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÷÷2 THESSALONIANS 3

2 THESSALONIANS 3

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO 2 THESSALONIANS 3:1-18

1. Paul asks for prayer for his gospel preaching (cf. Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3). He sought the blessing of God for his future preaching as it occurred in his first messages to them (cf. 2 Thess. 3:1).
   
   
2. Paul warns of the disruptive consequences of inaccurate teachings about the Second Coming as seen in the believers who have refused to work (cf. v. 10).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

÷2 THESSALONIANS 3:1-5

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2 THESSALONIANS 3:1-5
 ¹Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; ²and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. ³But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. ⁴We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. ⁵May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.

3:1 "Finally" This phrase (literally, "for the rest") is used by Paul to mark off his last major truth or subject (cf. 1 Thess. 4:1). It is the beginning of the conclusion. It is also used to introduce his closing statements (cf. 2 Cor. 13:11).

There is also the possibility that this is a literary marker for the central thrust of a chiasm (cf. 1 Thess. 4:1).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY, III. A. 4.

▣ "pray for us" This is a PRESENT MIDDLE (deponent) IMPERATIVE. Paul felt the need for prayer and believed it affected the effectiveness of his ministry (cf. 1 Thess. 5:25; Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3).

SPECIAL TOPIC: INTERCESSORY PRAYER

SPECIAL TOPIC: EFFECTIVE PRAYER

▣ "that the word of the Lord" Paul asks prayer for the sake of the gospel, not himself.

In Genesis 15:1,4 the phrase "the word of the Lord (YHWH)" referred to God's message to Abraham. It is used in a prophetic sense in 1 Sam. 15:10 and Isa. 1:10.

In the NT it occurs in two forms.

1. using rhēma (spoken word), Luke 22:61; Acts 11:16; 1 Pet. 1:25
2. using logos (message), Acts 8:25; 13:44,48,49; 15:35; 16:32; 19:10,20; 1 Thess. 1:8; 4:15

There seems to be no theological distinction between the two terms.

Notice the gospel is God's message, not Paul's (cf. 1 Thess. 2:13).

These are two PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVES. This MOOD gives an element of contingency. Prayer makes a difference!!!

1. The term "spread" is literally "run a race" (PRESENT ACTIVE SUBJUNCTIVE). This may be an allusion to Ps. 147:15.
2. "Glory" (PRESENT PASSIVE SUBJUNCTIVE) in this context must be understood as "honor." It refers to the gospel being received and rejoiced in. The gospel is honored when fallen humans respond to it appropriately (cf. 2 Thess. 3:2) and are changed.

SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (doxa, NT)

▣ "Just as it did also with you" The gospel changes everything! It has a power to spread with effectiveness. Prayer accentuates this spiritual power.

3:2 "we will be rescued from perverse and evil men" This is an AORIST PASSIVE SUBJUNCTIVE. This TENSE, the ARTICLE with two ADJECTIVES and the PRONOUN, "we," show that a specific incident is being referred to in Paul's life. This church understood what incident was intended (cf. 1 Thess. 2:16). Paul, writing from Corinth, had so many trials while there (cf. 2 Cor. 4:8-11; 6:4-10; 11:23-28).

▣ "for not all have faith" This is literally "the faith." This can refer to

1. the personal experience of receiving the gospel
2. the truth of the gospel in a doctrinal sense
3. OT sense of faithfulness

Evil often masquerades as good (cf. Matt. 7:21-23). Some in the church were wolves in sheep's clothing (i.e., Matt. 7:15-23).

SPECIAL TOPIC: FAITH, BELIEVE, OR TRUST

3:3 "But the Lord is faithful" Here the term "faith" is used in its OT sense of faithfulness. Jesus is exactly opposite of the evil men of 2 Thess. 3:2 (cf. 1 Thess. 5:24).

SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS IN THE OT

▣ "strengthen" In the Septuagint (LXX) this term was used of establishing something like a city. It came to be used figuratively of establishing or confirming a person (cf. Rom. 16:25; 1 Thess. 3:2; 2 Thess. 2:17; 3:3). The faithful Lord will establish and guard His own from evil, evil men, and the evil one (cf. 1 Pet. 1:3-5).

▣ "protect" This is one of many military terms in this chapter (cf. 1 Pet. 1:3-12; 1 John 5:18).

