Second Thessalonians

If you haven't already, if you'd open your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians, I believe that this is lesson number 28 if I've been counting correctly. And today we have the title for verses 11 and 12 of chapter 1 of 2 Thessalonians, Prayer in Light of the Righteous Judgment of God.

Chester McCauley wrote a commentary on the Thessalonian letters, and he divided 1 Thessalonians into two parts. In the first part, they were reminded how they received the Word of God. In the second part, they were reminded how to live the Word of God. When it comes to 2 Thessalonians, Chester went a little bit more in detail and gave us four parts to look at.

In verses 1 through 3, he says the Thessalonians were commended for growing in both faith and love. They were encouraged in verses 4 through 12, and that's the section that we're looking at today, the last two verses of this section. They were encouraged to remain steadfast while being persecuted. Third, they were corrected concerning the Day of the Lord in Chapter 2, and they are rebuked for reprehensible conduct in Chapter 3. That's the outline that's adapted out of Chester McCulley's commentary. I'd like us to review a little bit today by looking at verses 1 through 10 first. So if you've got your Bibles there, read along with me.

Paul and Silmanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged and the love of each one of you towards one another grows ever greater. Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God, for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all of your persecutions and afflictions which you endure."

This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment, His determinations here, so that you will be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. For after all, it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted, as well as us when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire. Deeming out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction.

Only place in the whole Bible that that is used. Away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be marveled at among those all of those who have believed and that would include the Thessalonians because he says here for our testimony to you was believed.

Isn't that wonderful? I get stirred up when I read these words Our text today is verse 11 and 12 of this chapter. To this end also we pray for you always that God will count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you and you in Him. in accord to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. As we open his word, I'd like to take a look first at this phrase, to this end also, we pray for you always.

It begins with a small preposition called ais. It's one of two prepositions that are used in these two verses. And it has a focus on a purpose, or an end, as it has been translated here in the New American Standard Version. And that's why you have to this as an opening phrase. They have added the word end, or to this goal. Also, we are praying always about you, is the rest of the next part of this phrase. Notice that it is durative.

We are continually praying, and it is something that they, in the middle voice here, the force of it is, they receive benefit from the action that they're taking on the behalf of these believers. Every time we pray, there is a sense in which our own growth occurs because God's working in our hearts to be able to remember and to facilitate the thinking process that would focus on another believer, as well as unbelievers of course, that is accurate. Only the Holy Spirit can do that and only the Holy Spirit works in believers that way.

Interesting, isn't it? It's a continuous mindset that they have, and it's about you. Notice it's plural, all of them. To this end also, we are always praying about you. is my literal rendering of that text. The next phrase is, that our God will count you worthy of your calling.

And it begins with Hinnah. This is that, in order that, this is a subordinate conjunction. It goes underneath. He's praying with this subordinate introduction for this purpose. And in order to get the sense of the verse, notice I had to go to the last part of the verse to get the subject.

That our God is the way that, if you were a Greek reader, you would understand this. Make out worthy of the calling is the next emphasis. And then the focus of this is you. Isn't that something? Sometimes it helps to have PowerPoint to sort of get the order of things the way that the Holy Spirit wrote it down with words. But the emphasis here is that He wanted you to look at, in this case, the Thessalonians wanted under God's direction themselves to be the focus here as the object of our God.

And it's made count worthy of the calling. What's the calling? That's a good question, isn't it? And we'll get into that in just a little bit, but notice that the Holy Spirit puts you He made count worthy, isn't that something? Of the covenant. So he's asking them to have a certain type of walk in his prayer before God. God, take care of the Thessalonians. so that you can count them worthy of their calling. And of course he made it personal to the Thessalonians, so he used the singular there, your calling. Isn't that something? That our God may count you worthy of the calling. Notice the your is not there even. It's a calling that is more general than just them. interesting. And the last phrase of this verse 11 is that, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power.

I know you guys know this, but I'm going to say it for some people that might be listening to the recording later. I'm using the New American Standard Version that has been dated in form of 1995. And the Greek I'm using is a Byzantine text from 2005, in order to give the meaning behind those words.

It begins with chi, which is that conjunction that we're real familiar with. It's a conjunction that generally means and, this and that, but it also can be even, also, indeed, it can be in many forms. Here, I used in my choice, and as being the one that's been highlighted. And notice may fulfill is a subjunctive verb. It's in the eric sense. It's in the active voice, third person singular. Right? Yeah.

Bob, you know, turning back to your calling, it relates, I think, to a section in Colossians that we're doing on Monday nights, and I'll just read that if I could. As you have therefore, this is chapter 2, verses 6 and 7, as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding with thanksgiving. If that's not a calling, I don't know where else we could find it any better in scripture. So I just thought I'd bring that up.

I'm sorry. I appreciate that, Bob. I really do. One of the things that was a problem to me this week, how do I get this into the 40 minutes that are allotted? I looked at it, it's only two verses, you ought to be able to do that, but the more I worked on it, the bigger it got, and so I threw away an awful lot. Bob, I really appreciate that because that's one of many verses where the calling of God is detailed for us.

Beautiful in Colossians, isn't it? Wonderful. Anyway, look at this, as far as a verb, it's subjunctive, which means it's a step away from reality. Because it's a prayer, the subjunctive is used. Do you understand that? This is a potential, only because it's a prayer. But who is being addressed? Our Savior, our Lord.

And so it is not a subjunctive that it may or may not happen, no. This is a subjunctive that He will fulfill or bring to His own goal. Constable puts it this way, the prayer is to bring to full expression Now the every good purpose is in the next phrase. Every pleasure out of goodness is the way the Greek puts it.

I use the genitive of source here. It is not just good pleasures, it's pleasures that are out of goodness, out of a source of goodness, our Lord Jesus himself. And, there's that conjunction again, work which is out of faith. Again, genitive of source.

Work that is based out of the objective truth that is believed. And then it finally ends, again, this verse, with one of the most powerful words that could be used by the Holy Spirit. Summonat. With power. And this led me to a long process, I have to admit. What do we do with this? How do you translate this, literally? Do I stay with the order?

Or do I, from the standpoint even as in the curviest verse, we take what the Holy Spirit put last as being pretty much the actor here, pretty much the definition of focus, that a Greek mind would see, well, here's what I did first, and may fulfill every pleasure out of goodness and work out of faith with power. That sticks pretty close to the Greek text.

But another alternate version would be, and by his power may fulfill every pleasure out of goodness and work out of faith. Now, being that this is a prayer, it might be better to say that he said, and by your power, by God's power, that he may fulfill every pleasure out of goodness. Yeah, Roy, I like your alternate translation. I think that it's got to be his power to accomplish those things.

That's right. The faith is associated because that's another rabbit trail. But anyway, one of the things that I think is very important here is that Paul and Silas and Timothy, when they wrote these letters, were very concerned for the Thessalonians. And their prayer here reflects it. Notice that.

We'll get more into that in a minute. I'm sorry, what's going on, guys? Well, window shades and air circulation. It's okay, it's okay. We're good. It's nice to be able to relate through this pain here, at least, to what's happening there. We appreciate that. Bill's sure done a wonderful job, hasn't he, in helping us with all of this. Boy, that's a blessing. Turning to verse 12, the first part of that verse begins, the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him."

Oh boy, this is another one of those conjunctions that's subordinate, but this is a special one. It's a purpose on a purpose. Notice that this is the purpose out of the previous inner purpose, in order that. So He gives us a purpose, and then He says, Based on that purpose, there's another one.

So that, and in this case, be glorified is a verb that's also in the subjunctive, aorispastive, third person singular, that be glorified is in the third person singular, so it focuses on a person. That purpose that is to be glorified is the Lord our Jesus. His reputation, His name, who He is, His essence is in view here. It's hard for us to relate to the name of the Lord our Jesus, but if we use the word reputation or all that He consists of, being glorified, All His essence is being glorified. What a marvelous purpose prayer this is, being prayed to our Lord, for our Lord, for the Thessalonians.

Can you see why this might take a while to cover all the details and the direction you could take it? Have we considered it? I don't think I'm scratching the surface, certainly, at all this morning. By you. And I've taken this as a deity of instrumentality here.

That the verb action, be glorified, the reputation of the Lord, our Jesus, by you. That means the Thessalonians, if we take it that way, will glorify the essence of our Lord Jesus. Isn't that something? And you, the Thessalonians, will be glorified, if you use the instrumentality here, by Him. So that there's a mutual glorification That is the focus of the purpose here. In order that, be glorified the reputation of the Lord Jesus by you, and you by Him. Our reputation isn't involved here. But that's the Womian's reputation. Our Lord Jesus' reputation.

All are involved here. That's pretty personal, isn't it? A lot of directions with that. I'm sorry, did I hear somebody? Yeah, Roy, it's Bob again. Why do you think the scripture uses you, meaning Y-O-U, and then ye the second time? Well, yeah, they're both plural. I don't know what. I have you and... So it's y'all? Y'all, y'all, y'all, y'all, y'all! I think you might personalize it to each individual. Can you see the mouse moving around plural?

Yes. Okay, and it's that way in two places, plural. But it's a different Greek word. Well, no sir, it's not a different word. It's a personal pronoun, Sioux, and it's in a different form. Okay. One is the nominative and one is the dative form. Notice that. Okay, but they're both plural. They're both from Sioux.

Anyway, I'm That's a good rabbit though, Bob. I'm not sure how to answer you more thoroughly than that. Does anyone else want to comment about this? Yeah, I think again, it's individualized and then has broader implications. You to the person, me to the body. Well you know this whole subject of this last verse or 12 is about glorifying the Lord and it reminds me of Powell's study many years ago where he had like four aspects of glorifying God and he had the believers intimately involved in that. So this is kind of talking about that same area about how all our actions in our lives are to glorify Him. So it's really a tremendous verse. Yes, there's an awful lot here isn't there? Yeah. Well, let's see if we can move ahead a little bit because I've got 14 of these things. You're doing good. You're doing good. We like it. We like it. Keep going. The last phrase of these two verses is, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. And it begins with katah.

This is that normative preposition. Normative in this way, in agreement with, or corresponding to, or in conformity with. That's the one I chose to use here. And what is it in conformity to? What is it? this process that is going on is conformed to. The process is conformed to the grace of our God and Lord. Isn't that something? The unlimited blessings of God based on the infinite work of Christ for us on the cross. It is that, that this particular process of both glorifying Him and being glorified by Him, it's in conformity to the unlimited blessings of God. Wow. I'll tell you, that's something. And the magnitude of this verse doesn't end. Notice there's only one end here. And with that in mind, the way that we can translate this is with a comma. in conformity to the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. Isn't that wonderful? Amen.

Even the Holy Spirit, using grammar, focuses us again and again and again on the essence of our Lord and Savior. Not only by giving us the prayer of these three men for the Thessalonians in such a detailed way, but also in giving us a, what is this all conformed to? His grace, His blessings, and who He is, His essence. Man, I get carried away, I'm sorry. Let me look at the literal translation now given in this verse 11.

To this end also we are always praying about you that our God may count you worthy of the calling and by his power may fulfill every pleasure out of goodness and work out of faith. And they believe that that pleasure out of goodness and that work out of faith is personal to the Thessalonians, because God puts it there, both in pleasure and in the expression of that pleasure in work. In order that the reputation of our Lord Jesus may be glorified by you, and you may be glorified by Him, in conformity with the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. Boy, Lise helps us a little bit here in his expanded translation, to which end also we are praying always for you, namely, that our God may count you worthy of the station in life to which he has called you. and fulfill every delight," and then he puts in brackets, you Thessalonian saints have, in the goodness and every work that finds its source in faith with power. In order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him, in accordance with the grace of our God even, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Okay, now we come to some of the practical things here that we can observe about prayer. First off, in verse 11 and 12, it is the first of five prayers in the Thessalonians contained in this short letter. It's the first prayer. that they would be steadfast while persecuted, so the work of God in them, revealed by suffering, would result in God's name or reputation being praised." Paul even says that he praises them to the other churches because of their endurance, doesn't he? There are four expressions of prayer to God for these believers in the following verses, chapter 2, verse 16 and 17.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope of grace by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. Chapter 3, verse 5, May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. Lots of rabbits there when we get to it later. verse 16 of chapter 3.

