His Glorification; Not Ours!
2 Thess 1:9 These will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction, away from the Lord's presence and from His glorious strength, 10 in that day when He comes to be glorified by His saints and to be admired by all who have believed, because our testimony among you was true."
One of the biggest misunderstandings in the church today is what it means to be "glorified." Many have taken this passage in Second Thessalonians and applied it to the 1 Corinthians 15 passages concerning change. They take it to mean that the saints will be changed into "glorious" bodies akin to the resurrection body of our Lord, and the world will see it, because the wicked and the righteous are raised.
However, what Christianity seems to miss here, is the context of this glorification. Starting with, it was not the saints that would be glorified, but Christ, "by His saints." Some translations say "in His saints." So lets look at this word "glorified."
ejndoxavzomai
from (1741)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Edoxazo
en-dox-ad'-zo
Verb
Definition glorify, adorn
From Endoxos
held in good or in great esteem, of high repute
illustrious, honourable, esteemed
notable, glorious
splendid, of clothing
fig., free from sins
Looking at the context, where being glorified in His saints results in being admired because of their testimony being proven true, we can see which aspect of the definition of glorification fits best. Christ, because of the testimony and vindication of the saints, would be lifted up, held in high esteem, viewed as honorable, etc. It is the context of the chapter that must be viewed before we go around assuming that the "glorification" is anything other than this. Why apply this glorification to 1 Corinthians 15, when the context of this glorification is not about resurrection, but about the world who heard their gospel, heard their testimony, seeing their vindication, and believed, lifting up Christ!
Look at what Peter says about this very same subject.
"1 Peter 1:4-9 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by God's power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials 7 so that the genuineness of your faith-more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Christ. 8 You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
"1 Peter 2:12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in case where they speak against you as those who do evil, they may, by observing your good works, glorify God in a day of visitation."
Verse 12 says it exactly. The glorification of Christ, by His saints, is due to their vindication. Evil was done to them all around the empire, most notably by or because of the Jewish persecution. With the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, which 2 Thess 1:9 references, the victims of persecution would be vindicated, their testimony proven true, and Christ glorified as the true Messiah.
"1 Peter 4:13 Instead, as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah rejoice, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory."
Peter encourages those being persecuted to rejoice. He says they would rejoice with "great joy at the revelation of His glory." The revelation of the glory of Christ would produce "great joy." How could it not produce joy when those who were being persecuted had been relieved from that persecution through the judgment and affliction on those who had "afflicted" them (2 Thess 1:6-10)? How could they not have exceeding joy and thanksgiving when they had just witnessed Christ revealed in glory as He came in judgment against those who the Christian received unending persecution? With the vindication came a relief from persecution. This was a result of the salvation of their souls. It is the inheritance that we can know if we understand what really occurred in AD 70. It gave them "great joy," as likewise it should give us great joy, if we truly understand the results of the consummated kingdom of God.
IT IS GOD'S GLORY, not ours, that the second coming would produce. I do not dismiss the teachings of a new body (be it covenant or personal) . However, the context of glorification, which we can see surround the vindication of the testimony of the saints, gives us the means by which we can see the glory of the new ministry outshining the glory of the old.
2 Cor 3:7 Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable fading glory, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory. 10 In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious in this case because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be more glorious…
Their testimony was of grace, a new covenant of God with man. Their vindication, which lifted up our Lord as the true Messiah, has indeed had an everlasting glory. The spread of Christianity throughout the world proves this. Christ was glorified by His saints when He returned in the glory of His father, judged Jerusalem for the blood of the saints, punishing them for their persecution of the church, and proved Himself true to His word, lifting Himself up as the one, true Messiah!
God Bless
Nate
2 Thess 1:9 These will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction, away from the Lord's presence and from His glorious strength, 10 in that day when He comes to be glorified by His saints and to be admired by all who have believed, because our testimony among you was true."
One of the biggest misunderstandings in the church today is what it means to be "glorified." Many have taken this passage in Second Thessalonians and applied it to the 1 Corinthians 15 passages concerning change. They take it to mean that the saints will be changed into "glorious" bodies akin to the resurrection body of our Lord, and the world will see it, because the wicked and the righteous are raised.
However, what Christianity seems to miss here, is the context of this glorification. Starting with, it was not the saints that would be glorified, but Christ, "by His saints." Some translations say "in His saints." So lets look at this word "glorified."
ejndoxavzomai
from (1741)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Edoxazo
en-dox-ad'-zo
Verb
Definition glorify, adorn
From Endoxos
held in good or in great esteem, of high repute
illustrious, honourable, esteemed
notable, glorious
splendid, of clothing
fig., free from sins
Looking at the context, where being glorified in His saints results in being admired because of their testimony being proven true, we can see which aspect of the definition of glorification fits best. Christ, because of the testimony and vindication of the saints, would be lifted up, held in high esteem, viewed as honorable, etc. It is the context of the chapter that must be viewed before we go around assuming that the "glorification" is anything other than this. Why apply this glorification to 1 Corinthians 15, when the context of this glorification is not about resurrection, but about the world who heard their gospel, heard their testimony, seeing their vindication, and believed, lifting up Christ!
Look at what Peter says about this very same subject.
"1 Peter 1:4-9 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by God's power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials 7 so that the genuineness of your faith-more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Christ. 8 You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
"1 Peter 2:12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in case where they speak against you as those who do evil, they may, by observing your good works, glorify God in a day of visitation."
Verse 12 says it exactly. The glorification of Christ, by His saints, is due to their vindication. Evil was done to them all around the empire, most notably by or because of the Jewish persecution. With the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, which 2 Thess 1:9 references, the victims of persecution would be vindicated, their testimony proven true, and Christ glorified as the true Messiah.
"1 Peter 4:13 Instead, as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah rejoice, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory."
Peter encourages those being persecuted to rejoice. He says they would rejoice with "great joy at the revelation of His glory." The revelation of the glory of Christ would produce "great joy." How could it not produce joy when those who were being persecuted had been relieved from that persecution through the judgment and affliction on those who had "afflicted" them (2 Thess 1:6-10)? How could they not have exceeding joy and thanksgiving when they had just witnessed Christ revealed in glory as He came in judgment against those who the Christian received unending persecution? With the vindication came a relief from persecution. This was a result of the salvation of their souls. It is the inheritance that we can know if we understand what really occurred in AD 70. It gave them "great joy," as likewise it should give us great joy, if we truly understand the results of the consummated kingdom of God.
IT IS GOD'S GLORY, not ours, that the second coming would produce. I do not dismiss the teachings of a new body (be it covenant or personal) . However, the context of glorification, which we can see surround the vindication of the testimony of the saints, gives us the means by which we can see the glory of the new ministry outshining the glory of the old.
2 Cor 3:7 Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable fading glory, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory. 10 In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious in this case because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be more glorious…
Their testimony was of grace, a new covenant of God with man. Their vindication, which lifted up our Lord as the true Messiah, has indeed had an everlasting glory. The spread of Christianity throughout the world proves this. Christ was glorified by His saints when He returned in the glory of His father, judged Jerusalem for the blood of the saints, punishing them for their persecution of the church, and proved Himself true to His word, lifting Himself up as the one, true Messiah!
God Bless
Nate
posted by Nathan DuBois | 8:14 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home