2 Thessalonians 1:8 (KJV)

Passage

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Nearby Context

2 Thessalonians 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Thessalonians 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

2 Thessalonians 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "flaming", "fire", "taking", "vengeance", "obey", "gospel", "lord", and "jesus". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "flaming" and "fire", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "And to you who are troubled rest..." into verse 9's "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction...", so "flaming" and "fire" belong inside that flow. In 2 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "flaming" and "fire" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.