2 Thessalonians 1
2Th 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:When we remember why Paul wrote letters to these churches we will understand that he wasn't being a lord over them but was concerned that they would stay full of the spirit and be ready when the Lord returns. This is the goal of any good pastor or overseer. Never has Jesus authorized any hierarchy system to threaten and control any group of people. They were to teach, rebuke admonish, exhort, correct and lead but never control, threaten, harm or do anything that Jesus didn't authorize.
In other words the only sword the people of God should use is the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.
The only time God has given anyone the authority to do harm or kill was to Israel when they went into the land of Canaan. This was because of the extreme wickedness of those cities and was for that time only. God has never given that authority to us as believers in Jesus.
Here is a few verses to back up what I just related:
Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus
unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword.
Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;
To continue in Thessalonians:
2Th 1:2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Verse 2 emphasize clearly that there is a literal Father and a literal Son,
Jesus Christ.
We see from other verses that Jesus had to ascend into heaven before the Holy
Spirit could come, so there is a Holy Spirit. I don't fully understand all about
the trinity but the bible teaches clearly that there is the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit. Constantine didn't start the trinity doctrine.
The Roman church fell into many errors after Constantine took over the Roman
church but the doctrine of the trinity was not one of the errors.
In fact a good way to get people to join one's particular group is to have some
truth or else the true believers would never be deceived. All false religions
have some truth mixed in with their errors or they wouldn't fool anyone.
I believe Satan tries to imitate as close to the real as he can in order to
deceive. We don't have to reject the doctrine of the trinity just because the
church began to turn away from the truth after the council of Nicaea.
The mixing of church and state is what went wrong at that point, not the trinity
doctrine. That just seemed to make them the legitimate church at that time.
The leader of the state took over the running of the church. That should never
have happened. Yet I understand it in a way. I'm sure they were tired of
persecution at that time in history. It is a temptation to be favored by the
government but I hope we remember what happened then and not repeat the error. I
don't think we can please the leaders of this world and please God at the same
time.
2Th 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet,
because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you
all toward each other aboundeth;
What an attitude they had toward each other. When they heard that a church was
growing in faith and love, they rejoiced.
I do notice something here that the disciples seemed more concerned with the
growing of faith and love rather than a growth in numbers. They didn't judge any
church by their attendance but by their loyalty to the truth and their love one
toward another. Jesus didn't seem to admonish any church about lack of
growth in numbers among the letters to the churches in Revelation 1&2 either.
Today we assume those that grow into large numbers are the successful ones. I
too use to think that way but I have changed in that respect.
2Th 1:4 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:
Again we see they are admonished for their patience, faith in the things they
were enduring rather than their growth in attendance.
2Th 1:5 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:
Their spiritual growth that occurred during their sufferings for the cause of
Christ made them worthy of the kingdom of God.
2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to
them that trouble you;
Remember always that God is the one to bring judgment, we are to spread His
glorious gospel, not fight against those that oppose us.
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall
be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
The hope for the persecuted church is the literal coming of Jesus Christ.
We must remember in prayer those that are being persecuted even today as I write
my comments. There are many countries that do not allow freedom of
religion.
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
There is a day of vengeance coming against those that do not know God and do not
obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. This shows that once we know of the gospel, we
are to obey that gospel.
The destruction on those that oppose the truth will be everlasting. This though is to be
done by the Lord Himself not by those who take it upon ourselves to fight
against unbelievers. We are preach the gospel.
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired
in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that
day.
What a glorious reunion it will be when we see Jesus and go to abide with Him
for eternity.
2Th 1:11 Wherefore 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:
2Th 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.
If we have believed in this good way and are walking in the faith of Jesus
Christ, we must count it a blessing to have heard. Notice here that Paul prays
for them to be counted worthy of their calling. Jesus said to pray that we
will be counted worthy to escape all these things and stand before Him.
I thank God first of all that He loved us enough to send us help by way of His
Son, Jesus Christ (Yeshua) Glory to His name for coming from His home in heaven
to live among us, becoming flesh just like us in order to carry our sins upon
Himself and bear them on our behalf. The just suffered for the unjust sinner so
that the sinner can believe in Jesus and not have to die for His own sins,
because Jesus died on his behalf.
Then secondly I thank Jesus Himself for not calling the 10,000 angels to take
Him down from the cross. He could have called them. His crucifixion was His own
choice. He died that we may live eternally.
I thank all the faithful apostles and martyrs who were faithful unto death to
bring us the gospel.
I think God for Wyciff, Huss and Tyndale for striving to bring us a bible in
English so that we can read and understand the way of the gospel.
I thank God for Richard Spurling, Bryant, Tomlinson, Lee, and others who carried
the message of the gospel into the 20th century and started the Church of God.
Lastly I thank God for my grandmother, and my father (it could have went back
further than that ) for bringing the gospel down to me.
I believe that there are many others but these are the ones that brought it to
me and I do not take their sacrifices for granted. Some preachers of very small
churches had to live on very little but stayed faithful to the Lord.
Sometimes our eyes are on the big successful churches and we forget the ones who
are laboring with very little yet they stay faithful. It was the poor and the
little guys that brought the gospel to me.
The names you never hear.
Brother Beard who started the little church on Manchester Road in Akron Ohio,
which became later the Kentucky Ave Church of God was one of many. That was
where I was saved as a little child. I can't remember all of them who pastured
there, but I give thanks for all their faithfulness.
