2 Thessalonians 1:10

when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe Better, without the comma: when He hath come to be glorified in His holy ones and wondered at in all those who believed. The last verb, in the true reading, is pastin tense. We are transported to the time of the Parousia. With astonishment all beholders look back on the faith of these now perfected saints, and view its glorious outcome; they think of the "mustard seed" which has grown into so mighty "a tree" (Matthew 13:31-32). And they give the praise of all to Christ. Comp. 2 Thessalonians 1:12, and note; for holy ones, see note on 1 Thessalonians 3:13.

At His coming "the glory of His might" brings ruin to the wicked (2 Thessalonians 1:9). But there is another glory dearer to Him, that "of His grace" (Ephesians 1:4-6), which will be now exhibited in its full splendour, in His holy ones. "I am glorified in them," said Jesus (John 17:10; comp. 2 Corinthians 8:23). Himself "the Holy One of God" and "Firstborn among many brethren," His triumph is realised in the multitude of those who through believing in Him have become holy like Himself. So the Thessalonian believers "in that day" will be Christ's high glory, as they are already the "glory and joy" of their Apostle (1 Thessalonians 2:20).

With glorylike that rendered to God, a tribute of wonderwill then be paid to Christ by the angels surely (see Ephesians 3:10, and 1 Peter 1:12, for the interest they take in Christ's work on earth), and by the saints themselves, wondering at themselves and at each other, and at the undreamed-of results of their faith. It will be said then, in the fullest sense, "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes" (Psalms 118:23). The praise that will be rendered to Christ at His advent is anticipated in such words as those of Revelation 1:5-6: "Unto Him that loveth us, and loosed is from our sins in His blood; and He made us His kingdom, made us priests unto His God and Father to Him be the glory and the might for ever and ever."

because our testimony among you was believed Rather, unto you (R. V.) "our testimony addressed to you," or "in its application to you." This parenthesis, characteristic of St Paul's style (see Introd.p. 33), emphasizes the fact of the Thessalonians" faith, the primary condition in all His holy ones of the glory He will reap from them. "Glorified, I say, in you that believed. Yes, for the testimony we addressed to you won your faith; and in that faith of yours we see the pledge of Christ's glorification." Similarly in 1 Thessalonians 1:3-4 the Apostle found in the vigorous faith of his readers an evidence of their "election" to eternal life (see note).

in that day Added with solemn emphasis to signalize the timeof the revelation of Christ, when He will win honour and admiration from His saints, and inflict ruin on their enemies and His. The clause looks beyond the foregoing parenthesis to "the revelation of the Lord Jesus" described in 2 Thessalonians 1:1. Comp. the position and emphasis of the similar adjunct in Romans 2:16. For "that day," see notes on 1Th 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:4.

The Apostle's Thanksgiving, as in other instances (1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Ephesians 1:3-19; Philippians 1:3-11; &c.), ends in prayer, that the marvellous results which he anticipates from his readers" faith may he fully realised.