2 Thessalonians 3:4
And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.
And we have confidence
The phrase "we have confidence" is derived from the Greek word "pepoithomen," which conveys a deep sense of trust and assurance. In the context of the early church, this confidence is not merely human optimism but is rooted in a spiritual certainty that comes from faith in God. The apostles, particularly Paul, often expressed this confidence in their letters, reflecting a profound trust in the work of the Holy Spirit within the believers. This confidence is a model for Christians today, encouraging them to trust in God's ongoing work in their lives and communities.

in the Lord
The phrase "in the Lord" signifies that the confidence Paul and his companions have is not based on human ability or effort but is firmly anchored in their relationship with Jesus Christ. The Greek term "en Kyriō" emphasizes the centrality of Christ in the life of the believer. Historically, this reflects the early Christian understanding that all aspects of life and ministry are to be lived out in the presence and power of the Lord. For contemporary believers, this serves as a reminder that true confidence and assurance come from a life surrendered to Christ.

that you are doing
The present tense "are doing" indicates ongoing action, suggesting that the Thessalonian believers are actively living out the teachings and commands given to them. The Greek word "poieite" implies not just action but a continuous practice. This reflects the early church's emphasis on living out one's faith through consistent, daily actions. It serves as an encouragement for modern Christians to persist in their faith practices, knowing that their efforts are seen and valued by God.

and will continue to do
The future aspect "will continue to do" highlights the expectation of perseverance and faithfulness. The Greek "kai poieite" suggests a future continuation of present actions. This reflects the apostolic expectation that the Thessalonians will remain steadfast in their obedience. Historically, this perseverance was crucial for the survival and growth of the early church amidst persecution. For today's believers, it is a call to remain faithful and committed to God's commands, trusting in His guidance for the future.

what we command
The phrase "what we command" refers to the apostolic instructions given to the Thessalonians. The Greek word "parangellomen" implies authoritative teaching or directive. In the early church, the apostles' teachings were foundational for establishing doctrine and practice. This underscores the importance of adhering to biblical teachings and apostolic tradition. For contemporary Christians, it is a reminder to hold fast to the teachings of Scripture and the guidance of spiritual leaders who are faithful to the Word of God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul
- The apostle who authored the letter to the Thessalonians, providing guidance and encouragement to the early Christian community.

2. Silvanus (Silas)
- A companion of Paul, mentioned in the opening of the letter, who helped in the ministry and establishment of the church in Thessalonica.

3. Timothy
- Another companion of Paul, who played a significant role in the early church and was involved in the correspondence with the Thessalonians.

4. Thessalonica
- A city in Macedonia where the church was established by Paul during his second missionary journey. It was a significant urban center in the Roman Empire.

5. The Thessalonian Church
- The recipients of the letter, a group of believers facing persecution and needing encouragement to remain steadfast in their faith.
Teaching Points
Confidence in the Lord
Paul’s confidence is rooted in the Lord, not merely in human ability. This teaches us to place our trust in God’s work in others, recognizing His sovereignty and faithfulness.

Obedience to Apostolic Teaching
The Thessalonians are commended for their obedience to Paul’s commands. This highlights the importance of adhering to biblical teachings and apostolic authority in our lives.

Continual Growth in Faith
Paul’s expectation that the Thessalonians will continue to obey suggests a dynamic faith journey. We are encouraged to persist in our spiritual growth and obedience to God’s Word.

Encouragement and Accountability
Paul’s confidence serves as encouragement and a form of accountability for the Thessalonians. In our communities, we should encourage one another and hold each other accountable in our walk with Christ.

Role of Spiritual Leaders
Paul’s role as a spiritual leader underscores the importance of godly leadership in guiding and nurturing the faith of believers. We should respect and support our spiritual leaders as they guide us in truth.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Paul’s confidence in the Thessalonians challenge us to trust in God’s work in others within our church community?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are obedient to the teachings of Scripture and the guidance of our spiritual leaders?

3. How can we encourage continual growth in faith among our fellow believers, as Paul did with the Thessalonians?

4. What practical steps can we take to hold each other accountable in our Christian walk, following Paul’s example of encouragement and accountability?

5. How can we support and respect our spiritual leaders, recognizing their role in guiding us according to God’s Word?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Philippians 1:6
- This verse speaks of confidence in God's work in believers, similar to Paul's confidence in the Thessalonians' obedience.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-2
- Paul previously instructed the Thessalonians on how to live to please God, which connects to his confidence in their continued obedience.

Hebrews 13:17
- This verse discusses obedience to leaders, which relates to the Thessalonians' obedience to Paul's commands.

Romans 15:14
- Paul expresses confidence in the Roman believers' goodness and knowledge, paralleling his confidence in the Thessalonians.

