---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse 2 Thessalonians 1:1. Paul, and Silvanus, c.] See the notes on 1 Thessalonians 1:1. This epistle was written a short time after the former: and as Si"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/2-thessalonians/1"
---

Verse [2 Thessalonians 1:1](../../../kjv/2-thessalonians/1/1). ***Paul, and Silvanus***, c.] See the notes on [1 Thessalonians 1:1](../../../kjv/1-thessalonians/1/1). This epistle was written a short time after the former: and as Silas and Timothy were still at Corinth, the apostle joins their names with his own, as in the former case.

Verse [2 Thessalonians 1:3](../../../kjv/2-thessalonians/1/3). ***Your faith groweth exceedingly*** — The word υπεραυξανει signifies *to grow luxuriantly*, as a good and healthy tree planted in a good soil; and if a *fruit tree*, bearing an abundance of fruit to compensate the labour of the husbandman. Faith is one of the *seeds* of the kingdom; this the apostle had *sowed* and *watered*, and God gave an abundant increase. Their faith was *multiplied*, and their love *abounded*; and this was not the case with some distinguished characters only, it was the case with *every one of* *them*.

Verse 4. ***We ourselves glory in you in the Churches of God*** — We hold you up as an example of what the grace of God, can produce when communicated to honest and faithful hearts.
***For your patience and faith*** — From [Acts 17:5](../../../kjv/acts/17/5); [Acts 17:13](../../../kjv/acts/17/13), and from [1 Thessalonians 2:14](../../../kjv/1-thessalonians/2/14), we learn, that the people of Thessalonica had suffered much persecution, both from the *Jews* and *their own* *countrymen*; but being thoroughly convinced of the truth of the Gospel, and feeling it to be the power of God unto salvation, no persecution could turn them aside from it. And having suffered for the truth, it was precious to them. Persecution never essentially injured the genuine Church of God.

Verse 5. ***A manifest token of the righteousness judgement of**********God*** — The persecutions and tribulations which you endure, are a manifest proof that God has judged righteously in calling you Gentiles into his Church; and these sufferings are also a proof that ye are *called in*; for they who enter into the kingdom of God go through great tribulation; your going through that tribulation is a proof that ye are entering in, and God sees it *right* and *just* that ye should be permitted to *suffer* before ye enjoy that endless felicity.
The words, however, may be understood in another sense, and will form this maxim: "The sufferings of the just, and the triumphs of the wicked, in this life, are a sure proof that there will be a future judgment, in which the wicked shall be punished and the righteous rewarded. "This maxim is not only true in itself, but it is most likely that this is the apostle's meaning.
***That ye may be counted worthy*** — Your patient endurance of these sufferings is a proof that ye are *rendered meet* for that glory on account of which ye suffer and, in a true Gospel sense of the word, *worthy* of that glory; for he who is *a child of God*, and a *partaker of the Divine nature*, is worthy of God's kingdom, not because he has done any thing to merit it, but because he bears the *image of God*; and the *image* is that which gives the *title*.

Verse 6. ***Seeing*****it is*****a righteous thing*** — Though God neither rewards nor punishes in this life in a general way, yet he often gives proofs of his displeasure, especially against those who persecute his followers. They, therefore, who have given you tribulation, shall have tribulation in recompense.

Verse 7. ***And to you who are troubled, rest with us*** — And while they have *tribulation*, you shall have that eternal *rest* which remains for the people of God.
***When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed*** — But this fulness of *tribulation* to them, and *rest* to you, shall not take place till the Lord Jesus come to judge the world.
***With his mighty angels*** — The coming of God to judge the world is scarcely ever spoken of in the sacred writings without mentioning the holy angels, who are to accompany him, and to form his court or retinue. See [Deuteronomy 33:2](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/33/2); [Matthew 25:31](../../../kjv/matthew/25/31); [Matthew 16:27](../../../kjv/matthew/16/27); [Matthew 26:64](../../../kjv/matthew/26/64); [Mark 8:38](../../../kjv/mark/8/38).

Verse 8. ***In flaming fire*** — εν φλογι πυρος. In *thunder and* *lightning, taking vengeance*-inflicting just punishment *on them* *that know not God*-the heathen who do not worship the true God, and will not *acknowledge* him, but worship idols; and on them *that obey* *not the Gospel*-the *Jews*, particularly who have rejected the Gospel, and persecuted Christ and his messengers; and all nominal Christians who, though they believe the Gospel as a revelation from God, yet do not *obey* it as a rule of life.

Verse 9. ***Who shall be punished*** — What this *everlasting* *destruction* consists in we cannot tell. It is not *annihilation*, for their *being* continues; and as the destruction is *everlasting*, it is an eternal *continuance* and *presence* of *substantial evil*, and *absence of all good*; for a part of this punishment consists in being banished from the *presence of the Lord*-excluded from his *approbation*, for ever; so that the light of his countenance can be no more enjoyed, as there will be an eternal impossibility of ever being reconciled to him.
***The glory of his power*** — Never to see the face of God throughout eternity is a heart-rending, soul-appalling thought; and to be *banished* from the *glory of his power*, that power the *glory* of which is peculiarly manifested in *saving the lost* and *glorifying the faithful*, is what cannot be reflected on without confusion and dismay. But this must be the lot of all *who* *acknowledge not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus* *Christ*.

