Truth to Learn
Our God promises eternal comfort and real hope for Christians.
Behind the Words
The word “may” is not actually in this verse, but is part of the verb “comfort” in the following verse. In other words, Paul is saying “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ … comfort you …”
The word translated “himself” is autos, meaning “him, her, or it.” It serves to give emphasis to the person or thing being spoken of. In Greek, word order is used for emphasis and in this case autos is the first word in the sentence. Therefore, Paul is emphasizing “our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.”
“Having loved us” is from a form of agapē, which specifically refers to “a self-sacrificing love.” It is a verb of action, not just emotion and is most often used to describe the love that God demonstrates. It is expressed here as a singular verb.
Aiōnios is the word translated as “everlasting.” It literally refers to “an age” as a long duration of time. Hence, it is the word used to express that which is perpetual, everlasting, or eternal.
The word “comfort” is translated from paraklēsis, which is made up of para, meaning “beside” and a form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” It is used here to express the encouragement and comfort given by one who has been called alongside as a helper or comforter.
“Hope” is translated from elpis, which represents “hope,” not as just a wish, but as something that is fully expected.
Meaning Explained
Having just concluded this portion of his teaching, the Apostle Paul now expresses a prayer of benediction for the Thessalonian Christians. Paul has been teaching about the Day of the Lord in which God, in the person of Jesus Christ, will judge the inhabitants of the earth. Therefore, it is appropriate that he emphasizes the work of God, in the person of Jesus Christ, in giving us comfort and hope. This is the only place in any of Paul’s writings where he mentions God the Son before God the Father when the two are spoken of together.
He specifically identifies the Lord Jesus Christ as separate from the God the Father by the use of the conjunction “and.” However, at the same time, he shows the unity of the Godhead by using singular verbs (“has loved” and “has given”). Note also that the verbs “comfort” and “establish” in the following verse are also expressed in the singular form. Since in Greek, just as in English, the subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number, Paul is making a strong statement here that the Father and the Son are separate persons, but one God.
Now look at what Christians have already been given. The first thing is comfort. Our guide, who walks with us throughout our journey in this life, gives us comfort and encouragement as we travel. However, it is not just for this life, but for all eternity. Our guide, our God, also gives us hope. No matter what happens to us here, we have complete hope, and assurance, that we will spend eternity in a place of peace and comfort where we will eternally praise Him. It is not just a wish or a dream. It is real and we can count on it because God has promised it to us, and what God promises He always delivers.
Application
No matter what trial or difficulty you may be undergoing right now, as a Christian you have the guarantee of future peace and comfort in the presence of God. Stop and think about that for a minute or two.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved