Dr. Ben Stubblefield
Visiting Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
PRAYING
2 Thessalonians 2:13–3:5
Be Steadfast (2:13–15)
Like every other commonsense American, I really enjoy coffee. And so I can still remember the pit of sadness I fell into 10 years ago when a neighborhood Starbucks closed due to a decline in sales. The reason? According to the CEO’s assessment, it was because they had neglected the quality of their main product.
The customers noticed and quit buying. The CEO, therefore, went through a long process of rescuing the company by returning it to the most important fundamental for any decent coffeehouse: making a good brew.
Paul, similarly, is reminding the Thessalonians of their most important fundamental, which is the how and why of their salvation. In these verses, he resumes his prayer of thanksgiving, which began in 1:3 and continues after his teaching on the Antichrist in 2:1–12, by reminding them God “has chosen you.” Their salvation is a gift from God.
God has not only saved them, Paul continues, but He is also sanctifying them by the Spirit until they attain the “glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are not saved to be stagnant but rescued to be righteous. And we are called to go on by faith in the truth until the final day when the Lord is revealed and time shall be no more.
Those are the simple, sacred fundamentals packed into these three verses. By grace, beloved and chosen, you have been saved through faith to grow in sanctification until final glory.
Paul urges that these are the most essential truths they must stand firm in and hold. Against a tide of animus and evil men, the church must remain a pillar and support those doctrines in particular. There is a regular assault from the enemy upon the Church and the gospel. It is incumbent upon our generation, as it is for every generation, to protect and promote the faith fundamentals.
Be Encouraged (2:16–17)
The closing lines of Paul’s prayer have a couple of interesting features. First, the content is very similar to 1:11–12. Paul anticipates God will supply the strength and peace to perform “every good work and word.” God supplies to us the ability to fulfill His will through us. Second, the Apostle Paul makes an equivalence of authority in the Son and the Father. The two members of the Trinity in unison send guidance, comfort, strength, power and deeper love for fellow Christians. Though the early church was still developing its Trinitarian theology, it is clear they were confident Jesus was fully divine.
Be Prayerful (3:1–2)
Paul, who prays so much for others, now solicits prayer from others for himself. Note the content of his request. Paul, Silvanus and Timothy want the word of the Lord to spread through their ministry. In fact, I think the driving purpose for the request for safety is not primarily because they want to avoid suffering, but because they want to make sure their missionary endeavors aren’t stifled by imprisonment or violence.
What an example of focus, passion and wisdom! Passages like this ought to reorient every Christian to remember our calling from God to glorify Him through the spread of His gospel.
Be Confident (3:3–5)
Paul has a lot of attributes, but pessimism isn’t one of them. Despite his suffering, the church’s suffering, the perverse and evil men attempting to derail their ministries and the frightening, uncertain future, he has every confidence in the Lord and in the church that they will go on in the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. Truthfully, we are all able to be as joyful and optimistic as the Apostle Paul because we serve the same Lord he did. And He is faithful. He was faithful to Joseph after Potiphar, Moses after the rock, Abraham after Hagar, Samson after debauchery, Paul after Damascus and Jesus after the cross. And, dear reader, He will be faithful to you.
Share with others: