2nd Thessalonians 3:13-18(ESV)
2nd
Thessalonians 3:13-18(ESV)
13 As for you,
brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what
we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with
him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy but warn him
as a brother.
16 Now may the
Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be
with you all.
17 I, Paul, write
this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter
of mine; it is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you all.
Commentary
Vs. 13 Here Paul transitions
into a section of how to carry out discipline toward those who are idle
busybodies. He begins by encouraging the believers “not to grow weary in
doing good.” What precisely that means is not entirely clear. Three possibilities
stand out: 1. A possible interpretation is that he wants to ensure that the
community doesn’t stop giving charity to those who are truly in need. The
weariness he addresses may be related to the burden that the disorderly have
been to the community 2. Next there is the possibility is that he doesn’t want
them to grow weary in carrying out the discipline that needs to take place. In
other words, he is telling them to “do the right thing.” Finally, a third
possibility is that he wants to remind them that the disorderly, although a
disruptive burden, are still their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Vs 14. Paul next explains
that they are to take note of the one who is causing them trouble and avoid associating
with them. This will bring shame on the one who is causing trouble. Attempting
to do church discipline in the 21st century is different from the 1st
century. When someone is disciplined today, they may escape the discipline simply
by changing churches. This would not have been an option in Paul’s day.
Therefore, discipline must be exercised with caution but exercised with diligence.
Vs 15. The church is not to
regard him as an enemy but speak to him as a brother. “But too often we forget
that the goal of church discipline is not simply to punish. Its purpose is not
to slap a hand, but to restore the brother or sister to fellowship and to
affirm them when they recommit to the doctrinal and ethical norms of life.”1
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1Byron,
John. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (The Story of God Bible Commentary) (pp. 305-306).
Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition
Vs 16. Now Paul offers a
prayer of peace for the church. “. . .asking that the Lord of peace himself give you peace.
Paul drew attention to the Lord as the giver. Peace is the desire, but it is
the Lord Jesus Christ himself who arrests our attention and captivates our
thoughts. Paul directed our gaze toward the Lord, who intervenes on behalf of
his children. From him comes the gift of peace. We cannot attain it on our own,
but we wait for it in trusting anticipation—a peace born of God. The peace Paul
prayed for exists apart from circumstance.”2
Vs
17. Next Paul signs the letter personally. It was common
in Paul’s time to use an assistant to take down the body of a letter and to
have the actual writer of the letter sign it at the end. For example, Paul uses
this method in some of his other letters. (1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11; Col 4:18;
Phlm 19).
Vs 18. And finally, Paul says a benediction of grace over
the church. He covered a great deal of ground in this short
letter—encouragements, prayers, the coming of Christ, the revealing of the
Antichrist, our future hope, and discipline for unruly believers, We must cling to God’s grace at all times
in our lives.
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2 Knute Larson, I & II
Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, vol. 9,
Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman
Publishers, 2000), 130.
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