that the judgement of God is right is the trials and suffering of the Thessalonians?
The Imprecation of God makes clear that:
The suffering of God’s people is not a mark of final injustice. In the end, God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to grant relief to you who are afflicted...
The suffering of God’s people is a mark of kingdom worthiness. Christians may suffer rejection, dishonor and a host of other persecutions like the Thessalonians did, but God counts all of this as marks of honor and He will make this clear through His final judgement.
The imprecation of God offers encouragement to suffering Christians by making clear He regards them worthy of His kingdom and that all wrongs will be made right. This will be ultimately seen in the glorification of Jesus in His people (v. 12).