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<h2><a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,'1-');">2Th 3</a> - Guidance for Body Life</h2>
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<p>A. Prayer requested and given.</p>
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<p class="c1"><span>1. (<a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,'1-2');">1-2</a>) Paul's prayer request.</span></p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run <i>swiftly</i> and be glorified, just as <i>it is</i> with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Finally, brethren, pray for us</span></b>: Paul constantly asked other Christians to pray for him (<a onclick="return mV('Rom',15,30);">Rom 15:30</a>; <a onclick="return mV('2Cr',1,11);">2Cr 1:11</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Eph',6,'18-19');">Eph 6:18-19</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Phl',1,19);">Phl 1:19</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Col',4,3);">Col 4:3</a>; <a onclick="return mV('1Th',5,25);">1Th 5:25</a>, and <a onclick="return mV('Phm',1,22);">Phm 1:22</a>). Paul knew that the success of his ministry in some measure depended on the prayers of God's people.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "<span>You cannot tell how much God's servants are helped by the prayers of his people. The strongest man in Israel will be the better for the prayers of the weakest saint in Zion." (Spurgeon)</span></p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">That the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified</span></b>: Paul's great concern - what he first asked the <span>Thessalonian</span> Christians to pray for - was that God's word be <b><span class="c3">free</span></b> to do its work among others, even as it had among the Thessalonians (<b><span class="c3">just as it is with you</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Paul asked for prayer so that the word can <b><span class="c3">run</span></b> freely, without any hindrance. Paul's prayer request makes us wonder how often the work of God's word is hindered by our prayerlessness.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. God <i>has</i> promised that His word would be free and perform its work: <i>It shall not return to <span>Me</span> void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it</i> (<a onclick="return mV('Isa',55,11);">Isa 55:11</a>). But as with many of God's promises, we are expected to take this promise in faith, and ask prayer asking God to perform it for His glory.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men</span></b>: These were those who wanted to hinder the work of the gospel. Paul wanted God to either deliver him from such men, or change them into reasonable and godly men.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,'3-5');">3-5</a>) Paul's confidence in the Lord and prayer for the Thessalonians.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard <i>you</i> from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of <span>Christ.</span></span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">But the Lord is faithful</span></b>: Even if not <i>all</i> men <i>have faith</i>, the <b><span class="c3">Lord is faithful</span></b>. This was the basis of Paul's confidence in God's ability to <b><span class="c3">establish</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">guard</span></b> us from the <b><span class="c3">evil one</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. God promised to keep Satan on a leash. He will not allow any temptation to become too great for us (<a onclick="return mV('1Cr',10,13);">1Cr 10:13</a>), and will not allow Satan to do whatever he wants with us (<a onclick="return mV('Luk',22,'31-32');">Luk 22:31-32</a>).</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">And we have confidence in the Lord</span></b>: Paul was also confident (<b><span class="c3">in the Lord</span></b>) regarding the Thessalonians themselves, that they would follow through and be obedient to God's word (<b><span class="c3">that you do and will do the things we command you</span></b>). This shows that God's work of establishing and guarding us is done, in part, through His appeal to our will in obeying His word.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. God doesn't just pour spiritual maturity and stability into us. He works it in us through our cooperation with His will.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Now may the Lord direct your hearts</span></b>: Towards this end, Paul wisely prayed for both <b><span class="c3">love</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">patience</span></b> (endurance) for the <span>Thessalonian</span> <span>Christians.</span> These were two qualities are essential for the kind of spiritual stability and strength the Thessalonians need.</p>
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<p>B. Instructions for the strength and purity of the church.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,6);">6</a>) <span>The</span> command to withdraw from the disorderly.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus <span>Christ, that</span> you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">But we command you</span></b>: The strength of this statement is plain. It was not only a <b><span class="c3">command</span></b>, but it was also made <b><span class="c3">in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">That you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly</span></b>: Paul defined the <b><span class="c3">disorderly</span></b> as those who did not walk <b><span class="c3">according to the tradition</span></b> (the pattern of teaching and living) Paul and the apostles gave to them.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Churches should never withdraw from someone because they fail to conform to <i>man's</i> traditions or teachings. The only standard to uphold is <i>apostolic</i> tradition and teaching.