2 Thessalonians 1:5

Encouragement in Persecution

1:5 This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment, to make you worthy ¹  of the kingdom of God, for which in fact you are suffering.

2 Thessalonians 1:11

1:11 And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling ²  and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith,

2 Thessalonians 2:2-5

2:2 not to be easily ³  shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, ⁴  to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes ⁵  and the man of lawlessness ⁶  is revealed, the son of destruction. ⁷  2:4 He ⁸  opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat ⁹  in God’s temple, displaying himself as God. ¹⁰  2:5 Surely you recall ¹¹  that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you.

2 Thessalonians 2:7

2:7 For the hidden power of lawlessness ¹²  is already at work. However, the one who holds him back ¹³  will do so until he is taken out of the way,

2 Thessalonians 2:9

2:9 The arrival of the lawless one ¹⁴  will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles ¹⁵  and signs and false wonders,

2 Thessalonians 2:11

2:11 Consequently ¹⁶  God sends on them a deluding influence ¹⁷  so that they will believe what is false.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

Call to Stand Firm

2:13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters ¹⁸  loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning ¹⁹  for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:15

2:15 Therefore, brothers and sisters, ²⁰  stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. ²¹ 

2 Thessalonians 2:17--3:1

2:17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you ²²  in every good thing you do or say. ²³ 

Request for Prayer

3:1 Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, ²⁴  that the Lord’s message ²⁵  may spread quickly and be honored ²⁶  as in fact it was among you,

2 Thessalonians 3:6

Response to the Undisciplined

3:6 But we command you, brothers and sisters, ²⁷  in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined ²⁸  life ²⁹  and not according to the tradition they ³⁰  received from us.

2 Thessalonians 3:8

3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. ³¹  Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked ³²  night and day in order not to burden any of you.

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.” 3:11 For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, ³³  not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. ³⁴  3:12 Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their own food to eat. ³⁵ 

2 Thessalonians 3:14

3:14 But if anyone does not obey our message through this letter, take note of him and do not associate closely with him, so that he may be ashamed.

2 Thessalonians 3:17

3:17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, which is how I write in every letter. ³⁶ 

¹ tn Grk “so that you may be made worthy.” The passive infinitive καταξιωθῆναι (kataxiwqhnai) has been translated as an active construction in English for stylistic reasons.

² tn Or “your calling.”

³ tn Or “quickly, soon.”

⁴ tn Grk “as through us.”

⁴ tn Grk “for unless the rebellion comes first.” The clause about “the day” is understood from v. 2.

⁵ tc Most mss (A D F G Ψ Ï lat sy) read ἁμαρτίας (Jamartia", “of sin”) here, but several important mss (א B 0278 6 81 1739 1881 al co) read ἀνομίας (anomia", “of lawlessness”). Although external support for ἁμαρτίας is broader, the generally earlier and better witnesses are on the side of ἀνομίας. Internally, since ἁμαρτία (Jamartia, “sin”) occurs nearly ten times as often as ἀνομία (anomia, “lawlessness”) in the corpus Paulinum, scribes would be expected to change the text to the more familiar term. At the same time, the mention of ἀνομία in v. 7 and ὁ ἄνομος (Jo anomo", “the lawless one”) in v. 8, both of which look back to v. 3, may have prompted scribes to change the text toward ἀνομίας. The internal evidence is thus fairly evenly balanced. Although a decision is difficult, ἀνομίας has slightly greater probability of authenticity than ἁμαρτίας.

⁶ tn Or “the one destined for destruction.”

⁵ tn Grk “the one who opposes,” describing the figure in v. 3. A new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the personal pronoun (“he”) and translating the participle ἀντικείμενος (antikeimeno") as a finite verb.

⁶ sn Allusions to Isa 14:13-14; Dan 11:36; Ezek 28:2-9 respectively.

⁷ tn Grk “that he is God.”

⁶ tn Grk “You do remember, don’t you?”

⁷ tn Grk “the mystery of lawlessness.” In Paul “mystery” often means “revealed truth, something formerly hidden but now made widely known,” but that does not make sense with the verb of this clause (“to be at work, to be active”).

⁸ tn Grk “the one who restrains.” This gives a puzzling contrast to the impersonal phrase in v. 6 (“the thing that restrains”). The restraint can be spoken of as a force or as a person. Some have taken this to mean the Roman Empire in particular or human government in general, since these are forces that can also be seen embodied in a person, the emperor or governing head. But apocalyptic texts like Revelation and Daniel portray human government of the end times as under Satanic control, not holding back his influence. Also the power to hold back Satanic forces can only come from God. So others understand this restraint to be some force from God: the preaching of the gospel or the working of the Holy Spirit through God’s people.

⁸ tn Grk “whose coming,” referring to the lawless one. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek construction, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁹ tn Grk “every miracle.”

⁹ tn Grk “and for this reason.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “a working of error.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

¹¹ tc ‡ Several mss (B F G P 0278 33 81 323 1739 1881 al bo) read ἀπαρχήν (aparchn, “as a first fruit”; i.e., as the first converts) instead of ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς (ap’ arch", “from the beginning,” found in א D Ψ Ï it sa), but this seems more likely to be a change by scribes who thought of the early churches in general in this way. But Paul would not be likely to call the Thessalonians “the first fruits” among his converts. Further, ἀπαρχή (aparch, “first fruit”) is a well-worn term in Paul’s letters (Rom 8:23; 11:16; 16:5; 1 Cor 15:20, 23; 16:15), while ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς occurs nowhere else in Paul. Scribes might be expected to change the text to the more familiar term. Nevertheless, a decision is difficult (see arguments for ἀπαρχήν in TCGNT 568), and ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς must be preferred only slightly.

¹¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

¹² tn Grk “that you were taught whether by word or by letter of ours.”

¹² tn Grk simply “strengthen,” with the object understood from the preceding.

¹³ tn Grk “every good work and word.”

¹³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

¹⁴ tn Or “the word of the Lord.”

¹⁵ tn Grk “may run and be glorified.”

¹⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

¹⁵ tn Or “unruly, out of line.” The particular violation Paul has in mind is idleness (as described in vv. 8-11), so this could be translated to reflect that.

¹⁶ tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).

¹⁷ tc The reading “you received” (παρελάβετε, parelabete) is found predominately in Western witnesses (F G 1505 2464 pc), although the support of B and the Sahidic version strengthens the reading considerably. The reading “they received” is found in two different forms: παρελάβοσαν (parelabosan; in א* A [D*] 0278 33 pc) and παρέλαβον (parelabon; in א² D² Ψ 1739 1881 Ï). (παρέλαβον is evidently a correction of παρελάβοσαν to the more common spelling for the third person aorist form). The external evidence is divided fairly evenly, with παρελάβετε and παρελάβοσαν each having adequate support. Internal evidence leans toward “they received”: Given the second person reading, there is little reason why scribes would intentionally change it to a third person plural, and especially an archaic form at that. There is ample reason, however, for scribes to change the third person form to the second person form given that in the prior context παράδοσις (paradosis, “tradition”) is used with a relative clause (as here) with a second person verb (see 2:15). The third person form should be regarded as original.

¹⁵ tn Grk “we did not eat bread freely from anyone.”

¹⁶ tn Grk “but working,” as a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started with the word “Instead” in the translation.

¹⁶ tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).

¹⁷ tn There is a play on words in the Greek: “working at nothing, but working around,” “not keeping busy but being busybodies.”

¹⁷ tn Grk “that by working quietly they may eat their own bread.”

¹⁸ tn Grk “The greeting in my hand, Paul, which is a sign in every letter, thus I write.”