2 Corinthians 7:16
- Paul expresses joy in his confidence in the Corinthians, similar to his confidence in the Thessalonians.
Intimation of the Close of the EpistleR. Finlayson 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
The Apostle's Cheerful Assurance and Confidence on Behalf of the ThessaloniansT. Croskery 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 4
St. Paul's ConfidenceB.C. Caffin 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5
People
Paul, Thessalonians
Places
Thessalonica
Topics
Command, Confidence, Continue, Enjoin, Faith, Orders, Regard, Touching, Trust
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Thessalonians 3:4

     8405   commands, in NT

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5

     6690   mercy, response to God's
     8418   endurance

2 Thessalonians 3:4-5

     8459   perseverance

Library
The Lord of Peace and the Peace of the Lord
'Now the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace always, by all means. The Lord be with you all.'--2 THESS. iii. 16. We have reached here the last of the brief outbursts of prayer which characterise this letter, and bear witness to the Apostle's affection for his Thessalonian converts. It is the deepening of the ordinary Jewish formula of meeting and parting. We find that, in most of his letters, the Apostle begins with wishing 'grace and peace,' and closes with an echo of the wish. 'Peace be unto
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Love and Peace.
"The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ."--2 THESS. iii. 5, R.V. "The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means."--2 THESS. iii. 16. It is striking to note the number of prayers in these two short Epistles to Thessalonica. They are probably the earliest of the Apostle's writings, and the frequency of his prayers is a significant testimony to his thought for his converts and their needs. Hardly less striking is the variety of the prayers,
W. H. Griffith Thomas—The Prayers of St. Paul

The Waiting Christ.
WAITING for the coming of the Lord is one of the blessed characteristics of true Christianity. In the parable of the ten virgins the three great marks of a true believer are stated by our Lord. These are: Separation, indicated by the virgins having gone forth. Manifestation, they had lamps, which are for the giving of light, and Expectation, they went forth to meet the Bridegroom. With five of them it was only an outward profession. The foolish virgins are the type of such who are Christians
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Patience of Christ.
"BUT the Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God and into the Patience of Christ" (2 Thess. iii:5). With these words Paul exhorted the Thessalonian believers. They had many trials and difficulties. They suffered persecutions and were troubled. False alarms had affected their patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. The inspired exhortation puts before their hearts the Patience of Christ. Comfort and joy, encouragement and peace, would surely come to their hearts and strengthen them, if they
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Thy Bidding, Holy Brother Aurelius, it was Meet that I Should Comply Withal...
1. Thy bidding, holy brother Aurelius, it was meet that I should comply withal, with so much the more devotion, by how much the more it became clear unto me Who, out of thee, did speak that bidding. For our Lord Jesus Christ, dwelling in thine inner part, and inspiring into thee a solicitude of fatherly and brotherly charity, whether our sons and brothers the monks, who neglect to obey blessed Paul the Apostle, when he saith, "If any will not work, neither let him eat," [2476] are to have that license
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

These Things, My Brother Aurelius, Most Dear unto Me...
38. These things, my brother Aurelius, most dear unto me, and in the bowels of Christ to be venerated, so far as He hath bestowed on me the ability Who through thee commanded me to do it, touching work of Monks, I have not delayed to write; making this my chief care, lest good brethren obeying apostolic precepts, should by lazy and disobedient be called even prevaricators from the Gospel: that they which work not, may at the least account them which do work to be better than themselves without doubt.
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

But when He Might Use to Work, that Is...
15. But when he might use to work, that is, in what spaces of time, that he might not be hindered from preaching the Gospel, who can make out? Though, truly, that he wrought at hours of both day and night himself hath not left untold. [2518] Yet these men truly, who as though very full of business and occupation inquire about the time of working, what do they? Have they from Jerusalem round about even to Illyricum filled the lands with the Gospel? [2519] or whatever of barbarian nations hath remained
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

For He Himself Also, with an Eye to the Like Necessities of Saints...
16. For he himself also, with an eye to the like necessities of saints, who, although they obey his precepts, "that with silence they work and eat their own bread," may yet from many causes stand in need of somewhat by way of supplement to the like sustenance, therefore, after he had thus said, teaching and premonishing, "Now them which are such we command and beseech in our Lord Jesus Christ, that with silence they work and eat their own bread;" [2521] yet, lest they which had whereof they might
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

First Then we Ought to Demonstrate that the Blessed Apostle Paul Willed the Servants...
4. First then we ought to demonstrate that the blessed Apostle Paul willed the servants of God to work corporal works which should have as their end a great spiritual reward, for this purpose that they should need food and clothing of no man, but with their own hands should procure these for themselves: then, to show that those evangelical precepts from which some cherish not only their sloth but even arrogance, are not contrary to the Apostolical precept and example. Let us see then whence the Apostle
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Ascetic.
(i) Of the works comprised under this head, the first are the three compositions entitled Tractatus Prævii. The first, Prævia Institutio ascetica ('Asketike prodiatuposis ), is an exhortation to enlistment in the sacred warfare; the second, on renunciation of the world and spiritual perfection, is the Sermo asceticus (logos asketikos). The third, Sermo de ascetica disciplina (logos peri askeseos, pos dei kosmheisthai ton monachon), treats of the virtues to be exhibited in the life
Basil—Basil: Letters and Select Works

