CHAPTER 3
@2Th 3:1-18. HE ASKS THEIR PRAYERS: HIS CONFIDENCE IN THEM: PRAYER FOR THEM: CHARGES AGAINST DISORDERLY IDLE CONDUCT; HIS OWN EXAMPLE: CONCLUDING PRAYER AND SALUTATION.
1. Finally--literally, "As to what remains."
may have free course--literally, "may run"; spread
rapidly without a drag on the wheels of its course. That the new-creating word may
"run," as "swiftly" as the creative word at the first (@Ps 147:15). The opposite is
the word of God being "bound" (@2Ti 2:9).
glorified--by sinners accepting it (@Ac 13:48 Ga 1:23,24).
Contrast "evil spoken of" (@1Pe 4:14).
as it is with you--(@1Th 1:6 4:10 5:11).
2. that we . . . be delivered from unreasonable
. . . men--literally, men out of place, inept, unseemly: out of
the way bad: more than ordinarily bad. An undesigned coincidence with @Ac 18:5-9. Paul was now at
Corinth, where the JEWS "opposed themselves" to his
preaching: in answer to his prayers and those of his converts at Thessalonica and
elsewhere, "the Lord, in vision," assured him of exemption from "the
hurt," and of success in bringing in "much people." On the unreasonable,
out-of-the way perversity of the Jews, as known to the Thessalonians, see @1Th 2:15,16.
have not faith--or as Greek, "the faith" of
the Christian: the only antidote to what is "unreasonable and wicked." The
Thessalonians, from their ready acceptance of the Gospel (@1Th 1:5,6), might think
"all" would similarly receive it; but the Jews were far from having such a
readiness to believe the truth.
3. faithful--alluding to "faith" (@2Th 3:2):though many will not
believe, the Lord (other very old manuscripts read "God") is still to be
believed in as faithful to His promises (@1Th 5:24 2Ti 2:13). Faith
on the part of man answers to faithfulness on the part of God.
stablish you--as he had prayed (@2Th 2:17). Though it was on
himself that wicked men were making their onset, he turns away from asking the
Thessalonians' prayers for HIS deliverance (@2Th 3:2:so unselfish was he,
even in religion), to express his assurance of THEIR establishment
in the faith, and preservation from evil. This assurance thus exactly answers to his
prayer for them (@2Th 2:17),
"Our Lord . . . stablish you in every good word and work." He
has before his mind the Lord's Prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil"; where, as here, the translation may be, "from the evil one";
the great hinderer of "every good word and work." Compare @Mt 13:19, "the wicked
one."
4. we have confidence in the Lord--as "faithful"
(@2Th 3:3). Have confidence
in no man when left to himself [BENGEL].
that ye both do--Some of the oldest manuscripts insert a
clause, "that ye both have done" before, "and are doing, and will do."
He means the majority by "ye," not all of them (compare @2Th 3:11 1:3 1Th 3:6).
5. If "the Lord" be here the Holy Ghost (@2Co 3:17), the three Persons
of the Trinity will occur in this verse.
love of God--love to God.
patient waiting for Christ--rather as Greek, "the
patience (endurance) of Christ," namely, which Christ showed [ALFORD]
(@2Th 2:4 1Th 1:3).
ESTIUS, however, supports English Version (compare @Re 1:9 3:10). At all
events, this grace, "patience," or persevering endurance, is connected
with the "hope" (@1Th
1:3,10) of Christ's coming. In ALFORD'S translation we
may compare @Heb 12:1,2,
"Run with patience (endurance) . . . looking to JESUS . . . who, for the joy that was before Him, endured
the cross"; so WE are to endure, as looking for the hope to be
realized at His coming (@Heb
10:36,37).
6. we command you--Hereby he puts to a particular test
their obedience in general to his commands, which obedience he had recognized in @2Th 3:4.
withdraw--literally, "to furl the sails"; as we say,
to steer clear of (compare @2Th 3:14). Some had given up
labor as though the Lord's day was immediately coming. He had enjoined mild censure of
such in @1Th 5:14, "Warn
. . . the unruly"; but now that the mischief had become more confirmed, he
enjoins stricter discipline, namely, withdrawal from their company (compare @1Co 5:11 2Jo 1:10:11):not
a formal sentence of excommunication, such as was subsequently passed on more heinous
offenders (as in @1Co
5:5 1Ti 1:20). He says "brother," that is, professing Christian; for in the
case of unprofessing heathen, believers needed not be so strict (@1Co 5:10-13).
disorderly--Paul plainly would not have sanctioned the order
of Mendicant Friars, who reduce such a "disorderly" and lazy life to a system.
Call it not an order, but a burden to the community (BENGEL,
alluding to the Greek, @2Th
3:8, for "be chargeable," literally, "be a burden").
the tradition--the oral instruction which he had given to them
when present (@2Th 3:10),
and subsequently committed to writing (@1Th 4:11,12).
which he received of us--Some oldest manuscripts read, "ye
received"; others, "they received." The English Version
reading has no very old authority.
7. how ye ought to follow us--how ye ought to live so as to "imitate (so the Greek for 'follow') us" (compare Notes, see on 1Co 11:1; 1Th 1:6).
