1. First, Paul has words of praise for his Church at Thessalonica. In view of its faith and its love it was one of the first rank. Patiently it stood firm, and even increased, under crosses of affliction. The apostle’s intent in commending these people is to incite to perseverance. He would hold them up to others as an example an illustration of the fruits resulting when the Gospel is preached and received. He also points out in what the edification and success of the true Church of Christ consist. Then he consoles them for their patient sufferings with the mention of the glorious coming of Christ the Lord, which shall mean their final redemption, the recompense of peace and joy for their tribulations, and the bringing of eternalwrath upon their persecutors.
2. This consolation Paul draws from their sufferings and God’s righteousjudgment, by which he makes plain why God lets them suffer here on earth, what is his purpose in it. Looking at the Christian community with the eye of human reason and reflection, no more wretched, tormented, persecuted, unhappy people are in evidence on earth than those who confess and glory in Christ the crucified. In the world they are continually persecuted, tormented and assailed by the devil with all manner of wretchedness, misfortune, distress and death. Even to their own perceptions, it seems as if they surely are forgotten and forsaken by God in the sight of mankind. For he allows them to remain prostrate under the weight of the cross, while others in the world, particularly their persecutors, live in the enjoyment of honor and fortune, of happiness, power and riches, with everything moving to the fulfillment of their desires. The Scriptures frequently deplore this condition of things, especially the Psalms, and Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:19 confesses: “If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.”
CHRISTIAN’S SUFFERINGS LEAD TO HAPPINESS.
3. Now, assuredly this state of affairs cannot continue without end; it cannot be God’s intention to permit Christians thus to suffer continually while they live, to die be cause of it and remain dead. It would be incompatible with his eternal, divinetruth and honor manifest in his Word.
For there he declares he will be the God of the pious, of them who fear and trust him, and gives them unspeakable promises. Necessarily, then, he has planned a future state for Christians and for non Christians, in either instance unlike what they know on earth. Possibly one of the chief reasons why God permits Christians to suffer on earth is to make plain the distinction between their reward and that of the ungodly. In the sufferings of believing Christians, and in the wickedness, tyranny, rage, and persecution directed by the unrighteous against the godly, is certain indication of a future life unlike this and a final judgment of God in which all men, godly and wicked, shall be forever recompensed.
4. Notice, Paul means to say here when he speaks of the tribulations and sufferings of Christians: “These afflictions are the indication of God’s righteousjudgment, and a sign you are worthy of the kingdom of God for which you suffer.” In other words: “O belovedChristians, regard your sufferings as dear and precious. Think not God is angry with you, or has forgotten you, because he allows you to endure these things. They are your great help and comfort, for they show God will be a righteousjudge, will richly bless you and avenge you upon your persecutors. Yes, therein you have unfailing assurance. You may rejoice, and console yourselves, believing without the shadow of a doubt that you belong to the kingdom of God, and have been made worthy of it, because you suffer for its sake.
6. “If so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you,” continues the apostle. It is impossible it should continue to be, as now, well with the world and evil with you. God’s righteousness will not admit of it. Just because he is a righteousjudge, things must be eventually different: the godly must have eternal good, and the wicked, on the other hand, must be punished forever. Otherwise God’s judgment would not be righteous; in other words, he would not be God.
7. Christians should certainly expect this and comfort themselves in the confidence that God will not permit the wrongs of his people to continue unpunished and unavenged. We might think he had forgotten were we to judge from the facts that godly Abel was shamefully murdered by his brother, that God’s prophets and martyrs John the Baptist, Jeremiah, Paul and others suffereddeath at the hands of bloodhounds like the Herods, Neros and other shameless, sanguinary tyrants of the sort, and this when God had, even in this life, given glorious testimony to their being his belovedchildren. A judgment must be forthcoming that tyrants may suffer pains and punishments, and that the godly, delivered from sufferings, may have eternalrest and joy. Let all the world know God does not forget, even after death.
8. This is the consolation the future judgment at the resurrection of the dead holds, that, as God’s righteousness requires, the saints shall receive for their sufferings a supremely rich and glorious recompense. Paul seems to present as the principal reason why God must punish the world with everlastingpain, the fact that the world has inflicted tribulations on Christians. Apparently his words imply that the perpetrations of the devil and the world their supreme contempt and hatred of God’s name and Word, their blasphemies of these, their wickedness and disobedience in other respects, whereby they bring upon themselves everlastingpain and damnation — that for these sins against himself God is not so ready to punish as for their persecution and torment of his poor, believing Christians. This truth is indicated where we read that Christ on the last day shall say: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternalfire which is prepared for the devil and his angels . . . inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.” Matthew 25:41 and 45.
9. Paul’s further observations, concerning the manner of the judgment to come and the painfulpunishment of the ungodly, is sufficiently clear as rendered, and is also explained in the sermon on the Gospel text. Further explanation here is unnecessary.
