2 Thessalonians 3:3 Commentary and Bible Study

In verse 3 there was a remarkable demonstration of the apostle’s pastoral heart. In verse 2, he is talking about himself. He is appealing for prayer, for himself, and for Timothy, and for Silas and for his other fellow workers. But within no time, his mind has switched to the church members at Thessalonica. Look at the transition from verse 2 to verse 3 – ‘That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.’ Verse 3 – ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.’ It sounds like an accident. Almost in mid-sentence he switched from his own needs to theirs because that is where his heart is, for them, that they will be preserved, that they will be blessed, that they will be helped. The word translated ‘stablish’ – set you down facing in the right direction is the rather amplified translation of it. Make you stable, set you down firmly facing in a forward direction. ‘And keep you from evil.’ Stablish you – that is an internal work, God will do it for you. He will make you set and determined and resolute to carry out his will.And he will keep you from evil or the evil one, it could be translated. And I think that is better because all temptation is personal. You have the devil and his hosts, a thousand demons watching all the time, probing you, temptation is not impersonal it is personal. It is designed for you, it is part of a strategy, it is dangerous. It is not like stumbling against a chair or a piece of furniture. It is a mind planning your downfall. So I prefer the translation which is just as valid – and keep you from the evil one. T