Category: 2 Thessalonians 3

2 Thessalonians 3:8 – A Servant Above Reproach

Posted on by Will

nor did we eat anyone's bread as a free gift, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

Truth to Learn

The Apostle Paul behaved above reproach in his ministry.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “as a free gift” is dōrean, which is based on dōron, meaning “a gift.” Hence, dōrean means “as a free gift.”

“Worked” is translated from ergadzomai, which is a form of ergon, meaning “work.” Ergadzomai means “to be engaged in work or labor, usually as a regular trade.”

Kopos is the word translated “labor.” Its base meaning is “to cut,” but it is used to refer to “hard labor which produces weariness.”

The word “toil” in translated from mochthos, which refers to “painful labor.”

“Burden” is from the Greek verb epibareō. This is composed of epi, meaning “on” or “upon,” used here as an intensifier and bareō, meaning “to weigh down with a heavy burden.” Thus, epibareō means “to place a heavy burden on someone.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about those in the church who are disorderly, especially those teachers who had come into the church in Thessalonica and had taught them erroneous truths about the Day of the Lord. In order to demonstrate his own commitment to God and to the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul is explaining to them how he, Timothy, and Sylvanus (Silas) had behaved while they ministered to the saints there.

In Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, he explained at length why ministers of the gospel have a right to expect to be supported by those to whom they minister (see 1 Corinthians 9:1-27). Also, from Acts 18:2, 3 we learn that Paul was a tentmaker by trade and worked in that occupation to support himself while he was also working full-time as a preacher of the gospel. Apparently, this was his practice wherever he went so as not to be a burden to those who received his teaching.

In today’s verse we again see how hard Paul worked (apparently both as a preacher and a tentmaker) in order to deliver the Gospel message. Here he reminds the Thessalonians that he did not receive free food from anyone in the church in Thessalonica. Instead, he put in long hours, working to the point of weariness and pain, so that he could give his teachings to everyone free of charge.

Certainly, Paul is not claiming that those who proclaim the Gospel message should do so without pay. In fact, in addition to the verses referenced above, he teaches just the opposite in Galatians 6:6 and in 1 Timothy 5:17, 18. We who receive sound doctrinal teaching should be willing to support those who labor hard to accurately proclaim God’s truth. In this passage, however, Paul was making a point that he has behaved above reproach in performing his ministry.

 

Application

Does your preacher declare the truth of God’s word week-in and week-out? Doing so takes hard work and dedication. Does he receive the appropriate recognition and reward from the church? Even a hand-written note of thanks helps.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 3:7 – Walk, or Just Talk?

Posted on by Will

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, for we were not disorderly among you;

Truth to Learn

The most effective proclaimer of the Gospel truth is someone who lives the kind of life he preaches about.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “know” is eidō, which means “to see with perception.” As in English, this verb can refer to visibly seeing something and perceiving what it is, or it can mean “to see with the mind,” that is, “to know.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.

“You ought” is from the Greek word dei, meaning “it is necessary.” It is a bold statement by Paul, for he is not saying “you could …” or even “you should.” He is saying “you need to follow our example.”

“Imitate” is translated from mimeomai, from which we get our English word “mimic.” It means “to imitate” or “to follow as an example.”

The words “we were not disorderly” are from the word ou and the verb atakteō. Ou expresses absolute negation (the Greek word mē expressed conditional negation). Atakteō is from the same root as ataktos, which we saw in yesterday’s verse, meaning “to be disorderly.” It is used in a military sense, indicating soldiers who have broken ranks and are not following an orderly course of action.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, Paul instructed the Christians in Thessalonica to withdraw themselves from those who are disorderly, those who are not demonstrating obedience to God. You may also recall that the main purpose of this letter was to correct teaching regarding the Day of the Lord. There had been people who falsely taught that this time of God’s vengeance had already begun.

Based on this verse and the following seven or eight verses, Paul appears to be teaching how to identify the difference between those who teach true doctrine and those who teach false doctrine. His first teaching in this regard is that Paul and his companions were not disorderly. And we will find out in the coming verses that they worked hard for what they had.

