Thursday, July 11, 2024

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 

  It's remarkable to think about Paul's life.  He was a very successful Pharisee with a great career ahead of him -- he could've ascended to the ranks of leadership, but he left all that behind after his experience on the road to Damascus.  He must've had very convincing proof that Jesus was who he said that he was.  Paul was an educated man, well-grounded in the ways of religion and extremely unlikely to be taken in, so I don't doubt that God gave him something that was ironclad.  It was an amazing experience, and Paul was clearly given other knowledge as well.  Paul was given gifts for the church, and he used those to encourage early church members, especially those who were suffering.  Paul traveled around the known world and wrote letters to communities in the hopes of sharing the Gospel and encouraging them in the midst of trials and tribulations.  Here, Paul reminds them of the amazing power of God -- the breath from the mouth of God will be enough to kill the one who opposes God.  God's power is such that the breath will be enough -- the same breath with creative power that moved over the watery chaos in the beginning will conquer the destructive chaos at the end, and there will be order, God's beautiful order, that will reign in the new creation and in the hearts of those who follow God.

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