2 Thessalonians 3
AlfordGNT2 Thessalonians 3:1-99
Ch. 3:1-5. Exhortation to pray for him and his colleagues (1, 2). His confidence that the Lord will keep them (3)— and that they will obey his commands (4). Prayer for them (5).
- On τὸλ . , see 1 Thessalonians 4:1.
ἵνα ] On the use of telic conjunctions with verbs like προσεύχομαι , see note on 1 Corinthians 14:13.
ὁλ . τ . κυρ .] the Lord’ s word— i.e. the Gospel: see reff.
τρέχῃ ] Contrast to ‘ being bound:’ see 2 Timothy 2:9— may spread rapidly.
δοξ .] See reff. The word of the Lord is then glorified, when it becomes the power of God to salvation to the believer— see Romans 1:16.
καθὼςκαὶπρὸςὑμᾶς ] for they had thus received it: 1 Thessalonians 1:6.
πρὸςὑμᾶς ] among you (reff.).
- And in order for that to be the case,— that we may be free to preach it. On ἄτοπος , Lü nem. says, “ it is properly used of that which is not in its right place. When of persons, it designates one who does or says that which is inappropriate under the circumstances. Thus it answers to ineptus in Latin (Cic. de Orat. ii. 4). From ‘ aptitude,’ it passes to its wider ethical meaning, and is used of men who act contrary to divine or human laws.
Thus it gets the general signification of bad or ungodly. See examples in Kypke, Obss. ii. p. 145,— in Lö sner and Wetst.” Who are these men? It is obvious that the key to the answer will be found in Act_18. They were the Jews at Corinth, who were at that time the especial adversaries of the Apostle and his preaching. And this is confirmed by the clause which he has added to account for their ἀτοπία and πονηρία :
οὐγὰρπάντωνἡπίστις — for to all men the (Christian) faith does not belong— all men do not receive it— have no receptivity for it— obviously pointing at Jews by this description. It is more natural to understand the article here as definite, the faith, than as abstract: for faith, as such, would not bear much meaning here.
- Calvin says, “ Ceterum de aliis magis quam do se anxium fuisse Paulum, ostendunt hæ c ipsa verba. In eum maligni homines improbitatis suæ aculeos dirigebant, in eum totus impetus irruebat: curam interea suam ad Thessalonicenses convertit, nequid hæ c illis tentatio noceat.”
πιστός seems to be chosen in allusion to πίστις which has just preceded; but the allusion cannot be more than that of sound, as the things spoken of are wholly different.
ὁκύριος is our Lord: see ch. 2:16, and ver. 5.
δέ , in contrast with the men just mentioned.
στηρίξει ] in reference to his wish, ch. 2:17.
τοῦπονηροῦ may mean ‘ the evil one,’ as in Matthew 13:19: Ephesians 4:16, al.: and so Ellic. But here the assurance seems, as before said, to correspond to the wish ch. 2:17: and thus στηρίξαιἐνπαντὶἔργῳκ . λόγῳἀγαθῷ = στηρίξεικ . φυλάξειἀπὸτοῦπονηροῦ : in which case τ . πον . is neuter. We may observe that the words are nearly a citation from the Lord’ s prayer.
- forms a transition to the exhortations which are to follow, vv. 6 ff.
ἐνκυρίῳ , as the element in which his confidence is exercised, shews it to be one assuming that they will act consistently with their Christian profession: and so gives the expectation the force of an exhortation, but at the same time of a hopeful exhortation.
ἐφ ʼ ὑμᾶς (reff.), with reference to you— the direction of his confidence. καὶποιεῖτεκ . ποιήσετε is all the apodosis— not ὅτιἃπαραγγ . κ . ποιεῖτε , καὶποιήσετε , as Erasm.
- There does not appear to be any distrust of the Thessalonians implied by this repeated wish for them, as De W. supposes. Rather is it an enlargement, taken up by the δέ (not only so, but) of the ἃπαραγγέλλομενκ . ποιεῖτεκ . ποιήσετε .
