1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,279
Speaker 1: Good morning, faithful listeners, Welcome to the Bible Explain podcast.

2
00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:05,360
Speaker 1: We are in a brand new book of the New

3
00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,840
Speaker 1: Testament today. We are in Second Thessalonians, and this book

4
00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,320
Speaker 1: is very similar actually to First Thessalonians, where the theme

5
00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:15,920
Speaker 1: was Jesus's second Coming. So in this book we will

6
00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,480
Speaker 1: continue with that theme. Before today we're going to talk

7
00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:23,280
Speaker 1: about God's righteous judgment on non believers, but also on

8
00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:29,560
Speaker 1: believers as well. We'll get into it in just a minute.

9
00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,159
Speaker 1: All right, faithful listeners. So, like I said, we are

10
00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:38,959
Speaker 1: in a brand new book of the Bible today, Second Thessalonians.

11
00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,520
Speaker 1: And you guys might be wondering what was the point

12
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:46,120
Speaker 1: of Paul writing another letter to the Thessalonians when it

13
00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:50,040
Speaker 1: pretty much had the same theme as the first letter. Well,

14
00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,400
Speaker 1: here's a little bit of history for you. There's some

15
00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,600
Speaker 1: evidence in the book of Second Thessalonians itself that there

16
00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:02,320
Speaker 1: was a fake letter circulating where the author claimed to

17
00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:07,720
Speaker 1: be Paul. And in this fake letter, he apparently said,

18
00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,880
Speaker 1: the day of the Lord has already come. In other words,

19
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,120
Speaker 1: Jesus's second Coming has already happened. You Thessalonians are screwed

20
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:23,280
Speaker 1: because you were not raptured, and the Thessalonians unfortunately believed

21
00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,080
Speaker 1: this report. So that's a little backstory on the book

22
00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,120
Speaker 1: of Second Thessalonians, and it could be a reason why

23
00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,840
Speaker 1: Paul felt the need to write to the Thessalonians again

24
00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,720
Speaker 1: to just straighten them out and to tell them, Hey,

25
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,440
Speaker 1: if anyone is claiming to be me and writing a

26
00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,480
Speaker 1: letter to you, make sure it's actually from me before

27
00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,720
Speaker 1: you start believing the contents. So let's get into Second

28
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,680
Speaker 1: Thessalonians chapter one, and I'm gonna guess that I'll probably

29
00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,600
Speaker 1: do a part one and a part two in this

30
00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,560
Speaker 1: first chapter of Second Thessalonians, but we'll see how much

31
00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,240
Speaker 1: I get through today. So let's read all all of

32
00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,720
Speaker 1: Second Thessalonians chapter one, and I will be reading as

33
00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:09,400
Speaker 1: usual from the we b Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy to

34
00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,280
Speaker 1: the assembly of the Thessalonians. In God our Father and

35
00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,720
Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace from God,

36
00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,919
Speaker 1: our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound

37
00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,480
Speaker 1: to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even

38
00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,720
Speaker 1: as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and

39
00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:26,399
Speaker 1: the love of each and every one of you toward

40
00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,480
Speaker 1: one another abounds, so that we ourselves boast about you

41
00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,160
Speaker 1: in the assemblies of God for your perseverance and faith

42
00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,480
Speaker 1: in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure.

43
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,240
Speaker 1: This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of

44
00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,680
Speaker 1: God to the end that you may be counted worthy

45
00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,880
Speaker 1: of God's kingdom, for which you also suffer. For it

46
00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,080
Speaker 1: is a righteous thing with God to repay the affliction

47
00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,600
Speaker 1: to those who afflict you, and to give relief to

48
00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,000
Speaker 1: you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus

49
00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,239
Speaker 1: is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels inflaming fire,

50
00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,600
Speaker 1: punishing those who don't know God, and to those who

51
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,320
Speaker 1: don't obey the good news of our Lord Jesus, who

52
00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,400
Speaker 1: will pay the penalty eternal destruction from the face of

53
00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,119
Speaker 1: the Lord and from the glory of his might when

54
00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,280
Speaker 1: he comes in that day to be glorified in his

55
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,320
Speaker 1: saints and to be admired among all those who have believed.

