1-2 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
바울과 실루아노와 디모데는 하나님 우리 아버지와 주 예수 그리스도 안에 있는 데살로니가인의 교회에 편지하노니 하나님 아버지와 주 예수 그리스도로부터 은혜와 평강이 너희에게 있을찌어다
The same sender and the receiver as 1 Thessalonians. The church is in Thessalonica, in modern day upper Greece, but really, in God and in Christ, not to mention in the Spirit, who is present by the grace and peace of the Father and the Son have planed, worked, and poured out for the church. Think of this in our own churches. Our church in Amsterdam, for example, but it reads, ‘the church in God and in Christ through the Holy Spirit’. Therefore the grace and peace is ours to claim and be exercised, exerted, appreciated, and enjoyed even now. This letter is Paul and the companions’ second (at least) reminder that we have this.
3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
형제들아 우리가 너희를 위하여 항상 하나님께 감사할찌니 이것이 당연함은 너희 믿음이 더욱 자라고 너희가 다 각기 서로 사랑함이 풍성함이며
In the first letter Paul thanked God especially constantly keeping in mind the faith, love, and hope the Thessalonians exhibited (1 Thes 1:3). It is notable that in comparison to ‘we give thanks’ in 1 Thes 1:2, now it is said that they ‘ought to give thank’ and ‘it is only fitting (NASB)’, ‘is right (ESV)’ to do so. It hints to a possible actual situation in Thessalonica which could be the opposite to such thanks giving. The outward circumstances could have been worsened to make it even more difficult for the believers to keep their faith. Even so, the fact their faith and love is growing and increasing is the evidence God himself is working, although there is a good chance that it might not look like so in human eyes. Paul’s such determined thanks giving is in line with our Christ’s thanks giving that the Father gives his grace to the disadvantaged and the neglected (‘little children’, cf. Luke 10:21) and the Father accepts whomever the Son mediates (cf. John 11:41,42).
Dear Lord our God, Thank you for your word this morning in the beginning of the 2 Thessalonians. Even in what is seemingly mundane and cliché-like words, you bless us and reassure us that you are with us, and always working even in most adverse situations. Give us the eyes to see your multiplying and flourishing love and faith in me and in others. Let us praise you with the praise of Christ thanking you for revealing these truths to people like us the most unlikely ones of all and accepting with no turning back because of our Christ’s mediation. You keep proving your love to us. You increase in us! Let us too keep vigilance and go with that growing love today my Lord. Thanks be to our Father, the Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.