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Second Thessalonians Series: 2 Thessalonians 1:12b-The Second Purpose of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s Intercessory Prayer for the Thessalonians
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 27, 2025
Second Thessalonians Series: 2 Thessalonians 1:12b-The Second Purpose of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s Intercessory Prayer for the Thessalonians
Lesson # 18
2 Thessalonians 1:11 For which purpose, each one of us make it our habit of always occupying ourselves with praying on behalf of each and every one of you that our God would consider each of you worthy with reference to His effectual call. Specifically, that He would by means of power accomplish this gracious purpose in its entirety, namely, acts characterized as divine goodness, that is, every work produced by faith 12 in order that the one and only name of our Lord Jesus would be greatly honored because of each and every one of you. Correspondingly, each and every one of you would be greatly honored because of Him because of the grace originating from our God as well as from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Pastor’s translation)
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 completes the thanksgiving section of Second Thessalonians which begins the body of this letter.
This section is divided into three parts.
The first part appears in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 and commends the Thessalonians’ for their post-justification in the midst of persecution.
The second appears in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 and serves to comfort and assure the Thessalonians that God will judge their persecutors.
The third part is found in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 and contains Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s intercessory prayer for the Thessalonians (1:11-12).
2 Thessalonians 1:11 presents the content of this intercessory prayer and 2 Thessalonians 1:12 presents the two-fold purpose of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s intercessory prayer to the Father on behalf of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
Now, here in 2 Thessalonians 1:12, Paul asserts that the purpose for which he, Silvanus and Timothy prayed to the Father for these things was that the name of the Lord Jesus would be greatly honored because of each and every member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
He then asserts that correspondingly that the Thessalonians would be greatly honored because of the Lord Jesus.
Therefore, 2 Thessalonians 1:12 asserts that the purpose for which Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s interceded in prayer to the Father on behalf of the Thessalonians is two-fold.
First, the name of the Lord Jesus would be glorified or greatly honored because of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
Secondly, each member of the Thessalonian Christian community would be greatly honored because of the Lord Jesus.
The verb endoxazomai (ἐνδοξάζομαι) is implied and is modified by the prepositional phrase en autō (ἐν αὐτῷ), which like the previous prepositional phrase en hymin (ἐν ὑμῖν) is causal indicating that the Lord Jesus is “the reason why” the Thessalonians will be glorified in the presence of the Father.
In other words, each faithful member of the Thessalonian Christian community will be glorified in the presence of the Father “because of” the Lord Jesus.
This is the case since the Father effectually called each member of the Thessalonian Christian community based upon the basis of the merits of His Son Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
At the resurrection of the church, each church age believer will receive their resurrection body from the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:50-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Phil. 3:20-21).
Then immediately after this event, each member of the church must stand before Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat in order to determine if they merit rewards for faithful service or not (cf. Rom. 14:10-12; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
Some will receive a full reward and some will not (cf. 2 John 8).
Those who receive a full reward will be presented to the Father according to Revelation 3:5.
At that time, these faithful believers who received a full reward at the Bema Seat from the Lord Jesus will be greatly honored by the Father in the presence of the angels and the church.
The Thessalonians would receive a full reward from the Lord Jesus at the Bema Seat and would be greatly honored by the Father before His throne because they performed good works, which were divine in quality and character.
These works would be accomplished with the Father, Son and Spirit’s omnipotence and they were able to perform good works, which were divine in quality and character because they appropriated the omnipotence of God.
They appropriated the omnipotence of God by appropriating by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.
This would result in the Thessalonians being considered worthy by the Father with reference to His effectual call, which took place at their justification.
This would also fulfill the Father’s gracious purpose for effectually calling them at their justification and consequently, they would be considered by the Father as worthy of His kingdom.
Specifically, they would be considered worthy by the Father to reign in a position of authority in His Son Jesus Christ’s millennial government.
Therefore, because the Thessalonians appropriated by faith their union and identification with Christ to perform good works and to receive a full reward at the Bema Seat and be greatly honored by the Father, the Lord Jesus would be glorified because it was the Thessalonians’ union and identification with Him which enabled them to be honored and rewarded in the first place.