Now may the Lord of Peace, what a phrase, the Lord of Peace Himself, how personal that is, continually grant you peace in every circumstance. Can anyone give us peace like the Prince of Peace? What a prayer. The Lord be with you all. And then verse 18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Do you think maybe the Holy Spirit has a message about prayer here? I do. And based on this, do we see ways that our prayers for fellow believers may be improved? that may be expanded to include at least these things that are asked for for the Thessalonians. Yeah, Roy, that's a good point because our prayers many times are self-focused or situation-focused. And these prayers are Godward-focused, the Lord for His glory, His reputation. So it's a, you know, I think we kind of know this, but we, you know, life hits us and we sometimes get focused on our situation and where the Lord wants to, He's concerned about, He knows our situation, but He wants us still to keep our focus on Him. That will be the best for us in this life.

I agree, Roger, and it's hard not to chase prayer more extensively at this point. I chose to go a different direction and look at three points of the focus that are in the text itself, in chapter 1, as the next three slides here. In verse 5, it's about the future, that they may be worthy of the kingdom when they enter glory, reading of the text. Do you remember that, Andrew? I think it was you that might have covered it. I don't remember. I'm sorry.

In Peter, I believe we have like a mirror of this. where it says in verse 7 particularly, but there's a bigger passage here, verses 6 through 9 of chapter 1 of 1 Peter, so that the proof of your faith, the testing or the demonstration or the example of your faith, being more precious than gold that perishes, even though tested with fire or by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory. and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I put in parentheses, 2 Thessalonians 2, 13, and 14. We're going to get to those verses in a minute, so I won't go there quite yet. The second area in chapter 1, as far as the first point of focus in this prayer, is 11a of chapter 1.

It's about the present. Because trials don't make a person worthy. Uh-uh. But they do reveal what a person's made of, don't they? When we're tried, God's worthy work in us is revealed. And I think the emphasis here is to us. I really do. God knows us already. He doesn't need to know about it. But we do. All His work in us is for good. We get that from Romans 8, if you remember. He's working all things together for good for them that love God. And we have to learn this, don't we? And that's one of the main points of focus. I believe in this prayer for the Thessalonians.

Here's a, like a mirror of this in 2 Corinthians 3.18.

All of us, all with unveiled face are beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. And we're being transformed into the same image. What is that image? It is an image of glory upon glory. Justice from the Lord, the Spirit. How the Holy Spirit here remains in the background while glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ is incredible to me. But here He is. He's saying, this is the work that we are doing. And I personally, I, the Spirit, am involved. But my focus is not on me, it's on the image of His glory.

Why? Like Paul, we can pray that God will do and reveal His worthy work to us as He makes us, in the sense that He esteems value, more valuable Christians to Him. through the trials that we endure. We, like all, may pray that God will do and reveal his worthy work in all of his called out ones. That would include his church everywhere, here in Denver and throughout the world. I have to add this because this is where the Lord is taking me. in thinking of things concerning him.

Our condition now is incomplete, but it's a growing one, isn't it? I'm 81 years old and I'm still growing and I will be growing forever. I know that now. I feel like I've just begun to understand a few things. Our condition when raptured, our condition when raptured, will be finished, but still growing. We will be like Him. We will be able to see Him as He is, and in the process, be able to see ourselves as He sees us. Isn't that something? In purity, no old sin nature anymore. What a blessing that's going to be. Learning one line at a time. And how long does it last? Into unmeasured eternity. Eternity without time.

