The Book of 2 Thessalonians

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Greetings from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy

1. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Anointed Lord Jesus.
2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Anointed Lord Jesus.
3. We’re obligated to thank God always concerning you brothers, just as is fitting because your faith increases beyond measure, and the ^love of all – of each one of you – abounds to one another.
4. So then we ourselves can boast of you in the churches of God; for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you bear.

Righteous judgement

5. This is undeniable proof of the righteous judgement of God, for you to be deemed worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer,
6. since indeed it’s righteous for God to repay the men afflicting you with affliction.
7. And you (the men being afflicted) will rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
8. delivering avenging justice¹“avenging justice” is one word in Greek, often translated “vengeance” here.  It comes from two words, the first meaning “out from” and the second meaning “justice” or “judge”.  It properly refers to “meeting out justice as judgement” especially to avenge a wrongdoing.  It focuses on the righteousness of the judgement, not a personal sense of revenge. on the men not *knowing God and on the men not obediently listening to the gospel of our Lord Jesus,
9. They will suffer the sentence of their verdict: the ruin of ages,²“ruin of ages” is literal, and captures the duration as well as the magnitude of the ruin, which the traditional interpretation of “eternal destruction” doesn’t.  The word translated “ages” (αἰώνιον) is the adjective form of the Greek word “αἰών” (aion), which is used – for example – in Matthew 24:3 “what are the signs of your coming and the end of the age?”  Virtually all lexicons define αἰών (the noun form) as “age”, but some want to change the adjective form’s meaning to “eternal” instead of “age-long” or “of ages”.  This despite “of ages” conveying a similar – and more literally accurate – meaning. away from the Lord’s presence and away from the glory of His power,
10. when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at by all the men who believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
11. For which we also always pray concerning you, that He might deem you worthy of the calling of our God, and He might fulfill every delight of goodness and faithful work in power,
12. so the name of our Lord Jesus might be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Anointed Lord Jesus.

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The Day of the Lord

1. Now brothers, we implore you concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus the Anointed and our assembling together to Him,
2. for you not to be quickly shaken nor to be troubled in your mind, not even by a spirit, nor by a word, nor by a letter (as if from us), as saying that the day of the Lord is already *here.
3. No one should deceive you in any way, because it won’t come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness – the son of destruction – is revealed,
4. the man opposing and exalting himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so as for him to sit down in the temple of God, falsely demonstrating that he himself is God.
5. Don’t you remember that while still being with you, I was saying these things to you?
6. And now you *know the thing restraining him, for he is to be revealed in his proper time.
7. For the mystery of lawlessness already works; only the man restraining it presently hinders it until he might be taken from the midst.
8. And then the lawless man will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and will bring to nothing by His appearance at His coming,
9. The lawless man who’s coming in the work of Satan in all power, and signs, and false wonders,
10. and in every unrighteous deceit for the men perishing because they didn’t welcome the ^love of the truth in order for them to be saved.
11. And because of this, God sends an effective delusion on them, for them to believe the lie,
12. so that all the men who didn’t believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness might be judged.

Stand Firm

13.  But we’re obligated to thank God always concerning you brothers, *^loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation by becoming holy through the Spirit and by faith in the truth,
14. into which He also called you through our gospel, for obtainment of the glory of our Lord Jesus the Anointed.
15. So then brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions which you were taught, whether through word or through a letter from us.
16. And our Lord Jesus the Anointed Himself, and God our Father – the One who ^loved us and gave us the comforting encouragement of ages and good hope by grace –
17. may He encourage your hearts and may He strengthen you in every work and good word.

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A Prayer Request

1. Finally brothers, pray for us; that the word of the Lord might spread quickly and be glorified, just as it also was with you,
2. and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked men, for not all are of the faith.
3. But the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen you and keep you from the evil one.
4. And we are *confident in the Lord concerning you, that you both are doing and will do the things we command.
5. And may the Lord direct your hearts into the ^love of God and into the patient endurance of the Anointed.

Those who walk improperly

6. Now brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, we command you to withdraw yourselves from every brother walking improperly¹“improperly” This Greek word refers to living one’s life in a manner that’s disorderly or unruly in the sense of being insubordinate or rebellious.  i.e. living life outside of God’s appointed order and guidelines.  It comes from a military term which means to step out of rank. and not according to the tradition that you received from us.
7. For you yourselves *know how it’s necessary to imitate us, because we didn’t behave improperly²“behave improperly” see note on previous verse. among you.
8. Nor did we eat bread from anyone without payment, but in laborious toil and wearisome labor we were working day and night in order not to burden any of you.
9. Not that we don’t have a right, but so we might offer ourselves as an example to you, for you to imitate us.
10. For even when we were with you, we were commanding this to you: that if anyone isn’t willing to work, let him not eat either.
11. For we hear that some among you are walking improperly, working at nothing but being busybodies.³“being busybodies” is one word in Greek.  It refers to those who don’t “waste their labor” by attending to other’s business, or by working at trifling, useless matters instead of to what’s important.
12. Now, we command and admonish such men by the Anointed Lord Jesus, so that working in a tranquil life,⁴“a tranquil life” is one word in Greek.  It refers to those who aren’t “running hither and thither” (Thayer’s) but instead are restful and mind their own business. they may eat their own bread.
13. And brothers, you shouldn’t grow weary of doing good.
14. But if anyone doesn’t obey our word by letter, take note of this man; don’t socialize with him so he might turn from his ways in shame.⁵“he might turn from his ways in shame” is one word in Greek.  It means to turn from something in shame, with the idea of rethinking what they have been doing because of the shame.
15. Yet don’t think of him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Closing

16. Now, may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace in every way through everything.  The Lord be with you all.
17. This greeting is in my hand – Paul, which is my mark of authenticity in every letter.  I write in this manner.
18. The grace of our Lord Jesus the Anointed be with all of you.  [Amen]

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