2
Thessalonians 3 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Request
for prayer
3 As for other matters,
brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread
rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be
delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the
Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the
things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and
Christ’s perseverance.
Warning
against idleness
6
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to
keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live
according to the teaching[a] you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know
how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8
nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked
night and day, labouring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of
you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in
order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we
were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall
not eat.’
11
We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they
are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to
settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and
sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
14
Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter.
Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not
regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.
Final
greetings
16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.
17
I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark
in all my letters. This is how I write.
18
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Workaholics!
From Elim Missions
For
those who cannot stop working, you have a Bible verse!
2
Thessalonians 3:8
"We
worked night and day ..."
And
this was Paul's model!
How
many hours do you work in a week?
During
a time when most people worked up to 16 hours a day, it was Henry Ford,
(founder of the Ford cars) in the 1920s who reduced the hours for his work
force to that of 8 hours, 5 days a week.
The
reason for the reduction was so that his employees had time to shop and
especially to go and buy the cars they were producing! It was consumer driven!
There
is always a reason. So why did Paul say what he said?
The
phrase that Paul used was obviously indicating that he and his team worked hard
whilst they were with them. It was a model to be copied. So what was the model:
1.
Work hard.
2.
Be a contributor not a taker.
3.
Don't deny help given.
4.
Pay your way.
5.
Doing nothing is a break; doing nothing continually is lazy.
6.
Adopting this ethic may be tiring but don't give up.
7.
Don't mix with those who don't follow this model.
So
whatever you do today, however you work, then do it unto the Lord.
Matthew
Henry's Commentary
Verses
1-5
1.
What the good is which we may expect from the grace of God-establishment, and
preservation from evil; and the best Christians stand in need of these
benefits. (1.) That God would establish them. This the apostle had prayed for
on their behalf (2 Thess. 2:17), and now he encourages them to expect this
favour. We stand no longer than God holds us up; unless he hold up our goings
in his paths, our feet will slide, and we shall fall. (2.) That God will keep
them from evil. We have as much need of the grace of God for our perseverance
to the end as for the beginning of the good work. The evil of sin is the
greatest evil, but there are other evils which God will also preserve his
saints from—the evil that is in the world, yea, from all evil, to his heavenly
kingdom.
2.
What encouragement we have to depend upon the grace of God: The Lord is
faithful. He is faithful to his promises, and is the Lord who cannot lie, who
will not alter the thing that has gone out of his mouth. When once the promise
therefore is made, performance is sure and certain. He is faithful to his
relation, a faithful God and a faithful friend; we may depend upon his filling
up all the relations he stands in to his people. Let it be our care to be true
and faithful in our promises, and to the relations we stand in to this faithful
God. He adds,
3.
A further ground of hope that God would do this for them, seeing they did and
would do the things they were commanded, 2 Thess. 3:4. The apostle had this confidence
in them, and this was founded upon his confidence in God; for there is
otherwise no confidence in man. Their obedience is described by doing what he
and his fellow-labourers had commanded them, which was no other thing than the
commandments of the Lord; for the apostles themselves had no further commission
than to teach men to observe and to do what the Lord had commanded, Matt.
28:20. And as the experience the apostle had of their obedience for the time
past was one ground of his confidence that they would do the things commanded
them for the time to come, so this is one ground to hope that whatsoever we ask
of God we shall receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those
things that are pleasing in his sight, 1 John 3:22.
The
Bible Panorama
2
Thessalonians 3
V 1–2: IMPORTANT
INTERCESSION
Paul asks for prayer regarding two matters. He asks that God’s word may ‘run
swiftly’ (meaning ‘have free influence on people’) and ‘be glorified’. He seeks
deliverance for his companions and himself from unreasonable, wicked and
faithless men.
V 3–4: CONFIDENT COMMAND He underlines his
confidence that his faithful Lord will establish and guard them from the evil
one, and that they will obey God’s commands given through him to them.
V 5: GOD’S GUIDANCE He prays that God will
direct their hearts into love and patience from the Lord Himself.
V 6–12: WISE WITHDRAWAL Paul commands that the
church withdraw from disorderly brethren and from those who are too lazy to
work. Those who can work should do, so that they are self-supporting and not
burdensome. He himself has set an example in this.
V 13–15: DISCIPLINE’S
DESIGN
While Christians continue to do good, they should withdraw from anyone who is
disobedient to God’s word, so that the offender may be ashamed, and, by
implication, repent and be restored. He is not to be counted as an enemy to
fight, but as a brother to admonish.
V 16:
PERPETUAL PEACE Paul prays for perpetual peace from God for the church.
V 17–18: SPECIAL SIGN In leaving the
Christians to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul authenticates the letter
by the special sign of his own signature.
Dictionary
of Bible Themes
8115
discipleship, nature of
The
state of following Jesus Christ, and serving and obeying him. The NT stresses
the privileges, joys and cost of this calling.
Discipleship
involves learning
Learning
from God Jn 6:45 See also Isa 54:13; Lev 11:44-45; Lev 19:2; Lev 20:7; Eph
5:1-2; 1Pe 1:15-16
Learning
from Jesus Christ Mt 11:29 See also Jn 13:15; Eph 4:20-21; Php 2:5; 1Pe 2:21;
1Jn 2:6
Learning
from the Holy Spirit Jn 14:26 See also Lk 12:12; Jn 16:13; 1Co 2:13; Eph 1:17;
Eph 3:16-19; 1Pe 1:12
Learning
from other people Php 4:9 See also Dt 4:10; Dt 5:1; Dt 31:12; 1Co 4:6,16; 1Co
11:1; Php 3:17; 2Th 3:7,9; 1Ti 2:11; 1Ti 5:4; 2Ti 3:14
Learning
to do what is good Tit 3:14 See also Ps 34:14; Ps 37:27; Isa 1:17; Isa 26:9;
3Jn 11
Jesus
Christ calls people to be his disciples
Mt
4:19 pp Mk 1:17 See also Mt 4:21 pp Mk 1:20 Jesus Christ calls James and John;
Mt 8:21-22 pp Lk 9:59-60; Mt 9:9 pp Mk 2:14 pp Lk 5:27 Jesus Christ calls
Matthew; Mt 19:21 pp Mk 10:21 pp Lk 18:22; Jn 1:43 Jesus Christ calls Philip;
Jn 21:19
The
consequences of discipleship
Following
Jesus Christ Mt 10:38 See also Mt 16:24 pp Mk 8:34 pp Lk 9:23; Lk 14:27; Jn
10:27; Jn 12:26; Rev 14:4
Serving
Jesus Christ Col 3:24 See also Mt 20:25-28 pp Mk 10:42-45; Ro 12:11; 1Th 1:9
Obeying
Jesus Christ Jn 8:31 See also Jn 14:21,23-24; Jn 15:10,14; 1Jn 2:3; 1Jn
3:22,24; 1Jn 5:3
Responding
immediately to Jesus Christ’s commands Mt 8:21-22 See also Mt 4:20 pp Mk 1:18;
Mt 4:22 pp Mk 1:20 pp Lk 5:11
Living
for Jesus Christ and not for oneself 2Co 5:15 See also Ro 14:7-8; 1Pe 4:2
Loving
others Jn 13:12-17 See also Jn 15:9-14; 1Jn 4:7-21
Total
commitment is required of Jesus Christ’s disciples
Mt
10:37-39 See also Mt 16:24-25 pp Mk 8:34-35 pp Lk 9:23-24; Mk 6:8; Lk 14:26-27;
Lk 17:33; Jn 12:25
The
purpose of discipleship is to become Christlike
Eph
4:22-24 See also Mt 5:48; Lk 6:40; Ro 8:29 God’s purpose in election; Ro
12:1-2; Ro 13:14; 2Co 3:18; 2Co 7:1; Eph 1:4; Col 1:28; Col 3:12; 2Ti 3:17 the
purpose of Scripture; 1Pe 1:14-15 a call to holiness; 2Pe 1:5-7; 1Jn 3:2-3
Examples
of secret discipleship
Jn
3:1-2 See also Jn 7:50; Jn 12:42; Jn 19:38-39
The
consequences of discipleship
1.
Following Jesus Christ
Matthew
16:24New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny
themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
2.
Serving Jesus Christ
Romans
12:9-13New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Love
in action
9
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted
to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. 11 Never be
lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful
in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s
people who are in need. Practise hospitality.
3.
Obeying Jesus Christ
John
14:15-27New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Jesus
promises the Holy Spirit
15
‘If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will
give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever – 17 the Spirit
of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows
him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. 18 I will
not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will
not see me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20 On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and
I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands
and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by
my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.’
22
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, ‘But, Lord, why do you intend to show
yourself to us and not to the world?’
23 Jesus replied,
‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we
will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me
will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the
Father who sent me.
25
‘All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my
name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said
to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to
you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid.
4.
Responding immediately
to Jesus Christ’s commands
Matthew
4:18-22New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Jesus
calls his first disciples
18
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon
called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for
they were fishermen. 19 ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out
to fish for people.’ 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his
brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their
nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father
and followed him.
5.
Living for Jesus Christ
and not for oneself
2
Corinthians 5:11-18New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
The
ministry of reconciliation
11
Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.
What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12
We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an
opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in
what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are ‘out of our
mind,’ as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for
all, and therefore all died. 15 And he
died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for
him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we
regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in
this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new
creation has come:[a] the old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God,
who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation:
6.
Loving others
John
15:9-14New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
9
‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If
you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my
Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my
joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this:
love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to
lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I
command.
Be
Blessed Today
Yours
by His Grace, and for the sake of His
Church and His Kingdom
Blair
Humphreys
Southport, Merseyside,
England
