In the previous letter and again in this letter, Paul assures them that he is praying for them. Paul’s prayer for them is as relevant to us today as it was to them. In these two verses, Paul gives us a glimpse into his heart for the church and reminds us of the power and purpose of prayer.
There are two groups of people in this text. There are the persecuted children of God who will be rewarded with eternal peace and rest in the glorious presence of God. Then, there are the people who oppose God’s people and reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ; this group will be eternally judged. I want to be on the right side of this equation.
In the world, there will be tribulation, and the enemy will try to use it to divide us. But thank God, Jesus has overcome the world (Jn 16:33). If we lock hands and hearts in faith, we can stand stronger together than we can standing alone. Through their love for one another, the church in Thessalonica was able to overcome, and their faith continued to grow. We are always better together.
Paul ends with a prayer, a charge, and a benediction, all wrapped into one profound ending to an eternal message. Paul wrote this letter through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so this isn’t just Paul’s personal ending; this is the Word of God for all generations, including those of us who read it today. What this ending provides is an outline for the Christian life till Christ returns.
To begin, Paul never said we would always be happy, but he did say we should always rejoice. How do we reconcile these two things? It begins with understanding the words Paul used in verse 16. The word “rejoice” does not mean the same thing as the word “happy.” Happiness is often predicated upon what "happens" to us, while rejoicing, as Paul used the word here, refers to Christ in us, the hope of glory (Co 1:27).
