Thy Strong Word — 2 Thessalonians 1: What About Those Who Haven’t Heard? Tell Them!

St. Paul begins his second letter by expressing gratitude for the Thessalonians’ growing faith and love amid persecution. He reassures them that their endurance is evidence of God’s righteous judgment and that they will be counted worthy of His kingdom. Paul warns that those who oppose God will face eternal judgment when Jesus returns in glory. He concludes by praying that God would make them worthy of His calling, so that the name of Jesus may be glorified in them.

The Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Thessalonians 1.

In 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica to encourage and instruct them amidst persecution. In 1 Thessalonians, he commends their faith, love, and hope, offers guidance on living a holy life, and reassures them about the fate of believers who have died, emphasizing the hope of the resurrection and Christ’s return. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul addresses misunderstandings about the Day of the Lord, urging believers not to be misled by false teachings and to stand firm in their faith. He also offers practical advice on handling idleness and continuing to live responsibly while awaiting Christ’s return. Join us as we explore the themes of faith, hope, and perseverance in these compelling letters.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

2 Thessalonians 1

Greeting

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

³We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,^[a] as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. ⁴Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

⁵This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— ⁶since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from^[b] the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ¹⁰when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. ¹¹To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, ¹²so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Footnotes

2 Thessalonians 1:3 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
2 Thessalonians 1:9 Or destruction that comes from

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.