Session 12 2 Thessalonians 2:13–3:5
2 THESSALONIANS 2:13–3:5
MEMORY VERSE: 2 THESSALONIANS 3:1
The day started off with the alarm not going off, no coffee to be found, and only enough cereal to cover the bottom of the bowl. It went downhill from there. In the middle of this rotten day, a simple text message from a friend changed it all. It read: “God brought you to my mind, you were prayed for today, that God would see you through.” Praying for another person changes our perspective and theirs. Paul focused on prayer and the impact it makes in this world.
(In PSG, p. 109)
In Paul’s first Letter to the Thessalonians, he addressed a growing concern about the return of Jesus. Some of the Thessalonians had come to believe that the second coming would be hidden or would be only for those who were still alive (1 Thess. 4:13-18). The apostle reminded them that Jesus was coming back for all to see, and that He was coming to draw His entire church—living and dead, from all ages—to Himself.
In his second Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul dealt with another set of questions. Apparently, false teachers had tried to counterfeit Paul’s authority to convince members of the congregation that Jesus had already returned—or that His return was so imminent that any further ministry was useless. Paul reminded the Thessalonians of facts he had already shared with them (2 Thess. 2:1-5). He reminded them of two things that must take place. First, many supposed believers would reject Jesus as part of a great apostasy. Second, a “man of lawlessness” would be revealed. This person would be Satan’s representative on earth and attempt to usurp God’s role as sovereign king. While he would have a season of freedom to work his evil plans, Christ would snuff out this rebellious individual at His return (2:3-12).
With these reminders, Paul assured the Thessalonians of his ongoing love and prayers for them. He prayed they would stand firm in their faith and continue to embrace the truth (2:13-17). He asked God to encourage them and to help them grow stronger in their faith. He also asked the Thessalonians to pray for his ministry, specifically that others would be as receptive to the gospel as the Thessalonian believers had been (3:1-5). Paul knew God would protect both him and them from evil, and he looked forward to the ministry Christ would work through their partnership.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
Verses 13-14
13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
After reminding the Thessalonians of the truths related to Christ’s return, Paul expressed his gratitude for them. He would thank God always for his brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. By referring to the Thessalonians in familial terms, Paul was assuring them of the special place they held in his heart and the special place they held within the body of Christ.
Paul often used statements of gratitude to transition between topics. Here, the transition is subtle. Instead of moving from one general topic to the next, he moved from a rebuke of false teaching to warnings about other deceptions that endangered the congregation. He was shifting from the problems listed in verses 11-12 to the hope revealed in verses 13-15.
Paul had several reasons to be thankful for the Thessalonians, but his wording indicated a focus on gratitude to God first and foremost. He noted that God was the One who had chosen these people. The Greek word translated chosen involved being selected for something. Their salvation was a work of God’s grace, received by faith. It all started and ended with God, as salvation always does. The Thessalonians did nothing to earn salvation, as Paul emphasized later to the Ephesians (Eph. 2:8-10).
In addition to being chosen, the Thessalonians were sealed through sanctification by the Spirit. The Father had saved them through the finished work of the Son and made them holy through the power of the Spirit. The key was their faith, as they expressed belief in the truth. In contrast to those who will be deceived and reject the faith, the Thessalonians had embraced the gospel and would experience life.
Paul explained that the Thessalonians had been called through the gospel that he and his companions had shared. From a life corrupted by sin, they had responded to the truth. Paul expected this to have an impact on their daily decisions and how they revealed Christ to the world.
Paul also understood that a commitment to Christ carries eternal consequences. Through faith in Jesus, they would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s wording draws a distinction between those who fall short of God’s glory because of sin (Rom. 3:23) and those who experience God’s glory because they have accepted His righteousness through Christ. They would receive the blessings of Jesus in this life and the next because they had trusted Him.
15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by what we said or what we wrote.
The phrase so then connects the Thessalonians’ salvation and future glory with their practical responsibilities of faith. Paul again referred to his readers as brothers and sisters. His affection included a challenge to stand firm. As the incident related to the false teachers and the second coming indicated, the Christians in Thessalonica still had some growing to do. Heretics had upset them and left them unstable (2 Thess. 2:2). Paul urged them to regain their spiritual footing and to persevere.
The apostle also instructed them to hold to the traditions he had shared with them. The wording indicates a strong grasp on something. This would include the doctrines he and his companions had taught during their stay in Thessalonica (what we said), but it also involved the indirect lessons he had provided through his letters (what we wrote).
Typically, we think of traditions in a negative light, but the Greek word Paul used describes the foundational truths that had been passed down from Jesus through the apostles. Paul knew that traditions are only dangerous when they are rooted in the wrong source or when they become the focus of salvation.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace,
The Thessalonians needed more than human strength to stand up to the trials and persecutions they faced. So Paul followed up his teaching with a prayer of blessing. In that blessing, he asked that they would experience a power rooted in God’s supernatural love and Christ’s ongoing encouragement.
Paul made his request to our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father. Working in harmony, the Father and the Son had loved the Thessalonians more than they could have imagined. (See Rom. 5:6-8.) Such love should encourage believers to bring their needs to God.
In addition to love, the Lord Jesus and the Father provided eternal encouragement. Because of what Jesus did in their lives, the Thessalonians could rest assured their future was secure. Christians may not have all the answers in life, but they do not live with uncertainty about the future. While other religions teach a “wait and see if you’re good enough” theology, the gospel emphasizes the finished work of Christ.
Secular first-century writers sometimes used good hope when talking about life after death. If Paul was making that connection, he certainly would be highlighting the superiority of Christian hope. While the world may pretend to offer security and help, its offerings pale in comparison to the true hope God provides. Hope is a gift from God.
17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.
Paul’s prayer took the form of two primary requests that only God could grant. First, he asked the Father to encourage your hearts. This represented an internal stamina and peace that results from a secure relationship with Christ. Second, the apostle asked that God would strengthen you in every good work and word. This step in the progression of maturity suggests an external display of God’s internal work. Earlier, Paul had noted that the Thessalonians received the gospel through what they saw and heard from Paul (v. 14). He challenged them to stand in the traditions of what he had said and written (v. 15). Now, he prayed that their works and words would also be fueled by the strength they experienced in Christ.
(In PSG, p. 113)
1 In addition, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you,
While Paul was eager to pray for the Thessalonians, he also asked them to return the favor. Paul never reached a point where he didn’t need prayer. He counted on his brothers and sisters to invest in his life and ministry through this spiritual discipline. In the Greek wording, pray for us indicates an ongoing habit rather than a one-time action. Prayer was a way the Thessalonians could participate in Paul’s work from a distance.
Paul asked the Thessalonians to pray for two things related to the gospel. First, he asked them to pray that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly. The Greek word translated spread can also mean to run, implying a continual forward movement. Paul had seen how the Thessalonians’ faith had made an impact across Greece (1 Thess. 1:6-10), and he longed for the gospel to continue moving with energy and power.
The second request was that the gospel be honored. In other words, Paul asked that the message be respected and considered valuable. He recognized the transformative power of the gospel, and he wanted to make sure his presentation of the gospel was above reproach and the message would spread rapidly.
Just as it was with you served as a reminder that the Thessalonians had embraced a genuine faith that continued to carry them through difficult times. Because they had experienced the gospel’s power firsthand, they would know how to pray for other congregations and for lost people who still needed to hear the gospel.
2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.
Paul also asked the Thessalonians to pray for his safety. He understood persecution and never shied away from suffering for the sake of the gospel. But still he requested deliverance from wicked and evil people. The work of the gospel always draws opposition, and Paul did not want his opponents to disrupt the work.
Paul’s wording indicates that these opponents were willing to use any means necessary to hinder the gospel and to silence Paul and his companions. While the phrase not all have faith shone a light on those who denied the gospel, it also emphasized the importance of those—like the Thessalonians—who willingly suffered for embracing and defending genuine faith.
3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
While Paul asked the Thessalonians to pray for his protection and strength, he also assured them that God would be working on their behalf. He had just stated that not everyone had faith but reminded his readers that the Lord is faithful. This wordplay reinforced a truth the Thessalonians could embrace. Humans consistently let one another down and betray each other. Paul described a God who stands in stark contrast to human frailty. The Lord can be trusted when everyone else disappoints.
A firm conviction of the Lord’s reliability set Christianity apart from other first-century religions. Like the pagans who worshiped them, the gods of Rome and Greece were fickle at best and malevolent at worst. But the one true God never fails to keep His promises or to do what is best for His people. He is faithful and trustworthy in every circumstance.
God’s faithfulness would demonstrate itself in two ways: He would strengthen the Thessalonians and would guard them from the evil one. Strengthen suggests something that is firmly established and able to withstand attack, while guard means to protect or secure. The Greek wording for evil one is more general, indicating evil people doing Satan’s work as much as Satan himself. Paul believed God would equip His people with the power to overcome, whether the battle was human or supernatural in origin.
The Christian life is filled with obstacles, and the battles in Thessalonica would only grow more intense. Whether beset by unreliable people or the evil works of Satan and his representatives, God would equip His people to complete His work. While hardships will come, believers never face anything bigger than the God who watches over them.
4 We have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.
The Thessalonians had proven their loyalty. Even though they had experienced struggles from false teachers and persecution, they remained faithful to Christ and His gospel. Their perseverance gave Paul confidence in the Lord about them. Their track record assured him that they would stand strong. The fact that they were leaning into Jesus gave Paul the greatest assurance. As he later told the Philippians, the One who began the good work would complete it (Phil. 1:6).
Specifically, the apostle knew they were doing what he had taught them, and he was convinced they would continue to do those things. The Christian faith rests on the foundation of God’s faithfulness, but it also grows through the obedience of His followers. The verb Paul used here would also appear three times in verses 6-12, each emphasizing ethical behavior that should mark the Christian life. The principles Paul had already given, along with the teaching he was preparing to share, served as a measuring stick for the Thessalonians’ faithfulness.
5 May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance.
Paul closed his prayer with a benediction that placed the Thessalonian believers in God’s hands: May the Lord direct your hearts. As every compass has a true north, Paul trusted God to lead the Thessalonians into a place of safety and peace where they could experience God’s love in deeper ways. The apostle had challenged his readers to grow in their love for one another. That was possible only as they understood God’s love better in their own lives. Paul didn’t want the Thessalonians to simply talk about God’s love. He wanted them to be overwhelmed by it more and more—and then live it out for the world to see.
Finally, Paul asked God to lead the Thessalonians into Christ’s endurance. Paul may have been referring to the congregation’s struggles regarding the Lord’s return. If so, he wanted them to patiently live out their faith until He came back. He also knew they needed endurance to deal with the false teachers and the persecution in their community. As they continued to face such hardships, Paul requested God’s help as they endured their sufferings with grace and humility.
(In PSG, p. 116)
Religious Liberty
The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. (See Acts 4:19-20; 1 Tim. 2:1-2.)
Look at prayer in the life of Jesus
Jesus made prayer a priority. Examine the verses below and identify His attitude and actions related to prayer. How do the attitudes identified work with each other? How does Paul’s call to prayer in 2 Thessalonians carry these same attitudes?