Request for prayer
3
📚Finally, brethren, pray for us 📖, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified 📖, just as it is with you, 2 📚and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not everyone has faith.3:2 At this time Paul was in Corinth and evil men were opposing him – Acts 18:12-13.⚜
Paul’s prayer and his faith
3 📚But the Lord is faithful 📖, who will establish you and keep you from evil 📖. 4 📚And we have confidence in the Lord 📖 concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command you 📖. 5 📚And the Lord direct your hearts into the love 📖 of God and into the patient waiting for Christ 📖.
Exhortation concerning idleness and laziness
6 📚Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord 📖 Jesus Christ, to keep away 📖 from every brother who behaves disorderly and not according to the tradition he received from us.
The example Paul set
7 📚For you know how you ought to follow us 📖. For we did not behave disorderly among you, 8 📚and we did not eat anyone’s bread paying nothing, but worked night and day, labouring and toiling, so that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 📚not because we do not have the right 📖 to receive from you, but we wanted to make ourselves an example 📖 to you to follow us. 10 📚For even when we were with you, we commanded you that if anyone would not work 📖 he should not eat.
11 📚For we hear that there are some who behave disorderly among you, not working at all, but are busybodies 📖. 12 📚Now such people we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly, and eat their own bread. 13 📚But you, brethren, do not be weary in doing well.
14 📚And if anyone does not obey our word in this letter, note that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. 15 📚But do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
3:14-15 See notes at v 6. Paul is urging them to discipline those who are disobedient Christians. Discipline may make them ashamed of their conduct and cause them to start living as God wants them to live.⚜
Concluding remarks
16 📚Now the Lord of peace 📖 himself give you peace 📖 always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 📚The salutation of Paul with my own hand. This is the sign in every letter. This is how I write.
3:17 Paul dictated some (and perhaps all) of his letters and others wrote them down. Compare Rom 16:22. He was aware of the possibility of false teachers writing to the churches using his name – 2 Thess 2:2. So in all his genuine letters he wrote something at the end with his own hand – see 1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11; Col 4:18.⚜
18 📚The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.