There are many preachers today who tell you what you want to hear. They claim that God wants you to be wealthy or that God wants you to be completely healed. They are very charismatic, presenting themselves as someone who can lead you out of your misery into an earthly life of peace and prosperity, and usually asking you to send them money “for their ministry.” Paul, on the other hand, was humble, apparently not very tall or charismatic, and supported his own ministry by working as a tent maker. Which of these two types of preachers do you want to follow as an example of Christian teaching and Christian living? Paul was bold enough to tell people, “Do as I do, not just as I say.”

 

Application

Who is your favorite preacher or Bible teacher? Is he someone who lives an exemplary life of a submitted servant? Does he just talk the talk, or does he also walk the walk?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 3:6 – Judgment With Love

Posted on by Will

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us.

Truth to Learn

There are times when Christians are supposed to judge others.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “command” is parangellō, which we saw back in verse four. It refers to a command given by a superior officer which is passed on from one person to the next.

The word “name” is from onoma, which specifically means “name.” However in the common usage of the first century it usually referred to the title or authority or someone.

“Withdraw” is from a form of stellō, meaning “to set fast,” that is, “to repress or avoid.” In the middle voice, as it is here, it means “to withdraw oneself from.”

Adelphos is the word translated “brother.” It specifically refers to someone from the same womb, hence, “a brother or sister.” It is used throughout the New Testament to refer to “a brother or sister in the Lord,” that is, another Christian.

“Disorderly” is translated from ataktōs, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of tassō, meaning “to arrange in an orderly manner.” Thus, ataktōs refers to a person who is disorderly or neglectful of their responsibilities.

 

Meaning Explained

A couple of verses back, the Apostle Paul expressed his faith that the readers of this letter would continue obeying the commands that he was passing along. He now gives one of those commands, specifically stating that we are to withdraw ourselves from other Christians whose lives are not demonstrating obedience to God.

There are two things that we can learn from today’s verse. The first is that we are supposed to judge the behavior of other Christians. Even though Christ said, “Judge  not, that you be not judged.” In Matthew 7:1, he was referring to not having a judgmental attitude. There are several examples in the New Testament where we are told to make judgments about others and this is one of them. Paul does not tell us here that we are to condemn these disorderly and disobedient brothers and sisters, we simply are to withdraw ourselves from them. The reason for withdrawing from them is two-fold. It sends a message to the disobedient ones that their actions are inappropriate and it keeps us from being adversely affected by their behavior. It’s hard enough to walk the Christian walk without having others affecting our actions by their bad example.

The other thing we need to learn from today’s verse is that we should not carry this teaching to extremes. There are some churches which teach that if a brother or sister is not withdrawing himself or herself from another Christian who is disorderly, then we should break fellowship with them. Carried to an extreme, this isolates such churches from nearly all other Christians. Such churches become very legalistic and completely lose their effectiveness in ministering to others and witnessing to the lost.

 

Application

We need to make judgments concerning other Christians, but we need to do so in love, as our Lord would do. We also need to be willing to welcome them back into the fold when they repent. Let love and mercy guide your actions, not vengeance.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 3:5 – Our Heavenly Guide

Posted on by Will

Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Truth to Learn

As you travel through this life, follow God’s directions.

 

Behind the Words

“Direct” is translated from the Greek verb kateuthenō. This is a compound word made up of kata, used as an intensifier and euthunō, which means “to make straight.” This is a nautical term which means “to steer a ship in the proper direction.” It is expressed here in the optative mood, indicating action that may or may not be occurring currently, but that could occur.

The word translated “love” is agapē, which refers to the kind of self-sacrificing love that is part of God’s very nature.

“Patience” is from the word hupomone, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and a form of the verb menō, meaning “to remain” or “to stay in place.” It is a picture of a beast of burden remaining under a heavy load instead of shaking it off. It is often translated as “patience” or “steadfastness.”

 

Meaning Explained

Throughout this Bible study series we have been highlighting the fact that the Christian life is a journey. It’s a journey along the pathway of life, full of twists and turns, rocky places and smooth places, steep hills and peaceful valleys, firm ground and slippery, mucky ground. There are also many places where the pathway splits, presenting us multiple options for which way to go. Throughout our travels, the most comforting and reassuring fact is that we are not on this journey alone. We have a Guide who has walked these paths before, a Comforter and Encourager who knows where every path leads, who knows what pitfalls are coming long before we fall into them. The best thing of all is the fact that our guide wants us to walk with Him and follow His lead.

But – He is not a dictator who forces us to take the right path; He simply directs in a quiet manner and leaves it up to us to follow His lead or not. He even allows us to step off the pathway and “do our own thing,” even though He knows that our choices will sometimes bring us trouble and heartache. And, when we take a wrong turn, getting lost or mired in the mud, He gently teaches us the error of our way and welcomes us back with loving, open arms.

This is what Paul’s prayer in today’s verse is all about. He prays to our loving, heavenly Guide, asking Him to direct our hearts. But notice what the destination is. He doesn’t ask God to direct us to peace and safety. That will come at the end of our journey, to be sure. Instead, Paul prays that God will direct our hearts into the self-sacrificing love that is part of who God is. Notice that this destination is not one which is focused on us, but on others. As the Apostle John says in 1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.”

The other destination that Paul prays about is “the patience of Christ.” Sometimes God directs us onto difficult pathways so that we might grow and become more Christ-like. This is not a punishment, but a proving ground put in our path to teach us patience.

 

Application

Hang in there, my friend. When difficulties arise, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have done something wrong. Keep your eyes fixed on Him and grow into the image of Christ.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 3:4 – Obey Your Commander

Posted on by Will

And we are persuaded in the Lord concerning you, both that the things we command you, you both do and will do.

Truth to Learn

It’s up to Him and He is faithful. But, it’s also up to us to do our part.

 

Behind the Words

“We are persuaded” is translated from the Greek verb peithō, which, as we learned in the previous verse, means “to win over” or “to persuade.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the ongoing effect. Therefore, Paul is saying “we were persuaded (in the past) and now have belief (confidence) …”

Parangellō is the Greek word translated “command.” It is composed of para, meaning “near” or “beside” and angellō, meaning “to tell” or “to declare.” It is used in a military sense of “relaying an order from the commander from one soldier to the next.”

The words “you … do” and “you will do” are from the verb poieō, which means “to make” or “to do.” In the first case it is expressed in the present tense, and in the second case it is expressed in the future tense. Thus, Paul is saying “… that you do now and you will do in the future …”

 

Meaning Explained

In the first chapter of this letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul commended them on the manner in which their faith was growing exceedingly and in the love which they demonstrated towards each other. He also encouraged them that God would take vengeance against those who persecuted them. In the second chapter, he cleared up some confusion they had concerning the Day of the Lord and explained why that time had not yet arrived. In this third chapter, Paul is giving them (and us) some practical teaching regarding how to have a profitable and fruitful Christian walk.

As we mentioned in the previous verse, the Apostle Paul is making a play on words here regarding the Greek word pistis (faith). In verse two he stated that “… not all have faith.” Then in yesterday’s verse he said, “but the Lord is faithful …” Now he states, “and we have confidence (faith) …” He is clearly showing that a fruitful Christian life is based not just on the working of God but also on our own responsibility. God will guard us and protect us from the evil one, but we have to do our part in faithfully performing the things that are commanded of us.

A fruitful and rewarding Christian walk is not easy. Any Christian who says he or she doesn’t daily have battles against his or her sin nature and the schemes of our adversary is deluding himself or herself. Once we have believed the truth about our own sinfulness and have accepted the payment that Jesus Christ made for us with his blood, we don’t simply float through life with bliss and ease. The day of our salvation did not mark the end our troubles and battles in life, it marked the beginning. God has done his part and He will continue to guard our salvation, but it is up to us to make this new life count for Him.

