Jesus was and is our protector

JESUS WAS AND IS OUR PROTECTOR
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
2 Thessalonians3:3 3But the LORD is faithful, and he
will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The Apostle's Cheerful Assurance And Confidence On Behalf Of The
Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians 3:3, 4
T. Croskery
Thessalonians. He dismisses all thoughts about himself, and returns to the
thought of comforting his converts.
I. THE DOUBLE BLESSING IN STORE FOR THEM. "Who shall stablish
you, and keepyou from evil."
1. An essentialfactorin their Christian comfort was establishment
(1) in the doctrines of the gospel, which were threatened by godless orfickle
speculators;
(2) in the grace of faith, which may be weakenedby persecutionor by
misconceptions oftruth;
(3) in the professionof faith, which true believers will be able to hold fast to
the end.

2. An equally essentialfactorwas their preservation from evil, either
(1) in the form of sin, that it should not have dominion over them or reign
unto death;
(2) or in the form of Satanic temptation;
(3) or in the form of opposition from unreasonable and wickedmen.
II. THE ARGUMENT TO ASSURE THEM OF THIS DOUBLE BLESSING.
"The Lord is faithful." He will be true to his promises, and not suffer one of
them to fail. The Lord Jesus is at once the Author and the Finisher of our
faith. "We are complete in him;" we are "strong in the Lord, and in the
powerof his might." "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot
deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). "I cando all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).
III. THE CONFIDENCE OF THE APOSTLE BASED ON THIS
ASSURANCE. "But we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that you
are both doing and will do the things which we command you."
1. The ultimate ground of his confidence touching them was in the grace and
strength of the Lord, not in themselves, ortheir wisdom, or strength.
2. The matter of his confidence - their present and future obedience to his
commands. There must be a patient continuance in well doing; a ready,
universal, perpetual obedience to the commands he had already given them by
the authority of Christ, and to those which he was now about to give to them. -
T.C.
Biblical Illustrator
The Lord is faithful
2 Thessalonians 3:3
The faithfulness Of God

E. Bersier, D. D.
No apostle insisted more strongly on the liberty of God than St. Paul. This is
understood when we remember that he wrote to churches largely composedof
Jews whose inveterate inclination was to believe that God had bound Himself
to them by an inviolable and exclusive covenant. To uproot this he teaches
that the covenant with Israeldid not prevent God being the God of the
Gentiles. But that teaching may raise a formidable objection. The freedom of
God; is not that arbitrariness? No;Paul the greatdefender of Divine liberty is
also the one who insists with most force on the Divine faithfulness, that
attribute which affirms that God is without shadow of turning. The two truths
thus balance eachother.
I. The Lord is faithful — HAS NOT GOD WRITTEN THAT THOUGHT IN
ALL HIS WORKS? Do we not eachspring read it in the renewed nature?
1. Alas I we can count on that faithfulness and not recognize its source. The
peasantwho, perhaps, has never bent his knee to God, turns up the ground,
confides the grain to its furrows, and awaits the future with confidence. The
atheist who denies the sovereignordainer believes in universal order in
nature. The scientistcounts so on the exactitude of the laws of nature that a
thousand years beforehand he announces the minute when two stars will meet
in space. Everything in our plans for the future rests on the confidence that
what God has done until now, He will do again. Yet the carnal man stays
himself in this very fidelity in order to dispense with God, and because
everything happens as it did in the time of his fathers, he infers the uselessness
of prayer. The very faithfulness which ought to fill him with gratitude serves
as an excuse for his unthankfulness.
2. What then is necessarythat God's actionmay be manifested? That He
interrupts the course of His benefits? This He does sometimes, and with what
results? Man says "Chance alone governs us." Thus whateverGod does, man
succeedsin eluding Him. If order reigns, the sinner says "I candispense with
God"; if disorder occurs, "There is no God."
II. GOD'S FAITHFULNESS APPEARS IN THE MORAL ORDER.

1. What are moral laws? Notvariable commands which God is able to change
when He likes, but expressions ofHis very nature, "Be ye holy for I am holy."
2. This being so, I canunderstand why God cannot contradict Himself, and
that at all costs His law must be accomplished. You would regardhim as a
fool who would trifle with steam, but look without terror on the sinner who
violates the Divine will. Yet which is the most certain. I can conceive ofa
world where the law of gravity does not exist, but not one where, by the will of
God, evil would be good. I cannotbelieve, without tearing my consciencein
two, that if the seedburied in the soil must appear, yet what a man sows he
will not reap.
3. On what does the confidence of the greaterpart of men rest? On the idea
that God's justice is never vigorous. Who told us so? Sinners interestedin
believing it. But is a criminal to witness in his own cause and pronounce his
own verdict? Let us not abase God by such an idea under the pretext that He
is good. God is faithful to Himself, cannotgive the lie to His holiness, and
according to His immutable laws sin must entail suffering.
4. Though all sinners should agree in denying God's judgment that will not
hinder them from being carried eachminute towards the judgment which
awaits them. I can believe everything except that God ceasesto be holy; and
convictedof that, the only suitable prayer is "God be merciful to me a
sinner."
5. There is the admissionthe gospelwishes to draw from us. And when
repentant men by faith throw themselves on the Divine mercy, they find in
God a reconciledFather, and the thought of His faithfulness becomes the
source of the firmest assurance, andthe sweetestconsolation.
6. God's faithfulness, like the wilderness pillar, is at once dark and light: to
the sinner it is justice, to the penitent mercy.
7. Notthat God in pardoning sacrifices His righteousness;righteousness has
receivedthis sanctionon the Cross.
8. But will not such a doctrine countenance presumption. Yes, just as if you
take one of the elements out of air you canmake it poison. But the perversity

of man must not prevent us from preaching God's mercy. For whereverthat
was believed it has produced obedience. Do you encounter the most lax lives
among those who believe most in the love of a faithful God? The danger is in
believing in it too little. At the time of the errors of your youth, did the pure
and holy kiss of your mother make you indifferent and trifling? Inspire an
army, weak and demoralized, with a steadfastconfidence in its general, and
they are already half-way to triumph; and the Christian's cry of victory is
"The Lord is faithful."
III. WHAT PART DOES THIS FAITHFULNESS PLAY IN OUR LIVES?
1. Have you understood it? Is there anything below more beautiful than a
faithful attachment? Ah, perhaps you enjoyed it yesterday. That happiness
was only lent you for a few days. Sooneror later the strongestand tenderest
ties must be broken; but if you have knownthem only for a single day, you
have caught a glimpse of the faithfulness of God.
2. The Lord is faithful. Lay hold of that word and oppose it —(1) to all the
events of your life. It will help you to traverse the gloom. We must walk by
faith, not by sight. When the sculptor attacks a block of marble, who could
discern the noble image which one day will be disengaged?So let the Divine
artist act, let all that ought to disappearfall under His faithful hand.(2) To all
the failings and variations of your heart. If we are unbelieving, He abideth
faithful.(3) To all the temptations which besetyou. His faithfulness will
provide a way out of it.(4) To all the discouragements whichwould paralyze
your activity.
(E. Bersier, D. D.)
Divine faithfulness and Christian obedience
D. Mayo.
I. ENCOURAGEMENTTO DEPENDUPON GOD.
1. The Divine Promiser. "The Lord is faithful" to His promises, and is the
Lord who cannot lie (Numbers 23:19), who will not alter the thing that is gone

out of His mouth. He is faithful to His relation to us, to His own truth, to His
own character. Menmay be faithless and false, but God never. They may
refuse to embrace the gospel, and set themselves againstit, but God will not
abandon His greatpurpose on which He has setHis heart, and on which He
has pledged His word. Even many who are members of the Church may
forgettheir sacredand solemnvows, and may show no fidelity to the cause of
their Redeemer, but God Himself will never abandon that cause. To a pious
mind it affords unspeakablymore consolationto reflectthat a faithful God is
the friend of the cause whichwe love, than it would were all men, in and out of
the Church, its friends.
2. The Divine Performer. When once the promise has been made,
performance is sure and certain. There may be indifference in man on the one
hand, and oppositionon the other, "but the Lord will work, and who shall let
it?" and the result will correspondboth with the work and the Worker.
II. A FURTHER GROUND OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
1. Their obedience in the past. The Apostle had, in the Lord's stead,
commanded them to do certain things, and for the Lord's sake they had done
all they were commanded to do. They were not like Saul, the first king of
Israel, who, tempted by Satan, preferred rather to do as he wished than as he
was divinely directed, not knowing then that obedience was better than all the
sacrifices everofferedto the Lord, and hearkening to Him than the fat of
countless rams (1 Samuel15:16-23).
2. Their obedience in the future. The experience the Apostle had of their
obedience in the time past was firm ground for his confidence that they would
do the things commanded them for the time to come, and it was also firm
ground to hope that whateverthey askedof God they should receive from
Him, because theykept His commandments, and did those things that were
pleasing in His sight (1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14, 15).
3. But chiefly the Apostle's confidence in them was founded upon his
confidence in God. Though they had done well in the past, they might, some
time or other, wearyin well-doing; but the Lord would remain faithful; and

though heavenand earth might pass away, not one jot or tittle of His word
would fail. "The foundation of the Lord is sure."
(D. Mayo.)
The certainty of final salvation
I. THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.
1. God is faithful to His covenant engagements (Hebrews 10:23).
2. Faithful to His SonJesus Christ (Hebrews 7:21, 22; Hebrews 8:6).
3. Faithful to His redeemedpeople (Isaiah49:15).
4. Christ is faithful as a Mediator (Hebrews 2:17).
5. The Spirit is faithful in His administration (1 Corinthians 1:9).
II. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH.
1. To fix and settle our faith in Christ (Colossians2:7).
2. To confirm the understandings of His people in His truth (Colossians 2:2).
3. Establishing them in the fulfilment of His promises (2 Corinthians 1:20).
4. To bring to a goodissue all that concerns us (Psalm73:24).
5. To give fixation to our love in Him (2 Corinthians 1:21).This establishment
is —
1. By the written Word.
2. By the preachedWord.
3. By the sacraments.
4. By Divine ordinances.
5. But always by His Holy Spirit.

III. THE DIVINE PRESERVATION OF HIS PEOPLE.
1. From the torments of the damned (Job33:24).
2. From the condemnationof the law (Romans 8:1).
3. From the angerof God (Isaiah 12:1),
4. From the injury done by persecutions (Micah4:10),
5. From sin and overcoming temptations (2 Peter2:9).He will keepthem —
1. In sickness(Psalm41:3),
2. In health (1 Corinthians 3:21, 22),
3. In fear (1 Corinthians 2:8),
4. In peace (Isaiah26:12),
5. In war (Romans 8:37).
6. In their bodies (Romans 8:13),
7. In their souls (1 Corinthians 3:16).
8. In ordinances (Exodus 20:24).
9. In providences (Romans 8:28).
10. In life and death (1 Corinthians 15:57),
11. And forever (John 6:51).
(T. B. Baker.)
Who shall stablish you
The establishedChristian character
W. F. Adeney, M. A.