ὁκύρ . is our Lord, as before.
ἡἀγάπητ . θεοῦ here, from the fact of his wishing that their hearts may be directed into it, must be subjective, the love of man to God. The objective meaning, God’ s love, is out of the question. The other subjective meanings, the love which God works (Pelt), … which God commands (LeClerc), are far-fetched. ἡὑπομονὴτ . χριστοῦ has very generally been understood as in E. V., ‘ the patient waiting for Christ.’ So Œ c., Ambr., Erasm., Corn.-a-lap., Beza, all. But ὑπομονή will not bear this meaning. It occurs thirty-four times in the N.
T., and always in the sense of endurance,— patience. Nor again can the expression mean ‘ endurance for Christ’ s sake,’ which the simple genitive will not convey: but it must be, as Chrys. (1) ἵναὑπομένωμεν , ὡςἐκεῖνοςὑπέμεινεν , the patience of Christ (gen. possess.),— which Christ shewed.
6-15. Dehortation from disorderly, idle habits of life. He had given a hint in this direction before, in the first Epistle (5:14, 15): he now speaks more plainly, doubtless because their restlessness and excitement concerning the παρουσία had been accompanied by an increase of such habits. His dissuading them from associating with such persons, seems to shew that the core of the Church (as Lü n.) was as yet sound in this respect.
- παραγγέλλομενδέ takes up the assurance of ver. 4, and tests its general form by a special command.
ἐνὀνόμ . κ .τ .λ . strengthens the παραγγ ., and does not belong to the following.
στέλλεσθαι ] lit. ‘ to take in, or shorten sail:’ ἱστίαμὲνστείλαντο , θέσανδ ʼ ἐννηῒμελαίνῃ , Il. α . 433: hence, to draw in or shorten, generally: πότεράσοιπαῤῥησίᾳ | φράσωτὰκεῖθεν , ἢλόγονστειλώμεθα , Eur. Bacch. 625;— to conceal: ἐβουλεύετομὲνστέλλεσθαι , οὐμὴνἠδύνατόγεκρύπτειντὸγεγονός , Polyb. Frag. hist. 39 ,— οὐδυναμένωντὴνἐκτῆςσυνηθείαςκαταξίωσινστέλλεσθαι , ib. viii. 22. 4. So here, ‘ cohibere vos’ — to keep yourselves from: see reff.: obviously without allusion as yet to any formal excommunication, but implying merely avoidance in intercourse and fellowship. The accusative is repeated before the infinitive, probably because the clause ἐνὀνόμ ., &c., intervenes.
The παράδοσις refers to the oral instruction which the Apostle had given them when he was present, and subsequently confirmed by writing (1 Thessalonians 4:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:12).
παρελάβοσαν ] plural, as belonging to the πάντες implied in παντός ; so in ἔβανοἶκόνδεἕκαστος .
On the form -οσαν , which is said to have been originally Macedonian, and thence is found in the Alexandrian (ἐσχάζοσαν , Lycophr. 21), Lobeck remarks (Phryn. p. 349), “ ex modorum et temporum metaplasmis, quos conjunctim tractare solent dialectorum scriptores, nullus diutius viguit eo quo tertiæ aoristi secundi personæ plurales ad similitudinem verborum in μι traducuntur,— εἴδοσαν Niceph., ἐφεύροσαν Anna Comnena, μετήλθοσαν Nicet. .” We have ἤλθοσανἔθνη , Psalms 78:1; see other examples from LXX in Winer, edn. 6, § 13. 2. f.
- πῶςδεῖμιμ . ἡμ . is a concise way of expressing ‘ how ye ought to walk in imitation of us.’
ἀτακτέω also occurs in Lysias κατὰἈλκιβ . a. p. 141. 18, in this sense, of ‘ leading a disorderly life.’
