1 Thessalonians 4:6b – The Lord Is the Avenger

6 …because the Lord is the Avenger of all these, according as we said to you before also, and certify,

Paul has spoken about fornication and about crossing boundaries, thereby wronging a brother. Now comes a serious warning: the Lord is the Avenger of all these things. The Greek word refers to someone who executes vengeance and administers justice. The Lord sees the wrongs people do to one another and does not let them go without consequences. Paul had already warned the Thessalonians about this and solemnly testified to it.

The word “Avenger” may have negative connotations for us. We readily associate it with vindictiveness or settling a personal score. But in the Bible, vengeance is actually a positive concept because it points to the restoration of justice that has been violated. That is why Paul writes elsewhere: “Mine is vengeance! I will repay!” (Rom. 12:19). Vengeance does not belong to us, but to the Lord.

And that is a reassuring thought! For when people wrong one another, the Lord Himself ultimately guarantees that justice will be restored. No injustice escapes His notice, and no one who has been wronged is forgotten. What people cannot set right, He will set right. Precisely because the Lord is the Avenger, we can trust that everything will ultimately be made right!

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