Today we are finishing 2nd Thessalonians. The second letter is kind of similar to the first letter. Paul spends a lot of time encouraging the church in face of persecution. He then discusses the second coming of the Lord and the gathering of the Elect which will happen at the end of time. These themes were found in both letters. He exhorts them to stand firm in the teachings that he’d given both in person and by letter, and prays that both Jesus Christ and God the Father encourage their hearts. Now we’re in the final chapter of the book, chapter 3. There are some similarities to 1st Thessalonians to point out, so let’s get started.

3 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.

To begin this last chapter, Paul begins by instructing the church to pray for us. He also closed his first letter by asking the church to pray for him. Prayers for Paul or for Timothy, or for Silas weren’t for their comfort or for a lack of challenge or simple and easy job. He say pray for us, that the Message of the Lord to spread rapidly and be honored. Paul says to pray for us, but it’s not really about him, it’s really asking that the church prays for the message of the Lord, that the Gospel is spread rapidly and that it is spread effectively. The instruction to Thessalonians should remind the church to be in the habit of praying for God’s message to be preached. We want the world to know that God is love, and God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son, whoever believes shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life. This message is Grace. We don’t contribute anything, we do not earn salvation. It’s not based on merit. The salvation that comes from Jesus Christ is given to whosoever believes! It’s not exclusive, it’s Whosoever believes. But it’s also not universal. Whosoever believes. A verse later Paul reminds them that not everyone has faith. When we pray, our prayers need to be for the transmission of the Gospel. That it spreads rapidly, and that it is received with honor. Maybe we are praying that God take away sickness, remove a hardship, or that God help us in a trial, but the real goal in the prayer isn’t to make our lives easier for the sake of an easier life. At least, that isn’t what Paul’s goal is in his prayer. The Goal is that the message of the Cross of Jesus Christ is spread. As an example, if I am sick, I understand that God has the power to heal, and if it’s His will, I shall be healed. I have faith that He can heal me, but if he doesn’t, I still have faith that God is Good, and his plan for me is good. I pray that in my sickness I can continue to preach the Gospel, that I can bring the message of salvation to those who would hear it. I’d pray that my actions and thoughts and my attitude toward my sickness can be seen as submitting to God’s authority and His will. Whether God heals me, or whether I end up suffering, there is a way to spread the message of the Lord, and I pray that God equips me to spread the Gospel and Glorify Him, instead of fall into the temptation of misery and self pity. And if you’ve ever been around me when I am sick, that’s usually the easier path for me! Our prayers for evangelism also include a prayer for the recipient of the message that they honor the message, or receive the message openly and with a receptive heart. From Paul’s first letter, we know The Thessalonian church was a model for this receptive behavior. They received the message not as though it’s from Man, but as it truly is, From God. They turned away from their idols and received Paul and Silas and Timothy in such a manner that they were regarded as a model to the whole regiona and to all believers. That church received the Gospel with power and conviction of their sin, and a changed heart. Paul also asked that they pray so they would be deliverd from wicked and evil people. He reminded them not everyone has faith. Those of you who have studied scripture or listened to some of our other sermons from the book of thessalonians remember that the environment of this church was not the safest. The church had experienced lots of persecution and hardship at the hands of people who envied the success of the Gospel, and were actively trying to stop the spread of the message that Jesus died for sinners and in Jesus alone was freedom from sin, forgiveness from God, and a reconciliation and adoption into God’s kingdom.

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.