- ἄρτονἐφάγομεν , a Hebraistic expression for ‘ got our sustenance:’ παράτινος , ‘ at any one’ s expense,’ from any one as a gift: there seems to be an allusion in the construction to the original sense of δωρεάν .
ἐργαζόμ . belongs to ἄρτονἐφ . as a contrast to δωρεάν : but by working, &c. The sentence may also be taken as De W. and Ellic., regarding ἐνκόπῳκ . μόχ . as the contrast to δωρεάν , and ἐργαζ . νύκτ . κ . ἡμ . as a parallel clause to ἐνκόπ . κ . μόχ .
- See 1 Corinthians 9:4 ff., where he treats of his abstinence from this his apostolic power.
οὐχὅτι , my meaning is not, that … See reff. and Hartung, Part. ii. 153.
ἑαυτούς is used in the plural for ἡμᾶςαὐτούς and ὑμᾶςαὐτούς for shortness, but never in the singular for ἐμαυτόν or σεαυτόν , where no such reason exists: see Bernhardy, Syntax, p. 272.
- καὶγάρ ,— and we carried this further: we not only set you an example, but inculcated the duty of diligence by special precept. The γάρ is co-ordinate with that in ver. 7. The καί does not bring out ὅτεἦμενπρ . ὑμᾶς as a new feature, as Thdrt., for of this period the last three verses have treated— but it brings out τοῦτο , on which the stress lies, as an additional element in the reminiscence. This seems to me clearly to be the force here, and not the merely conjunctive, as Ellic. maintains, τοῦτο , viz. what follows.
εἴτιςκ .τ .λ .] Schö ttgen and Wetst. quote this saying from several places in the rabbinical books.
- Ground for reminding them of this his saying.
περιεργαζομένους ] being busybodies; or, being active about trifles; ‘ busy only with what is not their own business’ : see reff. So in the charge against Socrates, Plato, Apol. § 3, Σωκράτηςἀδικεῖκ . περιεργάζεταιζητῶντάτεὑπὸγῆςκ . τὰἐπουράνια , κ . τὸνἥττωλόγονκρείττωποιῶν , κ . ἄλλουςταὐτὰταῦταδιδάσκων .
- παρακαλοῦμεν , scil, αὐτούς .
ἐνκυρ . see on ver. 6.
μετὰἡσυχ . may be taken either subjectively,— with a quiet mind;— or objectively, with quietness, i.e. in out ward peace. The former is most probable, as addressed to the offenders themselves. ἑαυτῶν , emphatic— that which they themselves have earned.
- δέ — ye who are free from this fault. On ἐγκ . and ἐκκ . see notes on 2 Corinthians 4:1 and Galatians 6:9.
καλοποιοῦντες , from the context, cannot mean ‘ doing good’ (to others), but doing well, living diligently and uprightly: see also Galatians 4:9, where the same general sentiment occurs. Chrys.’ s meaning is surely far-fetched: στέλλεσθεμέν , φησιν , ἀπ ʼ αὐτῶνκ . ἐπιτιμᾶτεαὐτοῖς , μὴμὴνπεριΐδητελιμῷδιαφθαρέντας .
- Many Commentators (Luth., Calv., Grot., Calov., Le Clerc, Beng., Pelt, Winer, al.) have joined διὰτῆςἐπιστολῆς with what follows, and explained it (usually, see below),— ‘ note that man by an Epistle (to me).’ But τῆς is decidedly against this rendering,— unless we suppose that it signifies ‘ your’ answer to this. (Bengel and Pelt, taking τῆςἐπ . for this Epistle, would render, ‘ notate nota censoria, hanc Epist., ejus admonendi causa, adhibentes eique incultantes’ (Beng.),— ‘ Eum hac epistola freti severius tractate’ (Pelt): but both these require σημειοῦσθε to be diverted from its simple meaning.) The great objection to the above connexion is that St. Paul has already pointed out the manner of treating such an one, ver. 6, and is not likely to enjoin a further reference to himself on the subject. It is far better therefore, with Chrys. (there seems no reason for qualifying this by apparently, as Ellic), Est., Corn.-a-lap., Beza, Hamm., Whitby, Schott, Olsh., De W., Baum.-Crus., Lü n., Ellic., all., to join διὰτῆςἐπ . with the preceding τῷλόγ . ἡμ ., and render it our word by this Epistle, as ἡἐπιστολή is undoubtedly used in reff., and the word is that in ver. 12.
