…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.
These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might…. [1:7B-9]
THIS is the Word of the Lord?
I think Paul has forgotten what Christ is supposed to be about.
Jesus doesn’t take vengeance. Jesus forgives. Isn’t that right?
I read this and remember that this is Paul talking, not me. In Paul’s eyes, it seems, if you believe in Christ, only then do you find eternal life. If you don’t believe in Christ, if you’re in that whole gang that’s persecuting the Christians and keeping Paul in prison, well then it sucks to be you, because Christ is going to get you in the end.
I can see the roots of the Middle Ages’ hellfire and brimstone beginning to form right here.
Me, I prefer a softer interpretation of what happens in the end times. I’m not willing to preemptively send non-Christians to hell.
Another passage here troubles me:
Take note of those who do not obey what we say in this letter; have nothing to do with them, so that they may be ashamed. Do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as believers.
I see the point he’s making, but I can also see thousands of modern Christians reading only the first sentence of this statement, and then using it as an excuse to exhile people from the Christian community. (Obvious modern example – gays and lesbians).
What troubles me is that this book could easily be used by Christians to justify the judging of those around them. I don’t think that’s what it’s intended to be. (Or perhaps it is intended to be so judgemental?) But I definitely don’t believe that that is how Christians should be. And so this letter seems unhelpful and problematic.