 

Application

If you are a born again Christian, then you are facing struggles and battles right now. We all do! They may be big or they may be small, but don’t despair and don’t give up. God is doing His part; you have to do yours.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 3:3 – Walking Faith

Posted on by Will

But the Lord is faithful, and He will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Truth to Learn

Walking by faith means trusting that God will establish and guard you both now and in the future.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “faithful” is pistos, which is based on peithō, meaning “to win over” or “to persuade.” In common usage it refers to someone who is worth believing, that is, someone who does what he or she says they will do. In Greek, word order is significant, with emphasis being given to the word or words expressed first. In this verse, the word order is “Faithful is the Lord,” thus emphasizing God’s faithfulness.

“Establish” is from the Greek verb stēridzō, which is based on the noun histēmi, meaning “to stand.” Stēridzō means “to set firmly in place.” It is expressed here in the future tense, indicating action that God is going to do.

The word “guard” is translated from phulassō, which means “to keep watch over” or “to protect from harm.”

Ponēros is the word translated “evil one.” In the previous verse it was translated “wicked.” It refers to “evil in a moral or spiritual sense.” In this verse it is preceded by the definite article the, indicating a specific evil person.

 

Meaning Explained

As we mentioned above, Paul starts off this verse with “faithful,” which is the word pistos. What’s particularly interesting about this is that he ended the previous verse with “faith,” from the word pistis. Apparently, Paul is making a play on words here, saying “Not all men have faith in the Lord, but faithfulness is a characteristic of God.”

He is also using a play on words to make a point regarding how God will take care of us. He does this through his use of the verb stēridzō. A few verses back, in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Paul gave a command to “stand fast and keep a firm hold on the things you have been taught.” The command form (imperative mood) of the verb implies it is something that is not happening, but it needs to happen. Then, in his prayer for them, Paul asks that God “may … establish you in every good word and work.” The use of stēridzō is that verse (2 Thessalonians 2:17) is in the optative mood, indicating that it may not be happening currently, but that it probably would. Now, in the current verse, Paul says that “the Lord will establish you and guard you.” This is expressed in the indicative mood, as something that definitely will happen because the Lord is faithful.

Not only will God make our stand firm, He will also protect us from the evil one. There is some disagreement among Biblical scholars as to whether Paul is talking about Satan (as Jesus was in His prayer for His disciples in Matthew 6:13), or to one of the “unreasonable and wicked men” that he referred to in the previous verse. Whatever position you take on this issue, the point is that God is faithful; He always does what He says He will do, and Paul says that He will establish and guard His children.

 

Application

Just because we’re saved through “faith” in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, doesn’t mean that we have “faith” in God’s protection and care for us. Saving faith is a one-time thing; walking faith is a lifelong thing. Are you currently walking by faith daily, trusting God to establish and guard you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 3:2 – Protect The Messengers

Posted on by Will

and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

Truth to Learn

Those who deliver the gospel message need God’s protection.

 

Behind the Words

“We may be delivered” is translated from the Greek verb rhuomai. This word is derived from rhuō, meaning “to drag along the ground.” Rhuomai means “to draw out” or “to snatch from danger.” It is most often translated as “to rescue” or “to deliver.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating possibility or probability.

The Greek word translated “unreasonable” is atopos. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and topos, meaning “a place.” So, atopos literally means “out of place” or “without a place.” Figuratively, this word means “improper, unreasonable, or hurtful.”

Ponēros is the Greek word translated “wicked.” It refers to “evil in a moral or spiritual sense.” It is usually translated as “bad, evil, or wicked.”

 

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul is in the middle of a prayer request to the people of the church in Thessalonica. In the previous verse he asked that they pray for swift movement of the word of the Lord. It was Paul’s desire to see the gospel spread all over the world; his hope and his prayer were that it would move swiftly from one place to the next.