Second Thessalonians Series: 2 Thessalonians 1:12a-The First Purpose of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s Intercessory Prayer for the Thessalonians
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 27, 2025
Second Thessalonians Series: 2 Thessalonians 1:12a-The First Purpose of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s Intercessory Prayer for the Thessalonians
Lesson # 17
2 Thessalonians 1:11 For which purpose, each one of us make it our habit of always occupying ourselves with praying on behalf of each and every one of you that our God would consider each of you worthy with reference to His effectual call. Specifically, that He would by means of power accomplish this gracious purpose in its entirety, namely, acts characterized as divine goodness, that is, every work produced by faith 12 in order that the one and only name of our Lord Jesus would be greatly honored because of each and every one of you. Correspondingly, each and every one of you would be greatly honored because of Him because of the grace originating from our God as well as from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Pastor’s translation)
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 completes the thanksgiving section of Second Thessalonians which begins the body of this letter.
This section is divided into three parts.
The first part appears in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 and commends the Thessalonians’ for their post-justification in the midst of persecution.
The second appears in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 and serves to comfort and assure the Thessalonians that God will judge their persecutors.
The third part is found in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 and contains Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s intercessory prayer for the Thessalonians (1:11-12).
2 Thessalonians 1:11 presents the content of this intercessory prayer and 2 Thessalonians 1:12 presents the two-fold purpose of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s intercessory prayer to the Father on behalf of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
In our study of 2 Thessalonians 1:11, we noted that this verse begins with the assertion that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy made it their habit of always being occupied with interceding in prayer to the Father on behalf of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
We also noted that the prepositional phrase eis ho (εἰς ὃ), “for which purpose” is modifying this statement and is pointing back to Paul’s statements in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4, thus making 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 parenthetical.
Therefore, this indicates that the extraordinary growth of the post-justification faith and divine-love of the Thessalonian Christian community and perseverance in the midst of great persecution was the purpose for which Paul, Silvanus and Timothy made it their habit of always occupying themselves with praying on behalf of the Thessalonian Christian community.
In other words, the spiritual growth of the Thessalonians in the midst of great adversity prompted them to pray for the Thessalonians.
Now, here in 2 Thessalonians 1:12, Paul asserts that the purpose for which he, Silvanus and Timothy prayed to the Father for these things was that the name of the Lord Jesus would be greatly honored because of each and every member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
He then asserts that correspondingly that the Thessalonians would be greatly honored because of the Lord Jesus.
Therefore, 2 Thessalonians 1:12 asserts that the purpose for which Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s interceded in prayer to the Father on behalf of the Thessalonians is two-fold.
First, the name of the Lord Jesus would be glorified or greatly honored because of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
Secondly, each member of the Thessalonian Christian community would be greatly honored because of the Lord Jesus.
The noun onoma (ὄνομα), “the name” has a five-fold sense:
(1) It signifies the “personality” of the Lord distinguishing Him from the heathen gods.
(2) It signifies the “character” of the Lord representing who He is as the unique theanthropic person in creation, the God-man.
(3) It signifies the Lord’s “work” in creation and for the salvation of sinful humanity through His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
(4) It signifies the “reputation” of the Lord before the human race as the Creator and Redeemer of the human race.
(5) It signifies the “authority” of the Lord Jesus over the church and over every human being, angel and all of creation as a result of being the Creator.
The verb endoxazomai (ἐνδοξάζομαι) expresses the idea of the name of the Lord Jesus being glorified or greatly honored because of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
It is modified by the prepositional phrase en hymin (ἐν ὑμῖν), which is causal indicating that each member of the Thessalonian Christian community is the reason why the Lord Jesus will be glorified or greatly honored.
In other words, the Lord Jesus will be glorified or greatly honored “because of” each member of the Thessalonian Christian community.
The Lord will be greatly honored because of them because they remained faithful to the gospel about Him.
He will be greatly honored because the Thessalonians were considered worthy of the Father effectually calling them because they habitually appropriated by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
These events in Jesus life manifested the omnipotence of God, and which events delivered sinners from eternal condemnation, condemnation from the Law, the sin nature, personal sins, spiritual and physical death.
