2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:15
New Catholic Bible
Never Weary of Doing Good[a]
Call To Remain Steadfast.[b]However, we must always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.[c] 14 It was for this purpose that he called you through our gospel so that you might come to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.15 Therefore, stand firm, brethren, and hold fast to the traditions[d] that you have been taught, whether by word of mouth or by a letter of ours. 16 And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through his grace gave us unending encouragement and a sure hope,[e] 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Chapter 3
Request for Prayers. 1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, as it was with you. 2 Pray too that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.
3 However, the Lord is faithful. He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do all that we direct you to do. 5 May the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ.
Christian Value of Work.[f] 6 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, brethren, we command you to keep your distance from any of the brethren who are living an idle existence and who disregard the tradition you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you should follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We did not ever accept food from anyone, but with toil and drudgery we worked night and day so that we would not burden any of you. 9 We did so, not because we have no right to accept such help, but to present ourselves as a model for you to imitate.
10 In fact, even when we were with you, we charged that anyone who was unwilling to work should not eat. 11 Now we have been told that some among you are living a life of idleness, not working but acting as busybodies. 12 We command and urge such people in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and earn their own living.
13 Brethren, never grow weary of doing what is right. 14 If anyone refuses to obey our instructions in this letter, take note of him and have nothing to do with him so that he may be put to shame. 15 However, do not treat him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Paul is thankful that he and his coworkers can look forward to salvation for themselves and for their converts. The beneficiaries of God’s saving work cannot rest on their laurels, however. They must be ever active in good works and keep the teachings (traditions) of the Church. The Apostle goes on to ask the converts to pray for him and his coworkers and calls down God’s grace on them.
13
He also sets forth the proper solution for idlers. The Thessalonians must admonish idlers yet deal charitably with their mistakes. Such persons are not to be cast out of the community, but to be given frequent warnings. - 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Here we find the same advice as was given in the First Letter. Christian life unfolds in the love of the three divine Persons; fidelity to the authentic tradition that the apostles have transmitted in writing or by living word; prayer; and constancy of effort.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 These two verses show the harmonious working of all three Persons of the Trinity in the divine plan of salvation: God the Father chooses and calls his people; God the Son shares his glory with his own; and God the Holy Spirit imparts his sanctifying grace. From the beginning: another translation possible is: “as the firstfruits.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Traditions: i.e., the teachings contained in tradition; they are both oral and written (see 2 Thes 2:5; 3:6; 1 Cor 11:2), just as was the case with rabbinic law (see note on Mt 15:2ff).
- 2 Thessalonians 2:16 Jesus is here named before the Father; despite the double subject, the verbs in the Greek text are in the singular number. Could the unity of Father and Son be better expressed?
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 In putting work at the service of the community, Paul places it under the sign of love for God, for one’s brothers and sisters, and for the Church. To eat one’s own bread constitutes the primary dignity of a person (v. 10). By demanding exemplary conduct from Christians, Paul remains in line with Jesus and the primitive Church (see Mt 18:15-18; 1 Cor 5:1-13).
