Paul the
apostle promised the Thessalonian church members that God would
“recompense tribulation” upon those who “troubled”
them. He also said the Thessalonians who were “troubled”
could “rest” with he and his companions “when the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels”,
and in chapter one and verse eight of this second letter to the
Thessalonians, Paul wrote how God would come with “flaming fire”
of “vengeance” upon those who do not “know” Him
or “obey” the gospel of Jesus where we read:
In flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
The
verse begins, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God,...” Paul began with the words, “In flaming”
or “flashing or blazing” “fire” which is the Greek
word “pyr” and means “consuming heat or lightning” “taking
vengeance” or “giving, granting or supplying a revenging
punishment” “on them that know not” or “do not
perceive, notice, discern, discover, pay attention to and observe”
“God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity
comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
This “flaming fire” is reserved as punishment for those
who do not “pay attention to and observe” “God” who is
their Creator and reason for existence.
The
verse goes on to say, “...and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:” Paul
went on to add, “and that obey not”
or “do not listen, harken or submit to”
“the gospel” which
is the Greek word “euaggelion”
means “good tidings of salvation through Jesus Christ who suffered
death on the cross to procure salvation for mankind” “of
our Lord”
which means “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he
has power of deciding; master and the title given to God, the
Messiah” “Jesus” whose
name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God, the
Saviour of mankind and God incarnate”
“Christ”
which means “anointed” and is “the Messiah and Son of God”.
Paul added the disobedience and rejection of the gospel of Jesus
Christ as a further reason the “flaming
fire” of
vengeance would fall upon them.
When
we think through Paul's words, we begin to understand the gravity of
the “vengeance” of
the Lord. The warning is against those who “know not God”
and “obey not the gospel”
of Jesus, and those who fall into these categories should have great
fear. We have the privilege through Jesus Christ to “know”
God, and it is His “gospel”
or “good news” that declares Jesus made access to God by way of
the cross and resurrection. All who repent of their sins, turn their
hearts to God and believe His words will be saved from this judgment,
and those who do not will suffer the consequences of their choices.
As Paul wrote in the book of Romans in chapter ten and verses nine
and ten, “That if you shall confess with your mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him
from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.” May all who read
Paul's words to the Thessalonians “pay attention to and observe”
God's gospel through Jesus Christ.
Next
time Paul shares about “punishment with everlasting
destruction”, so read ahead,
and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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