2 Thessalonians 1:8

1:8 With flaming fire he will mete out ¹  punishment on those who do not know God ²  and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 1:10

1:10 when he comes to be glorified among his saints and admired ³  on that day among all who have believed – and you did in fact believe our testimony. ⁴ 

2 Thessalonians 2:15

2:15 Therefore, brothers and sisters, ⁵  stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. ⁶ 

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 ⁷  and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith,

2 Thessalonians 3:8

3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. ⁸  Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked ⁹  night and day in order not to burden any of you.

2 Thessalonians 1:6

1:6 For it is right ¹⁰  for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

2:11 Consequently ¹¹  God sends on them a deluding influence ¹²  so that they will believe what is false. 2:12 And so ¹³  all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned. ¹⁴ 

2 Thessalonians 3:3-4

3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he ¹⁵  will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 3:4 And we are confident about you in the Lord that you are both doing – and will do – what we are commanding.

2 Thessalonians 2:10

2:10 and with every kind of evil deception directed against ¹⁶  those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth ¹⁷  so as to be saved.

2 Thessalonians 3:1

Request for Prayer

3:1 Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, ¹⁸  that the Lord’s message ¹⁹  may spread quickly and be honored ²⁰  as in fact it was among you,

2 Thessalonians 2:13

Call to Stand Firm

2:13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters ²¹  loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning ²²  for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 3:6

Response to the Undisciplined

3:6 But we command you, brothers and sisters, ²³  in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined ²⁴  life ²⁵  and not according to the tradition they ²⁶  received from us.

[1:8]  ¹ tn Grk “meting out,” as a description of Jesus Christ in v. 7. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 8 in the translation.

[1:8]  ² sn An allusion to Jer 10:25, possibly also to Ps 79:6 and Isa 66:15.

[1:10]  ³ tn Or “marveled at.”

[1:10]  ⁴ tn Grk “because our testimony to you was believed.”

[2:15]  ⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

[2:15]  ⁶ tn Grk “that you were taught whether by word or by letter of ours.”

[1:11]  ⁷ tn Or “your calling.”

[3:8]  ⁹ tn Grk “we did not eat bread freely from anyone.”

[3:8]  ¹⁰ 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.

[1:6]  ¹¹ tn Grk “if in fact/since,” as a continuation of the preceding.

[2:11]  ¹³ tn Grk “and for this reason.”

[2:11]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “a working of error.”

[2:12]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “that.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:12]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “be judged,” but in this context the term clearly refers to a judgment of condemnation (BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α; cf. KJV “that they all might be damned”). CEV views the condemnation as punishment (“will be punished”).

[3:3]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “who.”

[2:10]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “deception for/toward.”

[2:10]  ²⁰ tn Grk “they did not accept the love of the truth.”

[3:1]  ²¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

[3:1]  ²² tn Or “the word of the Lord.”

[3:1]  ²³ tn Grk “may run and be glorified.”

[2:13]  ²³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

[2:13]  ²⁴ 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.

[3:6]  ²⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

[3:6]  ²⁶ 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.

[3:6]  ²⁷ tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).

[3:6]  ²⁸ 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.