Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Thessalonians 1:8

"rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus:" — 2 Thessalonians 1:8 (ASV)

Two types of repayment to be meted out at the righteous judgment of God deserve consideration in light of the Christian’s present trouble. One is toward the troublers (vv.8–9) and the other toward the troubled (v.10). “He will punish” (GK 1689; lit., “render vengeance”—the word stem for “vengeance” is the same as that for “right” in v.5 and “just” in v.6) has no overtones of selfish vindictiveness or revenge, but proceeds from the justice of God to accomplish appropriate punishment for criminal offenses.

The recipients of God’s avenging judgment will be in two groups. The first group is “those who do not know God.” These people come from a Gentile background. They are “without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12; cf. Galatians 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:5), being estranged from him (Romans 1:18–32). It is appropriate for Gentile persecutors at Thessalonica to be singled out in both letters (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:14) because of this church’s history (Acts 17:5). Gentiles without any background in OT teaching about God are nonetheless culpable for their persecution of Christians.

The second group is those who “do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.” These are those well-versed in OT Scriptures because of their Jewish backgrounds. Here Paul uses an apt description of unbelieving Jews (cf. Romans 10:3, 16). These are the persecutors against whom such strong feelings were evident in his first letter (1 Thessalonians 2:14–16). Jews, like Gentiles, had been adamant in their opposition to Christians in Thessalonica and its vicinity (Acts 17:5, 13). Because of this, when the wrath of God makes itself felt at the revelation of the Lord Jesus, both classes of humanity will face dreaded agonies.