▣ "from the evil one" This inflected Greek form can be NEUTER or MASCULINE.

1. the Eastern Church Fathers and Tertullian interpret it as MASCULINE
2. the Western Church Fathers interpret it as NEUTER (cf. Rom. 12:9)
3. the NT seems to support the MASCULINE (cf. Matt. 5:37; 6:13; 13:19,38; John 17:15; Eph. 6:16; 1 John 2:13-14; 3:12; 5:18-19)

This context has two possible orientations:

1. the false teachers of Paul's day (Anti-Christs, cf. 1 John 2:18)
2. the eschatological evil of the Anti-Christ (cf. Revelation 13)

Evil is always present, but so too, the faithful Lord! He will rescue and preserve His followers from evil men and He will strengthen and protect them from the evil one.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSONAL EVIL

3:4 "We have confidence in the Lord concerning you" This is a PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE, which denotes an action that occurred in the past and has now become a state of being. Paul's confidence was

1. "in the Lord"
2. but also in these believers
3. this same balance can be seen in Phil. 2:12-13

Salvation is both a grace gift from a sovereign God and a mandated responsive human being ("doing" and "will continue to do"). All of God's dealings with humans involve unconditional (i.e., offer of salvation), yet conditional (i.e., individual salvation) covenant promises.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

▣ "command" This is a military term. It is used repeatedly in this context (cf. 2 Thess. 3:4,6,10,12). This shows Paul's authority as an Apostle. This term could refer to

1. Paul's preaching
2. his first letter, 1 Thessalonians
3. his current instructions, 2 Thessalonians

3:5 "May the Lord. . .of God. . .of Christ" The ambiguity of the term "Lord" is obvious.

1. In the OT it is always YHWH.
2. In the New Testament authors often quote OT passages where they attribute actions of YHWH to Jesus.
3. The fluidity may be purposeful because the original, inspired NT author wanted to affirm the Deity of Jesus and the unified action of the Triune God (cf. 2 Thess. 2:16-17).

It is unusual that "the Lord" and "Christ" are both mentioned in this verse.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHRIST JESUS AS LORD

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TRINITY

▣ "direct" This is an AORIST ACTIVE OPTATIVE, which reflects a prayer (cf. 1 Thess. 3:11-13). It is another military term, "make a road straight by removing obstacles." It is an allusion to the OT imagery of "well-worn paths of righteousness" (cf. Luke 1:79; 1 Thess. 3:11).

Notice the two aspects of this prayer:

1. the love of God
2. the steadfastness of Christ

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PATH, THE WAY

▣ "hearts" This is used in the OT as imagery for the entire person, but can be used more specifically of the mind, which fits this context best.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART

▣ "the love of God" This GENITIVE phrase can be understood as OBJECTIVELY or SUBJECTIVELY, that is, God's love for us and our love for Him. In context God's love for us fits better.

▣ "the steadfastness of Christ" This phrase is used nowhere else in Paul's writings. It is somewhat ambiguous. It is an active term for "voluntary, steadfast endurance." Because of Christ's example of patient endurance (cf. Phil. 2:6-11), believers can patiently endure.

This GENITIVE phrase can mean the believers' patience like Christ's patience or the patience that Christ gives to believers. It is possibly a SUBJUNCTIVE GENITIVE, like the previous phrase. In either case this patience relates to

1. their current persecution
2. their response to false teaching and its resulting idleness on the part of some church members
3. the believers' patience, trust, and expectant faith-living in light of the any-moment return and/or delayed return of Jesus (unlike those of 2 Thess. 3:11)

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ANY MOMENT RETURN OF JESUS vs. THE NOT YET (NT paradox)

÷2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-15

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-15
 ⁶Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, ⁸nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; ⁹not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. ¹¹For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. ¹²Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. ¹³But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. ¹⁴If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. ¹⁵Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

3:6 "we command you. . .in the name of our Lord" This is the polite PLURAL including Silas and Timothy, but in reality it is a word from Paul the Apostle. He recognizes his inspiration and authority in Christ to lead and command (PRESENT ACTIVE INDICATIVE) the church (cf. 2 Thess. 3:10,12).

