2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 – The call to propagate the Word

What should believers do between the certainty of the Lord’s coming and the uncertainty of the exact time He will come? In other words, how should we live responsibly while waiting for the Lord’s return? Paul put great emphasis on the Word. In verse 1, he prayed that “… the Word of the Lord may spread rapidly ….” Paul is referring to the instruction of the Lord here. Words such as “the Word,” “the truth” and the term “tradition” found in verse 6, were used by Paul to refer to the revelation of God. Whether oral instruction or written letters, they were the tradition passed down by the apostles of Christ to instruct believers. They bear the authority of God Himself. Through them, God has left His Word to guide believers while they wait for Christ’s return. Two things which believers must do regarding the Word: spread it and practice it. We are to spread it to unbelievers and practice it among believers.

In saying “finally,” Paul was indicating that he was coming to the end of his instructions. Here, he again appealed to the Thessalonians to pray for him and his team. Prayers had played a great part in the success of Paul’s mission. It had always been his first option and not his last resort. There were two things which he requested for here.

Firstly, “… that the Word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified …” (v.1). Paul’s desire was not only for the message of the Gospel to proliferate quickly and widely, but also that the message would be gloriously received by his hearers. In this request, we sense his ambition of seeing the Gospel spread far and wide.

Secondly, “… that we (they) may be delivered from perverse and evil men …” (v.2). Paul envisaged that they would encounter people who would oppose the message of the Gospel. He was fully aware of the opposition from the Jews. Such people were not only “perverse” but also “evil.” He learned from his past encounters how vicious the Jewish opponents were. They were not only out to prevent the progress of the Gospel, but also out to destroy him and his team. He accepted the fact that not everyone has faith.

Immediately following his request for prayer, Paul emphasized God’s faithfulness. Paul deliberately chose the word “faithful” to reaffirm the faithful nature of God. More than that, he wanted the believers to know that human faithlessness can never set aside the faithfulness of God. He is not just watching over His Word to perform it. He is also watching faithfully over His people and servants. He will strengthen them and protect them from the evil one. In verse 3, he brought the devil into his discussion by calling him the “evil one.” In the spreading of the Gospel, Paul knew that he would have to encounter evil men (v.2) and behind them would be the influence of the devil or the “evil one” (v.3). Thus it was needful that prayers be offered on their behalf. When believers offer prayers to a God Who is faithful, He will definitely answer those prayers. And faithfully, God will strengthen and protect His people and servants from the schemes of the evil one.