Verses 1-4
2 Thessalonians 3:1-4. Finally,
brethren, pray for us — See on
Colossians 4:3; that the word of
the Lord may have free course —
Greek, τρεχη, may run, go on
swiftly without any
interruption; and be glorified —
Acknowledged as divine, and
bring forth much fruit; even as
it is with you — This is a very
high commendation of the
Thessalonian brethren, and was
designed to encourage them in
their attachment to the gospel.
And that we may be delivered —
Rescued and preserved; from
unreasonable and wicked men —
The word ατοπων, rendered
unreasonable, properly signifies
men who have, or ought to have,
no place, namely, in society.
Bishop Wilkins thinks that
absurd, contumacious persons are
intended; such as are not to be
fixed by any principles, and
whom no topics can work upon.
Doubtless the apostle had in his
eye chiefly, if not only, the
unbelieving Jewish zealots, who
were so exceedingly enraged
against him for preaching
salvation to the Gentiles,
without requiring them to obey
the law of Moses, that they
followed him from place to
place, and raised a furious
storm of persecution against him
wherever they found him, by
inflaming both the rulers and
the people against him; and they
had lately made an insurrection
at Corinth, with an intention to
have him put to death. For all
men have not faith — And all who
have not are, more or less,
unreasonable and wicked men. By
faith, in this passage, it seems
we are not to understand the
actual belief of the gospel,
(for that all men had not that
faith was a fact too obvious to
be thus noticed by the apostle,)
but such a desire to know and do
the will of God as would dispose
a person to believe and obey the
gospel when fairly proposed to
him. And it seems, in making
this observation, the apostle
glances not only at the Jews,
who boasted of their faith in
the true God, and in the
revelation of his will which he
had made to them, but at the
Greek philosophers likewise, who
had assumed to themselves the
pompous appellation of lovers of
wisdom, or truth. But the Lord
is faithful — And will not
deceive the confidence, or
disappoint the hopes of any that
trust in him, and expect the
accomplishment of his promises;
who shall stablish you — Even
all that cleave to him by faith
and love; and keep you from evil
— From all the mischievous
devices of Satan and his
instruments, 2 Timothy 4:18. The
Greek, απο του πονηρου, is
literally, from the evil one;
the name given in other passages
of Scripture to the devil,
Matthew 6:13; Matthew 6:19;
Ephesians 6:16. And we have
confidence in the Lord — Or we
trust in the Lord concerning
you, that he will not withhold
from you the aids of his grace;
that ye both do already, and
will do, in future, the things
which we command — In thus
speaking, the apostle expresses
his good opinion of the greater
part of the Thessalonian
brethren, but not of every one
of them without exception, as is
plain from 2 Thessalonians
3:11-14.
Verse 5
2 Thessalonians 3:5. And the
Lord — By his Holy Spirit, whose
proper work this is; direct —
Powerfully incline; your hearts
unto the love of God — That is,
into the exercise of love to
God, in return for his love to
you; and into the patient
waiting for Christ — Namely, the
patient waiting for his second
coming, or for his coming to
call you hence by death, 1
Thessalonians 1:10. Macknight,
however, interprets the verse
rather differently, thus: “May
the Lord direct your heart to
imitate the love which God hath
showed to mankind, and the
patience which Christ exercised
under sufferings.” The patience
of Christ has this sense
Revelation 1:9 : A partaker in
the kingdom and patience of
Jesus. As the patience of Job
means the patience of which Job
was so great an example, so the
patience of Christ may signify
the patience which he exercised
in his sufferings.
Verses 6-12
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12. We
command you, brethren — We
solemnly charge you; in the name
of the Lord. (see on 1
Corinthians 5:4,) the credit and
progress of whose religion are
so nearly concerned in the
matter; that ye withdraw
yourselves from every brother —
Whatever his rank,
circumstances, or profession may
be; that walketh disorderly —
Particularly (as the apostle
here means) in not working; that
you have no unnecessary converse
or society with such. Disorderly
persons, ατακτοι, are they who
profess to be subject to the
discipline of the gospel, yet do
not walk according to its
precepts. See 1 Thessalonians
5:14. What the apostle here
condemned under this
description, was idleness, 2
Thessalonians 3:11; and by the
solemnity with which he
introduces his charge, we are
taught, that it is most
offensive to God, and dangerous
to ourselves and others, to
encourage, by our company and
conversation, such as live in
the practice of that or any
gross sin! May all who have a
regard to religion attend to
this! The same important charge
is repeated 2 Thessalonians
3:14. And not after the
tradition which ye received of
us — The admonition we gave both
by word of mouth and in our
former epistle. Yourselves know
how ye ought to follow — ΄ιμεισθαι,
to imitate, us — As if he had
said, My own conduct entitles me
to rebuke the disorderly; for we
behaved not ourselves disorderly
among you — We were not
irregular in our conduct, but
endeavoured to conduct ourselves
so as to recommend and enforce
our doctrine by our example.