In the second half of verse 11, there is a present action as well. Here we learn that the worthy character of Christ in us leads to worthy works of Christ from us, in and by His power. Isn't that something? Faith is linked with love in 2 Thessalonians 1-3, if you remember that.

Your faith is greatly enlarged And the love of each one of you towards one another grows even greater. Faith is linked with endurance in verse 4 of chapter 1. We ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions. which you endure. Faith and endurance go together. And here in 11b of chapter 1, faith is linked with power.

God's power. And fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power. The NIV As a way of translating this, it's a little bit better than my literal rendering of it. I'm not so sure that they are completely accurate, but here's the quotation, that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act promoted by your faith.

Isn't that something? I couldn't find any other version that approaches it that way. And we, like Paul, may pray that God will give each of us His powerful reality to believe from His written Word, the Bible, so that this trust of ours and His reality that's revealed from the Word will have His power acting in us and through us. we can share, just like the Thessalonians, the focus of this prayer. 2 Corinthians 2, 14-16, I told you we'd get to this verse. Let me read it with you.

Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ. Is that our lives? and manifests through us or reveals through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. No matter where we are. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and also among those who are perishing.

Wow! To the one we are an aroma from death to death and to the other we are an aroma from life to life. We have God's powerful odor that leads to life or leads to death. That's a sobering thought Roy. Isn't it? But for the ones outside of Christ? Yeah. We don't like to dwell on that much, do we? No. By the same token, do we dwell much on the positive aspects? I think that that's where the Holy Spirit would have us go. Paul said that he will fully reveal his glory and be glorified by his church. when he comes back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords with his church.

We got that number last week, right Andrew? In verse 10. But the present work in verse 11 leads to, or rather lays there a foundation for the work of God that is seen in verse 12. One, that He now is revealing His worthy work to us as He transforms us into His glory. Two, that He now is in the measure of His power bringing to His goals every purpose we have that is out from the reality of Him that we believe from His word. Three, that right now He, before we gather together to be with Him forever at the rapture, we are glorifying His name. He is glorifying His own name, His reputation by His own word revealed in us and to us. Verse 12a, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you and you in Him. When does that happen? I believe it's now, and I believe it'll go on for eternity. And how is this done? It doesn't happen.

It just doesn't stop! Look at this, it's done out of the abundance of the unmerited blessings of God that are ours because of the finished work of Christ for our sins and the gift of His Spirit who is making His glory be revealed through us and to us. His name, His reputation, His infinite glory according to the grace of our God and the Lord. Jesus Christ.

Boy, I tell you, it's hard to end there, but it better end somewhere. That's a good point. Those are amazing verses, Roy. Just two little verses, you wouldn't think they're just packed full of just incredible thoughts. They sure are. And what we're going to come up to next is no less packed. Oh yeah, I mean, chapter 2? Yeah. I believe Bob, you're teaching next week? I think he is, yes. Yes. Am I right there, Roger?

I think, yeah, he shook his head. I haven't checked my... If he shakes his head, it's good. So anyway I don't know there's so much here I guess I could bring that last one up because it's like a little bit of a summary. We're kind of getting down the musicians are wandering out and so. Yeah I understand. Sorry. Is there time for a quick question maybe or anything? Sure. I'm not sure we have Let them raise their hands or turn their mic on or anything.

So let's pray. Father, thank you for your spirit who indwells us and has made our bodies your temple. What a concept that radiating your glory may magnify your reputation. May that be true, not just in a few minutes here in church, in Sunday school, but every minute of every day, everywhere we go, make us not only your aroma, but aware of your aroma in our own personal thinking. And may your love be aware in our minds that each one that we see and talk with is an object of your love that you guide for each one of us. May we present Christ by your work in us in such a way that men will ask about the questions that they see that we have confidence in you and then may you speak through us clearly and lead others to come to know you and trust you so that together for eternity. We can be magnified, but more importantly, your glory can be magnified by all men. In Christ's name, Amen.