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. "The present tense of the verb <i>walks</i> denotes that it is a deliberate course of action. Their disorderly conduct is not an occasional lapse but a persistent practice." (<span>Hiebert</span>)</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Withdraw from every brother</span></b>: Paul had already told the Thessalonians to <i>warn the unruly</i> (<a onclick="return mV('1Th',5,14);">1Th 5:14</a>). Apparently, the problem still remained in some measure, so he told them to now discipline the <i>unruly</i> ones in question.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The purpose in withdrawing from these disobedient was not so much punishment, but more so simply to deny these disobedient ones the aid and comfort of the fellowship of the body of Christ until they repented. It put them out of the church into the "domain" of Satan (the world)<span>,</span> in hope that they might miss the fellowship of the church so much they would repent of their disobedience.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Paul echoed the same idea in <a onclick="return mV('1Cr',5,'4-5');">1Cr 5:4-5</a>. The purpose was to bring about repentance and salvation in the disobedient ones, not to condemn or damn them.</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. In an indirect way, Paul showed that his vision for the church was that it should be such a place of love and comfort that it would a significant deprivation to be put out of it. Churches today should also fit that description.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,'7-9');">7-9</a>) Paul describes the life displayed by the apostolic tradition.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">For you <span>yourselves</span> know how you ought to follow us</span></b>: Paul was an excellent example among the Thessalonians, in that he worked hard to support his own needs. This wasn't because apostles like Paul didn't have the right to request support. Instead, it was because he wanted to set a good example of hard work and prove false any accusation that he preached the gospel for personal gain.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">To make ourselves an example of how you should follow us</span></b>: Therefore, the Thessalonians should follow Paul in his example of both hard work and willingness to sacrifice for the furtherance and integrity of the gospel.</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,10);">10</a>) Paul describes the teaching presented by the apostolic tradition.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat</span></b>: Simply put, Paul says that if anyone <b><span class="c3">will not work </span></b>(instead of <i>can not work</i>)<i>,</i> <b><span class="c3">neither shall he eat</span></b>. God's plan is to provide for our needs through our work.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Neither shall he eat</span></b>: Since God is able to provide through our needs in any manner imaginable, it means something that He has chosen (for the most part) to meet our needs through work. This is part of God's character, because He is a busy God and always at work.</p>
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<p class="c1">4. (<a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,'11-13');">11-13</a>) Paul applies the apostolic tradition to the situation among the Thessalonians.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But <i>as for</i> you, brethren, do not grow weary <i>in</i> doing <span>good</span>.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">There are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner</span></b>: The idleness of some had become a source of sin. It was not only because of the work that they <i>didn't do</i>, but also because of the harm they <i>did do</i> with their idle time (<b><span class="c3">but are busybodies</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c5">i. There is a play on words between the ancient Greek phrasing in the lines <b><span class="c3">not working at all</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">but are busybodies</span></b>. The idea is something like "busybodies who do no business."</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Perhaps these <b><span class="c3">busybodies</span></b> thought that if Jesus was coming soon, it made no sense to work. It would then be easy for them to intrude into the lives of others and take advantage of Christian generosity.</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. "It is the inactive drones whom Paul is berating – those who live by the sweat of others while they themselves do nothing for the common good to help the human race, such as our monks and priests who acquire ample dimensions by their inactivity." (Calvin)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Now those who are such we command</span></b>: With authority, <b><span class="c3">through our Lord Jesus</span></b>, Paul commanded these <b><span class="c3">busybodies</span></b> to <b><span class="c3">work</span></b>, to get out of the business of others (<b><span class="c3">in quietness</span></b>) and to provide for their own needs (<b><span class="c3">eat their own bread</span></b>) instead of expecting other Christians to provide for them.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The early church did provide for the truly needy among them, but only after being certain that they were truly needy and after putting them to work for the church (<a onclick="return mV('1Ti',5,'3-16');">1Ti 5:3-16</a>).</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. "Paul forbids the Thessalonians to encourage their laziness by indulging it, and teaches that it is those who proved themselves with the necessities of life by <span>honourable</span> and useful work that lead a life of holiness." (Calvin)</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Do not grow weary in doing <span>good</span></span></b>: This was a proper encouragement for those who were working as they should. Few things are more wearying than seeing others take advantage of Christian generosity. But we should never let the manipulations of some discourage us from doing <span>good</span> to the truly needy.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The older King James Version has this, <i>be not weary in well doing</i>. There is plenty of <i>well-wishing</i> in the world, <i>well-resolving</i>, <i>well-suggesting</i>, and <i>well-criticizing</i> are also found in plenty. Many people are good at <i>well-talking</i>, but there is not enough of simple <i>well doing</i>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. "<span>But well doing consists in taking down the shutters and selling your goods; tucking up your shirt sleeves and doing a good day's work; sweeping the carpets and dusting the chairs, if you happen to be a domestic servant. Well doing is attending to the duties that arise out of our relationships in life – attending carefully to them, and seeing that in nothing we are eye-servers and men-pleasers, but in everything are seeking to serve God." (Spurgeon)</span></p>
