Chapter Three

Exhortation to prayer for the success of apostolic preaching and for the evangelist himself (1–5), instructions of the Apostle to the Thessalonians concerning the disorderly, idle, and disobedient (6–13) and indication of brotherly measures toward them (14–15). Invocation of peace upon the readers from the Lord, personal greeting and the bestowal of the grace of Christ (16–18).

From this chapter begins the exhortatory part of the epistle, and one cannot help but notice that in its structure our epistle comes very close to the first one, being divided into two parts—narrative-explanatory and exhortatory. The latter, as in 1 Thessalonians, begins with the expression to loipon.

2 Thessalonians 3:1. Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 Thessalonians 3:2. And that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. The Apostle asks the Thessalonians to pray for the success of evangelical preaching, so that it may have the same success among the Corinthians as among them. “That the word of the Lord may run and be glorified”—according to Slavic; treche kai doxazetai—according to Greek. The first verb emphasizes the living and active nature of the Word of God, and the Apostle’s desire that it spread more and more widely, while the second points to inner recognition, expressed in glorifying the Word of God (cf. Psalm 146 and Ps 19) and following the recognition. In the second verse the Apostle more specifically indicates why he asks for the prayers of the Thessalonians’ community—to be delivered from corrupted and evil people. Whom does Apostle Paul allude to here? The fact that definite people are meant here is shown by the article ton. But where are they to be found? These enemies are hardly judaizers, the struggle with whom became fierce later. There is no basis for seeking them among the Christians themselves, for the expression “not all have faith” properly means: “faith is not the lot of all,” and has a broader application than to one circle of the faithful alone. This means—these enemies should be sought among the unbelieving Jews (in the Corinthian case), who persecuted and harassed the evangelist of Christ everywhere. Confirmation of this is given in Acts (Acts 17:5 and f.).

2 Thessalonians 3:3. But the Lord is faithful; He will establish you and keep you safe from the evil one. From the lack of faith in people, the Apostle turns his thought to the “faithfulness” of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will undoubtedly establish the Thessalonians and protect them “from the evil one.” This expression involuntarily brings to mind the prayer of the Lord, where we also pray for deliverance from the evil one (Matt 6:13). The Apostle perhaps here involuntarily cites the words of Christ. In view of the fact that in the New Testament tou ponеrou is understood chiefly as a masculine noun, here the expression “from the evil one” undoubtedly refers not to the principle of evil in the general sense, but to Satan, concerning whose representative there was discussion in 2 Thess 2.

2 Thessalonians 3:4. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 2 Thessalonians 3:5. And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. Trusting in the Lord’s faithfulness, the Apostle believes also that the Thessalonians are doing and will do all that he commands them—ha paraggelomen. But what do these words refer to—this is clear from verses 5 and 6, and further. The Apostle prays that the Lord—that is, Jesus Christ—direct their hearts “into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” The love of God—here not only an objective attribute of the Godhead, but also a guiding principle of our heart. The steadfastness of Christ—tou Christou—with the article, which emphasizes the connection of the steadfastness spoken of here, not simply with the earthly sufferings of the Savior, but with these same sufferings as an inevitable lot of the suffering servant of Jehovah (Milligan, op. cit. p. 112).

2 Thessalonians 3:6. Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accordance with the tradition that you received from us, Here is contained the instruction of the Apostle concerning “those who behave idly,” about whom there was already mention in 1 Thessalonians (1 Thess 5:13-14—cf. 1 Thess 4:11-12). But there this was still a reminder that evil was beginning to show its existence. Here the Apostle is dealing with a well-established fact—the “idleness” of certain members of the community, the meaning of which is clarified below in 2 Thess 3:11. “Those who behave idly”—these are certain members of the Thessalonians’ church who, holding a false view of the parousia (“the day of Christ has already come”—2 Thess 2:2), abandoned the normal way of life, and gave themselves over to idleness and interference with the peaceful course of life of others. The Apostle exhorts the Thessalonians to stay away from such people, and not only by virtue of the teaching given them, but also in view of the personal example of the evangelist himself.

