Peter Barnes: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
(13 May 2018)
SERMON NOTES: PRAYER FOR STEADFASTNESS IN THE WORD (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5)
– 1 Thess.5:25. John Chrysostom told his congregation: ‘I am greatly in need of your prayers.’
- Pray for the spread of the gospel.
– 3:1-2a. ‘Finally’ does not always mean ‘finally’ to a preacher! Some of the paraphrases have something like ‘For the rest’. See too Eph.6:19-20; Col.4:3-4.
– that the word of Christ would speed ahead and be honoured as it was amongst the Thessalonians. The Revised English Bible has Paul’s asking that they would pray for the ‘swift and glorious success’ of the word of Christ, which is nicely put. See 1 Thess.1:5; 2:13. Acts 13:48.
– that we (Paul, Silvanus and Timothy) would be rescued from wicked and evil men. Same word in 2 Cor.1:10. There are Christian evangelists locked up for being Christian evangelists in Turkey and in North Korea, and elsewhere. In Pakistan, Asia Bibi is under the threat of the death penalty for her supposed blasphemy.
- Christ is faithful.
– 3:2b, probably looking ahead to verse 3.
– usually Paul will say that God is faithful – e.g. 1 Cor.10:13. But here it is the Lord, who is invariably the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is the key of promise in Doubting Castle.
- Confidence in Christ’s people.
– 3:4. Paul is especially looking ahead to his coming commands about the need to work – 3:6, 10, 12.
– 3:5. ‘The love of God’ which could be our love for God or God’s love for us or ‘love like God’s love’ (John Stott). The steadfastness of Christ is more obviously the example of Christ.