⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 

하나님을 모르는 자들과 우리 주 예수의 복음을 복종치 않는 자들에게 형벌을 주시리니

Carrying on from v.7, this verse is structured as a participle (i.e. -ing) clause that complements the event of the Lord’s second coming, when ‘he is revealed from heaven’, with more information. NASB carries the literal sense the best, translating it as ‘dealing out retribution to…’. So, this clause is given as part of the righteous judgement, where the Lord does what he said he would do: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay’ (Deut 32:35).  

Again, this gives the scope of the full scale judgement in the last day, with he purpose of providing hope and encouragement to the currently inflicted Thessalonian believers (and not to scare people into slavery of fearing death). Their infliction will be repaid to the ones who place it upon them, not by themselves but by the Lord, not just yet but when the Lord appears again. But it will surely take place as part of the righteous judgment, in which they themselves will be declared as worthy of the Lord’s kingdom (v.5).        

⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 

이런 자들이 주의 얼굴과 그의 힘의 영광을 떠나 영원한 멸망의 형벌을 받으리로다

‘Who will pay the penalty…’ (NASB). The long sentence that began in v.2 is not finished yet. Verse 9 this time gives information about the ones to whom the Lord repays vengeance, saying that they are the ones who will suffer the loss, the penalty. When you consider the glory of God’s power, the outward manifestation of his ultimate strength is raising of the dead, that is resurrection, without it no one will be able to avoid perishing away.

This too is given as persuasion to the Thessalonian believers that their suffering might seem endless and they might look as if they are perishing but in fact as long as they are in the presence of the Lord and in his power, they are not the ones who will pay the penalty at the end of the day. Rather they will manifest the power of God in them by overcoming perishment.      

¹⁰ on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

그 날에 강림하사 그의 성도들에게서 영광을 얻으시고 모든 믿는 자에게서 기이히 여김을 얻으시리라(우리의 증거가 너희에게 믿어졌음이라)

Therefore the Lord who comes back will be glorified in, honoured among, and gloried with the people who will have been sanctified, just as God willed (1 Thes 4:3). They will display the ultimate power of God by surviving and living through the righteous judgment. With all these in store for them, a word that gives comfort as well as humbles is added. That the testimony, the gospel of Christ Jesus was believed to you. That it was given by Christ. It is not something you actively created by yourself but God created for you and in you. Thus it is to be marvelled. It is for this we should suffer, looking forward to the promised end, and not for the sake of our own greed or jealousy, because of the worthiness God has declared onto us despite our zero contribution. So it goes back to Paul’s statement that the believers’ present endurance and growth, and reflection of and support for each other is a clear indication for God’s verdict in the final judgment, ‘You are worthy of my kingdom!’ (v.5) – This is the point of showing the bigger picture.    

Lord, it is not the perishing of the wicked that you desire (Ezk 33:11) but our holiness that we are filled with your Spirit to be proved worthy of your kingdom at last. You provide for us and sustain us so that this can be done. Let our current trouble and pain be for this end. Let us not suffer from our own greed and own jealousy. Let us get rid of them because you have given us your character of love through Christ. Let us manifest you however trivial the activities of our daily life might seem. You gave us faith to be believed in us. You persuade me even today to believe and to live as a believer. So, let us live out that faith you give in whatever we do, knowing what you have in store for us, being refreshened everyday. Hold us and be with us today that we may be strong and courageous to remember these words. Praise and thanks be to our Lord God of Righteousness.  Amen.