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<p class="c5"><span>iii. There </span><span>are many excuses one might make to allowing weariness in <b><span class="c3">doing good</span></b>, but they should all be rejected.</span></p><ul class="c6"><li><span>"It takes so much effort to keep doing good" – but you will extend effort towards the things of the world. </span></li><li><span>"It takes so much self-denial to keep doing <span>good</span>" – but it is worth it when we consider the reward. </span></li><li><span>"It just brings me persecution to do <span>good</span>" – but your persecutions are nothing compared to that which others have suffered. </span></li><li><span>"People don't respond and there are little results when I do <span>good</span>" – but remember how slow you were to respond to Jesus Christ. </span></li><li><span>"It doesn't earn much gratitude when I do <span>good</span>" – but God sends many blessings even to those who do not thank or appreciate Him. </span><li></ul>
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<p class="c1">5. (<a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,'14-15');">14-15</a>) More on how to deal with the disobedient.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count <i>him</i> as an enemy, but admonish <i>him</i> as a brother.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle</span></b>: Here, Paul finished the thought introduced at <a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,6);">2Th 3:6</a>. He here elaborates on what it means to <i>withdraw</i> from a brother as mentioned previously.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Note that person and do not keep company with him</span></b>: To <i>withdraw</i> means to <b><span class="c3">note that person</span></b>, and to <b><span class="c3">not keep company with him</span></b>, with the purpose of causing him to <b><span class="c3">be ashamed</span></b>. Yet, the purpose is not to make him an <b><span class="c3">enemy</span></b> of the church, but through the severity of the withdrawal from fellowship, to warn and <b><span class="c3">admonish</span></b> him as an erring <b><span class="c3">brother</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "The intention of excommunication is not to drive men from the Lord's flock, but rather to bring them back again when they have wandered and gone astray. . . . Excommunication is to be distinguished from anathema." (Calvin)</p>
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<p class="c1">6. (<a onclick="return mV('2Th',3,'16-18');">16-18</a>) Conclusion to the letter.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every <span>way.</span> The Lord <span><i>be</i></span> with you all. <span>The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.</span> The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ <span><i>be</i></span> with you all. Amen.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Now may the Lord of peace</span></b>: Paul's blessing of <b><span class="c3">peace</span></b> (<b><span class="c3">always in every way</span></b>) was appropriate for this church experiencing both persecution and tribulation. It is the presence of the <b><span class="c3">Lord of peace</span></b> that will grant them this peace.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "I want to call particular attention to the apostle's words in this place. He does not say 'May the Lord of peace send his angel to give you peace.' It <span>were</span> a great mercy if he did, and we might be as glad as Jacob was at <span>Mahanaim</span>, when the angels of God met him. He does not even say, 'May the Lord of peace send his minister to give you peace.' If he did we might be as happy as Abraham when <span>Melchizedec</span> refreshed him with bread and wine. He does not even say, 'May the Lord of peace at the communion table, or in reading the word, or in prayer, or in some other sacred exercise give you peace.' In all these we might well be as refreshed . . . but he says 'the Lord of peace himself give you peace,' as if he alone in his own person could give peace, and as if his presence were the sole means of such a divine peace as he desires." (Spurgeon)</span></p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">The salutation of Paul with my own hand</span></b>: As was his custom, Paul himself wrote the final words of the epistle with his own hand. This was both a personal demonstration of affection, and proof that the letter was authentic (<b><span class="c3">a sign in every epistle</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ <span>be</span> with you all</span></b>: For Paul, God's <b><span class="c3">grace</span></b> was the beginning and the end of the Christian life. It was appropriate that this letter - and most - of his letters began and ended with a mention of <b><span class="c3">grace</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "There is the addition of one little word in this final benediction as compared with its form in the first Epistle. It is the word '<i>all</i>.' Thus the apostle takes those whom he had been rebuking and correcting, and so reveals the greatness of his heart and his love." (Morgan)</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. "Thus he <span>poureth</span> out his affection, by prayer upon prayer for them. <span>A sweet closing up!"</span> (Trapp)</p>
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