in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, and those who do not obey the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Paul has just told suffering believers that God will repay those who persecute them. Now he names the moment and the method — and raises hard questions about who is judged and how good news can be disobeyed.
Commentators keep this scene apart from the promise that Christ will come for His own.
Notice that not a word here hints that this is the moment when the Lord comes to gather the saints to Himself. This is not the act of sovereign grace that takes the saints who wait for Him to heaven. It is the display of judicial righteousness by the Lord when He appears in glory. Then, and not till then, God will send trouble to the troublers, and rest to the troubled who suffered for Christ's sake and for righteousness. How unsuitable it would be for Him to appear "in flaming fire with angels of power" just to receive the children of God, His bride, to Himself and bring them with Himself into the Father's house!
Many read the wording as one description of unbelievers. Writers who work from the Greek say it names two separate objects of judgment.
Here it is a question of rendering vengeance to two distinct objects of judgment, not to unbelievers marked by two features, as Calvin says. The first is "those who do not know God" — the Gentiles, described in just this way in 1 Thessalonians 4:5, and in substance throughout Scripture. The second is "those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." The Jews might well be counted here. On the surface they claimed the true God and boasted of His law, yet they were now the most determined of all in disobeying the gospel, whether openly angry or quietly resentful.
Commentators agree there are two classes, but differ on who fills them. One writer marks out where this judgment falls, and draws the line by attitude, not nationality.
This makes the judgment of the living all the more solemn, because it reaches so widely. In general, though, it falls where the Christian name is claimed. "Those who do not know God" may mark out people who were too indifferent to pay attention to the gospel. "Those who do not obey the gospel" will be those who more deliberately rejected Christ. But a common fate will be their portion.
These are not people God never approached. They turned away from the clearest showing of Himself He has ever given.
The knowledge of God had come in the Person of God's Son, and men in refusing Him had refused the wonderful knowledge of God. After the rejected Son of God had gone back to heaven, God in wonderful grace sent out His gospel about His Son, to call for the obedience of faith. Those who have received it will be in the company of the Lord when He returns. Those who have not obeyed will come under His unsparing judgment.
If God could not be known, this judgment would be unfair.
The gospel makes God known. It is the revelation to us of what He is. But rejecting the gospel is the refusal of this wonderful light, and that in turn means the judgment of the refuser. If God cannot be known, it would be unrighteous that such people should suffer vengeance. But if He can, and may, and should be known, then it is only righteous that the despiser of His grace should receive the eternal award of his unbelief.
The word "obey" changes how we preach the message and how we hear it.
Notice that the gospel is a message from God which we are to OBEY. We are so apt to think of it as a kind invitation which we are to accept, and to present it to others only in that light. So they think of it as an invitation they may turn down, or at least keep putting off, without any very serious consequences. That is a fatal mistake for them. All who hear the gospel are responsible to answer it with the obedience of faith.
Because God keeps repayment for that day, the believer takes the opposite path now.
The Christian has been dealt with in grace, so he must also act in grace towards others. The word to him is "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Now it is the day of grace; but a day of vengeance is coming for those who "do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."
- Revealed, not received. This is the Lord appearing in judicial righteousness, not the moment He takes His own to be with Himself.
- Two doors, one fate. Two groups meet one judgment: those who never knew God, and those who refused His gospel.
- Light refused. "Not knowing God" is guilt because the knowledge of God came in His Son, and people turned Him down.
- Obedience, not opinion. The gospel is a message to obey. Treating it as an invitation you can postpone is the fatal mistake.
- Grace now, vengeance then. Because that day is God's to execute, this day is ours to live in grace toward others.
who shall pay the penalty [of] everlasting destruction from [the] presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his might,
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.