2 Thessalonians 1:8

rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus:

Vengeance ... Everywhere in Scripture this is the prerogative of Almighty God himself, not that of any man; and its being ascribed here as a purpose and action of the Lord Jesus Christ is another attestation of his deity. See Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30 and Deuteronomy 32:25. But vengeance there will be. God has a score to settle with sin and with the incorrigibly wicked, and the judgment of the final day is the occasion divinely appointed to that end.

As Moffatt declared, "The repetition of the article here"[21] indicates two classes of people: (1) those who do not know God, and (2) those who obey not the gospel. These are usually explained as "the pagans" and "the unbelieving Jews." Implicit, however, in the adverse judgment to be pronounced against them that "know not God," is the fact of their "refusing to know God" (Romans 1:20-28) and of their being in no sense innocent, but "without excuse." In the second class, it is ridiculous to limit this to "unbelieving Jews." It refers with equal power to "unbelievers" of all races and nations, even professing Christians, who refuse to "obey the gospel." And what does that mean? It means those who refuse to be baptized into Christ and to assume the duties and obligations incumbent upon all true Christians. The most concise and the shortest definition of the "gospel" in the New Testament is in Mark 16:15,16, where Christ equated being baptized with the "gospel." Here is the prime reason why people have labored early and late to get that verse out of the New Testament. Some of the commentators reflect the usual unwillingness to allow this obvious truth, a sample of which is (comment on who obey not the gospel):

Namely, the unbelieving Jews.[22]

Those who do not obey it as a rule of life.[23]

The second expression is merely taking up and filling out the thought of the first.[24]

Jews.[25]

These are the same people described differently (2).[26]

There is no justification for thus toning down the clear warning of this passage. Failure to obey the gospel of Christ is failure to accept eternal life; and may all people heed it.

[21] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 46.

[22] P. J. Gloag, op. cit., p. 3.

[23] Adam Clarke, op. cit., p. 563.

[24] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 119.

[25] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 989.

[26] Ronald A. Ward, op. cit., p. 146.