8. eat any man's bread--Greek, "eat bread from
any man," that is, live at anyone's expense. Contrast @2Th 3:12, "eat THEIR OWN bread."
wrought--(@Ac 20:34). In both Epistles
they state they maintained themselves by labor; but in this second Epistle they do so in
order to offer themselves herein as an example to the idle; whereas, in the first, their
object in doing so is to vindicate themselves from all imputation of mercenary motives in
preaching the Gospel (@1Th
2:5,9) [EDMUNDS]. They preached gratuitously though they might
have claimed maintenance from their converts.
labour and travail--"toil and hardship" (see on 1Th 2:9).
night and day--scarcely allowing time for repose.
chargeable--Greek, "a burden," or
"burdensome." The Philippians did not regard it as a burden to contribute
to his support (@Php
4:15,16), sending to him while he was in this very Thessalonica (@Ac 16:15,34,40). Many
Thessalonians, doubtless, would have felt it a privilege to contribute, but as he saw some
idlers among them who would have made a pretext of his example to justify themselves, he
waived his right. His reason for the same course at Corinth was to mark how different were
his aims from those of the false teachers who sought their own lucre (@2Co 11:9,12,13). It is
at the very time and place of writing these Epistles that Paul is expressly said to have wrought
at tent-making with Aquila (@Ac 18:3); an undesigned
coincidence.
10. For even--Translate, "For also." We
not only set you the example, but gave a positive "command."
commanded--Greek imperfect, "We were
commanding"; we kept charge of you.
would not work--Greek, "is unwilling to
work." BENGEL makes this to be the argument: not that such a
one is to have his food withdrawn from him by others; but he proves from the necessity of eating
the necessity of working; using this pleasantry, Let him who will not work show
himself an angel, that is, do without food as the angels do (but since he cannot do
without food, then he ought to be not unwilling to work). It seems to me simpler to take
it as a punishment of the idle. Paul often quotes good adages current among the people,
stamping them with inspired approval. In the Hebrew, "Bereshith Rabba,"
the same saying is found; and in the book Zeror, "He who will not work before
the sabbath, must not eat on the sabbath."
11. busy bodies--In the Greek the similarity of sound marks the antithesis, "Doing none of their own business, yet overdoing in the business of others." Busy about everyone's business but their own. "Nature abhors a vacuum"; so if not doing one's own business, one is apt to meddle with his neighbor's business. Idleness is the parent of busybodies (@1Ti 5:13). Contrast @1Th 4:11.
12. by--The oldest manuscripts read, "IN
the Lord Jesus." So the Greek, @1Th 4:1, implying the sphere
wherein such conduct is appropriate and consistent. "We exhort you thus, as ministers
IN Christ, exhorting our people IN
Christ."
with quietness--quiet industry; laying aside restless,
bustling, intermeddling officiousness (@2Th 3:11).
their own--bread earned by themselves, not another's bread (@2Th 3:8).
13. be not weary--The oldest manuscripts read, "Be not cowardly in"; do not be wanting in strenuousness in doing well. EDMUNDS explains it: Do not culpably neglect to do well, namely, with patient industry do your duty in your several callings. In contrast to the "disorderly, not-working busybodies" (@2Th 3:11; compare @Ga 6:9).
14. note that man--mark him in your own mind as one to be
avoided (@2Th 3:6).
that he may be ashamed--Greek, "made to turn and
look into himself, and so be put to shame." Feeling himself shunned by godly
brethren, he may become ashamed of his course.
15. admonish him as a brother--not yet excommunicated (compare @Le 19:17). Do not shun him in contemptuous silence, but tell him why he is so avoided (@Mt 18:15 1Th 5:14).
16. Lord of peace--Jesus Christ. The same title is given to
Him as to the Father, "the GOD of peace" (@Ro 15:33 16:20
2Co 13:11). An appropriate title in the prayer here, where the harmony of the
Christian community was liable to interruption from the "disorderly." The Greek
article requires the translation, "Give you the peace" which it is
"His to give." "Peace" outward and inward, here and hereafter (@Ro 14:17).
always--unbroken, not changing with outward circumstances.
by all means--Greek, "in every way." Most of
the oldest manuscripts read, "in every place"; thus he prays for their
peace in all times ("always") and places.
Lord be with you all--May He bless you not only with peace,
but also with His presence (@Mt 28:20). Even the
disorderly brethren (compare @2Th
3:15, "a brother") are included in this prayer.
17. The Epistle was written by an amanuensis (perhaps Silas
or Timothy), and only the closing salutation written by Paul's "own hand"
(compare @Ro
16:22 1Co 16:21 Col 4:18). Wherever Paul does not subjoin this autograph salutation,
we may presume he wrote the whole Epistle himself (@Ga 6:11).
which--which autograph salutation.
the token--to distinguish genuine Epistles from spurious ones
put forth in my name (@2Th 2:2).
in every epistle--Some think he signed his name to every
Epistle with his own hand; but as there is no trace of this in any manuscripts of all
the Epistles, it is more likely that he alludes to his writing with his own hand in
closing every Epistle, even in those Epistles (Romans, Second Corinthians, Ephesians,
Philippians, First Thessalonians) wherein he does not specify his having done so.
so I write--so I sign my name: this is a specimen of my handwriting,
by which to distinguish my geniune letters from forgeries.
18. He closes every Epistle by praying for GRACE
to those whom he addresses.
Amen--omitted in the oldest manuscripts It was doubtless the
response of the congregation after hearing the Epistle read publicly; hence it crept into
copies.
The Subscription is spurious, as the Epistle was written not "from Athens," but from Corinth.