Exposition of 2 Thessalonians 3. Classes 9 through 13

Tod Kennedy, May, 2010

2 Thessalonians 3 Outline

1.     Verses 1-2. Paul requests prayer for ministry and protection from unbelievers.

2.     Verses 3-5. Paul has confidence that the Lord will provide for him and his team and for the Thessalonians in the spiritual life.

3.     Verses 6-15. Paul now commands them to keep away from undisciplined and lazy believers.

4.     Verses 16-18. Paul ends with a plea for God to bless them.

Main points of Bible doctrine to remember from chapter 3

1.     Pray for those proclaiming and teaching God’s word (1-2).

2.     The Lord is faithful to believers serving him (3-5).

3.     Live honestly, with a strong work ethic, and do not be busy bodies (6-12).

Some doctrines taught or referred by Paul in chapter 3

1.     Evangelism, 3:1

2.     Communication of God’s word, 3:1

3.     Ministry, 3:1 and 13

4.     Prayer, 3:2

5.     Persecution of believers, 3:2

6.     God is faithful, 3:3

7.     Spiritual conflict, 3:3

8.     Love for God, 3:5

9.     Endurance for Christ, 3:5

10. Bible doctrine, 3:6

11. Biblical separation, 3:6 and 14

12. Biblical example or model to follow, 3:7 and 9

13. Biblical work ethic, 3:7-12

14. Good works, 3:13

15. Relationships among believers, 3:6 and 14-15

16. Inner peace, 3:16

17. Grace, 3:18

2 Thessalonians 3 Exposition

1.     Verses 1-2. Paul requests prayer for ministry and protection from unbelievers.

1.1.          Verse 1. Note that Paul and his team need prayer support. The request is for continued ministry of the gospel and Christian life doctrine—the word of the Lord. Rapidly and be glorified means without delay and have a good response. If people would respect the gospel and not think it was a threat, the missionaries would be able to preach without harm. Paul knew that time was short and the message was vital for every person. He recalls the positive response by the Thessalonians and wanted this same response with future ministry in Corinth, Ephesus, and beyond.

1.2.          Verse 2. The second request is for protection from those who reject his message. Paul faced opposition everywhere he went. “Perverse” men are those of bad behavior. Evil contains the idea of ungodly worldview. Even non-Christian standards do not encourage false testimony in court or physical or verbal beatings of someone without just cause. Paul faced all of these as recorded in Acts 16. Jason, in Acts 17, was attacked simply because he tried to help Paul.

2.     Verses 3-5. Paul has confidence that the Lord will provide for him and his team and for the Thessalonians in the spiritual life.

2.1.          Note the leading statements of each verse: The Lord is faithful (3); We have confidence (4); May the Lord direct (5).

2.2.          Verse 3. The Lord is faithful. Pistos is the Greek adjective indicating faithful, dependable, credible, trustworthy. This describes the Lord. He will always do what he has said. Paul, the Thessalonians, and we can always depend upon him. The doctrine tells us that God is true to his word and to his nature. See the doctrine “faithfulness of God.” This is a doctrinal principle that we all need to understand and depend upon. We are all in a great spiritual war. Remember the sources of spiritual attack—world, flesh, and devil.  And remember the source of victory for us—God’s word, the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual armor. The Lord is faithful to strengthen and protect and he makes all our resources work. Biblical doctrine of God’s faithfulness.

2.2.1.   God is faithful does not promise that everything will turn out the way we want it to turn out. It does mean that as long as we are alive God is faithful to do what he has said. He is faithful to us no matter what the circumstances—in suffering, in great happiness, in dying, in discouragement. He is faithful to us.

2.2.1.1.  To Abraham throughout all the years of waiting for Isaac.

2.2.1.2.  To Moses through the years of training, testing, leading, and dying.

2.2.1.3.  To Joshua throughout the years of battle in Canaan.

2.2.1.4.  To Jeremiah while the people he ministered to rejected him.

2.2.1.5.  To Ezra and Nehemiah through the good and the bad.

2.2.1.6.  To Peter even when Peter was unfaithful.

2.2.1.7.  To Steven when he was being stoned.

2.2.1.8.  To Paul on the road, in cities, in jail, and at his execution.

2.2.2.   The Lord is faithful to strengthen (sterizo, give you the ability, the determination, the endurance; same word in 2:17) and to protect (phulasso, to set a guard around you, to protect; see John 17:12) the Thessalonians (and us) from the evil. Both verbs are future active indicatives. This does not mean no suffering, but it does mean strength and protection through the suffering.