But He Speaks More Openly in the Rest which He Subjoins...
9. But he speaks more openly in the rest which he subjoins, and altogether removes all causes of doubting. "If we unto you," saith he, "have sown spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?" What are the spiritual things which he sowed, but the word and mystery of the sacrament of the kingdom of heaven? And what the carnal things which he saith he had a right to reap, but these temporal things which are indulged to the life and indigency of the flesh? These however
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Fifteenth Lesson. If Two Agree
If two agree;' Or, The Power of United Prayer Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them.--Matt. xviii. 19, 20. ONE of the first lessons of our Lord in His school of prayer was: Not to be seen of men. Enter thy inner chamber; be alone with the Father. When He has thus taught us that the
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

There Also is Said at what Work the Apostle Wrought. ...
22. There also is said at what work the Apostle wrought. "After these things," it says, "he departed from Athens and came to Corinth; and having found a certain Jew, by name Aquila, of Pontus by birth, lately come from Italy, and Priscilla his wife, because that Claudius had ordered all Jews to depart from Rome, he came unto them, and because he was of the same craft he abode with them, doing work: for they were tent-makers." [2549] This if they shall essay to interpret allegorically, they show what
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Paul a Pattern of Prayer
"Go and inquire for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth."--ACTS ix. 11. "For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting."--1 TIM. i. 16. God took His own Son, and made Him our Example and our Pattern. It sometimes is as if the power of Christ's example is lost in the thought that He, in whom is no sin, is not man as we are. Our Lord took Paul, a man
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

Secondly, for Thy Words.
1. Remember, that thou must answer for every idle word, that in multiloquy, the wisest man shall overshoot himself. Avoid, therefore, all tedious and idle talk, from which seldom arises comfort, many times repentance: especially beware of rash answers, when the tongue outruns the mind. The word was thine whilst thou didst keep it in; it is another's as soon as it is out. O the shame, when a man's own tongue shall be produced a witness, to the confusion of his own face! Let, then, thy words be few,
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

We are not Binding Heavy Burdens and Laying them Upon Your Shoulders...
37. We are not binding heavy burdens and laying them upon your shoulders, while we with a finger will not touch them. Seek out, and acknowledge the labor of our occupations, and in some of us the infirmities of our bodies also, and in the Churches which we serve, that custom now grown up, that they do not suffer us to have time ourselves for those works to which we exhort you. For though we might say, "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

The Beginning of the New Testament
[Illustration: (drop cap T) Coin of Thessalonica] Turn to the list of books given in the beginning of your New Testament. You will see that first come the four Gospels, or glimpses of the Saviour's life given by four different writers. Then follows the Acts of the Apostles, and, lastly, after the twenty-one epistles, the volume ends with the Revelation. Now this is not the order in which the books were written--they are only arranged like this for our convenience. The first words of the New Testament
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

The Clergyman and the Prayer Book.
Dear pages of ancestral prayer, Illumined all with Scripture gold, In you we seem the faith to share Of saints and seers of old. Whene'er in worship's blissful hour The Pastor lends your heart a voice, Let his own spirit feel your power, And answer, and rejoice. In the present chapter I deal a little with the spirit and work of the Clergyman in his ministration of the ordered Services of the Church, reserving the work of the Pulpit for later treatment. THE PRAYER BOOK NOT PERFECT BUT INESTIMABLE.
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren

Letter ii (A. D. 1126) to the Monk Adam
To the Monk Adam [3] 1. If you remain yet in that spirit of charity which I either knew or believed to be with you formerly, you would certainly feel the condemnation with which charity must regard the scandal which you have given to the weak. For charity would not offend charity, nor scorn when it feels itself offended. For it cannot deny itself, nor be divided against itself. Its function is rather to draw together things divided; and it is far from dividing those that are joined. Now, if that
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

How those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 23.) Differently to be admonished are those that are at variance and those that are at peace. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. v. 22). He then that has no care to keep peace refuses to bear the fruit of the Spirit. Hence Paul
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Christian Behavior
Being the fruits of true Christianity: Teaching husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants, etc., how to walk so as to please God. With a word of direction to all backsliders. Advertisement by the Editor This valuable practical treatise, was first published as a pocket volume about the year 1674, soon after the author's final release from his long and dangerous imprisonment. It is evident from the concluding paragraph that he considered his liberty and even his life to be still in a very
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Fourth Commandment
Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it. Exod 20: 8-11. This
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Perseverance of Saints.
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 1. It is said that the natural tendency of this doctrine condemns it; that it tends to beget and foster a carnal presumption in a life of sin, on the part of those who think themselves saints. There is, I reply, a broad and obvious distinction between the abuse of a good thing or doctrine, and its natural tendency. The legitimate tendency of a thing or doctrine may be good, and yet it may be abused and perverted. This is true of the atonement, and the offer of pardon through
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

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