2 Thessalonians 3:7. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we did not act idly when we were with you, 2 Thessalonians 3:8. Nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you— 2 Thessalonians 3:9. Not because we do not have that right, but so that we might give ourselves as an example for you to imitate. The Apostle, having lived among them, did not behave idly, but lived by the labor of his hands. The Apostle had already touched on this question earlier in 1 Thess 2:9; but there the discussion was about his disinterestedness and lack of self-interest; here he moves on to another aspect of his working life in Thessalonica—its independence. The Apostle, as a servant of the Gospel, could count on the support of the community (see 1 Cor 9:3-18), and had the right (exousia) to demand it, but he did not use this right in Thessalonica, so that by his working way of life he might give an example to others; he worked himself so that his dependence on others “should not put any obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ” (1 Cor 9:12).

2 Thessalonians 3:10. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: anyone unwilling to work should not eat. Here the Apostle apparently cites a Hebrew saying, based on the words of the Old Testament from the book of Gen 3:19. Compare the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” XII:3.

2 Thessalonians 3:11. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. “We hear”—indicates that “recently” the Apostle has received news from Thessalonica that certain people are living an “idle life.” False expectations concerning the parousia probably gave rise to a considerable number of “ideological” idlers who, relying on the “eschatological upheaval,” did nothing, abandoned the normal way of life, and probably became in economic terms a burden on the Thessalonians’ community, meddling everywhere, and disrupting by their unwelcome interference the order of life of others (periergazomenous—in this verse is a play on words—meden ergazomenous, alla periergazomenous). All their energy went into idle agitation over unfounded expectations concerning the “near” end of the earthly order of things.

2 Thessalonians 3:12. Now such people we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Such people the Apostle exhorts, having quieted their minds internally, to give themselves to labor so they “may eat their own bread.” Here the Apostle probably uses a saying borrowed from the rabbis.

2 Thessalonians 3:13. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing what is right. From this verse begin the instructions of the Apostle to that part of the church which was free from the disorders condemned in 2 Thess 3:6-12, but which could fall under the harmful influence of “the idle.” “Do not grow weary, doing what is right”—in Russian—“do not lose heart doing good”—me egkakesete (Textus Receptus ekkakesete) kalopoiountes. Egkakeo—from kakos—in the sense of cowardly, faint-hearted. Kalopoieo—means I act nobly, rather than “I do good to others.” From this the thought of the verse: do not lose heart, do not become faint-hearted in the noble course of life you have undertaken.

2 Thessalonians 3:14. If anyone refuses to obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. Nouthetem—to admonish, to remind someone of his duty, though with a shade of mild reproof, but at the same time with exhortation.

2 Thessalonians 3:15. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as you would a brother. 2 Thessalonians 3:16. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you! “The Lord of peace”—the Lord Jesus Christ, if relying on the fact that the word Kyrios in Apostle Paul’s writings always refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. But compare 1 Thess 5:23. “With all of you”—not excluding those whom the Apostle has just condemned “for idleness.”

2 Thessalonians 3:17. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of authenticity in every letter of mine; I write like this: Here the Apostle Paul makes a personal addition to the epistle, probably in order to remove any doubt about the letter, in view of the concern and supposition he has expressed in 2 Thess 2:2. “In every letter.” Regarding these words, the English scholar Bishop Lightfoot asks: “is there any other explanation for this expression besides the supposition that probably the Apostle wrote many letters which have not survived? To this question one must answer in the negative. The letters to the Thessalonians were written in 52–53... The missionary activity of the Apostle must have begun no later than 45 A.D. However, no letter written earlier than the letters to Thessalonica has survived. The first letter to Corinth was written in 57. In chronological order this was the third letter after the first two to Thessalonica. Should we suppose that these letters were the Apostle’s only works, standing alone in a period of time spanning 12 years, during which the Apostle was constantly in communication with scattered churches? Even if this were conceivable in itself, it would still be difficult to reconcile with the expression (in every letter) in our text. How could the Apostle say ‘in every letter,’ when with the single exception of the first letter to Thessalonica he wrote absolutely nothing during the eight preceding years, and was not compelled to write anything during the five following years?” (Lightfoot, op. cit. p. 136). One should suppose that the Apostle’s correspondence was much broader and larger than one might suppose on the basis of only the letters that have survived. “I write like this”—here the Apostle probably alludes to the character of his handwriting—compare Gal 6:11.

2 Thessalonians 3:18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen. The greeting is similar to the greeting in 1 Thessalonians, except only for the word “all,” which the Apostle inserts here, wishing to direct his wishes to all members of the Christian community of Thessalonica, including here also “those who walk idly.”