2.2.2.1.  Strengthen. Used 14 times. The Lord refers to Yahweh and most likely refers to Jesus Christ. After all, he is revealed God. The word means to establish, support, strengthen. The Lord will set us in our spiritual position of strength and infuse into us the ability to stand against Satan and his forces. Illustrated by an incident in James Herriot life. He was doing relief work in an industrial town. The practice was run on little money, few medicines, and few instruments. A man and his wife were vacationing and their dog was hit by a car. The result was a very serious fracture separating the tibia from the tarsus. The practice exam room had a flimsy exam table. It kept collapsing when an animal was placed on it. Well, the owners lifted Kim, the dog, on the table and the table collapsed on one end and Kim slid off. Herriot knew it was coming and had the couple use their legs to prop us and strengthen the table so that it would not fall. Herriot could then carry out the surgery without the table collapsing. God stands with us to prop us and strengthen us so we do not fall.

2.2.2.2.  Protect. Phulasso. Used 33 times. The emphasis is on watching as a guard who is posted to alert to an approaching enemy and to prevent the enemy from gaining his objective. Biblical illustrations are Luke 2:8 and 11:21; Acts 12:4; Romans 2:26; 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 4:15; 2 Peter 2:5; 1 John 5:21.

2.2.3.   This phrase, the evil one= tou ponerou, is used 9 times in the Greek New Testament. The evil can refer to specific persecution or to the one who plans evil. In this immediate context is it seems that it refers to general evil associated with the antagonisms in Thessalonica. See John 17:15, Ephesians 6:16, and 1 John 3:12 where it refers to Satan.

2.2.4.   The suffering has meaning. The future is secure. And, as Paul said in chapter one, God will judge those afflicting the believers.

2.3.          Verse 4. We have confidence. What is the object of confidence? The confidence is in the Lord, not in themselves. Paul has confidence that the Lord will work in the believers to follow Paul’s teaching.

2.4.          Verse 5. May the Lord direct. What will the Lord direct? He will direct their hearts (kardia). The heart is the center of the life. It is the command post where decisions are made. Paul desires that the Lord will direct the very center of their lives in two directions or toward two goals. The verb is kateuthuno, to make or keep straight, guide, direct; aorist active optative 3 singular. The optative expresses a wish. This verb used in 1 Thessalonians 3:11.  Both goals are stated with the preposition eis plus the accusative followed by the objective genitive. Many take these as subjective or possessive genitives which then means God’s love in us and Christ’s perseverance in us. This does make good sense, but in the context I think objective genitive fits better.

2.4.1.   Toward love for God. Love directed toward God (occupation with God and Christ) enables us to focus on the source of security and provision and away from the persecution. God is the center of our attention.

2.4.2.   Toward steadfastness or endurance for Christ. In any test or crisis we need to remain steadfast or endure for Christ.

3.     Verses 6-15. Paul now commands them to keep away from undisciplined and lazy believers.

3.1.          The command carries the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. What Paul commands is what the Lord told him to write. Paul speaks for Jesus Christ. Separation from certain believers is Paul’s point. Keep away is the Greek word stello, to keep one’s distance, to avoid.

3.2.          These believers may have been misapplying the doctrines of the Lord’s return so that they quit jobs and while waiting begged food and money off of others. They did not work, and got in other people’s way (3:8, 10, 11).

3.3.          Verse 6. “Leads an unruly life” is the verb peripateo (to walk) with ataktos (not in battle order, undisciplined, disorderly). They led disorganized lives. The same words in verse 11. They had no time table and rejected responsibilities that a normal citizen would have such as getting a job, being on time, and providing for family. Instead they wandered from person to person and interfered with others.

3.4.          Verse 6. “And not according to tradition” is the preposition kata and paradosis (that which is handed down, tradition, doctrine). Here the tradition is the biblical tradition that Paul and others have taught. This would primarily concern working hard, fulfilling responsibilities, being helpful without interfering with others, and setting an example of Christian love and service.

3.5.          Verses 6-9. Paul and others had taught them about day to day responsibility. See in this context verses 6 (from us), 7 (we did not act), 8 (eat without paying, working), 9 (ourselves as a model…example), 10 (not work…not eat).

3.6.          Verse 10. Paul repeats what he has taught in the past. Those who refuse to work when they are able are not to be beg from those who do work. “He is not to eat” is the present active imperative of esthio, to eat. This is a clear command against laziness and idleness. Paul teaches a strong work ethic. Those who are unable to work may benefit from others. Those who choose not to work may not benefit. See verse 15.

3.7.          Verse 11. The judgment of Paul was against those “leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.”

