2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 9who will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 10when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at by all who have believed, because our testimony was believed by you, in that day.
The relative pronoun who refers back to our Lord Jesus of verse 8. He will come again and judge those who have rejected the salvation he has offered. Paul describes their punishment in three ways. First, it is eternal destruction. Destruction (olethron) can also mean death. The Bible provides different descriptions of the punishment of those who do not believe in God or accept the gospel of Christ. The destruction or death to which Paul refers here is difficult to imagine. At its essences is being removed from the Lord’s presence, which is the second description. We cannot imagine what our existence would be like away from the creator and sustainer of life. The third description adds emphasis to the idea of separation with having no access to the glory of his strength (ischyos) or might. Those who reject the light of Christ will experience countless times worse the pains and sorrows of life caused by sin, pride, arrogance, and abuse.
Verse 10 is a strong contrast with the negative outcome of verse 9. Where those who do not believe experience the sad outcome of punishment, those who believe will participate in a grand celebration. The interpretive question in verse 10 is how to take the Greek preposition en. This word typically means “in” but can have an instrumental sense of “by.” When Jesus comes again, will he be glorified “in” his saints or “by” his saints? The first option gives more of a spiritual sense, that those who believe will experience the fullness of Christ within them; God’s plan for them will be fully realized. The second option gives more of a physical sense, that believers will outwardly glory Christ in a grand praise service. Both options are possible. Jesus Christ will be glorified and marveled at because the longing of believers to be with him will finally be realized.
The Thessalonians are part of this group of “holy ones” and “believers” because they came to accept the testimony that Paul, Silas, and Timothy gave them. This should bring joy and relief to them as they experienced suffering and persecution. These verses provide a strong motivation for them and for us to stand firm in our faith and not be swayed into doubt. We get to look forward to a great celebration when Jesus comes again. This is not a time for doubt and fear but of anticipation for that day when Jesus comes again.
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