2Th 3:1-5; You Are Who You Follow.Sunday October 8, 2023
2Th 3:1-5 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.
Quick glance:
This early in the church, prayer is known as a necessary and effective help and power.
Paul demands (imperative) prayer for three things, which are related to the same cause. The first two in reference to the word of God; that it would “spread rapidly” (run) and be glorified.
Paul gives insight into the glorification of the word of God: “just as it did with you also.”
1Th 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
Pray for us: Word of God would run all over and be received as from God. The messengers of the Word would be delivered from unfitting and evil men.
These prayers were offered and fulfilled.
The word of God must be accepted as from God, not men. The Scripture has divine authority.
Third: the demand for petition concerning themselves:
That they would be “rescued” (delivered) from perverse and evil men.
“perverse” men = out of place, not fitting. They are not the way they should be.
This means that there is a way or place that all of us should be. But none of us are born there. We must be led there. Competing for our affection and attention are a lot of false leaders. What we need is knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
Then Paul offers a confident appeal to the Lord’s faithfulness. The expression (The Lord is faithful) is equivalent to the Amen of the synagogue following certain readings from the prophets. The prophecy is read aloud and the people say, “The Lord is faithful.”
Paul also offers something like a prophecy.
2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
“The Lord is faithful” is at the start rather than at the end.
Then Paul is confident in the Lord that they will continue to keep the commandments.
Why confident in the Lord? All who follow the Lord will be led to obedience.
He has already stated several times his thankfulness for their increase in faith and love and their endurance in the faith.
2Th 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness [hupomone – endurance] of Christ.
“Direct” – mankind has been given hearts that can be directed. Not by instinct alone, but by knowledge, understanding, and faith.
You and I come into this world knowing nothing, and worse, being born in Adam (fallen, separate from God, ignorant, sinful). We need to follow a different path than the one we were born into.
Glorify the word of God – receive it as the authority from God.
Have others pray for you.
Be delivered from perverse and evil men, as well as from the evil one (pray for this yourself).
Mat 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil (one).”
And follow the Lord in your heart!
The Book of Proverbs. Your father and your mother ask you: Which woman will you pursue? Wisdom or Folly?
Pro 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Pro 1:8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction And do not forsake your mother's teaching;
The father speaks in Pro 1-9 as does Lady Wisdom.
Pro 1:10-11 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;
Pro 1:15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,
The father exhorts the son not to follow the fools. How many fools have you followed in the past? Are you following any now?
Lady Wisdom: Pro 1:23-27 "Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
Wisdom will not have compassion on you when you say no to her. However, you may turn at her reproof (1:23).
We will be the product of who we follow. Wisdom or folly?
Pro 1:28-33 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord. 30 "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. 31 "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. 32 "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33 "But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil."
Pro 2:4-5 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God.
Who is her? Lady Wisdom.
Pro 2:12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;
Pro 2:13-16 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; 15 Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways; 16 To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words;
We must not limit the presentation of the adulteress here to an actual woman who is enticing another man than her husband to sleep with her.
Pro 2:19 None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life.
Pro 5:3-4 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey And smoother than oil is her speech; 4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.
The adulteress is Lady Folly. She is anyone or anything or any ideology that draws a person down the paths unfitting and evil.
The father again: Pro 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
At the close of the Book of Proverbs, the mother speaks:
Pro 31:1 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:
Pro 31:2-3 What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? 3 Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.
Pro 31:10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.
The excellent wife is the union of you with Lady Wisdom. You have committed to Wisdom. You will find life (love of God and endurance of Christ).
Lady wisdom is prudent, insightful, forward thinking, respectful, generous, godly patient, etc.
Lady folly is self-indulgent, prideful, angry, disrespectful, ungodly.
The traits of either one will grow in the one who follows her. Solomon’s wise heart was drawn to folly by the hundreds of women he pursued and married.
Pro 25:24 It is better to live in a corner of the roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Don’t marry folly!
Marry wisdom and be led into the love of God and the endurance of Christ. |