56
00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,079
Speaker 1: Because our testimony to you was believed. To this end,

57
00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,520
Speaker 1: we also pray always for you that Our God may

58
00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,400
Speaker 1: count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire

59
00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,959
Speaker 1: of goodness and work of faith with power that the

60
00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,360
Speaker 1: name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you

61
00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,200
Speaker 1: and you and him according to the grace of our

62
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,760
Speaker 1: God and the Lord Jesus Christ. So, of course, at

63
00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,080
Speaker 1: the beginning of the letter, Paul explains who the letter

64
00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,160
Speaker 1: is from. He says, Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy write to

65
00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,760
Speaker 1: the Assembly of the Thessalonians in God, our Father and

66
00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,600
Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, of course, since there's a

67
00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:52,280
Speaker 1: possibility that fake letters were going around from Paul, Silas, Timothy, whoever, bet,

68
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,920
Speaker 1: it's very important for Paul to make sure right off

69
00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,280
Speaker 1: the bet that the Thessalonians know who actually penned this letter,

70
00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,200
Speaker 1: and he gives credit again to Sylvanus and Timothy, which

71
00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,840
Speaker 1: the letter was written by Paul. I mean very clearly.

72
00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,960
Speaker 1: Paul has a very distinct writing style, as you guys

73
00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,480
Speaker 1: can tell, and this letter is so clearly written by Paul.

74
00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,280
Speaker 1: But Paul again gives some credit to Silas and to

75
00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,919
Speaker 1: Timothy for writing this letter. And it could be that

76
00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,560
Speaker 1: Silas and Timothy contributed in some way, but more likely

77
00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,760
Speaker 1: than not because the Thessalonian Church actually knew Silas and

78
00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,839
Speaker 1: Timothy a lot better than Paul. That's probably the reason

79
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,080
Speaker 1: why Paul included them in this letter and gave them

80
00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,719
Speaker 1: credit for co authoring it. He says, grace to you

81
00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,960
Speaker 1: and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,

82
00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,360
Speaker 1: this is how Paul starts most of his letters out

83
00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,679
Speaker 1: is by giving them kind of a salutation, by saying

84
00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,719
Speaker 1: like grace to you or peace to you from God,

85
00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,080
Speaker 1: our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We might think

86
00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,200
Speaker 1: to just brush past that because of how often we

87
00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,760
Speaker 1: read it, but think about how so important of a

88
00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,760
Speaker 1: salutation that really is. Paul right away prays for the

89
00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,640
Speaker 1: recipients of the letter. He prays that they have grace,

90
00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,599
Speaker 1: and he prays that they have peace from God, the

91
00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,599
Speaker 1: Father and from Jesus Christ. So it's a really a

92
00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:18,640
Speaker 1: beautiful way to start out the letters if you think

93
00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,960
Speaker 1: about it. Paul starts them out with a prayer every

94
00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,800
Speaker 1: single time. He says, we are bound to always give

95
00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,360
Speaker 1: thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate,

96
00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:33,599
Speaker 1: because your faith grows exceedingly. Now that word brothers again,

97
00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:39,560
Speaker 1: that word actually is better translated as siblings or brothers

98
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,360
Speaker 1: and sisters. So depending on the version that you read,

99
00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,920
Speaker 1: it may actually say brothers and sisters. Paul was not

100
00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,560
Speaker 1: just talking to the men of the church, even though

101
00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:51,599
Speaker 1: a lot of people like to claim that that is

102
00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:55,560
Speaker 1: not what the Greek word suggests. The Greek word suggests

103
00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,240
Speaker 1: that Paul is talking to the entire church body, man

104
00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,880
Speaker 1: and woman alike, every single person that attends that church.

