3:1 But understand this, that in the last days difficult 1 times will come.
2:13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself. 2
1 tn Or perhaps, “dangerous,” “fierce.”
2 sn If we are unfaithful…he cannot deny himself. This could be (1) a word of warning (The Lord will exact punishment; he cannot deny his holiness) or (2) a word of hope (Because of who he is, he remains faithful to us despite our lapses). The latter is more likely, since Paul consistently cites God’s faithfulness as a reassurance, not as a warning (cf. especially Rom 3:3; also 1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor 1:18; 1 Thess 5:24; 2 Thess 3:3).