Verse 10. ***When he shall come to be glorified in his saints*** — As the grace of God is peculiarly glorified in saving sinners and making them into *saints*, this gracious *power* will be particularly manifested in the great day, when countless millions will appear before that throne who have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
***And to be admired*** — οαυμασθηναι. *To be wondered at among* and on the account of *all them that believe*. Much as true believers *admire* the perfections of the Redeemer of mankind, and much as they *wonder* at his amazing condescension in becoming man, and dying for the sins of the world; all their present amazement and wonder will be as nothing when compared with what they shall feel when they come to see him *in all his glory*, the glory that he had with the father before the world was. In reference to this we may apply those words of St. John: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." [1 John 3:2](../../../kjv/1-john/3/2).
Instead of τοις πιστευουσιν, *them that believe*, τοις πιστευσασιν, *them that have believed*, is the reading of ABCDEF, many others, the later *Syriac, Slavonic, Vulgate*, and *Itala*, with most of the *Greek fathers*. This reading is undoubtedly genuine.
***Because our testimony - was believed in that day.*** — The members of this sentence seem to have been strangely transposed. I believe it should be read thus: "In that day, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired among all them that have believed; for our testimony was believed among you." The Thessalonians had credited what the apostles had said and written, not only concerning Jesus Christ in general, but concerning the day of judgment in particular.

Verse 11. ***We pray - that our God would count you worthy*** — It is our earnest prayer that God would *make you worthy*, αξιωση, afford those continual supplies of grace by his Holy Spirit, without which you cannot adorn your holy vocation; you are called into the Christian Church, and, to be proper members of this Church, you must be members of the mystical *body* of Christ; and this implies that you should be holy, as he who has called you is holy.
***Fulfil all the good pleasure of*****his*****goodness*** —
1. The *goodness* of God-his own innate eternal kindness, has led him to call you into this state of salvation.
2. It is the *pleasure* of that goodness to save you unto eternal life.
3. It is the *good* *pleasure*; nothing can please God more than your receiving and retaining his utmost salvation.
4. It is *all* the good pleasure of his goodness thus to save you; this he has amply proved by sending his Son to die for you, *beyond* which gift he has none greater. In this, all the good pleasure of his goodness is astonishingly manifested.
5. And if you be faithful to his grace, he will *fulfil*-completely accomplish, all the good pleasure of his goodness in you; which goodness is to be apprehended and is to work by *faith*, the *power* of which must come from him, though the *act* or exercise of that power must be of yourselves; but the very *power* to believe affords *excitement* to the exercise of faith.

Verse [2 Thessalonians 1:12](../../../kjv/2-thessalonians/1/12). ***That the name of our Lord*** — This is the great *end* of your Christian calling, that Jesus who hath died for you may have his *passion* and *death* magnified in your *life* and *happiness*; that ye may show forth the virtues of him who called you from darkness into his marvellous light.
***And ye in him*** — That his glorious excellence may be seen *upon* *you*; that ye may be *adorned* with the graces of his Spirit, as he is glorified by your salvation from all sin.
***According to the grace*** — That your salvation may be such as God requires, and such as is worthy of his grace to communicate. God saves as becomes God to save; and thus the dignity of his nature is seen in the excellence and glory of his work.
1. It is an awful consideration to the people of the world, that persecutions and afflictions should be the lot of the true Church, and should be the proof of its being such; because this shows more than any thing else the *desperate state* of mankind, their total enmity to God; they persecute, not because the followers of God have done or can do them hurt, but they persecute because they have not the Spirit of Christ in them! Men may amuse themselves by arguing against the doctrine of *original sin*, or the *total depravity* of the soul of man; but while there is religious persecution in the world, there is the most absolute disproof of all their arguments. Nothing but a heart *wholly alienated from* *God* could ever devise the persecution or maltreatment of a man, for no other cause but that he has given himself up to glorify God with his body and spirit, which are his.
2. The *everlasting destruction* of the ungodly is a subject that should be continually placed before the eyes of men by the preachers of the Gospel. How shall a man be induced to take measures to escape a danger of the existence of which he is not convinced? Show him the *hell* which the justice of God has lighted up for the devil and his angels, and in which all Satan's children and followers must have their eternal portion. All the perfections of God require that he should *render to every man his* *due*. And what is the *due* of a sinner or a persecutor, of one who is a *determinate enemy to God*, goodness, and *good men*? Why, *everlasting destruction* from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power. And if God did not award this to such persons, he could not be the *God of justice*.
3. The grand object of God in giving his Gospel to mankind is *to save them from their sins*, make them like himself, and take them to his eternal glory. He saves *according* to the *measure* of his eternal goodness; the scanty salvation contended for and expected by the generality of Christians, it would be dishonourable to God to administer. He saves *according to his* *grace*. His own eternal goodness and holiness is the *measure* of his salvation to man; not the *creeds* and *expectations* of any class of Christians. To be saved at all, we must not only be saved in God's *way*, and upon his own *terms*, but also according to his own *measure*. He who is not filled with the *fulness* of God cannot expect the *glory* of God.
4. Another proof of the fall and degeneracy of men is, their general enmity to the *doctrine* of *holiness*; they cannot bear the thought of being sanctified through body, soul, and spirit, so as to perfect holiness in the fear of God. A spurious kind of Christianity is gaining ground in the world. Weakness, doubtfulness, littleness of faith, consciousness of inward corruptions, and sinful infirmities of different kinds, are by some considered the highest proofs of a *gracious state*; whereas in the primitive Church they would have been considered as evidences that the persons in question had received just light enough to show them their wretchedness and danger, but not the healing virtue of the blood of Christ.

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