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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - 1 Thessalonians 1:10 - 1:10
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
To wait for his Son from heaven (anamenein ton huion autou ek tōn ouranōn). Present infinitive, like douleuein, and so linear, to keep on waiting for. The hope of the second coming of Christ was real and powerful with Paul as it should be with us. It was subject to abuse then as now as Paul will have to show in this very letter. He alludes to this hope at the close of each chapter in this Epistle.
Whom he raised from the dead (hon ēgeiren ek ̣tōň nekrōn). Paul gloried in the fact of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead of which fact he was himself a personal witness. This fact is the foundation stone for all his theology and it comes out in this first chapter.
Jesus which delivereth us from the wrath to come (Iēsoun ton ruomenon hēmās ek tēs orgēs tēs erchomenēs). It is the historic, crucified, risen, and ascended Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who delivers from the coming wrath. He is our Saviour (Mat 1:21) true to his name Jesus. He is our Rescuer (Rom 11:26, ho ruomenos, from Isa 59:20). It is eschatological language, this coming wrath of God for sin (1Th 2:16; Rom 3:5; Rom 5:9; Rom 9:22; Rom 13:5). It was Paul’s allusion to the day of judgment with Jesus as Judge whom God had raised from the dead that made the Athenians mock and leave him (Act 17:31.). But Paul did not change his belief or his preaching because of the conduct of the Athenians. He is certain that God’s wrath in due time will punish sin. Surely this is a needed lesson for our day. It was coming then and it is coming now.