This deliverance is appropriated by faith at justification through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
This power which delivered the Thessalonians from these things at their justification is also appropriated by faith after their justification when they appropriated by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
This post-justification faith enabled them to experience this deliverance.
Therefore, because the Thessalonians appropriated by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ in order to experience this deliverance He provided them, the Lord Jesus would be greatly honored by the elect angels and the church.
The Lord Jesus Christ will be greatly honored in the presence of the Father when He presents each faithful member of the Thessalonian Christian community to Him in the throne room of God in the third heaven after rewarding them at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church for faithful service to Him.
At that time, the Lord will be greatly honored because the Thessalonians were considered by the Father as worthy of His effectual call of them.
They will be considered worthy because they produced works which were divine in quality and character as a result of appropriating by faith their union and identification with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at His right hand.
Consequently, this fulfilled the Father’s gracious purpose for effectually calling them at their justification.
The Lord Jesus Christ will be greatly honored by not only the elect angels but also each member of the church including the Thessalonian Christian community.
He will be greatly honored in a five-fold sense because of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community:
(1) The elect angels and each member of the church will greatly esteem His personality which distinguishes Him from the heathen gods.
(2) They will greatly esteem His divine character, nature and attributes.
(3) They will greatly esteem His life, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father on their behalf which provided them their so great salvation enabled them to receive rewards for faithful service.
(4) They will greatly esteem His reputation before the angels and mankind as the Creator, Savior and Redeemer of creation and every moral rational creature.
(5) They will greatly esteem His authority over them as head of the church and over every human being, angel and all of creation as the Creator of the church and the human and angelic races.
- Contentment Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. Philippians 4:11 (NASB) Our world promotes dissatisfaction with our lives. We are constantly bombarded with newer and better things that will make our lives more complete if only we would obtain them! If we listen to the world, we will always be comparing the lifestyles and possessions of others with our own, and we will always be dissatisfied. If our contentment comes from possessions, activities, or other people, these can be altered or removed. If our contentment comes from our relationship with Christ, there is absolutely nothing that can take that away. Paul had enjoyed power and status among his people. He had also been imprisoned and bound in stocks in the depths of a jail cell. He had stood before a king and been stoned almost to death by an angry mob. Paul had enjoyed the benefits and pleasures of life, yet he could give them all up and still be filled with the joy of the Lord. His contentment did not depend on his environment but on his relationship with Christ. Contentment frees you to enjoy every good thing God has given you. Contentment demonstrates your belief that God loves you and has your best interest in mind. Discontent stems from the sin of ingratitude and a lack of faith that God loves you enough to provide for all that you need. Strive to be grateful for all that God has given you. A grateful heart has no room for envy. Blackaby, H. T., & Blackaby, R. (1998). Experiencing God Day by Day. B&H Books.
- Living Water For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13 There should never be “dry spells” in the Christian life. God said that He would be like an artesian well in the life of a believer. Artesian wells bubbled forth with a cold, fresh, never-ending supply of water from the depths of the earth, quenching any thirst and always satisfying. This is the picture of the spiritual refreshment that belongs to the person in whom the Holy Spirit resides. Have you ever heard people say they are experiencing a dry spell in their Christian life? What are they saying? Are they saying that the Lord ran out of water? It should never cross your mind that the fountain of living waters residing within you should ever be reduced to a trickle. You don’t need to run all over the country trying to find sources of spiritual refreshment. Conferences, retreats, and books can all bring encouragement; but if you are a Christian, the source of living water already resides within you. Have you exchanged the living fountain for man-made cisterns that cannot hold water? Why would you exchange an artesian well for a broken water tank? Artesian wells do not dry up. Broken cisterns do. If you are experiencing spiritual dryness right now, is it because you have been attempting to find your source of spiritual refreshment from man-made sources, which will fail you every time? Jesus extended an invitation to you when He said: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). Have you been refreshed by the living water only Jesus can provide? Blackaby, H. T., & Blackaby, R. (1998). Experiencing God Day by Day. B&H Books.
Prayer Series: Introduction
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday April 30, 2025
Prayer Series: Introduction
Lesson # 1
As Christians, not only are we blessed with an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Creator, but also fortunate to have an affectionate God, who cares for us with the heart of a father.
