2 Thessalonians 2:15
New International Version
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

New Living Translation
With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

English Standard Version
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.

Berean Literal Bible
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, whether by word, or by letter from us.

King James Bible
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

New King James Version
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

New American Standard Bible
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

NASB 1995
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

NASB 1977
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

Legacy Standard Bible
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

Amplified Bible
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold [tightly] to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

Christian Standard Bible
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by what we said or what we wrote.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, either by our message or by our letter.

American Standard Version
So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether by word, or by epistle of ours.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Therefore, my brethren, be established and hold the commandments fast that you have learned, whether by discourse or by our epistle.

Contemporary English Version
My friends, this is why you must remain faithful and follow closely what we taught you in person and by our letters.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.

English Revised Version
So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether by word, or by epistle of ours.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then, brothers and sisters, firmly hold on to the traditions we taught you either when we spoke to you or in our letter.

Good News Translation
So then, our friends, stand firm and hold on to those truths which we taught you, both in our preaching and in our letter.

International Standard Version
So then, brothers, stand firm, and cling to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

Literal Standard Version
so, then, brothers, stand fast, and hold the traditions that you were taught, whether through word, whether through our letter;

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.

New American Bible
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.

NET Bible
Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.

New Revised Standard Version
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

New Heart English Bible
So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Weymouth New Testament
So then, brethren, stand your ground, and hold fast to the teachings which you have received from us, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

World English Bible
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word or by letter.

Young's Literal Translation
so, then, brethren, stand ye fast, and hold the deliverances that ye were taught, whether through word, whether through our letter;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Stand Firm
14To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. 16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I commend you for remembering me in everything and for maintaining the traditions, just as I passed them on to you.

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.

2 Thessalonians 2:2
not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received from us.

Titus 1:9
He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore, brothers, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our letter.

stand.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 16:13
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Philippians 4:1
Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

hold.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

the traditions.

Romans 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Jude 1:3
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

whether.

2 Thessalonians 2:2
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2 Thessalonians 3:14
And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

Jump to Previous
Deliverances Either Epistle Fast Firm Ground Hold Instructions Letter Mouth Ours Passed Purpose Received Stand Strong Taught Teaching Teachings Traditions Whether Word
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Deliverances Either Epistle Fast Firm Ground Hold Instructions Letter Mouth Ours Passed Purpose Received Stand Strong Taught Teaching Teachings Traditions Whether Word
2 Thessalonians 2
1. Paul urges them to continue stedfast in the truth received;
3. shows that there shall be a departure from the faith,
9. and a discovery of Antichrist, before the day of the Lord comes;
15. repeats his exhortation to stand firm, and prays for them.














(15) Therefore, brethren, stand fast.--Such an exhortation is, in itself, conclusive against a theory of irreversible predestination. "Because God chose you from eternity, and called you in time, therefore stand your ground." If it were impossible for them to quit their ground, it would be needless to exhort them to maintain it. If it were possible for them to quit their ground, and yet be as well off after all, it would be needless also. At the same time, the "therefore" draws a conclusion, not from 2Thessalonians 2:14 alone, but sums up the whole disquisition of the chapter: "Now that you are reminded of the true Advent doctrine."

Hold the traditions.--The very same word as in Mark 7:3-4; Mark 7:8, "holding the tradition of the elders;" also in the same metaphorical sense in Colossians 2:19; Revelation 2:13. The action expressed is a vigorous and pertinacious grasp, as (for instance) of the lame man clutching the Apostles in Acts 3:11. St. Chrysostom remarks: "It is plain from hence that they used not to deliver all their tradition by letter, but much without writing besides, and that both are equally worthy of belief. Therefore, let us consider the Church's tradition worthy of belief. It is tradition: ask no further questions." What were these "traditions" which it was so essential to keep? The context shows that the particular traditions which were most consciously in St. Paul's mind at the moment, were his eschatological teachings, given to them while he was among them--the lore of which he has been briefly reminding them in this chapter (2Thessalonians 2:5-6): for the exhortation is practically a resumption of that given in 2Thessalonians 2:2-3. "Instead of being seduced by the forgers of prophecies or of communications from us, remember the careful instructions we gave you once for all." At the same time, he speaks generally, and we must not limit his words to that particular tradition. Whatever can be traced to apostolic-origin is of the essence of the faith. They are to "hold tenaciously" all his traditions, and these would include instructions doctrinal (as 1Corinthians 15:3; Jude 1:3), ceremonial (1Corinthians 11:2; 1Corinthians 11:23), and moral (2Thessalonians 3:6; 2Peter 2:21). As a matter of controversy, it is not so remarkable that he should exhort his converts to cling to his own oral teaching ("whether by word") as that he should at so early a period call their special attention to what was gradually to supplant (at least, in doctrinal matters) all independent unwritten tradition--the Holy Scripture ("our Epistle"). St. Paul can speak on occasion as contemptuously of the "traditions of men" as our Lord did (Colossians 2:8). Of course, it depends entirely on the individual character of any tradition whether, and to what extent, it is to be "held" or condemned as "human." In the Church no mutually contradictory traditions can be held together'; and therefore any tradition "by word" which is in disagreement with the written tradition (i.e., Scripture) stands necessarily condemned. . . .

Verse 15. - Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions. Traditions generally denote statements orally delivered and reported; here the word denotes the apostle's instructions in Christianity, whether these are given by word of mouth or by letter. Which ye have been taught, whether by word; referring to the apostle's preaching when in Thessalonica. Or our Epistle; referring to the First Epistle to the Thessalonians.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Therefore,
Ἄρα (Ara)
Conjunction
Strong's 686: Then, therefore, since. Probably from airo; a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive.

brothers,
ἀδελφοί (adelphoi)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

stand firm
στήκετε (stēkete)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4739: To stand fast, stand firm, persevere. From the perfect tense of histemi; to be stationary, i.e. to persevere.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

cling
κρατεῖτε (krateite)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2902: From kratos; to use strength, i.e. Seize or retain.

to the
τὰς (tas)
Article - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

traditions
παραδόσεις (paradoseis)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3862: An instruction, tradition. From paradidomi; transmission, i.e. a precept; specially, the Jewish traditionary law.

we
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

taught you,
ἐδιδάχθητε (edidachthēte)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1321: To teach, direct, admonish. A prolonged form of a primary verb dao; to teach.

whether
εἴτε (eite)
Conjunction
Strong's 1535: And if, whether. From ei and te; if too.

by
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

speech
λόγου (logou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

or
εἴτε (eite)
Conjunction
Strong's 1535: And if, whether. From ei and te; if too.

by
δι’ (di’)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

letter.
ἐπιστολῆς (epistolēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1992: A letter, dispatch, epistle, message. From epistello; a written message.


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NT Letters: 2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then brothers stand firm and hold (2 Thess. 2 Thes. 2Th iiTh ii th)
2 Thessalonians 2:14
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