105
00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,880
Speaker 1: This letter is for them. So Paul says in verse three,

106
00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,679
Speaker 1: we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers,

107
00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,080
Speaker 1: even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly

108
00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:14,719
Speaker 1: and the love of each and every one of you

109
00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,160
Speaker 1: toward one another abounds. So basically what Paul is saying

110
00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:23,640
Speaker 1: there is that he Silas and Timothy always give thanks

111
00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,600
Speaker 1: to God every time they remember the Thessalonian Church. They

112
00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,960
Speaker 1: are giving thanks because of all the good things they're

113
00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,400
Speaker 1: hearing that the Thessalonian Church is doing. Apparently, the Thessalonians

114
00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,840
Speaker 1: had a strong faith, they had a strong sense of

115
00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:44,160
Speaker 1: love towards their fellow brothers and sisters, and these were

116
00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,880
Speaker 1: good things that Paul, Silas and Timothy wanted to give

117
00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,840
Speaker 1: thanks for. So every time they remembered the Thessalonian Church

118
00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,839
Speaker 1: in their prayers, they would give thanks to God for

119
00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:59,000
Speaker 1: a healthy church in that area of the world, spreading

120
00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:03,000
Speaker 1: the message of Jesus so effectively they were thankful for that.

121
00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,520
Speaker 1: In fact, Paul says it's appropriate for him to give

122
00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,520
Speaker 1: thanks for the Thessalonian Church because of all the good

123
00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,520
Speaker 1: things that they are doing. In fact, they are such

124
00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:17,440
Speaker 1: a great church that Paul boasts about them to the

125
00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,360
Speaker 1: other assemblies. Is what he says in verse four. We

126
00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,960
Speaker 1: ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for

127
00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:28,040
Speaker 1: your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and in

128
00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,840
Speaker 1: the afflictions in which you endure. Now, when Paul wrote

129
00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,760
Speaker 1: this letter, he very likely was in Corinth. You know,

130
00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:40,640
Speaker 1: Corinth was a really big important city in the ancient world.

131
00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:44,680
Speaker 1: It was a shipping port where a lot of sailors

132
00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,920
Speaker 1: would come and go. And there's a little bit of evidence,

133
00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,720
Speaker 1: based upon Paul's language here, that there might have been

134
00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:56,040
Speaker 1: multiple churches in Corinth at this time, just because of

135
00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:00,720
Speaker 1: how big and important the city actually was. So Paul

136
00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:05,360
Speaker 1: says that he actually boasts about the Thessalonians to all

137
00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,360
Speaker 1: of the churches in the region that he's in, which

138
00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,920
Speaker 1: would be Corinth, and he boasts about their perseverance and

139
00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,560
Speaker 1: their faith in spite of all of the persecution and

140
00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,520
Speaker 1: afflictions that they are going through. So apparently the Thessalonian

141
00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,480
Speaker 1: Church was really being targeted. We don't know exactly how,

142
00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,320
Speaker 1: but it could be that it came from the government

143
00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:32,320
Speaker 1: of Thessalonika itself. As you know, Thessalonika is modern day

144
00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:37,760
Speaker 1: Thessaloniki in Greece, and when Paul went up to Thessalonika,

145
00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:42,640
Speaker 1: initially he was met with a lot of opposition from

146
00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:47,800
Speaker 1: the Greek government in Thesalonika because of their fear of

147
00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,960
Speaker 1: the Romans. So they didn't really want the Christian movement

148
00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:57,280
Speaker 1: to spread, specifically because Christianity talks about Jesus being the king,

149
00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,040
Speaker 1: and that's really dangerous to talk when there's a Roman

150
00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,000
Speaker 1: emperor who claims to be the king of the world.

151
00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,040
Speaker 1: Basically really dangerous to say that there is another king.

152
00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,520
Speaker 1: So when the Greeks heard that Christians were talking about

153
00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:17,840
Speaker 1: this king Jesus, they got really scared. And that was

154
00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:22,000
Speaker 1: when Paul had to leave Thesalonaika after only three weeks

155
00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,079
Speaker 1: of being there because of the persecution he experienced in

156
00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:30,840
Speaker 1: that city. So after Paul left, there's a possibility that

157
00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:35,600
Speaker 1: the government of Thesalonaika itself really ramped up the persecution

158
00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,480
Speaker 1: of Christians due to their fear of the Roman government.

159
00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,760
Speaker 1: But of course we also know that there were some

160
00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:49,000
Speaker 1: Judaizers in Thesalonaika as well who hated the message of Christianity.

161
00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,880
Speaker 1: They hated it because they were jealous. They didn't want

162
00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:57,400
Speaker 1: anybody to believe it. They only wanted people to believe them.