Paul affirms that even though there are wicked and evil people out there who are hindering the work of God, God is faithful. God has the power and will to strengthen them and protect them from whoever intends evil. Jesus had reminded his disciples and followers that we shouldn’t worry about those who can kill our mortal bodies. Our focus should be on the eternal and our relationship with God who is in control of eternity! Paul prays that God protect them from the evil one. Now whether or not you read the evil one to mean a certain type or category of humans, a particular human, or the devil himself, With God there is protection from evil. That church saw a lot of persecution, and a prayer for mercy from God makes sense here, but prayers for protection from evil don’t need to be confined to just evil we see and experience here on earth, but evil that can fester in our hearts and draw our affection away from God and towards our sin. The evil that draws attention away from God has eternal consequences. The battle seems to happen in our flesh, and the struggle manifests itself when we let desires of flesh quench our thirst for things that only the Spirit can truly provide. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul clarifies this and says Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The struggle of flesh vs spirit seems like Flesh is the opponent and flesh is the medium or the battleground, but Paul explains the struggle is actually a spiritual one, and it’s mental. The mind Governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. Now this is a battle that God actually fights for us, he gives us the Holy Spirit and gives us his word as armor to help us stand firm in him. When we are promised protection from evil, God’s provision in this spiritual battle is one of the ways God protects us! Paul has confidence in the Lord that they will persevere. His confidence isn’t in the church’s ability to fight the spiritual battle, but read verse 5 – that the Lord direct their hearts to God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. This isn’t a pep talk to buck up and get tough. This is a prayer, petition and message that God will direct your hearts. He will direct the hearts to his love, and he will direct the hearts to Christ’s perseverance.

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.

He now gives a strong command. He begins v6 saying in the name of Jesus Christ, so this command is for the sake of and by the authority of Jesus. The reason they should follow the command is to honor Jesus and the authority Paul makes the command is by the power of Jesus. He tells them to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive. Keep away from those who do not live according to the teaching Paul and Silas and timothy gave. It’s interesting because Paul doesn’t say these idle people or these disruptive ones are unbelievers. He actually calls them believers. Just because someone is behaving differently than how you think they should doesn’t mean they don’t have a saving faith in God. We can’t assume other people’s motives or their beliefs. We don’t know who truly believes and who doesn’t. So it isn’t our judgement to make. And Paul doesn’t say they are unbelievers either. Even though they don’t live according to the teaching, or to the word, they may still believe. It’s troubling, in a sense. There’s an allowance for a little hypocrisy here. They believe, but they aren’t living according to Paul’s teaching. What this means is this: we can’t always trust that people who call themselves believers are going to be a good influence on us. We should not assume that just because somebody can’t get their behavior right it means they don’t believe. They could believe and have faith, but that faith hasn’t yet produced fruit or evidence that it’s alive, works. That doesn’t mean their salvation is gone. But it DOES mean their behavior and their opinions and their influence on us isn’t beneficial for us to be around. Association with them might introduce unprofitable habits in our own lives. In the case of the Thessalonian church, that behavior was idleness and disruptive gossip. In the last letter Paul said to warn those who were idle and disruptive. Now even after warnings, he recommends space. Keep away from those who are idle and disruptive.

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, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

Paul gave the church an example of how to work diligently. His example was his life. His example was his own behavior. Paul actually paid for all his food and continued working in order to give the Gospel free and without charge. He didn’t want to be a burden to the church, and didn’t want his personal needs or any requirement for support to hinder his message in any way. He didn’t want there to be any doubt, he was not after people’s gold or silver. So he kept working. We read in the book of Acts that he did sewing and tent making primarily during his time in Ephesus, and we can assume that Paul took pleasure in his craft and economically blessed the communities he preached in. He also used his time working to preach the Gospel in his craft. He worked to support himself and his fellow believers.

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.”

Even though historically in the Old Testament, those who worked for the Temple were supported by the temple, Paul didn’t use this right. He had a right to collect tithes and live off of them, but didn’t exercise that right. Paul not only worked as a missionary, which gave him the right to food, but he did that part free and paid for his own food as well. Think about what he was doing. Here’s an example. How many of you go to work every day, and on Pay day, you pull out your wallet and pay the people you’re working for? That is radical obedience to the Gospel. In the book of Acts, we understand more of Paul’s motivation. Paul was saying goodbye to elders from Ephesus and he said, I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Paul clearly took pleasure in toiling first because Jesus instructed that behavior, but also to help the weak economically, and it also gave them a model behavior to imitate. Paul reinforced the Biblical understanding that you reap what you sow, that your actions have consequences, that work and fruits of labor are correllated. He gave a rule, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” It seemed harsh, but certain idle people in that church seemed to be taking advantage of his kindness.

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.

Again, Paul uses the terms idle and disruptive. They saw how hard Paul and his companions worked, and first hand witnessed a model of the right behavior, but they ignored it. They aren’t busy, but busybodies. This means they are more interested in gossip, meddling, interfering, digging into each others dirt instead of doing their own work. His exhortation is to settle down and earn the food they eat. Earn your keep. And he tells the group of believers (who we can read are not the idle or the disruptive ones) Don’t get tired of doing good. Bad behavior can be contagious. If someone in a group is not working hard, those who are hard workers become less motivated. Why am I working so hard when they aren’t? Why should I have to cover for other peoples laziness. This type of hard work can become tiring, exhausting. Paul reminds them never tire in 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.

The tone is a bit more harsh than in the first letter. In 1st Thessalonians he said to warn those who are idle. Now in verse 6 he is saying keep away from them. They’ve been warned based on his instruction from the prior letter, but they continue their ways. Now Paul says take special note of them and disassociate with them. Don’t regard them as an enemy, but keep working hard on your own, don’t tire of doing good for each other, but leave them out a bit. Maybe they’ll feel bad and the Holy Spirit will convict them. Maybe they will be more receptive to warning, if they realize that the ones they are gossiping about are starting to separate their lives a bit. He’s not saying they are enemies, but naturally they are not as close as they were before. How could they be? Group A is running a race, striving ahead and trying to leave behind the past. Group B is putting in no effort, criticizing and meddling in the business of those who are actually doing something while they are adding nothing. It makes sense that their lives would separate.

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.

First verse 17. Paul signs the letter in his own hand with his own distinguishing mark. Interestingly enough there are people who think this letter is some sort of forgery, or not really authored by Paul. Some say Verse 17 is apparently evidence that it is a forgery, because why would he be so adamantly explaining that he had written the letter? They say Paul never ends letters this way and a forger might want them to look at the forged signature as proof. But Paul actually mentions his own penmanship and writing in a few letters. Another reason why would he be so adamant in explaining that he had written the letter? Remember in chapter 2 of this letter told them not to be worried or concerned with teaching that had allegedly come from him, whether by word of mouth, prophecy or letters. So there have been known fakes out there. Also, in Chapter 2 He also reminds them of things he said to them in person. If the church had been fooled by a fake letter or instruction, this would make sense for Paul to sign it this way. And furthermore, because of his reminders about what he had told them in person, the church would have rejected the authenticity of this letter long before, had the letter been inconsistent in any way with Paul’s verbal instruction. Looking online, which I admit is not really the most rigerous study of the matter, wikipedia said the letter’s authenticity had been questioned as early as the year 1798, and again in the early 1900’s.. “As Early as 1798” to me kind of means that it was accepted as from Paul for about 1700 years? The content in this letter and the prior one seem very consistent, touch on many of the same discussion topics, and retain a large amount of similar wording “idle and disruptive”. The similarity makes doubters think one was a copy of the first, but if so, even if you think it was a forgery, that means the message is still consistent with the first letter. Now besides the v17 signature or distinguishing mark, in Chapters 16 and 18, Paul closes the letter with a blessing or benediction. He prays that the Lord of Peace himself provide them peace.

The God of Peace himself will bestow peace on the church at all times and in every way. He prays the Lord be with them. It’s easy to read over this, but what a prayer! To have God’s presence in our lives, to experience a fellowship with the almighty God, this isn’t just, “the lord be with you” a stock greeting. The presence of the lord, our fellowship with the Lord is is a miracle and a beautiful thing. When The lord is with us, we edify each other, we honor each other, we teach each other, we encourage each other. We forgive each other, we bear with each other. The Lord’s presence makes us a true unified body of many distinct but harmonious members. He closes by saying that the grace of the Lord Jesus be with them all, and it is a good closing, to wish them peace at all times and in every way, and to be aware of the Grace of Jesus Christ.