2 Thessalonians 3

1. FINALLY, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be 2 glorified, even as it is with you: and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and 3 wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, 4 and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both 5 do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into 6 the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. Now we command you, brethren, 7 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that 8 walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves 9 know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; 10 neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night 11 and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: not because we have not power, 12 but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even when we were with 13 you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we 14 hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are 15 busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, 16 that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in 17 well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have 18 no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but ad- 19 monish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all 20 means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is 21 the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Be not weary in well-doing. The dawn brightening more and more unto the perfect day—that is the Christian’s course when he is truly Christ’s, when he waits and is not weary. We see Him that he is really alive; alive at God’s right hand, with all power in heaven and in earth; and because he lives we live also. We begin to feel that there is a spiritual life in us also, derived from our communion with Christ; that we know what it is to forgive, what it is to be patient, what it is to deny ourselves, what it is to believe, and to hope, and to love. These are life, or the seeds of life, at any rate; they will be ripened when the sun is risen; but they are quickened, they live under the dawn. Christ’s Spirit is consciously within us; we are not perfectly, but in some degree, not always, yet surely sometimes, spiritually minded. Therefore, be of good courage, as many of you as are waiting but have not yet seen the dawn; who pray, but pray with effort; who believe, yet are full of unbelief. Still pray, and still believe, and still watch; turn not back; do not give up the point whereunto you have attained, but abide there with anxious patience. Watch your lives carefully, weed out whatever sin you can observe; this is the proof that you are in earnest, and not liars to God and to yourselves; but wait and pray for Christ to appear, and to establish you with his righteousness, and to grant you to live consciously because he lives, and to know that he is in the Father, and you in him, and he in you. T. A.