Paul’s beautiful picture of the resurrection when Jesus returns evidently raised some questions. So Paul wrote a second letter to the Thessalonians, which we begin this week. The people in Thessalonica suffered persecution from those who were hostile toward Christianity. Paul encouraged them to endure because it gives evidence that their faith is real. God is watching; God is near; God himself will avenge our suffering. There are consequences, he says, for those who resist the gospel of the Lord Jesus, ones that God administers.
This is a difficult subject for us in 2017. We are not too crazy about the concept of God’s wrath. Is God’s judgment fair? What is righteous judgment? How do we refrain from judging and trust God to handle it? These are the kinds of questions we discuss this Sunday. I hope to see you there!
READ Jonah 3:1-10 and 2 Thessalonians 1:4-12
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