2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
But the Lord
This phrase emphasizes the sovereignty and supremacy of God. In the Greek, "Kyrios" (Lord) is a title that denotes authority and divinity. It is a reminder to the Thessalonians that despite any challenges or persecutions they face, God remains the ultimate authority. Historically, the early Christians often faced opposition, and this assurance would have been a source of comfort, reinforcing that their faith was placed in the One who is above all earthly powers.

is faithful
The Greek word "pistos" translates to "faithful," indicating reliability and trustworthiness. This attribute of God is a central theme throughout Scripture, affirming that God is consistent in His character and promises. In a world where human faithfulness can falter, God's faithfulness is a bedrock for believers. This assurance would have been particularly poignant for the Thessalonians, who were enduring trials, reminding them that God’s promises are steadfast and unchanging.

and He will strengthen you
The verb "strengthen" comes from the Greek "stērizō," meaning to make firm or establish. This implies not just a temporary boost of power, but a continual process of being made strong. For the Thessalonians, who were facing external pressures and internal doubts, this promise of divine strength would have been crucial. It suggests that God provides the necessary fortitude to withstand trials, aligning with the broader biblical narrative that God equips His people for the challenges they face.

and guard you
The Greek word "phylassō" means to protect or keep watch over. This conveys the image of a vigilant guardian, ensuring safety and security. In the historical context of the early church, where believers often faced persecution, this promise of divine protection would have been deeply reassuring. It underscores the idea that God is actively involved in the lives of His people, watching over them with care and concern.

from the evil one
This phrase refers to protection from Satan, the adversary of believers. The Greek term "ponēros" can mean evil in a general sense, but here it is often understood as a reference to the devil. This highlights the spiritual dimension of the challenges faced by the Thessalonians. The assurance that God guards them from the evil one reinforces the biblical teaching that while spiritual warfare is real, God’s power and protection are greater. It serves as a reminder that believers are not left defenseless against spiritual attacks, but are under the watchful care of a faithful God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Lord
Refers to Jesus Christ, who is central to the Christian faith as the Savior and protector of believers.

2. Paul
The apostle who authored the letter to the Thessalonians, providing guidance and encouragement to the early church.

3. Thessalonica
A city in Macedonia where the early Christian church was established and to whom this letter was addressed.

4. The Evil One
Refers to Satan, the adversary of God and His people, who seeks to lead believers astray.

5. The Thessalonian Church
The recipients of Paul's letter, facing persecution and needing reassurance of God's protection.
Teaching Points
God's Faithfulness
Trust in the unwavering faithfulness of God, who is committed to His promises and His people.

Divine Strength
Rely on God's strength in times of weakness, knowing that He empowers us to withstand challenges and trials.

Protection from Evil
Be assured of God's protection against spiritual adversaries, and actively seek His guidance and defense in prayer.

Spiritual Vigilance
Stay alert and spiritually vigilant, recognizing the reality of spiritual warfare and the need for God's protection.

Community Support
Encourage and support fellow believers, reminding each other of God's faithfulness and protection in times of difficulty.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's faithfulness in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 impact your daily walk with Christ?

2. In what ways can you actively seek God's strength in your life, especially when facing spiritual challenges?

3. How can the promise of protection from the evil one influence your approach to spiritual warfare?

4. What practical steps can you take to remind yourself and others of God's faithfulness and protection?

5. How do the additional scriptures connected to 2 Thessalonians 3:3 enhance your understanding of God's role as a protector?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Corinthians 10:13
This verse speaks of God's faithfulness in providing a way out of temptation, similar to His promise of protection in 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

Ephesians 6:10-18
Discusses the armor of God, which believers are encouraged to put on to stand against the schemes of the devil, aligning with the theme of divine protection.

Psalm 121:7-8
Highlights God's role as a protector, keeping His people from harm, which parallels the assurance given in 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

John 17:15
Jesus prays for His followers to be protected from the evil one, echoing the promise of divine safeguarding.

Philippians 1:6
Speaks of God's faithfulness to complete the good work He began in believers, reinforcing the idea of His ongoing support and protection.
An Effectual GuardJ. H. Evans.2 Thessalonians 3:3
Divine Faithfulness and Christian ObedienceD. Mayo.2 Thessalonians 3:3
SecurityW.F. Adeney 2 Thessalonians 3:3
The Certainty of Final Salvation2 Thessalonians 3:3
The Established Christian CharacterW. F. Adeney, M. A.2 Thessalonians 3:3
The Faithfulness of GodE. Bersier, D. D.2 Thessalonians 3:3
The Soul's Establishment and Safety Secured by the Faithfulness of GodJ. H. Evans.2 Thessalonians 3:3
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
Establish, Evil, Faithful, Guard, Protect, Safe, Stablish, Stedfast, Strength, Strengthen
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Thessalonians 3:3

     2021   Christ, faithfulness
     4123   Satan, deceiver
     4126   Satan, resistance to
     5480   protection
     5698   guardian
     8203   character
     8331   reliability
     8413   edification
     8484   spiritual warfare, enemies

2 Thessalonians 3:2-3

     8602   prayer

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5

     6690   mercy, response to God's
     8418   endurance

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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