Neither did we eat any man’s
bread for naught — Greek, δωρεαν,
gratis, or as a free gift, but
wrought with labour and travail
— Or toil, as μοχθω signifies:
night and day — This intimates
that the apostle was frequently
obliged to work at his business
of tent-making a part of the
night, that he might be at
leisure during the day to preach
the word, and teach those that
came to him for religious
instruction. See on 1
Thessalonians 2:9. Not because
we have not power — εξουσιαν,
authority, or right, to receive
a maintenance from those to whom
we minister. See on 1
Corinthians 9:4-7. When our Lord
first sent out the twelve to
preach, he said to them,
(Matthew 10:10,) The workman is
worthy of his meat; and by so
saying conferred on his apostles
a right to demand subsistence
from those to whom they
preached. This right Paul did
not insist on among the
Thessalonians, but wrought for
his maintenance while he
preached to them. Lest, however,
his enemies might think this an
acknowledgment that he was not
an apostle, he here asserted his
right, and told them that he had
demanded no maintenance from
them, that he might make himself
a pattern to them of prudent
industry. This we commanded,
that if any among you, capable
of working, would not work — For
his own maintenance; neither
should he eat — Be maintained by
the charity of his
fellow-Christians; do not
support him in idleness. From
this precept of the gospel we
learn, that all men, without
distinction, ought to employ
themselves in some business or
other which is useful; and that
no man is entitled to spend his
life in idleness. We hear there
are some, &c. — After writing
the former epistle, the apostle,
it seems, had received a
particular account of the state
of the Thessalonian church;
working not at all, but are
busy-bodies — Idleness naturally
disposes people to busy
themselves with the concerns of
others. Such we command and
exhort — παρακαλουμεν, beseech;
by our Lord Jesus — To his
command the apostle added
earnest entreaty; and he did so
by the direction of Christ. Or
the meaning may be, We command
by the authority, and beseech by
the love of our Lord Jesus, that
with quietness they work,
forbearing to meddle, in any
shape, with other people’s
affairs.
Verses 13-15
2 Thessalonians 3:13-15. But ye,
brethren — Who are not guilty of
these, and such like
miscarriages; be not weary in
well-doing — In pursuing that
line of conduct which is
reputable and useful, which
brings glory to God, and good to
mankind. The original
expression, μη εκκακησητε,
properly signifies, do not flag,
through sloth or cowardice. The
Thessalonians, therefore, are
here cautioned against flagging
in the performance of their
duty, either to God or their
fellow-creatures. If any man
obey not our word — Whether
spoken to you during our short
abode with you, or signified by
this, or our former epistle;
note that man — σημειουσθε, set
a mark upon, or point out, that
man. Probably he intended that
the rulers of the church should
point him out to the rest, that
they might avoid all familiarity
and needless correspondence with
him, which is meant by having no
company with him; that he may be
ashamed — In order that, being
shunned by all as an evil-doer,
he may be ashamed of his conduct
and amend. Yet count him not as
an enemy — An obstinate,
incurable sinner, no more to be
regarded; but admonish him as a
brother — Remind him of his duty
and danger as a member of the
same body with yourselves; or
tell him lovingly of the reason
why you shun him.
Verse 16-17
2 Thessalonians 3:16-17. Now the
Lord of peace himself — See on
Romans 15:33; or Christ may be
here intended, and called the
Lord of peace, in allusion to
Isaiah 9:6, where he is foretold
under the character of the
Prince of peace, because he was
to reconcile Jews and Gentiles
to God and to one another. Give
you peace by all means — In
every way and manner. This
prayer the apostle subjoins to
the foregoing command, to
intimate that if the rulers of
the church are faithful in their
exhortations and admonitions, it
is to be expected that the Lord
will follow their labours with
his blessing, and make them
effectual for producing peace
and righteousness among the
members of his body. The Lord be
with you all — A wish this
founded on Christ’s promise,
(Matthew 28:20,) Lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of
the world, with which promise it
is probable Paul was made
acquainted. The salutation of
Paul with mine own hand — See on
1 Corinthians 16:21; Galatians
6:11; which is the token in
every epistle — The mark to know
those that are true from such as
are counterfeit. So I write —
This is my custom in all my
epistles. |