Now Paul requests that he and his co-workers be delivered from (protected from) those who are opposed to the gospel message. He refers to them as unreasonable, or hurtful, and as wicked, or evil. From the time that Paul first landed in Macedonia (in Philippi) he preached the gospel and was opposed by non-believing Jews. In Philippi he and Silas (Sylvanus) were thrown in jail. When they moved on to Thessalonica, they were again persecuted by the non-believing Jews. Having secretly left Thessalonica by night, they went to Berea. But when the Jews of Thessalonica heard that Paul was in Berea, they went after him there and stirred up the people against him. So Paul headed to Athens and then to Corinth, from where he wrote this letter. He remained there at least a year and a half. While in Corinth, however, Paul was brought before the judgment seat of the proconsul Gallio. There the Jews accused him of persuading people to worship God contrary to the law, but the case was dismissed even before Paul had a chance to speak. (Read Acts chapters 16 – 18.)

Wherever Paul went, two things regularly happened: he preached the gospel to anyone who would listen, and he was opposed by those who didn’t believe his message. Instead of keeping silent to protect himself, Paul preached the word boldly and asked believers to pray for his safety and protection from those who opposed the gospel message.

 

Application

All around the world we are seeing more and more opposition to the true gospel message. We see churches, where the truth of God has been watered down, growing and prospering. But those that remain faithful to the fundamental truths of the Bible are finding it more and more difficult to survive. Around the world, Christians are more frequently becoming the targets of violence. We all need to be praying for each other that we will be strong and that God will continue to protect us as we deliver the most important message to those who need it most.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 3:1 – Pray For God’s Glory

Posted on by Will

As to the rest, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it has with you,

Truth to Learn

Our prayers need to focus on God’s glory, not our own.

 

Behind the Words

“As to the rest” is translated from loipos, meaning “that which remains,” “as to the rest,” or “finally.”

The word translated “pray” is proseuchomai, which is made up of pros, meaning “to” or “towards” and euchomai, which literally means “to speak out, to utter aloud, or to express a wish.” Therefore, proseuchomai means “to express a wish to someone” or “to speak out to someone.” In virtually every occurrence of this verb in the New Testament, the person being spoken to is God. The verb is expressed here in the imperative mood, expressing a command.

The words “may run swiftly” are from the verb trechō, meaning “to run.” The word “swiftly” has been added for clarity, indicated by its being written in italics. The emphasis here is for fast action. It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating possibility or probability.

The Greek verb doxadzō is translated as “be glorified.” The root of this word is doxa, which we saw in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, meaning “reputation, praise, honor, or splendor.” Thus, doxadzō means “to give praise” or “to give honor.”

 

Meaning Explained

The main purpose of this second letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christians in Thessalonica was to clear up some false teaching in the church regarding the Day of the Lord. Having finished that portion of his teaching, Paul then prayed that God might comfort them and strengthen them in their faith.

Paul is ever mindful of the necessity and power of prayer. His letters are filled with prayers for others and prayer requests for himself and his companions. So, after having prayed for the Thessalonians, he now asks them to pray for him. We might wonder why the eminently successful apostle frequently asks for prayer, until we realize that the reason for his success is partly a result of these prayers. He knows that whatever success he has is not because of how great he is, but how great God is.

Notice, now, that the object of Paul’s prayers is never his own glorification, but that God might be glorified. In fact, if you read 2 Corinthians chapter twelve, you will see that he did not like to boast about himself, even though he had experienced visions and had been given revelations directly from God. As a matter of fact, he realized that God had allowed an affliction which Paul called his “thorn in the flesh” in order to keep him humbly focused on God and His glory. Paul pleaded with the Lord several times for his infirmity to be removed but recognized that God allowed it to keep him from getting too proud of himself. He even learned to boast about his infirmity, knowing that it was for God’s glory.

In his current prayer request, Paul asks the Thessalonian Christians to pray that the word of the Lord might move quickly. He wanted the gospel message to travel far and wide so that many souls might be saved, resulting in glory to God.

 

Application

Think about your own prayer requests. When you ask others to pray for you, is it so that you will feel better or so that you will be successful? Are your prayer requests focused on God being glorified, or are they focused on you? Ouch! That hurts.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved