2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Prayer for Strength

“Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, that the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be honored as in fact it was among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. And we are confident about you in the Lord that you are both doing – and will do – what we are commanding. Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ.”

— ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭5‬‬

 2 Thessalonians is one of the most dispute Pauline letters for authorship (outside the Pastorals). 

After 1 Thessalonians’ heavy emphasis on Jesus’ return, the church (and some false teachers) got the wrong idea that it was going to happen, like, tomorrow. They stopped working, sitting on rooftops, waiting for Jesus. They spread rumors about various leaders and spread fear. 2 Thessalonians brings some clarity about these false teachers and some more information about preceding signs of Jesus’ appearing. (Glad this isn’t chapter 2, yet. That’s difficult.)

Paul here asks for prayer in his mission, because he is still trying to spread the gospel. Shocker: not everyone wants to hear it. Paul is still being persecuted, obviously not in Roman jail/ house arrest, yet. Not all have faith. We would hesitate to call people evil/perverse. Always good to remember our own faults, too (of course). Also good to remember people are not enemy. But yes, humanity has a problem with evil. Society has a problem with perverseness. Gospel is only hope.

But God is faithful…seems to be a recurring theme throughout Scripture. He offers strength and protection from the evil one. I know this is probably a substantive adjective. Definitely better not to translate as “evil.” (Same in the Lord’s Prayer—not “deliver us from evil” but “the evil one”) Verses like this keep our eyes on the true enemy. 

Paul loves this church and encourages them in what they are doing and will do. Yes, they have needed some correction, but they are serving well. If hearts gaze at the love of God and the faithfulness of Christ, we may be filled with the same. Those phrases are perhaps examples of “plenary genitives,” where the actions of God/Jesus motivate us to imitate the same. (It’s debated grammatically if it could just be the love God shows or only the love we show. Perhaps best to see both.)