Ignorance and Disobedience
T. Manton , D. D. 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: I. "KNOW NOT GOD." There is a twofold knowledge of God. 1. Speculative. (1) The bare sight of the truth; empty and cold notions about God and religion. (a) Such as many of the heathen have (Romans 1:21). (b) The Jews (Romans 2:19, 20). (c) Formal Christians (2 Timothy 3:5). (2) There are different degrees of this knowledge. (a) Memorative, such as children have who are taught to speak of Divine mysteries by rote, but are not affected by them. (b) Opinionative, when not only the memory is charged but the judgment exercised, yet wisdom enters not upon the heart (Proverbs 2:10). This makes men disputers about, but not practicers of godliness (Proverbs 2:10). (c) Sufficiently cordial to be reformative but not regenerating. 2. Practical and saving. We must know God — (1) So as to trust in Him (Psalm 9:10). (2) So as to love Him (1 Corinthians 8:3). (3) So as to obey Him (1 John 2:4; Jeremiah 22:16).Our practices must speak out our knowledge. So then all they that know not God so as to fear Him for His majesty and power, love Him for His goodness, trust Him for His wisdom, imitate Him for His holiness, obey Him for His authority, so as to seek Him and delight in Him, are obnoxious to Christ's judgment. He has no religion who has no god, and he has no god who prefers his lusts to obedience. II. "THAT OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." It is not enough to profess the gospel, we must obey it. This obedience is necessary whether we consider — 1. The gospel which is the sum of things to be believed and done. Its three commands are — (1) Repentance (Isaiah 1:19, 20). (2) Faith in Christ (1 John 3:23; Hebrews 2:3). (3) New obedience (Titus 2:12). 2. Faith, which also implies obedience (Romans 10:16; Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26; Acts 6:7) for it is a hearty consent to take the blessedness offered for our happiness, the duty required for our work, and so has an influence on our whole obedience. 3. Christ. (1) His example (Hebrews 5:8, 9; Philippians 2:8). (2) His authority and sovereignty (Acts 5:31). III. USES. 1. If you would have the comfort and not the terror of the Day of Judgment, you must obey the gospel (Romans 6:16). 2. What we have to do is to study to know the Lord, that we may believe in Him and serve Him. (T. Manton , D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: WEB: giving vengeance to those who don't know God, and to those who don't obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,