给帖撒罗尼迦教会的第一封信寄出不到几个月，保罗又写了第二封信，就是帖撒罗尼迦后书。从第一章的内容显示，教会受逼迫的情况恶化了。从前冲着保罗来的敌意，现在转向信徒。保罗对他们说，为着福音的缘故受苦是得荣耀的必经之路。

尽管现在他们遭受到逼迫，但保罗要他们放心，将来公义的上帝必为他们申冤。保罗用了七个字眼描述上帝将如何对付那些逼迫基督徒的人：审判、患难、报复、报应、惩罚、永远沉沦、隔绝。

因此，当我们听到这世界上有人在逼迫基督徒，应该为那些人感到战兢。我们不要忘了，人只有两种结局：一种是永远与上帝同在，另一种是永远沦落地狱。

当主再来的时候，不只那些作恶的人会吓得魂不附体，就是我们这些信的人也会「感到惊讶」（1:10）。一方面我们会为了因受苦而得的荣耀感到惊讶，另一方面也会为了那些逼迫我们的人所受的审判与报应而感到惊讶。

我们要为受苦的人发出公义之声，但若是为了个人的委屈，则不必急着为自己伸冤。我们宁可给主的愤怒留地步，因为「人的怒气并不能实现上帝的义」（雅各书 1:20），更何况主说：「伸冤在我，我必报应。」（罗马书 12:19）

简体圣经 | https://www.bible.com/bible/140/2TH.1.RCUVSS

繁體聖經 | https://www.bible.com/bible/139/2TH.1.RCUV

A few months after sending the first letter to the Thessalonian church, Paul wrote a second letter, which is known as the 2 Thessalonians. From the contents of chapter one, it is evident that the situation of the church's persecution had worsened. The hostility, which was directed towards Paul earlier, had now turned towards the believers. Paul told them that suffering for the sake of the Gospel was a necessary path to glory.

Although they were experiencing persecution at present, Paul reassured them that in the future, the righteous God would avenge them. He used seven words to describe how God would deal with those who persecuted Christians: judgment, affliction, payback, vengeance, punishment, everlasting destruction, and separation.

Therefore, when we hear about people persecuting Christians in the world, we should be trembling for those people. We must not forget that people only have two destinies: one is to be forever with God, and the other is to fall into eternal hell.

When the Lord comes again, not only will the evildoers be terrified, but we, the believers, will also be "marvelled" (1:10). On the one hand, we will be surprised by the glory that comes from suffering, and on the other hand, we will be amazed by the judgment and retribution that those who persecuted us will receive.

We must speak up for those who suffer injustice, but if we are seeking personal vindication, we need not rush to seek revenge for ourselves. We would rather leave room for the Lord's anger because "the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:20), and the Lord said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." (Romans 12:19)

Reading the Bible | https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2TH.1.ESV