163
00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,480
Speaker 1: So a lot of the Jewish people in Thesalinnaia we're

164
00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:05,240
Speaker 1: targeting the Christian movement as well, specifically trying to either

165
00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,440
Speaker 1: kill or imprison Paul and anybody who followed the Gospel

166
00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,360
Speaker 1: message at all. So we don't know exactly what the

167
00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,160
Speaker 1: persecution in Thesalonaika looked like at this time, but there

168
00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,440
Speaker 1: is certainly something going on, either with the government of

169
00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:25,600
Speaker 1: Thesalonaika itself or the Jews in the region, or possibly both.

170
00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:30,160
Speaker 1: But apparently the Thesalonaika Church was really holding its own

171
00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:34,080
Speaker 1: in the middle of all of this persecution. That's why

172
00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,520
Speaker 1: Paul says in verse five, this is an obvious sign

173
00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:41,080
Speaker 1: of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that

174
00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,240
Speaker 1: you may be counted worthy of God's kingdom for which

175
00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,800
Speaker 1: you also suffer. Now it's really strange about that verse

176
00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,520
Speaker 1: is it says that the persecution and afflictions that we

177
00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,839
Speaker 1: suffer are a sign of God's righteous judgment. And you

178
00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:00,880
Speaker 1: might be like, how in the world are persecutions evidence

179
00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:05,720
Speaker 1: of God's judgment, because it seems like we shouldn't have

180
00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:11,160
Speaker 1: to experience trials and tribulations, that God's love will will

181
00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,320
Speaker 1: deliver us from all of that, that it's actually God

182
00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,760
Speaker 1: being mean to us if we suffer any kind of

183
00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:24,720
Speaker 1: persecution whatsoever. So, how does my suffering prove God's righteous judgment? Well, actually,

184
00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,360
Speaker 1: in two ways. The first way is what Paul says

185
00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,360
Speaker 1: here in verse five. This is an obvious sign of

186
00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:33,960
Speaker 1: the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you

187
00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,800
Speaker 1: may be counted worthy of God's kingdom for which you

188
00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:43,160
Speaker 1: also suffer. So, in other words, our suffering proves our

189
00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,880
Speaker 1: status as Christians. It obviously doesn't save us. There's only

190
00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:51,520
Speaker 1: one thing that can save us, and that is Jesus right,

191
00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:56,000
Speaker 1: the sacrifice that Jesus made. But the persecution we experience,

192
00:11:56,080 --> 00:12:00,360
Speaker 1: if we endure that, it shows the reality of our faith.

193
00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,760
Speaker 1: If someone claims to be a Christian but can't endure

194
00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,160
Speaker 1: the trials or the persecutions that come along specifically with

195
00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:12,480
Speaker 1: being a Christian, then that proves that that person never

196
00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:16,960
Speaker 1: had a true faith in God. Romans five elaborates on

197
00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,480
Speaker 1: this a little bit more. Romans five three through five

198
00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,160
Speaker 1: says this not only this, we also rejoice in our sufferings,

199
00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:29,480
Speaker 1: knowing that suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance proven character, and

200
00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:34,640
Speaker 1: proven character hope, and hope doesn't disappoint us because God's

201
00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,800
Speaker 1: love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy

202
00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,200
Speaker 1: Spirit who was given to us. So, in other words,

203
00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:45,080
Speaker 1: persecution kind of refines us in a way. It really

204
00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,640
Speaker 1: proves our faith in God. And that's why Paul says

205
00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:54,280
Speaker 1: to actually rejoice in our sufferings, because the suffering produces perseverance,

206
00:12:54,640 --> 00:13:00,640
Speaker 1: so the ability to just deal with annoying things, with persecution,

207
00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,080
Speaker 1: with bad things that happen in our life, and perseverance

208
00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,960
Speaker 1: turns into character. And you may have noticed this as well.

209
00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,160
Speaker 1: Sometimes not in every case, but sometimes people who go

210
00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:18,239
Speaker 1: through the hardest things are some of the most genuine

211
00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,400
Speaker 1: kindest people you can be around. Like, people who have

212
00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:27,200
Speaker 1: genuinely suffered in their lives are very very kind people.