σημειοῦσθε ] mark, see ref. Polyb.: the ordinary meaning of the word: put a σημεῖον on him, by noticing him for the sake of avoidance. On what is called the dynamic middle, see Krü ger, Sprachlehre, § 52. 8. 4.
- καί is more delicate than ἀλλά or δέ would be: q. d. ‘ and I know that it will follow as a consequence of your being Christians, that ye will, &c.’
ὡς in the first clause seems superfluous: it is perhaps inserted to correspond with the other clause, or still further to soften the ἐχθρὸνἡγεῖσθε . So ὥσπερ , Job 19:11; Job 33:10.
- Concluding wish. On αὐτὸςδέ , see on ch. 2:16.
ὁκύριοςτῆςεἰρήνης ] As the Apostle constantly uses ὁθεὸςτῆςεἰρ . for the God of Peace (see Romans 15:33; Romans 16:20:2 Corinthians 13:11, al.), we here must understand our Lord Jesus Christ.
ἡεἰρήνη must not be understood only of peace with one another: for there has been no special mention of mutual disagreement in this Epistle: but of peace in general, outward and inward, here and hereafter, as in Romans 14:17. See Fritz, on Romans, vol. i, p. 22.
The stress is on ὑμῖν — May the Lord of Peace give you (that) Peace always in every way (whether it be outward or inward, for time or for eternity).
μετὰπάντωνὑ .] therefore with the ἀτάκτωςπεριπατοῦντες also (Lü n.): not as Jowett, pleonastic. The man who was to be admonished as an ἀδελφός , would hardly be excluded from the Apostle’ s parting blessing.
17, 18. Conclusion.
- Autographic salutation. The Epistle, as it follows from this, was not written with the Apostle’ s own hand, but dictated. So with other Epistles; see Romans 16:22:1 Corinthians 16:21: Colossians 4:18.
ὅ ] which circumstance: not attraction for ὅς . The whole of vv. 17, 18, not merely the benediction, are included. By the words οὕτωςγράφω , we must not conceive that any thing was added, such as his signature,— or as Œ c., οἷοντὸἀσπάζομαιὑμᾶς , ἢτὸἔῤῥωσθε , ἤτιτοιοῦτον : they are said of that which he is writing at the time. His reason for this caution evidently was, the ἐπιστολὴὡςδι ʼ ἡμῶν , spoken of ch. 2:2. And the words ἐνπάσῃἐπιστολῇ must not, with Lü n., be limited to any future Epistles which he might send to the Thessalonians, but understood of a caution which he intended to practise in future with all his Epistles: or at least with such as required, from circumstances, this identification. Thus we have (1 Thess. being manifestly an exception, as written before the rule was established) Gal. written with his own hand (see note on Galatians 6:11); 1 Cor. authenticated (16:21); 2 Cor. sent by Titus and therefore perhaps not needing it (but it may have existed in 13:12, 13 without being specified); Rom. not requiring it as not insisting on his personal authority (but here again the concluding doxology may have been autographic): Col. authenticated (4:18): Eph. apparently without it (but possibly 6:24 may have been autographic): Phil. from its character and its bearer Epaphroditus not requiring it (but here again 4:23 may be autographic): and the Epistles to individuals would not require such authentication, not to mention that they are probably all autographic— that to Philemon certainly is, see ver. 19 there. (So for the most part De Wette.)