2 Thessalonians 2:17

2:17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you ¹  in every good thing you do or say. ² 

2 Thessalonians 3:10-11

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, ³  not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. ⁴ 

2 Thessalonians 2:7

2:7 For the hidden power of lawlessness ⁵  is already at work. However, the one who holds him back ⁶  will do so until he is taken out of the way,

2 Thessalonians 3:12

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. ⁷ 

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 ⁸  and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith,

2 Thessalonians 2:9

2:9 The arrival of the lawless one ⁹  will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles ¹⁰  and signs and false wonders,

2 Thessalonians 2:13

Call to Stand Firm

2:13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters ¹¹  loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning ¹²  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, ¹³  in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined ¹⁴  life ¹⁵  and not according to the tradition they ¹⁶  received from us.

[2:17]  ¹ tn Grk simply “strengthen,” with the object understood from the preceding.

[2:17]  ² tn Grk “every good work and word.”

[3:11]  ³ tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).

[3:11]  ⁴ tn There is a play on words in the Greek: “working at nothing, but working around,” “not keeping busy but being busybodies.”

[2:7]  ⁵ 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”).

[2:7]  ⁶ 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.

[3:12]  ⁷ tn Grk “that by working quietly they may eat their own bread.”

[1:11]  ⁹ tn Or “your calling.”

[2:9]  ¹¹ 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.

[2:9]  ¹² tn Grk “every miracle.”

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

[2:13]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

[3:6]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).

[3:6]  ¹⁸ 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.