Paul begins his second letter to Thessalonica with a greeting similar to his first letter:
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
"We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring” (2 Thess 1:2-4).
Where in his letters to some other churches Paul is writing to correct and then encourage behaviors of perfect unity, Paul seems genuinely excited about the Thessalonians. We can speculate that Paul has received a report back from Timothy in response to his first letter and he appears to exult over confirmation of these three behaviors of perfect unity practiced under difficult circumstances:
- Steadfastness – never giving in to the wiles of the evil one;
- Faith – overpowering persecutions and afflictions; and
- Endurance – not wavering in the face of opposition.
It also seems likely that Timothy has brought a question back to Paul from this church concerning God’s judgment of believers that is to take place for all people when Christ returns:
“This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering – since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thess 1:5-8).
So what should we look forward to with great joy when Jesus is revealed coming from heaven?
- Repayment with punishment to those who have afflicted us;
- Relief granted to those who are afflicted;
- Vengeance on those who do not know God; and
- Vengeance on those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus.
Paul continues by exhorting each of us, as honorary residents of Thessalonica two thousand years later, in contrast to unbelievers in Jesus:
“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess 1:9-12).
So what additional behaviors of perfect unity does Paul identify here?
- Be worthy of God’s calling;
- Fulfill every resolve for good; and
- Fulfill every work of faith by God’s power.
Why? So that the name of Jesus may be glorified in us, radiating outward to others who need to know him before it is too late.
So what does this mean for behaviors of disunity in the church, which are often “manifold and wicked”?
I think it means that every believer stands at the fork in the road to perfect unity or disunity, and that we must constantly choose the good fork to perfect unity.
Even small disagreements among believers should be reconciled immediately and treated as a top priority. Avoiding reconciliation only helps it fester into something bigger.
Let us look at every aspect of our relationships in Christ, not because our salvation is at risk (it is not), but to repent daily as we stand at the good fork in the road to perfect unity.