3.7.1.   “Leading an undisciplined life is verb peripateo (to walk, present active participle) with ataktos (not in battle order, undisciplined, disorderly). The same words in verse 6.

3.7.2.   “Doing no work,” is the negative meden (neuter=nothing) and ergazomai (to work, to labor, to accomplish). These believers did nothing in the form of meaningful labor.

3.7.3.   “Busybodies” is the word periergazomai (take more pains than enough about a thing, waste one’s labour on it; meddle, interfere with).

3.8.          Verse 12. The correction. These are to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. This simply means work without disturbance to others (hesuchia, as, he, a state of quietness without disturbance, saying nothing or very little) and provide the food for themselves.

3.9.          Verse 13. At the end of his instruction against lazy and irresponsible believers, Paul reminds the rest to keep the faith and to stay strong in doing what is right. This is a doctrinal reminder for all of us. We get tired and discouraged when we do the right thing yet see others doing nothing.

3.9.1.   “Grow weary” is egkakeo (to behave wrongly or remissly, to lose motivation, lose enthusiasm, be discouraged) in the aorist active subjunctive with the negative me. This amounts to a prohibition.

3.10.      Verse 14. This verse summarizes Paul’s teaching.

3.10.1.           They are to mark the one out (semeioo, to mark out, to note; in the present imperative). A word close to this is semeion, a sign that the Jews sought. Paul says, identify this one and then do not associate with him as long as he is undisciplined and lazy.

3.10.2.           “Do not associate” is sunanamignumi is the present infinitive plus the negative. The word means to mingle or associate. Note the stress of the present tense here—a durative active or for a period of time.

3.11.      Verse 15 teaches that the lazy believers are not enemies. They are believers. They should be warned and instructed that their way of life is wrong and needs changing.

4.     Verses 16-18. Paul ends with a plea for God to bless them.

4.1.          Verse 16. May the Lord grant peace in every circumstance. This comes from the application of God’s word to situations—Faith Rest.

4.2.          Verse 17. Paul wrote this epistle.

4.3.          Verse 18.Paul gives his usual benediction. He wants the Lord’s grace to be experienced by all of them.

Some observations from chapter 3

1.     Paul now makes some concluding requests of the Thessalonians, 1.

2.     Pray for us, Paul says, 1.

3.     Pray that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, 1.

4.     In the lives of others just like in your lives, 1.

5.     Pray also that Paul and his team will be rescued from perverse and evil men, 2.

6.     Not everyone has the faith, 2.

7.     The Lord is faithful, 3.

8.     The Lord will strengthen and protect the Thessalonians, 3.

9.     The protection is from the evil one, 3.

10. Paul has confidence in the Lord about the Thessalonians, 4.

11. Confidence that they are doing and will do what Paul and the team commanded, 4.

12. Another plea: May the Lord direct your hearts, 5.

13. Direct the heart into love of God and steadfastness of Christ, 5.

14. We (P, S, T) command you Thessalonians, 6.

15. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 6.

16. That you keep away from every brother who, 6.

17. Who leads and unruly life and not according to the tradition, 6.

18. Tradition which you received from us, 6.

19. The Thessalonians know that they ought to follow PST’s example, 7

20. Paul had taught and shown them, 7.

21. PST did not act in an undisciplined manner among them, 7.

22. PST did not eat without paying for it, 8.

23. PST worked night and day so not to burden any Thessalonian believer, 8.

24. PST did have a right to support from the Thessalonians, 9.

25. PST did what they did so to be models to the Thessalonians, 9.

26. PST wanted them to follow their example, 9.

27. PST had spent time with them, 10.

28. PST told them that if one is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, 10.

29. PST heard a report about the Thessalonians, 11.

30. The report was that some were leading an undisciplined lives, not working, and being busybodies, 11.

31. PST commanded and exhorted those to work quietly and eat their own bread, 12.

32. This command and exhortation was “in the Lord Jesus Christ,” 12.

33. To those living correctly, “do not grow weary of doing good,” 13.

34. PST singles out the right living believers, 13.

35. Paul wrote instruction—the second letter to the Thessalonians, 14.

36. Note those who do not obey what he wrote, 14.

37. Do not associate with him or them, 14.

38. This is to shame him or them, 14.

39. Do not think of him as an enemy, 15.

40. He is a brother, 15.

41. Admonish him as one, 15.

42. The Lord is characterized by peace, 16.

43. May the Lord continually grant peace in every circumstance, 16.

44. May the Lord be with you all, 16.

45. Paul wrote this letter with his own hand, 17.

46. Paul writing handwriting was recognizable, 17.

47. Paul’s benediction: the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, 18.