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 Jesus 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. 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.
Comment: This passage is largely about Judgement. 1. Firstly note that God’s judgement is always ‘righteous’, never fickle or without authority. 2. The judgement of God sometimes is very positive for those whom He judges. Here it says, ‘that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God‘, and that’s fantastic! 3. Sometimes God’s judgement means trouble for those opposed to Him. – ‘God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you‘. 4. Refusing God’s gracious offer in Jesus brings a very weighty sentence! ‘They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction.’ That isn’t very popular theology but I didn’t write it and at the beginning I noted that God is the ‘Righteous Judge!’ 5. God judges in the reality of life. Truly Jesus followers are saved but God’s aim is to see us worthy and resolved to do good; to see us honouring Jesus, and us sharing the Glory which Jesus has! At the end of the passage Paul is praying that point 5 may indeed be a fact of life in their lives…. and ours?
Prayer: Thank You for who I am in Jesus. Humbly I ask please work Your good work in and through me.
As I read it! 