2 Thessalonians 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints… "When He shall come." How many things are waiting that issue, how many mysteries to be solved, purposes to be unfolded, longing hopes to be at rest! 1. Paul does not define the time — the word is one of studied indefiniteness — "When ever He shall come." But the object is determined, viz., that Christ may be glorified and admired. Far and above everything else on this grand day this will be the end of ends. 2. In this, that day only puts its right climax on all that went before; for this earth, from the beginning was made to be a platform to exhibit Christ — the Fall, sorrow, death, the material world. 3. This may be a comfort now. Who has not said, "I wish to glorify Christ — but do I, and can I?" And the poor divided, sin-stained Church — it is pleasant to be assured that it will fully glorify Christ then. 4. It does not say that Christ will be glorified, etc., by but in His saints — others will be the admirers, angels, the assembled universe — we shall be the reflectors. 5. "Saints" here are the perfectly holy. Now holiness is the final end of man. All else, election, redemption, grace, is only a means; and for the reason that Holiness is the image of God. That there might be such an image was the end of the first creation and the second. Therefore when every grace is complete the whole Deity will be represented in its fulness — the Father's love in choosing, the Son's love in dying, the Spirit's love in moulding every man's life. That process which went on day by day and slowly here, will be finished. 6. To "believe" is to take God at His word. And those who believe look very strange here. Men cannot understand them. They seem to be giving up substances for shadows. But then the whole world will see with astonishment the triumphs of faith, and the faithfulness of Jesus to His own word. 7. You will do well to make much of the saints and to extol the virtues of the faithful, not for hero worship but to gather from them the features of Christ and to imitate them. (J. Vaughan, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. |
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