▣ "in the name of" This is a Semitic idiom referring to a person or a person's character (cf. 2 Thess. 1:12). Paul did not speak from his own authority.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE NAME OF THE LORD (NT)

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHRIST JESUS AS LORD

▣ "keep away from" This is a PRESENT MIDDLE INFINITIVE, often used in Koine Greek as an IMPERATIVE, "you, yourselves, continue to keep away from" (cf. 2 Thess. 3:14). Believers should not enter into intimate personal relationships with those who do not obey (cf. Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Thess. 3:14). This is not referring to casual friendship with lost people and errant believers (cf. 2 Thess. 3:15).

This is another military term "disorderly conduct" (cf. 2 Thess. 3:6,7,11). It is used here for idle, uncooperative believers (cf. 1 Thess. 4:11-12; 5:14). The apparent closeness of the Second Coming had caused many Thessalonian believers to quit the normal affairs of life (cf. v. 10), but they expected to be supported by other church members.

SPECIAL TOPIC: WEALTH

▣ "the traditions" This term (pardosis) is used in several senses:

1. in 1 Cor. 11:2,23 for gospel truths
2. in Matt. 15:6; 23:1ff.; Mark 7:8; Gal. 1:14 of Jewish traditions
3. in Col. 2:6-8 of Gnostic speculations Roman Catholics use this verse as a biblical proof-text for Scripture and tradition being equal in authority

However, in this context it refers to Apostolic truth either spoken or written (cf. 2 Thess. 3:6).

There is a Greek manuscript variant related to the form of the VERB:

1. parelabosan or parelabon (AORIST ACTIVE INDICATIVE, THIRD PERSON PLURAL), "they received" – NRSV
2. parelaben (AORIST ACTIVE INDICATIVE, THIRD PERSON SINGULAR) "he received " – Peshitta, NKJV
3. parelabete (AORIST ACTIVE INDICATIVE, 2^nd PERSON PLURAL) "you received" – NASB, NJB

There is much manuscript variation in Paul's letters in areas involving the PERSONAL PRONOUNS.

3:7 "ought to follow our example" There was no written NT at this time. These believers had to

1. receive Paul's gospel
2. walk in his example (cf. 2 Thess. 3:9; 1 Cor. 4:16; Phil. 3:17; 4:9; 1 Thess. 1:6)

3:8 "nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it" This is a rabbinical practice. Paul, like all rabbis, worked for his daily needs (cf. 1 Cor. 9:12,18; 11:7; 2 Cor. 11:9; 12:13-14; 1 Thess. 2:9). In the Greco-Roman world many traveling tricksters and con-men preyed upon people. Paul had often been accused of preaching for money. Being sensitive to this charge, he seldom took money from those who heard him preach and never while present with them.

▣ "with labor and hardship we kept working" To the Greeks manual labor was for slaves only, but the Bible affirms work as from God. In Genesis work is both before the Fall and after (cf. Gen. 2:15; 3:19; Exod. 31:3; 35:35; Deut. 5:13; Isa. 54:16). The concept of working for one's own needs is crucial to this context. Some believers had rejected work because they assumed the Second Coming was near, but they still expected the church to feed them.

▣ "night and day" This is the Jewish order of time (cf. Gen. 1:5,8,13,19,23,31). This is an idiom meaning "worked full time," not literally 24 hours a day.

3:9 "not because we do not have the right to this" Paul was affirming the concept that believers should support their leaders (cf. 1 Cor. 9:4-17; Gal. 6:6). However, in this specific situation he acted

1. to set an example for those who had quit working
2. to avoid possible criticism

▣ "model" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FORM (tupos)

3:10 "we used to give you this order" This is an IMPERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE which in context must mean that Paul had told them over and over when he was with them. This command was not new information. This problem must have surfaced early in this church, possibly even before Paul had left.

▣ "if" This is a FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE. There were people like this in the church.

SPECIAL TOPIC: GREEK GRAMMATICAL TERMS, VII

▣ "anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either" This is a PRESENT ACTIVE INDICATIVE followed by a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE. This is the point of the entire chapter. It addresses lifestyle inactivity, not temporary unemployment. One must balance this with Paul's other letters on his care for the poor (cf. Acts 24:17; Rom. 15:26-29; 2 Cor. 8-9; Gal. 2:10). This command can be understood as

1. not feeding those who refused to work
2. excluding them from the common Christian meal or love feast (cf. 2 Thess. 3:13,14)

3:11 "we hear" This is a PRESENT ACTIVE INDICATIVE, which is literally "keep hearing." This could refer to Timothy's report or a letter from the church.

