in blazing fire giving vengeance to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Truth to Learn
God will judge unbelievers, so we don’t need to.
Behind the Words
“Blazing” is translated from the Greek word phlox, which refers to “a flame or a blazing fire.” It is sometimes translated as “flaming.”
The word “fire” is from pur, which refers to something that is burning. When combined with phlox, as it is in today’s verse, it refers to a hot, blazing fire.
Didomi is the Greek word translated “giving.” Some translations have this as “taking” but actually, the primary meaning of didomi is “to give” rather than “to take.”
“Vengeance” is translated from ekdikēsis. This word is made up of ek, meaning “out” and a form of dikē, meaning justice. Thus, ekdikēsis refers to handing out a just sentence. It is sometimes translated as retaliation or punishment.
The verb “know” is from eidō, meaning “to see” or “to perceive.” Since knowing something is like “seeing with the mind,” it is often translated as “to know.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.
“Obey” is from the Greek verb hupakouō, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and akouō, meaning “to hear.” It is a picture of a disciple listening attentively to his or her master and obeying the instruction given.
Meaning Explained
In verse six Paul told us that it is a righteous, or proper, thing for God to repay with tribulation those people who have been persecuting the Christians in Thessalonica. Now in this verse and the next, Paul tells how God will repay them. He says here that God will give a just sentence to them. That just sentence, according to Paul, is blazing fire. This is a clear description of hellfire. Observe that it is God who hands out this judgment. In his letter to the Roman Christians Paul said:
Beloved, do not take revenge yourselves, but leave room for wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)
The words translated “revenge” and “vengeance” are from the verb form and noun form of ekdikēsis, the same as in the current verse. So, Paul is telling the Romans that it is not up to them (or us) to be judge, jury, and executioner. We may be suffering from persecution and injustice from non-believers, but we can rest in the fact that not only has God prepared a glorious future for us, He will also repay our persecutors with a just sentence.
Now, let’s take a look at the two main characteristics of those who are persecuting us and causing us tribulation. Paul says that they “do not know God” and they “do not obey the gospel.” As we discussed in Behind the Words, this word “know” indicates a perception or awareness of God. They either refuse to believe that there is a God, or the god they choose to worship is not the true God. As a result, they don’t believe the truth that He has communicated to all mankind, that we are all sinners and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has paid the price for our sins.
Application
When you suffer for being a Christian or for proclaiming the Gospel message, don’t be discouraged. Know that God will bless you and will judge those who are persecuting you.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved