The Second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians
1 3 He commendeth the increase of faith and charity, 4 and the patience of the Thessalonians: 6 And describing God’s vengeance against such as oppress the godly, 10 he teacheth the godly to wait for the last judgment.
1 Paul and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God our Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 (A)[a]We ought to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith [b]groweth exceedingly, and the love of every one of you toward another, aboundeth,
4 So that we ourselves rejoice of you in the Churches of God, because of your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye suffer.
5 (B)[c]Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for the which ye also suffer.
6 [d]For it is a righteous thing with God, to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you,
7 And to you which are troubled, rest [e]with us, (C)[f]when the Lord Jesus shall show himself from heaven with his mighty Angels,
8 In flaming fire, rendering vengeance unto them, [g]that do not know God, and which obey not unto the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,
9 Which shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be made marvelous in all them that believe ([h]because our testimony toward you was believed) in that day.
11 [i]Wherefore, we also pray always for you, that our God may make you worthy of [j]this calling, and fulfill [k]all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the [l]work of faith with power.
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 of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3 The first part of the Epistle, wherein he rejoiceth that through the grace of God, they have manfully sustained all the assaults of their enemies, wherein he confirmeth them moreover showing with what gifts they must chiefly fight, to wit, with faith and charity, which must daily increase.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3 That whereas it grew us before, it doth also receive some increase every day more and more.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:5 He openeth the fountain of all true comfort, to wit, that in afflictions, which we suffer of the wicked for righteousness sake, we may behold as it were in a glass the testimony of that judgment to come, and the end therefore most acceptable to us, and most sharp to his enemies.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:6 A proof: God is just, therefore he will worthily punish the unjust, and will do away the miseries of his people.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:7 He confirmeth them also by the way, by this means, that the condition both of this present state and the state to come, is common to him with them.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:7 A most glorious description of the second coming of Christ, to be set against all the miseries of the godly, and the triumphs of the wicked.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8 There is no knowledge of God unto salvation, without the Gospel of Christ.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:10 The children of God shall be counted by the faith which they have in the Gospel, which is preached unto them by the Apostles.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Seeing that we have the mark set before us, it remaineth that we go unto it. And we go to it, by certain degrees of causes: first by the free love and good pleasure of God, by virtue whereof all other inferior causes work: from thence proceedeth the free calling to Christ, and from calling, faith, whereupon followeth both the glorifying of Christ in us, and us in Christ.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:11 By (calling) he meaneth not the very act of calling, but that selfsame thing whereunto we are called, which is the glory of that heavenly kingdom.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Which he determined long since, only upon his gracious and merciful goodness toward you.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:11 So then, faith is an excellent work of God in us: and we see here plainly that the Apostle leaveth nothing to free will, to make it checkmate with God’s working therein, as the Papists dream.