2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. KJV
Paul just finished up in the last three (3) verses exhorting, envoking, and encouraging these believers in the Church @ Thessalonica to 'stand fast' in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, so it flows, follows, and finishes here in this second Chapter of his second letter that he would now declare to them that this Same Jesus (Acts 1:11) that Acsended into Heaven on a cloud out of the Disciples sight or view is the One who will give them and us today the strength, power, and courage to stand for Him and the truth of His Gospel and Holy Word, just as it is He who will soothe the hearts and minds (the inner man and inner woman) of His own as Paul begins to declare with these words, "Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace," (2 Thessalonians 2:16) (KJV). It is our Lord Jesus who knows already the attacks, assaults, and attempts by our enemy the devil that will come our way to derail us from steadfast love for Him and it is He who will provide grace that we may endure and overcome everyone of the enemies approaches.
As we declared in the last study/commentary, we are feeble in our faith walk often on our sojourn, that is, we lack the spiritual strength to wage war with the enemy and overcome, but Paul here is reassuring these believers in Thessalonica and we believers today wherever in the world we may happen to be and in whatever condition, circumstance, or crisis we may find ourselves that it is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God the Father who will give us 'consolation through grace' whenever, wherever, and however we need it. Consolation meaning the comfort that comes to us from Him in all our times of dissapointment and also the sense of relief He gives to us during our times of affliction (caused because of our stand for Him and for the Gospel of Grace as the only way for man's sins to be forgiven). These believers in Thessalonica and we believers today are the 'beloved' of God the Father as we declared again in the previous Volume 15, so likewise Paul reminds them and us that we are so greatly loved (even despite our persecutions and afflictions that at times to us seem to have no ending).
Because of His great love for us they and we can receive solace, that is, emotional strength for trusting and believing this to be true, just as Paul addressed the believers in Rome in this manner at the beginning of His letter to them, "To [you then] all God's beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints {and} designated for a consecrated life: Grace {and} spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:7) (Amplified Bible). Paul was well aware of spiritual battles or spiritual warfare with the devil, for everywhere he went there was an attempt upon his life and he was often throne into jail by people doing the will of the devil as he tried to silence the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but remember what Paul wrote to Brother Timothy, "For that [Gospel] I am suffering affliction {and} even wearing chains like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained {or} imprisoned! Therefore I [am ready to] persevere {and} stand my ground with patience {and} endure everything for the sake of the elect [God's chosen], so that they too may obtain [the] salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with [the reward of] eternal glory." (2 Timothy 2:9-10) (Amplified Bible).
With this recollection of Paul's resolve for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord and the Gospel of Grace, we understand better these final words in Paul's brief second prayer for these believers in the Church @ Thessalonica when he says, "Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work." (2 Thessalonians 2:17) (KJV). You see Paul had experienced this very 'comfort' directly from our Lord Jesus Himself that he now prays for these Thessalonian believers to receive as well as we believers in Christ today. This English word 'comfort' is translated by the Greek word parakaleo which simply and sweetly means to call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation): The English word 'hearts' is translated by the Greek word kardia meaning the heart, that is, (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind); The English word 'stablish' is translated by the Greek word sterizo meaning to set fast, that is, (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm: - strengthen.
In other words, Paul knew of what he prays here for others, for he had prayed it for himself often and received the calling near, the comfort in his thoughts and feelings, and the strength in his inner man from our Lord Jesus' Words, Grace, and Presence, for one example was when he was in the midst of the Pharisees and Sadducees who were about to attack and kill him, but our Lord Jesus Christ intervened by sending the Roman soldiers down to take Paul from among them and bring him to the Roman barricks, now this is what happened the following night, "And [that same] following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take courage, {Paul,} for as you have borne faithful witness concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." (Acts 23:11) (Amplified Bible).
"The hope of the Gospel was the resurrection of the body, and the final glorification of it and the soul throughout eternity. This was the good hope which the Thessalonians had; not a hope that they should be pardoned or sanctified, etc. Pardon and holiness they enjoyed, therefore they were no objects of hope; but the resurrection of the body and eternal glory were necessarily future; these they had in expectation; these they hoped for; and, through the grace which they had already received they had a good hope - a well-grounded expectation, of this glorious state." Adam Clarke
"They were a young Church, just delivered from paganism. Like lambs in the midst of wolves, they stood amongst bitter enemies, their teacher had left them alone, and their raw convictions needed to be consolidated and matured in the face of much opposition. No wonder then that over and over again, in both letters, we have references to the persecutions and tribulations which they endured, and to the consolations which would much more abound. But whatever may have been their specific circumstances, the prayer which puts special emphasis on comfort is as much needed by each of us as it could ever have been by any of them. For there are no eyes that have not wept, or will not weep; no breath that has not been, or will not be, drawn in sighs; and no hearts that have not bled, or will not bleed. So, dear friends, the prayer that went up for these long since comforted brothers, in their forgotten obscure sorrows, is as needful for each of us—that the God who has given everlasting consolation may apply the consolations which He has supplied, and 'comfort our hearts and stablish them in every good word and work.'" Alexander MacLaren
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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