This is a play in the Greek text on the word "work" — "not working (epgazomenous), but working around (periergazomenous)." Their "work" had become interfering with everyone else's business (work). Paul uses the term "work" often in this chapter (cf. 2 Thess. 3:8,10,11,12 and 1 Thess. 4:11).

Some of the church had become most enamored with their own views about the Second Coming and were trying to convince others. Possibly by going house to house between worship times. They were not idle in their advocacy of their eschatological thoughts and opinions (note same problem in 1 Tim. 5:13).

3:12 Paul uses strong words of admonition

1. "command," PRESENT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
2. "exhort," PRESENT ACTIVE INDICATIVE)
3. "in the Lord Jesus Christ"

Paul commands them in his Apostolic authority as a representative of Jesus Himself.

▣ "to work in quiet fashion" This is a recurrent admonition of Paul's (cf. 1 Thess. 4:11; 1 Tim. 2:2). This seems to mean that believers are not to draw undue attention to themselves by strange, unusual behavior, but by living appropriate quiet, gentle, patient, moral, loving, caring, working lives (the opposite of 2 Thess. 3:11).

This is an idiom which means to support yourself with your own labor.

3:13 "do not grow weary of doing good" This refers to the church's quiet, gentle, daily living (cf. Gal. 6:9). People are watching and taking notice of godly living.

3:14 "If" This is a FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his literary purposes. Some in the church were not obeying.

SPECIAL TOPIC: TEXTUAL CRITICISM, VII

This is a PRESENT MIDDLE IMPERATIVE. This is literally "tag" or "mark." This is imagery for mentally "taking notice of."

▣ "do not associate with him" This is a PRESENT MIDDLE (deponent) INFINITIVE used in an IMPERATIVE sense. This is the same as "draw back from" of 2 Thess. 3:6. It is uncertain if this involved

1. a full excommunication
2. an exclusion from the collective church meals (agape feasts)
3. some type of exclusion from leadership roles or fellowship situations

It is similar to 1 Cor. 5:9,11 (same word, found only here and 1 Corinthians 5), which refers to intimate fellowship/friendship.

1. Paul did not want these to radicalize the other believers
2. but neither did he want them to leave the fellowship of believers (and possibly start a rival eschatological faction)

SPECIAL TOPIC: EXCOMMUNICATION

▣ "so that he will be put to shame" The purpose of church discipline is redemptive as well as disciplinary (cf. 2 Thess. 3:15; 2 Cor. 2:7; Gal. 6:1; 1 Thess. 4:15). The goal is restoration!

SPECIAL TOPIC: SHAME

÷2 THESSALONIANS 3:16

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2 THESSALONIANS 3:16
 ¹⁶Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!

3:16 "the Lord of peace" This is a common title for God the Father (cf. Rom. 15:33; 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:11; Phil. 4:9; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:20). Even church discipline should bring peace! Notice how the close of 2 Thessalonians is similar to the close of 1 Thessalonians. Paul is developing his letter-writing style.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PEACE (NT)

SPECIAL TOPIC: DESCRIPTIVE TITLES FOR GOD

▣ "The Lord be with you all" The Greek term "all" (pantos) is in this verse twice and in 2 Thess. 3:18. Paul's admonition involves even those erring ones.

"Lord" could refer to Jesus or the Father. See parallel in 1 Thess. 3:11.

÷2 THESSALONIANS 3:17-18

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2 THESSALONIANS 3:17-18
 ¹⁷I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

3:17 "write this greeting with my own hand" Paul dictated his letters to a scribe, but he wrote the closing sentences in his own hand to verify his authorship (cf. 2 Thess. 2:2; 1 Cor. 16:21; Gal. 6:11; Col. 4:18; Philem. 19). This may have set the pattern for all of Paul's following letters.

3:18 This closing is very similar to 1 Thess. 5:28. Most Greek manuscripts add "Amen," but it is absent in א and B. Scribes tended to add it to every book.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. How is the church to treat others in their midst who reject the Scriptures?
2. What does this chapter say to our modern welfare state?
3. Why is the truth of verse 16 so important?

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