He, unlike earthly fathers, is infinite in His fatherly wisdom, love, and care.
As a result, God grants us the provision of prayer, so that we may have a personal relationship with Him.
With this provision available to us, we need only ask according to His will, and God promises to answer us.
Nevertheless, in order to ask properly, we need to study prayer and understand the impact it can have on our lives.
As we will note in this series, prayer is designed to accomplish four primary goals: to combat and defend, to glorify, to make the impossible possible, and to bear fruit.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (NIV84)
The provision of prayer makes divine resources available, resources that we, as believers, require to execute the Father’s will for our lives.
God designed perfect provisions, through the person and work of each member of the Trinity, to allow us access into His presence and offer us the very resources of His grace, wisdom, and power.
God provided the provision of prayer so that believers may combat the sin nature (Rom 5:12-19; 7), resist the devil, and exist in a world controlled and dominated by the kingdom of darkness (Eph 6:10-19).
Prayer is needed to prepare and protect us for battles with demonic powers in the earth’s atmosphere (Eph 6:10-19).
Prayer, therefore, is an offensive weapon in spiritual combat and is needed to employ our spiritual armor and experience God’s super-abundant power against the enemy (Dan 10:1).
Prayer allows us to approach the Father and entirely depend on His sufficiency to meet our every need.
When the believer offers up praise, thanksgiving, petitions, and intercessions to the Father, he is demonstrating an absolute dependence upon Him, whether spiritual or material, and thus worshipping Him.
Prayer glorifies God because it demonstrates the believer’s total dependency upon God and demonstrates the believer’s humility before God.
We, by praying, acknowledge our insufficiency and reaffirm His all-sufficiency, fatherly care, and gracious provision.
Prayer is needed to compensate for the great gap between our inadequacy and God’s sufficiency.
His sufficiency makes all things possible.
With man many things are impossible, but with God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37; 18:27; 19:26; Mark 9:23; 10:27; 14:36).
Prayer is needed for fruit bearing.
Without the Lord, we can accomplish nothing.
Prayer, therefore, is one way we bring the power of Christ upon our ministries and Christian service.
Whether a believer realizes it or not, prayer is needed for even his most general needs.
Properly dealing with the details of life makes man entirely dependent upon God.
The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains belongs to Him; everything we receive comes from Him (Psalm 23:1; 24:1; 50:10; 89:11; Acts 14:17).
The believer who leads a productive prayer life realizes this spiritual truth.
God provides all the logistics of life.
Everything comes from Him—food, clothing, housing, travel; the list goes on and on.
He opens doors for the Word and prepares hearts to receive the Gospel.
God touches and encompasses every aspect of life—the spiritual, the physical, emotional, and mental (Eph 6:18; Luke 10:1).
Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. (NIV84)
Prayer can be either general or specific.
A general prayer is when a believer prays either not knowing the specific needs of the person he is interceding for or not knowing the person at all, whom he is praying for.
Prayer should be specific when petitioning for ourselves but does not have to be specific when interceding for others.
Often times, when we pray for others, we have little or no knowledge of their particular needs (Rom. 1:9; 1 Thess. 1:2).
Therefore, the Scriptures encourage us to “make mention” of others in our prayers, even without knowing their current situation or circumstances (1 Thessalonians 1:2; Philemon 4).
When praying for others, the believer-priest should always pray for their spiritual growth.
Intercession for another believer’s spiritual growth will help him or her, no matter what specific situation he or she is going through.
In addition, the believer-priest should have a routine prayer list.
Whether mental or written down, a prayer list facilitates our intercessory prayers and ensures we forget no one.
The apostle Paul prayed for the Philippians and Ephesians, whom he knew, and the Colossians, whom he never came to know face to face.
He prayed for their spiritual growth and enlightenment.
Philippians 1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. (NIV84)
Believers are commanded to offer up intercessory prayers for all men, since God desires all men to be saved, without exception and without distinction (1 Jn. 2:2; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; John 3:16-17).
Therefore, if we are to intercede for all men—and we do not know all men, much less their specific needs—then, we must pray in generalities.
A specific prayer means that we pray for others, knowing their specific needs and circumstances.
Often in specific intercession, we know the individual personally and know his or her adversity.