(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Greetings from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy
- Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Anointed Lord Jesus.
- Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Anointed Lord Jesus.
- We’re obligated to thank God always concerning you brothers, just as is fitting because your faith increases beyond measure, and the ^love of all – of each one of you – abounds to one another.
- So then we ourselves can boast of you in the churches of God; for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you bear.
Righteous judgement
- This is undeniable proof of the righteous judgement of God, for you to be deemed worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer,
- since indeed it’s righteous for God to repay the men afflicting you with affliction.
- And you (the men being afflicted) will rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
- delivering avenging justice1“avenging justice” is one word in Greek, often translated “vengeance” here. It comes from two words, the first meaning “out from” and the second meaning “justice” or “judge”. It properly refers to “meeting out justice as judgement” especially to avenge a wrongdoing. It focuses on the righteousness of the judgement, not a personal sense of revenge. on the men not *knowing God and on the men not obediently listening to the gospel of our Lord Jesus,
- They will suffer the sentence of their verdict: the ruin of ages,2“ruin of ages” is literal, and captures the duration as well as the magnitude of the ruin, which the traditional interpretation of “eternal destruction” doesn’t. The word translated “ages” (αἰώνιον) is the adjective form of the Greek word “αἰών” (aion), which is used – for example – in Matthew 24:3 “what are the signs of your coming and the end of the age?” Virtually all lexicons define αἰών (the noun form) as “age”, but some want to change the adjective form’s meaning to “eternal” instead of “age-long” or “of ages”. This despite “of ages” conveying a similar – and more literally accurate – meaning. away from the Lord’s presence and away from the glory of His power,
- when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at by all the men who believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
- For which we also always pray concerning you, that He might deem you worthy of the calling of our God, and He might fulfill every delight of goodness and faithful work in power,
- so the name of our Lord Jesus might be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Anointed Lord Jesus.
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