I. THE CHRISTIAN IS TO BE ESTABLISHED. Considerwhatthis means
—
1. Progress. The foundation is laid; now the superstructure must be built upon
it.
2. Fixity. The progress is not that of a flowing river, but that of a building in
the course oferection. We are to hold fast what we have attained. A periodic
unsettlement, pulling down to day what we built up yesterday, will have a
poor result.
3. Strength. The building is to be no mere bowerof branches, no tent of the
wilderness, for temporary occupation, but a permanent, solid house in the
eternal city of God. It will have to stand the stress of wind and weather.
4. Order. That which is establishedis not heaped togetherin a rude
formation, like the cyclopeanwalls seenin granite mountains. The true
building follows the designer's plan. The Christian life must be built on the
pattern of its great Architect.
5. Elevation. The house is built up. We raise the structure tier after tier. So in
Christian life we should rise nearerheaven. Like the soaring pinnacles of a
Gothic cathedral, the latestaspirations of the Christian experience should rise
far above the earth and point to the sky.
6. Roomfor contents. The house has its inhabitants and furniture. The
establishedChristian should have room for Divine stores of truth and holy
thought, and for thief and fire proof safes whichcan keep his treasures in
security. The complete building is not to be a solid pyramid for the sole
purpose of hiding the mummy of its owner, but a glorious temple in which
God may dwell.
II. THE CHRISTIAN IS TO BE ESTABLISHED BY GOD. Men tried to raise
the towerof Babelup to heaven, but failed in their pride and self-will. We
cannot build up our own characters. Godis the greatBuilder, and He is
raising the structure of the Christian life by all the discipline of daily
experience.

1. Truth. Solid charactermust be built of solid materials — realities, facts,
truths. By His revelations in nature, the Bible, Christ, God brings the stones of
truth with which to establishour characters.
2. Work. The human building, unlike the material, is not inactive. Character
is built up by means of service. Godsets us this, and raises us from childish
pettishness to manly largenessofsoul by the discipline of duty.
3. Trial. Trouble and temptation help to wedge the characterinto place, as the
arch is strengthened by the very weight laid upon it, driving its stones more
closelytogether.
4. Spiritual grace. We are built up from precious stones hewnin the quarries
of the everlasting hills of God, not from the claybricks of earth. The great
Builder brings His own heavenly materials.
III. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN IS ASSURED BY THE
FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.
1. It is not yet accomplished. It took forty years to build Herod's temple. It
takes wellnigh twice forty years to establishthe characters ofsome of God's
children. Nay, who shall say that the process is completed when brief life is
done? Christian people die in all stagesofimperfection and partial progress.
Are they to be fixed forever in these initial conditions, half a column here, a
wall commencedthere, arches not yet lockedwith their key stones? There
must be a continued establishing in the future life, till the lastgolden spire
gleams aloft in the cloudless blue of heaven.
2. How do we know that this will ever be realized? We are often tempted to
despair at our own slow progress. Now itis much to be assuredthat it is all
assuredby the faithfulness of God. Of course, this implies our continued
faithfulness. The whole tenor of God's Word implies that He will not abandon
the goodwork He has commenced.
(W. F. Adeney, M. A.)
The soul's establishment and safetysecuredby the faithfulness of God

J. H. Evans.
I. THE PROMISE.
1. Establishment.(1)The Bible lays greatstress on this (Romans 1:11; 2
Corinthians 1:21; Colossians2:6; 1 Thessalonians 3:12;Hebrews 13:9; 1 Peter
5:9; Jude 1:24).(2)Unsettledness is the attribute of the unregenerate man. He
is compared to —
(a)A wave of the sea.
(b)A house built on the sand.
(c)A plant that has no root.(3)Establishment is needful to the true Christian.
He has root, he is in Christ, but He needs to be daily establishedin grace. This
applies to some especially, but to all more or less, and especiallyat some times,
and in some particular graces,i.e. in faith, hope, and love.
2. Preservation.(1)This is neededmoment by moment, because ofthe
multiplicity of our snares, and the power and vigilance of our great
adversary.(2)But a man who is establishedin the life of faith and a holy walk
— where is there room in him for Satan's access?(3)The establisherand
defender is God. "Exceptthe Lord build the house," etc.
II. THE FOUNDATION OF THE PROMISE.
1. There are severalways of denying God — grosslyby atheism, practicallyby
ungodliness, mentally by want of trust in His faithfulness.
2. Faithfulness is the glory of Deity.(1) It is the effect of God's veracity. He has
pledged His word and will faithfully execute it, because He is a true God.(2)It
stands connectedwith His omniscience;for if God knows allthings, what
inducement can there be to deny His word.(3) It stands intimately bound up
with His holiness;to break His word would be a breach of His holiness.(4)It
stands involved in His immutability: it would show that He was of various
minds.(5) It would be a breach upon His perfect love; for how could that be
perfect love which promises goodand fails to perform (Psalm 89:1, 5, 8, 14,
35).

3. This perfectionmakes all His threatenings certain as to their
accomplishment. Look at the flood, Sodom, Babylon, Jerusalem!Was He not
faithful to His threatenings in these, instances?
4. But it is the foundation of all His promises. "He cannot deny
Himself."Conclusion:
1. What a sweetness there is in this truth! We may be weak and in danger, but
here is the promise. And remember who gives it; JehovahHimself. In God's
dealings there is always something that exhibits His own grandeur. He
establishes and defends just like Himself.
2. Seek these blessings, and remember the means of securing them. God gives
them, but we must pray and watch.
3. These blessings come in God's way, not yours. The unlikeliest ways may be
the best.
(J. H. Evans.)
And keepyou from evil
An effectualguard
J. H. Evans.
The expressionimports an effectualguard. We know what the garrisonof a
city is; to keepwatch by night and by day, summer and winter, in the
brightest sunshine and the thickestmidnight, foul weatherand fair, from the
beginning of the year to the end. The protection of the city is its guard. We
know the comfort, peace and well-being of the inhabitants of that city stand
most intimately connectedwith their indoor arrangements;but if you ask
what is the security of the city, it is not their domestic arrangements — it is
the guard of the city. Thus is it with the people of God. How much there
stands connectedwith the watchfulness ofGod's saints, as to their peace and
well-being and holy walking, no language of mine can ever describe. "Keep
thy heart with all diligence," says the wise man. "What I say unto you I say

unto all," says our blessedLord; "watch." And by His apostle — "Watching
thereunto with all perseverance andsupplication." But if you ask who is the
Guardian of the city, he gives but a blind answerwho will say anything short
of a covenantGod. Let me just refer you to the hundred and twenty-seventh
Psalm. "Exceptthe Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it;
exceptthe Lord keepthe city, the watchmanwakethbut in vain." I would
pray that yours might be that state of watchfulness, that the outgoings of
thought might be watchedover, the first elements of evil and the first mark of
spiritual declension:but I would have you live upon this as a cardinal truth
never to be lost sight of — that the Guard of the city is JehovahHimself —
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — the covenantGod of Israel. The expressionis
most blessedlyextensive: "The Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you and
keepyou from evil." Is it evil men? He "will keepyou." Is it Satan, the evil
one? Is it sin, the evil thing? He "will keepyou;" for there is no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. Fromits reigning power He "will keepyou"
and that, by the power of His love "shed abroad in your heart through the
Holy Ghost." And He "will keepyou" from its in being, in that happy world,
where you shall have to sing the praises of this triune God throughout an
endless eternity.
(J. H. Evans.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(3) But the Lord is faithful.—It must not be thought from this that the word
“faith” in the previous verse meant “fidelity.” St. Paul, after his favourite
manner, is playing upon two meanings of the word: “But whether men have
faith or not, the Lord is faithful.” There is the same play of words in Romans
3:3. “The Lord” seems here to be used, as was saidon 1Thessalonians 3:12,
without distinct reference to one Personof the Holy Trinity rather than
another. This characteristicofGod is named because Godstands pledged to
all who believe in Him.

Who shall stablish you.—How soonSt. Paul reverts from his ownneeds to
theirs! He does not continue, as we should expect, with “who will preserve us”
Keep you from evil.—Rather(probably), from the Evil One, as in the Lord’s
Prayer. Possibly, the word is used not without a reference to the word
rendered “wicked” in 2Thessalonians3:2, with which in the Greek it is
identical.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
3:1-5 Those who are far apart still may meet togetherat the throne of grace;
and those not able to do or receive any other kindness, may in this way do and
receive realand very greatkindness. Enemies to the preaching of the gospel,
and persecutors ofits faithful preachers, are unreasonable and wickedmen.
Many do not believe the gospel;and no wonder if such are restless andshow
malice in their endeavours to oppose it. The evil of sin is the greatestevil, but
there are other evils we need to be preservedfrom, and we have
encouragementto depend upon the grace ofGod. When once the promise is
made, the performance is sure and certain. The apostle had confidence in
them, but that was founded upon his confidence in God; for there is otherwise
no confidence in man. He prays for them for spiritual blessings. It is our sin
and our misery, that we place our affections upon wrong objects. There is not
true love of God, without faith in Jesus Christ. If, by the specialgrace ofGod,
we have that faith which multitudes have not, we should earnestlypray that
we may be enabled, without reserve, to obey his commands, and that we may
be enabled, without reserve, to the love of God, and the patience of Christ.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
But the Lord is faithful - - Though human beings cannot be trusted, God is
faithful to his promises and his purposes. He may always be confided in; and
when people are unbelieving, perverse, unkind, and disposedto do us wrong,
we may go to him, and we shall always find in him one in whom we may
confide. This is an exceedinglyinteresting declaration, and is a beautiful
illustration of the resource whicha truly pious mind will feel that it has. We

often have occasionto know, to our sorrow, that "all men have not faith." We
witness their infidelity. We see how they turn awayfrom the truth. We see
many who once gave some evidence that they had "faith," abandon it all; and
we see many in the church who seemto have no true faith, and who refuse to
lend their aid in promoting the cause of religion. In such circumstances, the
heart is disposedto despond, and to ask whetherreligion can be advanced in
the midst of so much indifference and opposition? At such times, how
consoling is it to be able to turn, as Paul did, to one who is faithful; who never
fails us; and who will certainly accomplishhis benevolent purposes. Men may
be faithless and false, but God never is. They may refuse to embrace the
gospel, and setthemselves againstit, but God will not abandon His great
purposes. Many who are in the church may forget their solemnand sacred
vows, and may show no fidelity to the cause of their Saviour, but God himself
will never abandon that cause. To a pious mind it affords unspeakablymore
consolationto reflect that a faithful God is the friend of the cause which we
love, than it would were all men, in and out of the church, its friends.
Who shall stablish you, and keepyou from evil - see the notes on John 17:5;
compare the notes on Ephesians 6:16. The allusion is to the Evil One, or
Satan, and the meaning is, that God would keepthem from his wiles.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
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
wickedmen were making their onset, he turns awayfrom asking the
Thessalonians'prayers for HIS deliverance (2Th 3:2: so unselfish was he, even
in religion), to express his assuranceofTHEIR establishment in the faith, and
preservationfrom evil. This assurance thus exactly answers to his prayer for
them (2Th 2:17), "Our Lord … stablish you in every goodword and work."
He has before his mind the Lord's Prayer, "Leadus not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil"; where, as here, the translation may be, "from the evil

one";the greathinderer of "every goodword and work." Compare Mt 13:19,
"the wickedone."
Matthew Poole's Commentary
These words are added by way of consolation:
1. With respectto their establishment, which the apostle had before prayed
for, 2 Thessalonians2:17, and here he assures themof it. What God hath
promised, yet we may and ought to pray for; and ministers should exhort
people to seek that grace whichthey may be sure beforehand God will give.
And this establishmentrespects either their mind, in the belief of the gospel
againstfalse doctrine; or their hearts, againstinordinate fears of men; or their
practice, againstdeparting from the way of holiness. The apostle well knew
the tenure of the new covenant, which contains promises of perseveranceand
establishment, as wellas of pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace, Jeremiah
32:40;and he grounds his confidence of their establishment upon God’s
faithfulness, as upon the same accounthe comforts the Corinthians, 1
Corinthians 10:13, and these Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, and it may
be the apostle hath here reference to what he had said before; Though we
shall meet with wickedand unreasonable men, yet fear not, God will establish
you, for he is faithful. As God’s promises are according to his purposes, so his
performances will be according to his promises, which is his faithfulness.
2. As God would establish them, so keepthem from evil. There is moral and
penal evil, of sin and suffering; the Greek word imports the former; never
used but for sinful evil, or sometimes for the devil, with respectto the sin that
dwells in him, and occasionedby him, Ephesians 6:16 1Jo 5:18. And it is true,
that God will keephis people from the devil, as some read the word. But I
suppose the apostle means here by evil, evil work;as he speaks, 2 Timothy
4:18: The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work. But whether the evil
work of others, or their own? The latter I incline to, for he could not well
assure them of the former. But how could he assure them of the latter? Did he

think God would keepthem from all sin? The apostle doth not mean so, nor
say so;God keeps his people from much evil and sin which others fall into,
though not from all. And he keeps them from falling under the powerof it.
Though they may be tempted by Satan, the world, or their own hearts, yet not
so as finally to be overcome. However, the more God doth establishhis people,
the more will they be kept from evil. And the apostle doth also comfort them
in this from the considerationofGod’s faithfulness. But these promises of
God’s keeping us do not exclude our endeavours of keeping ourselves:He that
is begottenof God keepethhimself, and that wickedone toucheth him not, 1Jo
5:18. Hence those exhortations: Keep thy heart with all diligence, Proverbs
4:23, and Keep yourselves in the love of God, Judges 1:21, &c. And our
keeping is ascribedto our own faith with the power of God, 1 Peter1:5.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
But the Lord is faithful,.... Or "God" as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic
versions read, as do also the Alexandrian and Claromontane copies. This is
said for the comfort of the saints, lestthey should be discouragedupon
hearing that all professors offaith in Christ had it not, who might be ready to
take it to themselves, and fear, that either they had it not, or if they had, that
they might lose it, and fall from it. Wherefore the apostle observes to them the
comfortable attribute of God's faithfulness, which he will not suffer to fail. He
has promised many things, and he is faithful that has promised, who also will
do them, nor will any goodthing he has promised ever fail.
Who shall stablish you: in the doctrines of the Gospel, so as not to be moved
awayfrom them, or be finally and totally seducedby those unreasonable and
wickedmen; and also in the grace of faith, which though it may be weakened,
and there may be a falling from a degree of the steadfastnessofit, as to its act
and exercise, yetit shall never finally and totally fail, he who is the author will
be the finisher of it; and likewise in the professionboth of the doctrine and
grace offaith, which true believers shall hold fastunto the end; for God will
not suffer the righteous to be moved, or to depart from him; he has promised
them perseverance, andhe is faithful to give it to them.

And keepyou from evil: from the evil of sin; not from the being and
commissionof it entirely, which is not to be expectedin this life; but from the
dominion of it, at leastfrom its reigning unto death, and from the damning
powerof it: and also from that evil one Satan;from his snares and
temptations, so as to be entangledand overcome by them; for God is faithful,
who will not suffer his to be tempted beyond their strength, but will enable
them to bear it, and make way for their escape, anddeliver out of it; and
likewise from evil men, unreasonable and wickedmen, so as not to be drawn
aside by them, by their principles and practices, by their frowns or flatteries.
Geneva Study Bible
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keepyou from {b} evil.
(b) From Satan's snares, orfrom evil.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
2 Thessalonians 3:3. A contrastto οὐ γὰρ πάντων ἡ πίστις, with a play upon
the word πίστις, and a return to the statementin 2 Thessalonians2:16-17.
ὁ κύριος]not a designationof God (Schott, Schrader, Olshausen, and
Hilgenfeld, Ztschr. f. wiss. Theol., Halle 1862, p. 261), but of Christ. His
faithfulness consists in this, that He, as Protectorofthe church, watches over
the continuance of the faith, and effects its diffusion in spite of all ἄτοποι and
πονηροί. Strikingly, Calvin: “Ceterum de aliis magis quam de se anxium
fuisse Paulum, ostendunt haec ipsa verba. In eum maligni homines
improbitatis suae aculeos dirigebant, in eum totus impetus irruebat: curam
interea suam ad Thessalonicensesconvertit.”
τοῦ πονηροῦ] is, by Calvin, Musculus, Estius, Piscator, Menochius, Nat.
Alexander, Benson, Bengel, Baumgarten, Moldenhauer, Macknight,
Olshausen, Hofmann, also Cornelius a Lapide, Er. Schmid, and Beza, though

not decidedly held by the latter, understood as masculine, accordinglyas a
designationof the devil. In itself nothing canbe objectedagainstthis
interpretation, as in Matthew 13:19 and elsewhere frequently in the N. T., also
with Paul in Ephesians 6:16, ὁ πονηρός is found in this sense. But here this
interpretation is untenable, because ὃς στηρίξει ὑμᾶς καὶ φμλάξει ἀπὸ τοῦ
πονηροῦ evidently resumes στηρίξαι ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἀγαθῷ, 2
Thessalonians 2:17, and only arranges it positively and negatively. But if τοῦ
πονηροῦ corresponds to the negationof the position ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ
ἀγαθῷ, it must be neuter, and denote moral evil generally. But it would be
arbitrary to make this neuter equivalent to τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων, to which
Koppe and Flatt give their countenance.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
3. But the Lord is faithful] In the Greek order, But faithful is the Lord. Man’s
want of faith suggests by contrastthe faithfulness of our Divine Lord (Faith
and Faithfulness are alike denoted by pistis in Greek;as Believing and
Faithful—Trusting and Trusty—alike by pistos). Comp., for this contrast,
Romans 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:13.
“The Lord” appears to be throughout these Epistles the Lord Christ, Ruler
and Defenderof His people. Comp. 2 Timothy 4:17, “The Lord stood by me …
The Lord shall save me into His heavenly kingdom.” So he continues: who will
establishyou, and guard you from the Evil One.
On “stablish,” see notes to 1 Thessalonians 3:2;1 Thessalonians3:13, and ch.
2 Thessalonians 2:17 above. It denotes the settled, steady confidence which
this young Church required, assailedby persecutionfrom without and alarms
from within.
While the unbelief of men made the Apostle think of the faith-keeping Lord,
behind these “evil men” (2 Thessalonians3:2) he saw another and mightier

enemy,—“the Evil One” (R.V.). The Greek adjective may be read either in the
neuter (the evil, evil in general), as by A.V. and R.V. margin; or in the
masculine, as by the R.V. text. There is the same ambiguity in the words of the
Lord’s Prayer, and in the SacramentalPrayerof Jesus (Matthew 6:13;John
17:15); in which instances also the Revisers, rightly as we think, prefer the
personalrendering. Both our Lord and the Apostle John, in passageswhere
the termination of the adjective is unequivocal—Matthew 13:19;1 John 2:13-
14; 1 John 5:18—point out the Evil One as the enemy of Christ and His people
and injurer of their work;and in Ephesians 6:16, while the grammaticalform
is ambiguous, it is “the Evil One” who shoots “the fire-tipped darts.” So,
surely, here; and in the two prayers of Jesus, echoedseeminglyin this passage.
The conflict of the Church and of the Christian life is not a matter of
principles alone and abstractforces;it is a personalencounter, and behind all
forces there are living wills. This is the plain teaching of Christ and the New
Testament. The Evil One is “the Satan” of ch. 2 Thessalonians 2:9;1
Thessalonians 2:18;and “the Tempter” of 1 Thessalonians3:5.
“The Lord will guard you;” comp. the words of Jesus in John 17:12, “I
guarded them (the disciples), and not one of them perished, except the son of
perdition.” Like rescue (2 Thessalonians 3:2), guard is a military word,
implying conflict and armed protection: Vulgate, custodiet. Though St Paul
beganby asking the Thessalonians to pray for him, yet “it is plain that he was
more anxious for them than for himself” (Calvin).
Their safety is ensured by the Lord’s fidelity: but it requires their own
obedience;and this the Apostle counts upon:—
Bengel's Gnomen
2 Thessalonians 3:3. Πιστὸς δὲ, but faithful) After stating a very distressing
fact, he immediately subjoins what may serve as a consolation;so ch. 2
Thessalonians 2:13. In oppositionto the unbelief [want of faith on the part] of
men, he praises the faithfulness of the Lord. So 2 Timothy 2:13.—στηρίξει

ὑμᾶς, will establishyou) although all others may not even receive faith.—ἀπὸ
τοῦ πονηροῦ) from the wickedone [Engl. Vers. from evil], from Satan; not
merely from wickedmen, by whom he assails faith.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 3. - But; in contrastwith the men just mentioned. The Lord is faithful;
as if the apostle had said," Man may be faithless, but the Lord is faithful" (see
Romans 3:4). "In contrastto the infidelity of man, he praises the fidelity of
God" (Bengel). By the Lord, Christ is meant. In the former Epistle,
faithfulness is attributed to God (1 Thessalonians5:24), here to Christ. This
faithfulness of Christ consistedin watching over his Church, and in effecting
its diffusion in spite of all the opposition of these unreasonable and wicked
men. Who shall stablish you, and keepyou from evil; or, the evil. The word
"evil" may be either masculine or neuter: if masculine, then it denotes "the
evil one;" if neuter, then "evil" in general. There is nothing in the word itself
to determine its meaning; this must be learned from the context. Most
commentators (Calvin, Bengel, Olshausen, Hofmann, Macknight, Ellicott,
Eadie, and BishopAlexander) suppose that the evil one is meant; and it is so
rendered in the R.V.: "Guard you from the evil one." But it is better to take
the word abstractly"evil" in general, whetherevil persons or evil things; as a
contrastto "every goodword and work" (2 Thessalonians 2:17). So Alford,
Lunemann, De Wette, Jowett, Lillie. There is the same difference of opinion
with regard to the words in the Lord's Prayer: "Deliverus from evil;" or
"from the evil one" (R.V.). Here, also, notwithstanding the high authorities on
the opposite side, we considerthat our Lord's words are not limited to the evil
one, but are to be takengenerally - "evil" in the widestsense, as being much
more forcible.
Vincent's Word Studies
From evil (ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ)
Possibly, from the evil one. Τὸ πονηρόν evil is found Romans 12:9; Matthew
5:39; but generalN.T. usage favors the masculine, personalsense. See
Matthew 13:19, Matthew 13:38; Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 2:13, 1 John 2:14; 1
John 3:12; 1 John 5:18. In lxx, τὸ πονηρόν evil is very common: ὁ πονηρὸς a

few times, but always of men. See Deuteronomy24:7; Esther 7:6; Job 21:30.
In Tob 3:8, 17, τὸ πονηρόν δαιμόνιον the wickeddemon. The masculine is
favored by the Jewishformularies, of which traces appearin the Lord's
prayer; by the unanimous tradition of Greek interpreters; by the
interpretations of Tertullian and Cyprian, and by the evidence of the Syriac
and Sahidic Versions.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
JAMES DENNEY
MUTUAL INTERCESSION
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (R.V.)
THE main part of this letter is now finished. The Apostle has completed his
teaching about the SecondAdvent, and the events which precede and
condition it; and nothing remains to dispose of but some minor matters of
personaland practicalinterest.
He begins by asking again, as at the close ofthe First Epistle, the prayers of
the Thessalonians forhimself and his fellow workers. It was a strength and
comfort to him, as to every minister of Christ, to know that he was
remembered by those who loved him. in the presence of God. But it is no
selfishor private interest that the Apostle has in view When he begs a place in
their prayers; it is the interest of the work with which he has identified
himself. "Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified."
This was the one business and concernof his life; if it went well, all his desires
were satisfied.

Hardly anything in the New Testamentgives us a more characteristic look of
the Apostle’s soul than his desire that the word of the Lord should run. The
word of the Lord is the gospel, ofwhich he is the principal herald to the
nations; and we see in his choice ofthis word his sense ofits urgency. It was
glad tidings to all mankind; and how sorely neededwherever he turned his
eyes!The constraint of Christ’s love was upon his heart, the constraint of
men’s sin and misery; and he could not pass swiftly enough from city to city,
to proclaim the reconciling grace ofGod, and callmen from darkness. unto
light. His eagerheart fretted againstbarriers and restraints of every
description; he saw in them the malice of the great enemy of Christ: "I was
minded once and againto come unto you, but Satan hindered me." Hence it is
that he asks the Thessalonians to pray for their removal, that the word of the
Lord may run. The ardour of such a prayer, and of the heart which prompts
it, is far enough removed from the common temper of the Church, especially
where it has been long established. How many centuries there were during
which Christendom, as it was called, was practicallya fixed quantity, shut up
within the limits of WesternEuropeancivilisation, and not aspiring to
advance a single step beyond it, fastor slow. It is one of the happy omens of
our own time that the apostolic conceptionofthe gospelas an ever-advancing,
ever-victorious force, has begun againto take its place in the Christian heart.
If it is really to us what it was to St. Paul-a revelationof God’s mercy and
judgment which dwarfs everything else, a poweromnipotent to save, an
irresistible pressure of love on heart and will, glad tidings of great joy that the
world is dying for-we shall share in this ardent, evangelicalspirit, and pray
for all preachers that the word of the Lord may run very swiftly. How it
passedin apostolic times from land to land and from city to city-from Syria to
Asia, from Asia to Macedonia, fromMacedonia to Greece,from Greece to
Italy, from Italy to Spain-till in one man’s lifetime, and largely by one man’s
labour, it was known throughout the Roman world. It is easy, indeed, to
overestimate the number of the early Christians; but we canhardly
overestimate the fiery speedwith which the Cross wentforth conquering and
to conquer. Missionaryzeal is one note of the true Apostolic Church.
But Paul wishes the Thessalonians to pray that the word of the Lord may be
glorified, as well as have free course. The word of the Lord is a glorious thing

itself. As the Apostle calls it in another place, it is the gospelof the glory of the
blessedGod. All that makes the spiritual glory of God-His holiness, His love,
His wisdom is concentratedand displayed in it. But its glory is acknowledged,
and in that sense heightened, when its power is seenin the salvation of men. A
messagefrom God that did nothing would not be glorified: it would be
discredited and shamed. It is the glory of the gospelto lay hold of men, to
transfigure them, to lift them out of evil into the company and the likeness of
Christ. For anything else it does, it may not fill a greatspace in the world’s
eye; but when it actually brings the powerof God to save those who receive it,
it is clothed in glory. Paul did not wish to preachwithout seeing the fruits of
his labour. He did the work of an evangelist;and he would have been ashamed
of the evangelif it had not wielded a Divine powerto overcome sin and bring
the sinful to God. Pray that it may always have this power. Pray that when the
word of the Lord is spokenit may not be an ineffective, fruitless word, but
mighty through God.
There is an expressionin Titus 2:10 analogous to this: "Adorning the doctrine
of God our Saviour in all things." That expressionis less fervent, spokenat a
lowerlevel, than the one before us; but it more readily suggests, forthat very
reason, some duties of which we should be reminded here also. It comes home
to all who try to bring their conductinto any kind of relation to the gospelof
Christ. It is only too possible for us to disgrace the gospel;but it is in our
poweralso, by every smallestactionwe do, to illustrate it, to setit off, to put
its beauty in the true light before the eyes of men. The gospelcomes into the
world, like everything else, to be judged on its merits; that is, by the effects
which it produces in the lives of those who receive it. We are its witnesses;its
character, in the generalmind, is as goodas our character;it is as lovely as we
are lovely, as strong as we are strong, as glorious as we are glorious, and no
more. Let us seek to bear it a truer and worthier witness than we have yet
done. To adorn it is a calling far higher than most of us have aimed at; but if it
comes into our prayers, if its swift diffusion and powerful operation are near
our hearts in the sight of God, grace will be given us to do this also.
The next requestof the Apostle has more of a personalaspect, yet it also has
his work in view. He asks prayer that he and his friends may be delivered
from unreasonable and wickedmen: for all men, he says, have not faith. The

unreasonable and wickedmen were no doubt the Jews in Corinth, from which
place he wrote. Their malignant opposition was the great obstacle to the
spread of the gospel;they were the representatives andinstruments of the
Satanwho perpetually hindered him. The word here rendered unreasonable is
a rare one in the New Testament. It occurs four times in all, and in eachcase
is differently translated: once it is "amiss," once "harm," once "wickedness,"
and here "unreasonable."The margin in this place renders it "absurd." What
it literally means is, "out of place"; and the Apostle signifies by it, that in the
opposition of these men to the gospelthere was something preposterous,
something that baffled explanation; there was no reasonin it, and therefore it
was hopeless to reasonwith it. That is a dispositionlargely representedboth
in the Old Testamentand the New, and familiar to everyone who in preaching
the gospelhas come into close contactwithmen. It was one of the greattrials
of Jesus that He had to endure the contradiction, of those who were sinners
againstthemselves;who rejectedthe counselof God in their own despite; in
other words, were unreasonable men. The gospel, we must remember, is good
news;it is goodnews to all men. It tells of God’s love to the sinful; it brings
pardon, holiness, immortal hope, to everyone. Why, then, should anybody
have a quarrel with it? Is it not enough to drive reasonto despair, that men
should wantonly, stubbornly, malignantly, hate and resistsuch a message? Is
there anything in the world more provoking than to offer a realand
indispensable service, out of a true and disinterested love, and to have it
contemptuously rejected? That is the fate of the gospelin many quarters; that
was the constantexperience of our Lord and of St. Paul. No wonder, in the
interests of his mission, the Apostle prays to be delivered from unreasonable
men. Are there any of us who come under this condemnation? who are
senselesslyopposedto the gospel, enemies in intention of God, but in reality
hurting no one so much as ourselves? The Apostle does not indicate in his
prayer any mode of deliverance. He may have hoped that in God’s providence
his persecutors wouldhave their attention distracted somehow;he may have
hoped that by greaterwisdom, greaterlove, greaterpowerof adaptation, of
becoming all things to all men, he might vanquish their unreason, and gain
access to their souls for the truth. In any case, his request shows us that the
gospelhas a battle to fight that we should hardly have anticipated-a battle
with sheerperversity, with blind, wilful absurdity-and that this is one of its

most dangerous foes. "Oh, that they were wise," Godcries of His ancient
people, "Oh, that they understood." He has the same lament to utter still.
We ought to notice the reasonappended to this description of Paul’s enemies:
absurd and evil men, he says;for all men have not faith. Faith, of course,
means the Christian faith: all men are not believers in Christ and disciples of
Christ; and therefore the moral unreasonand perversity of which I have
spokenactually exist. He who has the faith is morally sane;he has that in him
which is inconsistentwith such wickednessandirrationality. We canhardly
suppose, however, that the Apostle meant to state such a superfluous truism
as that all men were not Christians. What he does mean is apparently that not
all men have affinity for the faith, have aptitude or liking for it; as Christ said
when He stoodbefore Pilate, the voice of truth is only heard by those who are
of the truth. So it was-whenthe apostles preached. Among their hearers there
were those who were of the truth, in whom there was, as it were, the instinct
for the faith; they welcomedthe message.Others, again, discoveredno such
natural relation to the truth; in spite of the adaptation of the messageto
human needs, they had no sympathy with it; there was no reactionin their
hearts in its favour; it was unreasonable to them; and to God they were
unreasonable. The Apostle does not explain this; he simply remarks it. It is
one of the ultimate and inexplicable facts of human experience;one of the
meeting points of nature and freedom, which defy our philosophies. Some are
of kin to the gospelwhenthey hear it; they have faith, and justify the counsel
of God, and are saved: others are of no kin to the gospel;its wisdom and love
wake no response in them; they have not faith; they rejectthe counselof God
to their own ruin; they are preposterous and evil men. It is from such, as
hinderers of the gospel, that Paul prays to be delivered.
In the two verses whichfollow, he plays, as is were, with this word "faith." All
men have not faith, he writes;but the Lord is faithful, and we have faith in the
Lord touching you. Often the Apostle goes off thus at a word. Often,
especially, he contrasts the trustworthiness of God with the faithlessness of
men. Men may not take the gospelseriously;but the Lord does. He is in
indubitable earnestwith it; He may be depended upon to do His part in
carrying it into effect. See how unselfishly, at this point, the Apostle turns
from his ownsituation to that of his readers. The Lord is faithful who will

stablish you, and keepyou from the Evil One. Paul had left the Thessalonians
exposedto very much the same trouble as besethimself whereverhe went; but
he had left them to One who, he well knew, was able to keepthem from
falling, and to preserve them againstall that the devil and his agents could do.
And side by side with this confidence in God stoodhis confidence touching the
Thessalonians themselves. He was sure in the Lord that they were doing, and
would continue to do, the things which he commanded them; in other words,
that they would lead a worthy and becoming Christian life. The point of this
sentence lies in the words "in the Lord." Apart from the Lord, Paul could
have had no such confidence as he here expresses. The standard of the
Christian life is lofty and severe;its purity, its unworldliness, its brotherly
love, its burning hope, were new things then in the world. What assurance
could there be that this standard would be maintained, when the small
congregationof working people in Thessalonicawas castupon its own
resources in the midst of a pagancommunity? None at all, apart from Christ.
If He had left them along with the Apostle, no one could have riskedmuch
upon their fidelity to the Christian calling. It marks the beginning of a new
era when the Apostle writes, "We have confidence in the Lord touching you."
Life has a new element now, a new atmosphere, new resources;and therefore
we may cherish new hopes of it. When we think of them, the words include a
gentle admonition to the Thessalonians, to beware of forgetting the Lord, and
trusting to themselves;that is a disappointing path, which will put the
Apostle’s confidence toward them to shame. But it is an admonition as hopeful
as it is gentle; reminding them that, though the path of Christian obedience
cannot be trodden without constanteffort, it is a path on which the Lord
accompanies andupholds all who trust in Him. Here there is a lessonfor us all
to learn. Even those who are engagedin work for Christ are too apt to forget
that the only hope of such work is the Lord. "Trust no man," says the wisest
of commentators, "left to himself." Or to put the same thing more in
accordancewith the spirit of the text, there always is room for hope and
confidence when the Lord is not forgotten. In the Lord, you may depend upon
those who in themselves are weak, unstable, wilful, foolish. In the Lord, you
may depend on them to stand fast, to fight their temptations, to overcome the
world and the WickedOne. This kind of assurance, andthe actualpresence

and help of Christ which justified it, are very characteristic ofthe New
Testament. Theyexplain the joyous, open, hopeful spirit of the early Church;
they are the cause, as wellas the effect, of that vigorous moral health which, in
the decayof ancient civilisation, gave the Church the inheritance of the future.
And still we may have confidence in the Lord that all whom He has called by
His gospelwill be able by His spiritual presence with them to walk worthy of
that calling, and to confute alike the fears of the goodand the contempt of the
wicked. Forthe Lord is faithful, who will stablish them, and preserve them
from the Evil One.
Once more the Apostle bursts into prayer, as he remembers the situation of
these few sheepin the wilderness:"The Lord direct your hearts into the love
of God, and into the patience of Christ." Nothing could be a better
commentary than one of Paul’s own affectionate Epistles onthat much-
discussedtext. "Praywithout ceasing."Look, forinstance, through this one
with which we are engaged. It begins with a prayer for grace and peace. This
is followedby a thanksgiving in which God is acknowledgedas the Author of
all their graces. The first chapter ends with a prayer-an unceasing prayer-that
God would count them worthy of His calling. In the secondchapterPaul
renews his thanksgiving on behalf of his converts, and prays againthat God
may comfort their hearts and stablish them in every goodwork and word.
And here, the moment he has touched upon a new topic, he returns, as it were
by instinct, to prayer. "The Lord direct your hearts." Prayeris his very
element; he lives, and moves, and has his being, in God. He can do nothing, he
cannot conceive ofanything being done, in which God is not as directly
participant as himself, or those whom he wishes to bless. Suchan intense
appreciationof God’s nearness and interest in life goes farbeyond the
attainments of most Christians; yet here, no doubt, lies a great part of the
Apostle’s power.
The prayer has two parts: he asks thatthe Lord may direct their hearts into
the love of God, and into the patience of Christ. The love of God here means
love to God; this is the sum of all Christian virtue, or at leastthe source ofit.
The gospelproclaims that God is love; it tells us that God has proved His love
by sending His Son to die for our sins; it shows us Christ on the cross, in the
passionof that love with which He loved us when He gave Himself for us; and

it waits for the answerof love. It comprehended the whole effectof the gospel,
the whole mystery of its saving and recreating power, when the Apostle
exclaimed, "The love of Christ constrainethus." It is this experience which in
the passage before us he desires for the Thessalonians. There is no one without
love, or at leastwithout the power of loving, in his heart. But what is the
objectof it? On what is it actually directed? The very words of the prayer
imply that it is easily misdirected. But surely if love itself best merits and may
best claim love, none should be the object of it before Him who is its source.
God has earnedour love; He desires our love; let us look to the Cross where
He has given us the greatpledge of His own, and yield to its sweetconstraint.
The old law is not abolished, but to be fulfilled: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and
with all thy mind." If the Lord fix our souls to Himself by this irresistible
attraction, nothing will be able to carry us away.
Love to God is naturally joyous;but life has other experiences than those
which give free scope for its joyous exercise;and so the Apostle adds, "into the
patience of Jesus Christ." The Authorised Version renders, "the patient
waiting for Christ," as if what the Apostle prayed for were that they might
continue steadfastlyto hope for the Last Advent; but although that idea is
characteristic ofthese Epistles, it is hardly to be found in the words. Rather
does he remind his readers that in the difficulties and sufferings of the path
which lies before them, no strange thing is happening to them, nothing that
has not already been borne by Christ in the spirit in which it ought to be
borne by us. Our Saviour Himself had need of patience. He was made flesh,
and all that the children of God have to suffer in this world has already been
suffered by Him. This prayer is at once warning and consoling. It assures us
that those who will live godly will have trials to bear: there will be untoward
circumstances;feeble health; uncongenialrelations; misunderstanding and
malice; unreasonable and evil men; abundant calls for patience. But there will
be no sense ofhaving missedthe way, or of being forgotten by God; on the
contrary, there will be in Jesus Christ, ever present, a type and a fountain of
patience, which will enable them to overcome all that is againstthem. The love
of God and the patience of Christ may be calledthe active and the passive
sides of Christian goodness, -its free, steadyoutgoing to Him who is the source

of all blessing;and its deliberate, steady, hopeful endurance, in the spirit of
Him who was made perfectthrough suffering. The Lord direct our hearts into
both, that we may be perfect men in Christ Jesus.
Rev. David Holwick T
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
May 27, 2012
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
PAUL'S PERSONALPRAYER
I. Prayer requests.
A. Have you ever askedsomeoneto pray for you?
1) Was it easyor hard to ask it?
2) Do you think they remembered to pray for you?
a) Sometimes we like the process ofsharing requests more
than actually praying on them.
3) Do you think it did you any good?

B. We have a God who likes to be asked.
1) Jesus taught that we don't have to pester him, but there
does seemto be strength in numbers.
2) We want service!
A few years ago the AssociatedPresscarrieda story
about a group of post office customers.
The service that day was very slow - 26 people waited in
two lines.
One customersaid, "It was like watching grass grow."
They realized they weren'tgetting enough attention, so
a 73-year-oldman organizedthe group.
In an uncommon show of unity, he gotall 26 to shout
together, "We want service!"
Two minutes later, another clerk ambled out and without
cracking a smile said, "Next?"
Well, the 26 knew they were on to something, so they tried
it again.
You guessedit, one more clerk appeared.
An amused customersummed up the situation like this:

"I got through that line in four minutes.
I've never seenanything like it!"
In some ways this is a modern version of Christ's parable
of the unjust judge.
He said that if humans can be persuaded by persistent
asking, how much more will our gracious Heavenly
Fatherpay attention to our pleadings!
#12056
C. In today's passage, Paulasks.
1) He asks on behalf of God.
2) He asks on behalf of himself.
3) And he reminds them of the kind of God we are calling on.
II. Pray for us.
A. Paul's focus is different than it is for most of us.
1) We would ask for healing of a friend, or better finances.
a) We tend to be people-oriented.
b) Paul is definitely God-oriented.
2) Paul asks that the gospelwould be successful.
a) He wants to see it spread farther. And quicker.
b) He wants people to respond to it in a positive way.

3) His bestexample is the Thessaloniansthemselves.
a) Many had come to believe in the city.
b) The gospelhad already spreadinto outlying areas.
B. The gospelcontinues to spreadtoday.
1) Christianity is converting more people than Islam.
a) You usually hear that Islam is growing faster.
In reality, this is because Islamis strongestwhere
birth rates are highest.
(Yet even in these countries, birth rates are falling
quickly.)
b) When you look at conversions, Christianity wins.
Noted statisticianDavid Barrett calculates Islam
converts 865,000people a year.
Christianity converts 2.5 million!
(Wikipedia claims Islam is winning, however)
2) It is a similar story in other parts of the world.
a) In Vietnam, the U.S. State Department estimates that
Protestants in Vietnam may have grown600%over
the last decade.
b) In Nigeria, the numbers of Christians has grownfrom

21% to 48 in fifty years.
c) In South Africa, Pentecostalismhas grownfrom 0.2%in
7.6% in fifty years.
d) In South Korea, in twenty years Christianity has grown
from 21% to almost30%.
e) In China, the government reports 30 million Christians
in registeredchurches.
1> This does not include private "house churches"
that the government doesn'tcontrol.
2> Independent surveys report the total number of
Christians is 65 million or more.
III. The gospelis not honored everywhere.
A. Many people in America want nothing to do with it.
1) Often they will describe it as "been there, done that."
2) The moral demands of the Bible turn many people off.
a) Others think it is anti-science.
b) Unfortunately, many times people turn againstit
because of a bad experience with a Christian.
3) A new trend is to be anti-religious rather than non-religious.
a) Billboards mocking Christmas, websites that specifically
Christians - we can expect more of that.

B. There has always beenopposition.
1) If anything, the early church had it much worse than us.
a) Paul himself was beaten, whipped, imprisoned and stoned
by mobs.
b) When he says "not everyone has faith," he is putting
it mildly.
2) That is why Paul asks forprayer for deliverance.
a) Iranian PastorYoucef Nadarkhaniis praying for the
same thing.
In 2009 he criticized the schools there for trying to
force Islam on his kids.
He was arrested, chargedwith apostasysince he was
born a Muslim, and given the death penalty.
Severaltimes he has been offered his freedom if he
will only renounce Jesus and embrace Islam.
Even though he has a wife and two small children, he
has refused.
b) A Vatican study found that out of every 100 people
killed due to religious hatred, 75 are Christians.
IV. Our God is faithful.
A. God is strongerthan any oppositionthat comes againstyou.

1) It may be people. It may be Satanhimself.
2) No force candestroy you if God is on your side.
B. You cantrust in God's faithfulness.
1) A missionary's story.
In the early 1800's the modern missionarymovement was
getting into full swing.
A young Scotsmannamed Robert Moffat applied to the London
MissionarySocietyand at the age of 17 he sailed to
South Africa, to a tribe that was deep inland.
Two years later, he gotmarried and he and his wife
translatedthe Bible into the locallanguage.
They were faithful in preaching.
But not one personconverted.
In 1827, they receiveda letter from England.
Their friend wanted to mail them a gift and he askedwhat
they would like.
Trusting that the Lord was ready to bless their work, Mary
replied, "Send us a communion set; I am sure it will
soonbe needed."

Two years later, in 1829, afterten years of effort, the
Moffats still hadn't seena single person come to Christ.
Then in May of that year, six people came to the Lord.
By July, there were over 120 believers.
The small church prepared to gatheron the first Sunday in
July for their first celebrationof the Lord's Supper.
Two days before the observance, a package arrived.
It was the communion set, it had been delayed two years in
the mail.
But God's faithfulness wasn'tdone yet.
They had a daughter named Mary, who became the wife of the
famous missionary David Livingstone. #17608
2) God can getyou what you need, when you need it.
V. Will you be faithful?
A. Paul had confidence in the Thessalonians.
1) He trusted that they were following the teaching he gave
them.
2) It wasn't just a human confidence, but one that God put
in his heart.

B. Would he have that confidence in you?
1) When I speak of how the gospelhas penetrated Africa and
Asia, I glossedoveran important point.
2) It has not yet penetrated millions of people in the United
States.
a) Some may even be in this church.
b) Maybe it is you.
1> Has the gospel reachedyou?
2> You may be aware ofthe stories, and been taught
basic truths, and followedthe weeklyhabits,
but still not be a believer.
3> Perhaps you have even prayed for deliverance,
just like Paul did.
c) We must be clear - true Christianity is the surrender
of your whole being to Jesus Christ.
1> You recognize you need to be saved.
2> You acknowledgethat only Jesus cando it, and you
ask him to.
C. RealChristianity produces certain fruit.
1) You will want to love the way God loves.
2) And you will keepfollowing God, even when it is hard.
a) Paul calls this "Christ's perseverance."

b) Jesus keptfollowing his father's missionfor him,
even though he knew where it would end up.
c) He struggledwith it emotionally, but didn't waver.
==========================================================
===============
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#12056 “Throughthe Line in Four Minutes,” Fredericksburg Bible
Illustrator Supplements, entered May 3, 2000.
#17608 “The Communion SetCame Just In Time,” by Alexander MacLaren,
Don JohnsonCollection.
These and 35,000others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
Final Confidences in God’s Grace Expressed(2 Thes. 3:1-5)
Introduction

With chapter 3 Paul begins to bring this epistle to a close, but in doing so, we
are privileged to see a wonderful model as Paul demonstrates how his team’s
confidence lay not in human plans, promotion, programs, or human
personalities, but in the Lord Himself. Their confidence for whateverthey
might need and face was an unending trust in the provision and faithfulness of
the Lord and His powerful Word. The Lord Jesus saidemphatically, “I will
build my church and the gates ofHades will not prevail againstit.” While God
uses frail human instruments in accomplishing His work on earth, the
ultimate accomplishmentof the work depends on the work and faithfulness of
the Lord and His Word.
Our modern ‘go-go’tendency is to be quick to plan and actrather than pray,
wait on the Lord, and then in God’s timing and leading, work in His strength,
leading, and provision. This is not only the position of wisdom but of humility
as we put our trust not in ourselves, but in a sovereignGodand Savior. Again,
the apostle provides us with a model, not just for ministry but for life.
Paul’s Confidence in Prayer
(3:1-2)
3:1 Finally pray for us, brothers and sisters, that the Lord’s messagemay
spread quickly and be honored as in fact it was among you, 3:2 and that we
may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith.
With the word “finally” (Greek loipon, a particle of transition often found
toward the end of a letter) the apostle indicates that he is coming to the close
of the letter, but not necessarilyimplying that he was immediately ending the
letter or that other matters might not be discussed.88
As is 1 Thessalonians 5:25, Paulasks forprayer on behalf of their missionary
team. He says, “Pray, brethren (the plural adelphoi used as a vocative of
address), for us.” The use of the vocative (as in 1 Thes. 5:25)puts some
emphasis on the request and the sense of Paul’s awarenessofhis need of
God’s hand and the important part the prayer of the saints has on our
ministries. Thus, it was not unusual for Paul, who consistentlyprayed for his
converts, to ask for prayer himself (see Rom. 15:30;2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:19,

20; Phil. 1:19; Col. 4:3-4). Too much Christian work is attempted today by
human plans and promotion with far too much dependence on the methods
employed and in the dynamic personalities of people rather than on a
prayerful dependence on the Lord.
There is an important lessonin this for all of us. Here was a giant among men
and one used mightily by the Lord. Paul gave us more books ofthe New
Testamentthan any other of the apostles or their associates,yetthis great
man of God humbly sought the prayer of those he and his team had led to
Christ and were teaching to help them grow in Christ. Thus, recognizing their
own inadequacy and need of God’s enablement, the apostle and his team
humbly sought the prayer support of others.
The content of their prayer is spelledout in two specific requests. Theydid not
just ask for prayer in general(i.e., pray for us), but they were specific with
two primary requests seenin the clauses introducedby “that” (two hina
clauses introducing the content of the request). Significantly, both of these
requests ultimately relatedto the progress ofthe gospel, eventhough the
secondrequestwas more personal.
The First Request:Literally, “that the message(ho logos, the word) of the
Lord may run and be glorified just as also with you.” The message ofthe
word is the messageofgospel, the divine revelation which God breathed and
which thereby comes with God’s authority behind it.
(1) The first need is that it may run. This is the present continuous tense of the
Greek word trecho, which means literally, “run” but it is used figuratively of
“proceeding quickly without hindrance.” This is, then, a prayer that God’s
messagewill continue to progress swiftly and without hindrance to and within
the hearts of men and women as it had done so powerfully among the
Thessalonians (see 1 Thes. 1 and 2:13). Note first that the focus here is on the
messageratherthan the messengerforin the final analysis it is the message
that transforms people. Again, we get a glimpse of Paul’s confidence. It is in
God and His precious Word. Second, the very nature of such a request calls to
mind the factthat Satan and this world is always at work to throw up
hindrances or barriers againstthe message. Ifthe messageis to run swiftly, it

must have the sovereignwork ofGod make clearthe way (cf. 1 Thes. 2:18
with 3:11-13).
(2) The secondneed spelled out in this first request is that the message may
continue to be glorified. The verb here is continuos present of doxazo, “to
honor, magnify, praise.” The idea is that God’s message,and thus God
Himself, may be honored among men as they recognize its authority and
submit their lives to its glorious truth in faith and continued obedience and
growth. For an example of this and as a further encouragementto the
Thessalonians, he quickly added, “… just as it was with you.” This recalls the
amazing successofthe messagein Thessalonica as describedin 1
Thessalonians 1:5, 6, 8 and 2:13. This is the kind of response Pauland his
team wanted to see whereverthe gospelis proclaimed.
The SecondRequest:“And that we may be delivered from perverse and evil
men; for not all have faith.” This requestis certainly more personal, but it is
still relatedto the first request for the speedy and unhindered progress of the
Word for they were messengers ofthe message. The Wordof Godis not
bound or imprisoned (2 Ti. 2:9) and Satanis impotent againstthe Word when
it is accuratelyproclaimed. He may deny it, attack it, try to add to it or
subtract from it, but his primary attacks must come againstthose who
proclaim it (see 1 Thes. 2:18). He will seek to use those under his influence and
who do not have faith to imprison, kill, distract, detain, or in some way
through temptation and deceptionto negate the testimony of the messenger.
This had happened in Philippi and in Thessalonica(cf. 1 Thes. 2:1; Acts
16:22f). There was undoubtedly the element of self-preservationin this
request, but the primary aim is for the purpose of spreading the gospel.
“Maybe delivered” is the aoristof the verb ruomai, “to deliver, rescue,
preserve.” The aoristcould possibly express Paul’s desire for deliverance
from a particular situation he was then facing, or it could express his desire as
a whole, from beginning to end, knowing that there would always be those
who would seek to hinder his ministry. In view of Acts 18:9-11, it is significant
that though Paul had already receivedthe Lord’s promise of personalsafety
while he was in Corinth, this fact did not cause Paulto take the Lord for
granted or make him independent from the prayer of the saints. Knowing

God’s will and having His assurancesshould never lead to prayerlessnessand
a spirit of independence.
Literally, the text has, “from the perverse and evil men.” The presence ofthe
article could indicate a specific group of men, but more likely this is an
illustration of a generic article and points to a class ofindividuals, a class of
men that form a very real obstacle formessengersofthe gospel. As such, it
categorizesratherthan particularizes. What is the categoryof men like? They
are first of all “perverse.” This is the adjective atopos, “out of place, strange,
outrageous,”and thus, “morally evil, perverse, improper” (see Luke 23:41;
Acts 25:5). “Evil” is poneros, which, in the physical sense means, “painful,
virulent, serious, spoiled, worthless,”but ethically, it means “wicked, evil,
base, vicious, degenerate.”It often refers to an active malignant kind of evil,
one that affects others in some negative way. In comparing kakos, “bad, evil,
wicked,” with poneros, Trenchwrites, “The kakos may be content to perish in
his owncorruption, but the poneros is not content unless he is corrupting
others as well, and drawing them into the same destruction with himself.”89
For this reason, Satanis calledho poneros, the evil one.
The next clause, “fornot all have faith” points us to the reasonfor this
categoryofmen. Since “faith” has the article (he pistis) this could be
understood as “the faith,” the objective body of truth, but the following
contrast, “the Lord is faithful” puts the focus more on the subjective aspectof
“trust.” They are what they are because they have no faith or trust in the
Lord.
Paul’s Confidence in Continued Growth
(3:3-5)
3:3 But the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen you and protect you from
the evil one. 3:4 And we are confident about you in the Lord that you are both
doing, and will do, what we are commanding. 3:5 Now may the Lord direct
your hearts toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ.
With the human unbelief and behavior just described, the apostle quickly
turns to focus the Thessaloniansonthe Lord and His faithfulness. Literally,

“But faithful is the Lord.” The term “faithful” is put first for emphasis and
displays a definite contrast. As the lastword of the previous sentence of the
Greek text was “faith,” pistis, and focusedon the unbelief of evil men, so the
first word of this sentence is pistos, “faithful, trustworthy,” which turns our
attention to the Lord and His character.90 While there are many who do not
have faith in the Lord and may oppose the gospeland its messengers,we can
rest in the Lord because He is faithful or trustworthy.
As the apostle thinks of the Lord’s character, he thinks also of the spiritual
and emotionalneeds of the Thessaloniansand quickly assures them that the
Lord who is faithful will “strengthenyou and protect you from the evil one.”
English Bibles typically translate this as simply another independent clause,
but in the Greek text we have a relative clause which more tightly describes or
clarifies the nature of the Lord as one who is faithful. Literally, “But faithful
is the Lord, who will strengthen and guard you …” Both verbs are what could
be called gnomic futures in that they portray that which is true of the Lord at
any time. Thus, in the future, or as the need arises, they can count on Him as
the One who will strengthen and guard or protect them from the evil one. For
the word “strengthen” (sterizo), see the comments in lesson7 at 2:17.
“Protect” is phulasso, “to guard, protect, defend.” It naturally suggests the
presence ofsome form of dangerwhich Paul defines as “the evil one.” Above
the apostle mentioned evil (poneros)men. Part of the reasonthey are actively
evil and mentioned above is because theyare unbelievers, but behind their
unbelief and their evil activity is the evil one himself. “Evil” is again the Greek
term poneros but here it has the article, ho poneros. This is a common name
for Satanin the New Testament(Matt. 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38; John 17:15; Eph.
6:16; 1 John 2:13f; 5:18f) and calls to mind his characterand constantwork
of actively causing evil, especiallyagainstthe people of God. It is he who is
behind the “mystery of lawlessness”(2:7).
Having mentioned the Lord’s faithfulness, in verse 4 Paul expressestheir
confidence that the Thessalonianswere doing and would do the things the
missionary team had commanded them (continue in the apostolic teaching).
But the key to that confidence is seenin the words, “in the Lord.” Literally,
“But we are confident in the Lord about you.” Their confidence was rootedin
the Lord. The missionary team trusted the faithful Lord to be at work to

maintain them in growthand obedience because oftheir relationship to Him
as those who were “in the Lord.”
Now in verse 5, though confident in the Lord, we see that they did not take the
Lord for granted, but expressedthat confidence in a request to Lord. The
verb in “may the Lord direct your hearts” is kateuthunai, an optative of
kateuthuno, “make straight, direct, lead.” This verb is repeatedlyused in the
Septuagint (the Greek translationof the OT) in 1 and 2 Chronicles (1 Chr.
2:18; 2 Chr. 12:14;19:3 20:33). The optative mood represents a strong wish
which they expressedto the Lord. In the first epistle (3:11), Paul used
kateuthuno in his prayer that God might direct their way, undoubtedly by
removing obstacles andopening doors that they might return to the
Thessalonians. Buthere the verb is used of the “heart,” whichoften refers to
the whole inner person—mind, emotions, and will, or it may simply be used as
a synonym for the personal pronoun. The apostle desired to see the Lord so
lead that they might experience both the love of God and the endurance of
Christ. But what does this mean? Eachof these expressions, the love of God
and the endurance of Christ, are capable of more than one meaning.
The love of God: A prayer (1) that they might be led more deeply in their love
for God(an objective genitive); (2) that they might be led to apprehend more
and more the love that God has for them (a subjective genitive); (3) that they
might experience God’s love for eachother as God has loved them (see 1 John
4:7f, perhaps an attributive genitive, godly love). But perhaps this is plenary
and includes all three ideas. “The comprehensiveness ofthe term is probably
designedto include every aspectof the love of God, and every possible effect
of that love upon the hearers.”91
The endurance of Christ: Endurance is hupomone, “patience, endurance,
fortitude, perseverance,” etc. This is a prayer (1) that they might wait
patiently for the coming Savior as translatedby the KJV (objective genitive);
(2) that they might have the kind of endurance that Christ gives, an
endurance that comes from relationship with Him (subjective genitive); (3)
that they might experience the kind of endurance that belongs to Christ or
that was demonstratedin His sufferings on earth and that He is
demonstrating even now as He waits for His enemies to be made a footstool

for His feet (Heb. 12:2; 10:13, either a possessive orattributive genitive).
Again, all three are true and perhaps all are intended. While a too rigid
exegesisis to be avoided, it may, perhaps, be permissible to paraphrase:“the
Lord teachand enable you to love as God loves, and to be patient as Christ is
patient.”92
Conclusion
In verses 1-2, we have seenhow the apostolic teamhumbly turned to their
students for prayer for their ministry. Thoughrequesting prayer for
deliverance from evil men who have no faith in the gospel, the focus was not
so much for personaldeliverance as it was for the ministry of the Word of the
Lord, that it might have speedy and unhindered progress as men honor it by
responding in faith and obedience to its message.
But the Lord is faithful and so there follows an emphasis that comes out of
this vital truth. There is, then, an intimate connection, somewhatlike cause
and effect, betweenthe key thoughts in verses 3, 4, and 5. In verse 3, the
emphasis is on “the faithfulness” of the Lord in contrastto the unbelief and
persecutionof evil men. In verse 4, the focus is on human obedience to this
glorious message, but such obedience must come from the believer’s
relationship with the Lord (“in the Lord”), and thus in verse 5, the focus is on
their growth in the love of God and endurance of Christ which is always the
root of obedience to the Word. In the backgroundof all of this is the confident
expectationof the sure return of the Savior, which we must all anticipate.
The writers pray that the risen Lord will lead their Thessalonianfriends into
a growing appreciationof God’s love for them (which will inevitably increase
their love for him and for one another) and into a still greaterparticipation in
the steadfastendurance of Christ. Even if there is no explicit reference to his
Advent in this wish-prayer, their steadfastendurance will in any case be
strengthenedby their confident expectationof that consummation of their
hope.93
J HAMPTON KEATHLEY III

Confidence in God's Faithfulness
(2 Thessalonians3:1-5)
© 2006 Steve Lewis - contact@SpiritAndTruth.org
COURSE
Paul asks forprayer (2 Thess. 3:1-2)
His command to pray:
Pray concerning us = a presenttense imperative, "Keepon praying
continually!" (see 1 Th 5:25)
The content of Paul's two-fold request:
First Paul requests prayer for the progress ofthe Word of the Lord
Spread rapidly = literally, "run" or have swift progress throughout the world.
This idea was found in the Old Testament(see Ps 147:15).
It was also drawn from the culture of Paul's own day (see Rom 9:16; 1 Cor
9:24; Gal 2:2; Phil 2:16; 2 Tim 4:7).
Be glorified = be honored; have its importance and poweracknowledged.
Just as with you = "as it did in your case"(see 1 Th 1:6).
Now Paul requests prayer for the safetyof the messengersofthe Word
We may be rescued(ruomai) = to be draggedout of harm's way; to be
delivered (see 1 Th 1:10).
Perverse (atopos)= literally, "out of place" = improper, unreasonable,
unrighteous.

Evil (poneros)= wicked;also contains the idea of being full of labor, toil,
annoyances, hardships, and peril.
Paul is confident that God will help the Thessalonians do what is right (2
Thess. 3:3-4)
But... "enoughabout me -- now, about you!"
Faithful is the Lord = this is a direct contrastto the previous phrase "not all
have faith." Even though not everyone believes the truth, the Lord is still to be
believed in as being faithful to His promises!
He will strengthen = to set in a fixed position, establish, confirm one's mind
(same verb as in 1 Th 3:13 and 2 Th 2:17).
Protect(phulasso)= to guard, watchover, keepsafe. Godwill not establishor
strengthen them and then leave them alone -- He will guard and protectthem
afterwards.
From the evil one = the context indicates that this refers to Satan(see 2 Th
2:9). The evil one always seeks to destroy"every goodwork and word."
Confidence in the Lord (peitho) = persuasion, assurance, a state of trust. This
is the perfecttense: "We became persuadedconcerning you and that
persuasionis still with us now." Paul's confidence was not in the
Thessalonians, but in the Lord -- in the faithfulness of God on their behalf.
You are doing and will do = the presentand future tenses ofpoieo (to do or
make). This word also means to actrightly or to do well.
What we command = to give an order or a commissionto a task.
Paul [again] prays for them (2 Thess. 3:5)
May the Lord = the optative mood expresses a wishfor the future (see 2 Th
2:16-17). Paul is praying for them again!
Directyour hearts = to make straight; to lay out a smooth and direct route.
Into the love (agape)of God = Paul prays that their hearts would be directed
into the sphere or realm of the unselfish, sacrificiallove that is characteristic

of God Himself. This would provide increasing appreciationfor God's own
love for them, as well as the ability to express this kind of love to others (see 1
Th 1:3; 3:6, 12;5:13; 2 Th 1:3).
Into the steadfastness(hupomone) of Christ = literally, "abiding under." This
is the kind of patience that grows only under trial and affliction. The
Thessalonians (and we)need this kind of steadfastnessin order to endure
affliction in a godly manner.
Points of Application:
We, too, should pray for those who minister to us. Christian leaders are men
"subjectto like passions as we are" (James 5:17), and they need our prayer
support.
We need to be reminded that the Lord is faithful. He will strengthen and
protect us.
We should ask ourselves, "WillGod find me doing what I know to be right?
Am I doing (present) and will I do (future) what He commands?" With God's
help, I will.
We, too, should pray that God would provide a direct wayfor us to increase in
agape love and to exhibit the kind of endurance in our circumstances that
Christ demonstratedfor us.
© 2004 by Steve Lewis
JOHN MACARTHUR
The Marks of a Faithful Congregation
Sermons 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5 80-201 Mar7, 1999

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Well, tonight I – I want to draw your attention to a passage thatreally sort of
allows me to – to say what’s on my heart. As I mentioned this morning, you
have showeredme with so much blessing in my life, you have made my life so
rich and so full. And if I could sum up in one simple statement why that is
true, it is because ofthe way in which you respond, the way in which you
respond to the ministry that God has given me here. I know I’m not deserving
of that kind of response. There’s nothing humanly that I could do to gain that
kind of response. But God, in his grace, and God in his mercy, and God in his
sovereignpurpose has bestowedupon my life, a congregationofpeople who
respond the waya pastor would hope and pray and wish they would respond.
I think back and some of the biographies that I have read about men who
poured their life into churches that, in the end, devastatedthem. The apostle
Paul certainly had that experience with the church at Corinth who had a sad,
tragic response to his faithful ministry. I remember reading one time when I
was flying over to Australia to minister the story Arthur Pink, the greatmind,
gifted preacher, Bible student whose ministry was one tragedy after another,
so that in the end of his life he found himself in some seaside village in
Scotland, a recluse who wouldn’t even go out the door, he had been so deeply
grieved and wounded and hurt by people.
I think about Charles Spurgeonwho, after all of the powerof his ministry,
was basicallyvoted out of the BaptistConvention and had a broken heart and
a grieving spirit until his life ended. Jonathan Edwards, in our own country,
who was voted out of his church at the height of the great, greatpreaching
ministry that probably had no equal in our history. Not everyone is blessed

with a congregationthat responds the way you respond and, I believe, the way
God would have you respond.
As we come to a Shepherd’s Conference this week, ofcourse, we’llbe talking
a lot about the pastor’s duty, a lot about our responsibility. And the Bible does
say a lot about it. It’s almosta – a part of every facetof the Epistles of the
New Testament. The most serious task that any man could ever be given
would be to be a pastor. That is the highest calling imaginable, the one with
the greatestdemandfor excellence andthe greatestlevelof accountability.
That’s why James said, “Stop being so many teachers, fortheirs is a greater
condemnation.”
It’s a very serious duty. It’s a very formidable duty. Humanly speaking, it’s
an impossible one. And that’s why Scripture has so very, very much to say
about it. That instruction begins evenin the Gospels as Jesus instructs the
disciples in what He expects from them as they go out, really, to be the first
wave of – of pastors and evangelists and shepherds of His flock. It continues in
the Book ofActs where the responsibilities for leadership in the church are
continually delineated. And then it goes right on through the Epistles, to
finally the PastoralEpistles themselves;1, 2 Timothy and Titus.
And then there was even pastoralinstruction as far as the shepherd’s
responsibility is concernedin 1 Peter. As the shepherd is the under shepherd
of Christ, he is basicallygiven instruction as to his characterand the nature of
his ministry. That kind of ministry even continues on into 2 Peteras he has
the responsibility to warn his people of error. And you come even into the
Book ofJude and it follows there.
You go into the Epistles of John and you see a pastor, namely John,
endeavoring to work with his flock. We get into the Book of Revelationand
you have instruction for sevenchurches, and accountability for that
instruction being disseminated and bound, as it were, on the minds and hearts
of the people by those who are their shepherds.
The New Testamentis filled with that instruction. And because ofthe
precisionof that instruction and because ofthe clarity of that instruction,
much is made of our obligationas pastors to fulfill that duty. And we are

rightly held up to a very high standard. And we are disqualified if we fall
short of that standard. Paul said that his great fear, 1 Corinthians 9:27, was
that in preaching others, he, himself – preaching to others, he, himself would
be disqualified.
We understand that. And as I said, I preacha lot on that because there’s a lot
of it in the New Testament. We, through the years, have said much about the
church and much about the ministry in expositing the New Testamentbecause
there’s so much there. And it’s also goodfor my own heart and for all our
pastors to know this and to be continually held to the standard. And it’s good
for you to know the standard and to know it well so that you canhold us to
that standard.
But there’s the other side of this relationship as well, and that is the
instruction that God has given for you, as the people, in how you respond to
the pastor. I have unquestionably, a serious, demanding, formidable duty
before God, a duty that I need to fulfill, for which I am held accountable. You,
also, have a duty to fulfill in response. And Scripture does have a lot of say,
also, about your responsibility and your duty as you respond to the ministry
that God puts before you.
For example, in Philippians 2:29, Paul tells the Philippians about
Epaphroditus, who was a fellow servant with Paul. And he says to the
Philippians in Verse 29, “Receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men
like him in high regard.” There is unquestionably a responsibility on the part
of a congregationto have high regardfor faithful pastors, faithful leaders.
“Receive him in the Lord.” That is embrace him because ofyour common
knowledge ofthe Lord, your common life in Christ. “Do so with all joy and
hold men like him in high regard.”
In Hebrews chapter13, again, in Verse 7, it says, “Rememberthose who led
you” – that would be your shepherds, your pastors – “who spoke the word of
God to you.” “Imitate their faith,” it says. Imitate their faith. Receive them in
the Lord with joy. Regardthem highly. Imitate their faith. In Verse 17 of the
same chapter, Chapter 13 of Hebrews it says, “Obeyyour leaders, submit to
them, for they keepwatch over your souls as those who will give an account.”

And do your submitting and obeying “with joy and not with grief, for this
would be unprofitable for you.”
You don’t want to cause your pastorgrief, because then that hurts his
effectiveness,whichrestricts his ministry for your benefit. Perhaps the most
familiar text dealing with your response is in 1 Thessalonians chapter5, 1
Thessalonians 5:12 and 13. “We request of you, brethren, that you appreciate
those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord
and give you instruction, and that you esteemthem highly – very highly in
love because oftheir work.”
This is all about regarding them highly, about submitting to them, obeying
them, imitating the example of their faith, appreciating them, esteeming them
very highly in love because of their work. Becauseit is the Lord’s work that
we do, because we are the under shepherds of Christ, not because of
personality, not because ofpersonalcharm or attraction, but because ofan
objective evaluation of the centrality of the gospelof the utter importance and
priority of the work of the pastor, we are to honor, respect, love, support,
appreciate, submit, obey, and follow their example.
And when pastors are faithful to their responsibility and people are faithful to
their responsibility, then the church is blessedand the church is powerful.
Now this very issue is in the mind of the apostle Paulin 2 Thessalonians 3.
And I want you to turn to it. That’s the text that we’ll just briefly mention
tonight. You can feel the shepherd’s heart in Paul, the heart that he has for his
people as he unfolds what he expects from them. Listen to the first five verses
of 2 Thessalonians3.
“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spreadrapidly
and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we will be rescuedfrom
perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He
will strengthenand protect you from the evil one. And we have confidence in
the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we
command. May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the
steadfastness ofChrist.”

What you have here, againwith such a magnificent economyof words, is a
summary of everything a pastor would ever want from his people. Really,
when you’ve said what’s in this five verses, you’ve summed it all up. It’s just
an immense, immense text in terms of its implications. You would readit
probably in reading through 2 Thessalonians andyou might just skip by it
and not think deeply about it. But, certainly, we ought to, and I trust we will
for a few moments tonight. In this text, Paul lays out what he wants from his
people, what he has a right to expect, because this would be the will of God.
As a shepherd, first of all, he desires to have them prayerful, prayerful. And
I’m piggybacking on Paul tonight. This would be my desire as well. The
shepherd wants the prayers of his flock. “Finally brethren,” – verse 1 – “pray
for us.” When all has been said and done, in the end, pray for us. Now just
think about it. The human assumption would be that if anybody could
function without prayer, Paul could. He was immensely gifted, a brilliant
mind, the finest possible training in Judaism. He had direct revelation from
God, something none of us have outside of Scripture, of course. We don’t have
God revealing his Word in our minds, as he did.
He was powerful. His preaching was effective. Whole cities were influenced by
his sermons to faith and sometimes hostility againstthe Gospel. He had great,
greatability. He had greatcourage. He had greatdetermination. He had great
self-discipline. He had greatclearstrategy. But with all of his natural ability
and all of his ministry opportunity and all of his formidable educationand all
the revelationthat God gave to him and all of his experience and all his
refined skills, he could say that that is not the source ofmy power. That is not
the keyto effectiveness.
In Colossianschapter1 in verse 29, he says, “Forthis purpose also,” – for the
purpose of building up the saints – “I labor,” – he works to the point of
exhaustion – “striving according to His power, which mightily works within
me.” Now you can’t feel that power. I can’t – I can't feel the power of God.
People always ask me, “Do you – do you feelthe powerof God? Do you
experience God?” No, I don’t. I don’t feel God. There’s no physical way to
know that God is working. I know he’s working because I see the effect. It’s

like the Holy Spirit in John 3. I can’t feelthe Holy Spirit. He’s like the wind.
He comes and goes andI don’t know where it comes from or where it goes.
There’s no physical, there’s no experiential awarenessofthat. But I see the
effectin transformed lives. Paul saw the impact of the power of God flowing
through his life. He was dependent on the Lord, entirely, for every aspectof
his ministry. His frequent pleas for people to pray for him, which he does
repeatedly in his Epistles, underline who strongly he leanedon Divine power.
Certainly, the Thessalonians church, to which he’s writing here, prayed for
him. They were concernedto pray for him, and he wants them to continue to
do that. After all, he had prayed for them.
He prayed for them frequently, as he did for all of his beloved. Chapter 1
Verse 3, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only
fitting.” Much of his prayer was prayers of thanks. In Verses 16 and 17 of
Chapter 2, he – he actually gives a prayer, “Mayour Lord Jesus Christ
Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort
and goodhope by grace, comfortand strengthen your hearts in every good
work and word.” That’s a prayer. He prayed for them. He greatly longedthat
they would pray for him.
Chapter 1 Verse 4, he was concernedabout their “perseverancein the midst
of persecutionand affliction.” And I’m sure that was part of his prayers.
Verse 11 of Chapter 1, he says it. “To this end also we pray for you always,
that our Godmay count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for
goodness andthe work of faith with power.” He prayed for his people.
Certainly, Acts 6 says that we’re calledto the ministry of prayer and the
ministry of the Word. Paul needed their intersessionas they needed his. His
life was very hard. It was a hard life. It was a difficult life. It was solitary in
many ways. It was dangerous. He was always exposedto the plots of both
Jews and Gentiles who wanted to take his life. He was usually self-supporting.
He preached where he was not wanted, to people who didn’t want to hear
what he said. He didn’t come into a nice place like this to a bunch of lovely
people who came to hear him because theywanted to hear him because they
believed in his message. He, inevitably, everywhere he went, preachedto

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