2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

C. Prayer for success 1:11-12

Paul and his companions "always" prayed that the Thessalonians would continue to experience purification through their trials rather than experience apostasy. [Note: See my comments on 2:3-4] They also prayed that God would note and approve their worth.

"God counts men worthy as they consent to and endeavor to do that which He works in them." [Note: Hiebert, p. 296.]

The apostle also asked that God would by His power bring to full expression every good purpose of his readers to glorify God and every act motivated by their faith in Him. The ultimate goal was the glory of the Lord Jesus manifested through the Thessalonian believers.

"The ’name’ in Biblical times stood for the whole personality and was an expression of the personality." [Note: Morris, The Epistles . . ., p. 122.]

This is the first of five prayers for the Thessalonians contained in this short letter (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; 2 Thessalonians 3:18).

". . . Christlike behavior is more important than words of praise in the glorifying of the Lord. For praise from a life transformed by the power of the Spirit rings true and sweet, but godless living makes a mockery of praise." [Note: Martin, p. 219.]

"Here strict syntax requires, since there is only one article with theou [God] and kuriou [lord] that one person be meant, Jesus Christ, as is certainly true in Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1 . . . This otherwise conclusive syntactical argument . . . is weakened a bit by the fact that Kurios is often employed as a proper name without the article, a thing not true of soter [savior] in Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1. So in Ephesians 5:5 en tei basileiai tou Christou kai theou the natural meaning is in the Kingdom of Christ and God regarded as one, but here again theos, like Kurios, often occurs as a proper name without the article. So it has to be admitted that here Paul may mean ’according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ,’ though he may also mean ’according to the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.’" [Note: A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 4:46.]

This section of verses (2 Thessalonians 1:3-12) gives us great insight into God’s reasons for allowing His saints to undergo affliction for their faith (cf. James 1). Persecution can be a great blessing from God and can bring great glory to our Lord Jesus Christ both now and in the future.