Hi Lynne,
In verse 8 the "THEM" in this verse. Is it talking about ones in Babylon?
II Thes. 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
"Them" in this verse is speaking of those that do not obey. Now how does anybody obey?
Act 5:32 And we are His witnesses of these things. And so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.
Nobody can obey by their on determination of will, no matter how badly they want to. It is only by the Holy Spirit indwelling that anyone will obey. So only the Elect are singled out now to obey, through judgment.
1Pe 4:17 For the time has come for the judgment to begin from the house of God.
The rest of mankind will recieve judgment and "learn righteousness" in the next age, in the Lake of Fire, during the reign of Christ and the Elect.
Isa 26:9 With my soul I desired You in the night; yea, with my spirit within me I will seek You early; for when Your judgments are in the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
Here is part of an email that should help with this a bit.
http://bible-truths.com/email13.htm#zender ----------------
Jesus Christ is coming to put down His enemies when He returns, but not because they didn't "BELIEVE" the gospel, but because they didn't "OBEY" the gospel. And just who would ever propose such a thing? Let's try The Apostle Paul:
II Thes. 1:8--"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."
Or, let me quote it from their own Version:
"...in flaming fire, dealing out vengeance to those who are not acquainted with God and those who are NOT OBEYING THE EVANGEL [gospel] OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST..." (Concordant Literal New Testament).
And let's not misunderstand the meaning of that word "obey" from the Greek word "hupakouo" which means "to HEED or CONFORM to a command" (Strong's #5219, p. 256). Notice how this same Greek word is used in Acts 6:7--
"And the word of God grows, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied tremendously, Besides, a vast throng of the priests OBEYED THE FAITH" (Concordant Version).
Wow! Imagine that: The collective teachings of Jesus which are classified as "THE faith" is something that can and MUST BE, OBEYED!
And the reason that faith must be obeyed is because of another marvelous doctrine that one is not likely to ever hear quoted at a Concordant meeting, and it is this:
"For the GRACE of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, TEACHING US [image that, 'grace' is a VERB THAT DOES SOMETHING--IT TEACHES US SOMETHING. What?...] ...TEACHING US that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, RIGHTEOUSLY, AND GODLY, in this present world" (That again would be, The Apostle Paul to Titus, Titus 2:11-12).
And, so what I have said does not contradict salvation by faith for all humanity, but it certainly does add to it the teachings of Jesus and Paul and all the apostles, that there certainly is something to do, to obey, to live out. Failure to OBEY the Gospel will culminate in such an one not even being in the first resurrection or given eonian life ahead of the rest of humanity! There are hundreds and hundreds of commands by none other than Paul himself, clearly stating what a believe must obey. And you can take that to the bank, and you can take that to your grave.
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Are they "punished with everlasting destruction from the PRESENCE of the Lord and from the GLORY of His power"?
Here is another email that should help with this part of your question.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=13551.0 -----------------------------
Not only the wicked, but God's chosen Few also, have their flesh "destroyed." That is the carnality within man--the part of man that is not subject to God or His law. This part of man's human nature must be completely destroyed. The word 'olethros' is found four times in the New Testament and is translated "destroy/destruction" by most translations. I can see little difference between "destroy"--to ruin completely; "ruin"--to destroy compretely; and "exterminate"--to destroy completely.
Those who live by "the BROAD way," will end in destruction (Matt. 7:13).
And even Believers are to fear God who can "destroy soul & body" in Gehenna (Matt. 10:28).
Notice in II Cor. 5:5 that Paul instructed the Corinthians to turn over a fornicator to Satan
"for the destruction of the flesh," so that his spirit might be saved.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat