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2 Tessalonicenses 3

ARC · Chapter 3/3

1No demais, irmãos, rogae por nós, para que a palavra do Senhor tenha livre curso e seja glorificada, como tambem entre vós;

2E para que sejamos livres de homens dissolutos e maus, porque a fé não é de todos.

3Mas fiel é o Senhor, que vos confortará, e guardará do maligno.

4E confiamos de vós no Senhor que tambem fazeis e fareis o que vos mandamos.

5Ora o Senhor encaminhe os vossos corações na caridade de Deus, e na paciencia de Christo.

6Mandamo-vos, porém, irmãos, em nome de nosso Senhor Jesus Christo, que vos aparteis de todo o irmão que andar desordenadamente, e não segundo a tradição que de nós recebeu.

7Porque vós mesmos sabeis como convém imitar-nos, pois que não nos houvemos desordenadamente entre vós:

8Nem de graça comemos o pão de nenhum, mas com trabalho e fadiga, trabalhando noite e dia, para não sermos pesados a nenhum de vós.

9Não porque não tivessemos auctoridade, mas para vos dar em nós mesmo exemplo, para nos imitardes.

10Porque, quando ainda estavamos comvosco, vos mandámos isto, que, se alguem não quizer trabalhar, não coma tambem.

11Porque ouvimos que alguns entre vós andam desordenadamente, não trabalhando, antes fazendo coisas vãs.

12Aos taes, porém, mandamos, e admoestamos por nosso Senhor Jesus Christo, que, trabalhando com socego, comam o seu proprio pão.

13E vós, irmãos, não vos canceis de fazer bem.

14Porém, se alguem não obedecer á nossa palavra escripta n'esta carta, notae o tal, e não vos mistureis com elle, para que se envergonhe.

15Todavia não o tenhaes como inimigo, mas admoestae-o como irmão.

16Ora o mesmo Senhor da paz vos dê sempre paz em toda a maneira. O Senhor seja com todos vós.

17Saudação da minha propria mão, de mim, Paulo, que é o signal em todas as epistolas: assim escrevo.

18A graça de nosso Senhor Jesus Christo seja com todos vós. Amen.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul asks for prayer that the word of the Lord may spread, and rebukes those who were living idly, refusing to work. He reinforces the principle that whoever does not want to work should not eat either, closing with a greeting written in his own hand.

Explanation

Some in the church, perhaps believing that Christ's return was imminent, had stopped working and were living off others, causing disorder in the community. Paul uses his own example of hard work as a model and establishes the practical principle that mutual support should not become an excuse for laziness. He instructs the community to correct these brothers firmly, but without treating them as enemies. Today's application is to balance faith and practical responsibility: waiting on God does not mean abandoning everyday duties.

Fun facts

  • Paul signed his letters with his own hand at the end (3:17) as a form of authentication, since the rest was usually dictated to a scribe — a common practice in ancient correspondence to prevent forgeries.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:1Paul asks for prayer for himself and his team, specifically that the preaching of the gospel keep advancing and be well received just as it already has been among the Thessalonians.
  2. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:2Paul also asks for prayer to be delivered from wicked and unreasonable people, realistically acknowledging that not everyone has genuine faith.
  3. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:3Paul contrasts the unreliability of these people with the faithfulness of the Lord, who will strengthen and protect the Thessalonians from the evil one.
  4. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:4Paul expresses confidence that the Thessalonians will keep following the instructions he has already given, both now and in the future.
  5. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:5Paul offers a brief prayer asking the Lord to direct their hearts toward the love of God and the patience that comes from Christ.
  6. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:6Paul asks the church to distance itself, at least socially, from members who live in a way he considers outside the expected order — the specific issue is detailed in the following verses, about people who had stopped working. It is not permanent expulsion, it is a form of social pressure meant to bring correction.
  7. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:7Paul recalls that his own conduct served as a practical model: he and his team never lived in a disorderly or lazy way among the Thessalonians.
  8. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:8Paul repeats here what he had already told them in the first letter: he worked with his own hands to support himself while preaching in Thessalonica, without depending on the new church’s money. He uses this own example as a model to correct those who were living off others.
  9. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:9Paul clarifies that working for his own support was not a lack of right, even though he had authority as an apostle to ask for help, but a deliberate choice to serve as an example.
  10. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:10Sometimes used out of context today, this rule refers to a specific group in the church that had stopped working, apparently believing that Christ’s coming was so near that the normal routine was no longer worth continuing. Paul corrects this behavior with a direct rule, not a general condemnation of people who cannot work for other reasons.
  11. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:11Paul identifies the concrete problem behind these instructions: some Thessalonians had stopped working and were living by meddling in other people’s business.
  12. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:12Paul gives a direct order, with the authority of Christ, to this specific group: work quietly and earn their own living.
  13. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:13Paul asks the rest of the church not to lose heart or grow tired of doing good, even while dealing with these difficult cases within the community.
  14. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:14Paul proposes a form of social discipline: publicly identify whoever is disregarding this instruction from the letter and reduce close contact with that person, hoping the resulting shame will bring a change of attitude. In the next verse, he makes clear this should not turn into hostility — the person is still treated as a brother, only admonished.
  15. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:15Paul softens the social discipline recommended in the previous verse: the corrected person should not be treated as an enemy, but admonished with the affection of a brother.
  16. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:16Paul offers one last prayer of blessing, asking that “the Lord of peace himself” give the Thessalonians peace continually, in whatever way it is needed.
  17. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:17Since Paul dictated his letters to a secretary, he adopted the practice of personally signing the ending in his own hand, as a kind of mark of authenticity. He mentions this because it seems a false letter in his name had already circulated, the same rumor he corrects at the beginning of chapter 2.
  18. 2 Tessalonicenses 3:18Paul closes the letter with the same final blessing of grace he uses in several other letters, wishing it upon all his readers.

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