213
00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:30,400
Speaker 1: People who kind of get everything handed to them on

214
00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:34,400
Speaker 1: a silver platter throughout their lives are much more entitled,

215
00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,440
Speaker 1: much less friendly people than those who grew up with

216
00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:43,520
Speaker 1: almost nothing or those who really suffered early in life.

217
00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,280
Speaker 1: Suffering really does give us an amount of character, and

218
00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:53,200
Speaker 1: then character produces hope. And of course, the hope that

219
00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:57,200
Speaker 1: Paul's talking about here is the hope that Jesus is

220
00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,480
Speaker 1: truly going to save our souls, that we are going

221
00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:06,040
Speaker 1: to go to heaven and experience just eternal comfort for

222
00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,480
Speaker 1: the rest of our lives. That's the type of hope

223
00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,720
Speaker 1: that Paul's talking about, and that is why Paul rejoices

224
00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:18,120
Speaker 1: in suffering, because it actually produces really good, refining things

225
00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:23,120
Speaker 1: for us. Now, James says something similar as well in

226
00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,880
Speaker 1: James Chapter one, two through four. This is from the

227
00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:30,840
Speaker 1: CSB version, which I'm actually really into the CSB recently,

228
00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,240
Speaker 1: just let you guys know, really great version I have

229
00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:39,520
Speaker 1: discovered James one two through four. Consider it a great joy,

230
00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,560
Speaker 1: my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because

231
00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,160
Speaker 1: you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance,

232
00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,480
Speaker 1: and let endurance have its full effect so that you

233
00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:53,880
Speaker 1: may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. So James basically

234
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,120
Speaker 1: says the exact same thing that Paul says, except he

235
00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:02,040
Speaker 1: says that endurance produces mature, which is, you know, the

236
00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,520
Speaker 1: same thing as character, I suppose, And then jumping down

237
00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,800
Speaker 1: to verse twelve of James, one blessed is the one

238
00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,880
Speaker 1: who endures trials because when he has stood the test,

239
00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,680
Speaker 1: he will receive the crown of life that God has

240
00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,720
Speaker 1: promised to those who love him. So there you go.

241
00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:23,800
Speaker 1: Persecution truly shows who is a true Christian and who

242
00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:28,480
Speaker 1: is not. So that's God, in a sense, showing his

243
00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:33,880
Speaker 1: righteous judgment through the persecutions. He uses them for good

244
00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,920
Speaker 1: to test our hearts and to test our minds. So

245
00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:41,080
Speaker 1: that's the first way that trials show the righteous judgment

246
00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:43,800
Speaker 1: of God. But the second way is that those who

247
00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,080
Speaker 1: pass the test, those who are true Christians who endured

248
00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:53,000
Speaker 1: persecutions and all of the struggles I suppose that come

249
00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:57,600
Speaker 1: with the Christian lifestyle. God is going to righteously judge

250
00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,520
Speaker 1: the people who doled out all of those persecutions on

251
00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,200
Speaker 1: his people. That's what it says in verse six of

252
00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,880
Speaker 1: our passage for today. For it is a righteous thing

253
00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,080
Speaker 1: with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,

254
00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,240
Speaker 1: and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us.

255
00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,840
Speaker 1: When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his

256
00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,880
Speaker 1: mighty angels inflaming fire. So that shows right there that

257
00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:26,000
Speaker 1: God does not cause the persecution. God is not going

258
00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:30,360
Speaker 1: around purposely persecuting his own people. He does not do that.

259
00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:35,800
Speaker 1: But he does allow persecution to happen for two reasons.

260
00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:37,840
Speaker 1: The first reason was the one we just talked about,

261
00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:42,440
Speaker 1: where God allows the persecution to refine his people and

262
00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:46,680
Speaker 1: to flesh out the ones who aren't true Christians. But

263
00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:51,160
Speaker 1: the second reason he allows persecution is because He can

264
00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:57,320
Speaker 1: now dole out his judgment on these evil people causing

265
00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:01,480
Speaker 1: all of this misery for Christians. Here's what first Thessalonians

266
00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:07,560
Speaker 1: says for Thessalonians two fourteen through sixteen. For you, brothers,

267
00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,680
Speaker 1: became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea,

268
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,760
Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus. For you suffered the same things from

269
00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,760
Speaker 1: your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,

270
00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,760
Speaker 1: who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets

271
00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:23,240
Speaker 1: and drove us out. And don't please God and our

272
00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,520
Speaker 1: contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the

273
00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,680
Speaker 1: gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their

274
00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:35,199
Speaker 1: sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.

