The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians

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- Chapter 3 -

As for the other matters, our fellow believers, pray for us that more and more people will soon hear our message about our Lord Jesus and honor it, just as you have done.

Pray also for us that God will keep wicked and evil people from harming us, for not everyone believes in the Lord.

Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus is trustworthy! So we are sure that he will cause you to continue to be strong. We are also sure that he will protect you from Satan, the evil one.

Because we are all joined to our Lord Jesus, we are confident that you are now obeying what we have commanded you, and that you will obey what we are commanding you in this letter.

We pray that our Lord Jesus would continue to help you know how much God loves you and how much Messiah has endured for you.

A Warning against Idleness

Our fellow believers, we command you, and it is as if the Lord Jesus Christ himself were saying this, that you stop associating with every fellow believer who is lazy and refuses to work. That is to say, you must stay away from those who are not conducting their lives in the manner that others taught us and that we in turn taught you.

We tell you this because you yourselves know that you should behave like we behaved. We did not merely sit around without working while we were living among you.

That is to say, we did not eat anyone’s food if we did not pay for it. Instead, we worked very hard to support ourselves during the day and the night, in order that we would not have to depend on any of you for what we needed.

We have always had the right to depend on you for money because I am an apostle, but instead, we worked hard in order to be good examples for you, in order that you should behave like we behave.

Remember that when we were there with you, we kept commanding you that if any fellow believer refuses to work, you should not give him food to eat.

Now we tell you this again, because someone has told us that some of you are lazy and not working at all. Not only that, some of you are interfering with what other people are doing.

We command those fellow believers who are not working, and urge them, just as if the Lord himself were speaking, that they should mind their own business, earn what they need to live on, and support themselves.

Fellow believers! Do not ever get tired of doing what is right!

If any fellow believer does not obey what we have written in this letter, publicly identify that person. Then do not associate with him, in order that he may become ashamed.

Do not think of him as though he were your enemy; instead, warn him as you would warn your other fellow believers.

Signature and Final Greetings

(1 Corinthians 16:19–24; Colossians 4:15–18)

I pray that our Lord Jesus himself, who gives peace to his people, will give peace to you always and in every situation. I pray that our Lord Jesus will continue to help you all.

Now I have taken the pen from my scribe, and I, Paul, am sending this greeting to you as I write this myself. I do this in all my letters in order that you may know that it is truly I who have sent this letter. This is how I always end my letters.

I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to act kindly to you all.

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you,

and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith.

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and into the perseverance of Christ.

A Warning against Idleness

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion and not after the tradition which they received from us.

For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you,

neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you.

This was not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone is not willing to work, don’t let him eat.”

For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies.

Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread.

But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing what is right.

If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man and have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Signature and Final Greetings

(1 Corinthians 16:19–24; Colossians 4:15–18)

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter. This is how I write.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.