2 Thessalonians 1:5 (LSB)

Passage

This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.

Nearby Context

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is only fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another increases all the more,

2 Thessalonians 1:4 so that we ourselves boast about you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.

2 Thessalonians 1:6 Since it is right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to give rest to you who are afflicted and to us as well at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "plain", "indication", "righteous", "judgment", "considered", "worthy", "kingdom", and "indeed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "plain" and "indication", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "so that we ourselves boast about you..." into verse 6's "Since it is right for God to...", so "plain" and "indication" 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 "plain" and "indication" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.