Anticipate God's Vengeance
2Thess 1:6-10 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 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. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 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.
It is written, Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Rom 12:19 While Christians are to respond to hostility with meekness, let us keep in mind that God will eventually punish those who unjustly trouble Christians. And not only them. He will also punish those who do not know God or refuse to obey the Gospel of Jesus.
Now while everlasting destruction would seem too severe a punishment, that is the way it is. Jesus was clear on this as was his apostles. For example Jesus said, "anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell." Mt 5:22 In Luke 16 he describes such a place where a man was "in hell, where he was in torment". Luke 16:23 Thus Jesus warned, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Mt 10:28 And as evidence of such torment being eternal consider the fate of the devil and the anti-Christ. "They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever" Rev 20:10
What does it mean "do not know God"? Surprisingly, Paul uses the word "oida" for "know" rather than "ginosko". "Ginosko" is relational knowledge. But "oida" is knowledge gained through perception. So this is not saying that such people do not have a personal relationship with God, but rather that these people are ignorant of God due to their lack of perception. Futhermore, the tense is perfect, indicating that their not "knowing" was something continuous from the past to the present. It really should be "have not perceived God". Eph 4:18 describes such a condition saying, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts."
"Obey" is "hupakouo". This is a listening type of obedience, often used by parents in speaking thusly to their children, "Why don't you listen to me?", meaning "Why don't you obey me?" It is in the present tense which imparts a lifestyle sense characteristic of those born of God. It is used also in Hebrews:
"once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him" Heb 5:9And thus the disobedient will go to hell also, perhaps much to their surprise. "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matt 7:21There's an interesting play between the present tense and the aorist tense of "believe" in this verse.
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
2Thess 1:6-10 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 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. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 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.
It is written, Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Rom 12:19 While Christians are to respond to hostility with meekness, let us keep in mind that God will eventually punish those who unjustly trouble Christians. And not only them. He will also punish those who do not know God or refuse to obey the Gospel of Jesus.
Now while everlasting destruction would seem too severe a punishment, that is the way it is. Jesus was clear on this as was his apostles. For example Jesus said, "anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell." Mt 5:22 In Luke 16 he describes such a place where a man was "in hell, where he was in torment". Luke 16:23 Thus Jesus warned, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Mt 10:28 And as evidence of such torment being eternal consider the fate of the devil and the anti-Christ. "They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever" Rev 20:10
What does it mean "do not know God"? Surprisingly, Paul uses the word "oida" for "know" rather than "ginosko". "Ginosko" is relational knowledge. But "oida" is knowledge gained through perception. So this is not saying that such people do not have a personal relationship with God, but rather that these people are ignorant of God due to their lack of perception. Futhermore, the tense is perfect, indicating that their not "knowing" was something continuous from the past to the present. It really should be "have not perceived God". Eph 4:18 describes such a condition saying, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts."
"Obey" is "hupakouo". This is a listening type of obedience, often used by parents in speaking thusly to their children, "Why don't you listen to me?", meaning "Why don't you obey me?" It is in the present tense which imparts a lifestyle sense characteristic of those born of God. It is used also in Hebrews:
"once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him" Heb 5:9And thus the disobedient will go to hell also, perhaps much to their surprise. "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matt 7:21There's an interesting play between the present tense and the aorist tense of "believe" in this verse.
- "among all those who have believed " (present continuous)
- "This includes you, because you believed" (aorist point in time)
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources