2 Thessalonians 3:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.

NIV: And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.

NASB: and that we will be rescued from troublesome and evil people; for not all have the faith.

CSB: and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.

NLT: Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.

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

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

In this verse Paul continues his prayer request. He asks the Thessalonians to pray that he would be delivered from perverse and evil men. The word translated "evil" in this verse is ponērōn, meaning "actively harmful." It suggests the enemies of the gospel actively pursued others to enlist them in opposing the gospel. Paul made a similar prayer request in Romans 15:30–31. He asked the brothers at Rome: "I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea."

It seems Paul met with vicious opposition almost everywhere he went. In 2 Corinthians 11:21–29 he lists his sufferings for the sake of the gospel. Among those sufferings were imprisonments, countless beatings, five occasions of receiving 39 lashes, and three occasions of being beaten with rods. He points out in 2 Thessalonians 3:2 that "not all have faith." His enemies were hardened unbelievers.

Second Thessalonians 3:1–5 requests prayer that, as Paul spread the gospel, it would bear fruit as it had when the Thessalonians received it. His appeal also includes a hope that he would be delivered from wicked men. He expresses confidence that the Lord would strengthen his readers and protect them from Satan. He is certain the Thessalonian believers would obey his commands, and he prays that they would love God and adhere to Paul's teachings.

Paul expresses confidence that the Thessalonians would do what he commanded. He addresses the sin of idleness in the lives of some of the believers at Thessalonica, commanding the church to avoid an idle brother. Paul also points to his own example of diligence, when he refused to rely on charity. Paul clearly separates charity for the needy from foolishly supporting those who are merely lazy: If anyone is not willing to work, don't feed him. The letter ends with a prayer for peace among the Thessalonian believers. Paul also assures his readers that 2 Thessalonians is authentic because it bears his signature.

The prior chapter explained the events which would precede the ''day of the Lord:'' a time of severe judgment. Among these were a time of deep spiritual rebellion and the rise of a figure referred to as the ''man of lawlessness.'' Chapter 2 ended with a reference to the Thessalonians being established in good works. This chapter continues that theme, focusing on the need for Christians to exhibit a strong work ethic. This extends to the way the church applies charity, not wasting it on those who are capable of work, but simply choose not to. These thoughts complete Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians.

Second Thessalonians follows Paul's earlier letter to the same group of Christian believers. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul had praised them for their faithfulness and given them reassurances about the day of the Lord. This included teachings on the rapture and a description of death as ''sleep'' from a Christian viewpoint. In this second letter, Paul corrects possible misunderstandings about those ideas. Among his teachings here are the importance of a good work ethic and God's impending judgment on sin, including judgment on those who persecute the Christian church. Paul also provides the Thessalonians with reassurances that they have not somehow missed out on Christ's return.

Accessed 5/1/2024 11:23:35 AM