275
00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:40,720
Speaker 1: In other words, these people are actually filling up on

276
00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,720
Speaker 1: their sins. And what does that mean. It means that

277
00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,200
Speaker 1: they are doing so many evil things that their sins

278
00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,080
Speaker 1: are just like piling up like one on top of

279
00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:54,639
Speaker 1: the other. And God is allowing that to happen so

280
00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:58,280
Speaker 1: that he can eventually show his wrath on these people

281
00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:02,119
Speaker 1: because their sin pile is like so freaking high, just

282
00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,040
Speaker 1: based upon the fact that they are persecuting Christians and

283
00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:09,000
Speaker 1: hindering the Gospel message from being spread. God is allowing

284
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:12,520
Speaker 1: these wicked people to just pile their sins on top

285
00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,520
Speaker 1: of each other so eventually His wrath can be shown

286
00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:19,159
Speaker 1: to them. Now, there's one more verse in Philippians that

287
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,920
Speaker 1: I want to share with you guys, real quick. Philippians,

288
00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:26,600
Speaker 1: Chapter one, verse twenty eight. Paul tells the Christians what

289
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:32,960
Speaker 1: to do regarding their persecutors Philippians one twenty eight. In

290
00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,680
Speaker 1: nothing be frightened by the adversaries, which is for them

291
00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,840
Speaker 1: a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation and

292
00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:45,040
Speaker 1: that from God. If Christians refuse to be afraid of

293
00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,560
Speaker 1: their persecutors, that is actually a sign to those evil

294
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:53,600
Speaker 1: people because it's showing that nothing they do can affect

295
00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:58,480
Speaker 1: the Christian movement. They are ultimately going to lose. They're

296
00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:02,399
Speaker 1: going to lose. When Christians just become more emboldened in

297
00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,199
Speaker 1: spite of persecution, it is a sign to them that

298
00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:10,720
Speaker 1: their side is losing and that God's wrath is going

299
00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:14,879
Speaker 1: to come on them. We'll talk about the rest of

300
00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:19,199
Speaker 1: this chapter on Tuesday, where Jesus comes with a flame

301
00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,359
Speaker 1: of fire to dole out punishment on these people, and

302
00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,520
Speaker 1: that's of course referring to Jesus's second coming, So we

303
00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:27,840
Speaker 1: will talk about all of that on Tuesday. So I

304
00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:30,160
Speaker 1: hope to see all of you guys then. Now, of course,

305
00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:32,600
Speaker 1: tomorrow we do not have a regular episode. As you

306
00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,280
Speaker 1: guys know, on Fridays, I do a special podcast only

307
00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:38,560
Speaker 1: for the members, and right now with the members, we

308
00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,639
Speaker 1: are going through the Book of the Psalms. So if

309
00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:43,800
Speaker 1: you would like to become a member and listen to

310
00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,080
Speaker 1: the Friday podcast, which is called the Bible Explain on Fridays,

311
00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,640
Speaker 1: you have to become a member to gain access to

312
00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,560
Speaker 1: that link, and then you will be able to listen

313
00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,040
Speaker 1: to all the Friday podcasts that I have done so far,

314
00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,520
Speaker 1: which is about fifty nine of them, so you will

315
00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,000
Speaker 1: have fifty nine extra episodes to listen to when you

316
00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,879
Speaker 1: become a member, to mention all of the weekly ones

317
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,840
Speaker 1: that come out on Fridays. So take a look at

318
00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,680
Speaker 1: the link that says Kofi in the description of the episode,

319
00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:09,280
Speaker 1: and that is how you will find out how to

320
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:13,080
Speaker 1: become a member and gain access to the Friday podcast episodes.

321
00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,199
Speaker 1: But Faith listeners, have a fantastic weekend. I hope to

322
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,359
Speaker 1: see all of you guys on Monday for an episode

323
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,960
Speaker 1: from the Old Testament. Happy weekend and God bless