2 Thessalonians 3:13-18

2 Thessalonians 3:13-18
2 Th 3:13 (KJB)
But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
Weary - Lose heart, faint, or be despondent
He is now encouraging the other brethren that they should not be despondent in doing well. This may have come out of the fact that those who were lazy had taken advantage of the generosity of the other Christians and maybe this caused them to lose heart in doing well by increasing their suspicion of anyone who was in real need. One of the other problems which lazy people cause is that once a person finds out they have been used, they may decide not to help those who are in real need, so they will not get used again. Paul reassures them that they should never lose heart in doing good, even if they have been taken in by someone who was lazy rather than by someone with a real need. The Lord weighs the heart of those who are always willing to help and He knows perfectly well if someone has been deceived. The person who was willing to help would be blessed while the one who was deceiving others would receive the chastisement of the Lord. We are never to lose heart in doing good.
2 Th 3:14 (KJB)
And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
Ashamed - Put to Shame
Paul once again reiterates the principle found in verse 6. If any of the lazy ones who have heard the reading of this epistle reject the counsel given, then the other Christians in the church are to mark who that man is and then he must be shunned so that he may be shamed into obedience. Laziness, like any other sin, must never be tolerated in any church because sin will always infect the rest of the congregation. That infection can lead to a division in the church and eventually the church will dissolve or go apostate. The Amish shun members of their own community to shame them back into obedience and to forsake whatever sin they committed. By shunning, the entire community knows exactly who the guilty party is and that is the effect Paul is hoping for.
2 Th 3:15 (KJB)
Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Count - Think or consider
Admonish - Warn or instruct
Paul does not want the guilty Christian to be mistreated or thought of as an unbeliever. They are members of the family and they are to be treated as such. This does not mean they are not to be warned about the lifestyle they are living, In fact they are to own up to it, change their life, and then are to take responsibility for their lives. If they respond properly to instruction or shunning, then they are to be received back into the Christian community without further reprimand. Maybe the idle one could use a little guidance on how to come back and be a productive member of the Christian community and this is where the body shows its love toward a wayward brother.
2 Th 3:16 (KJB)
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
Paul now closes this letter by praying that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of peace, bring and give peace among all the brethren so there will be no strife among them. The true church is under attack from Satan’s kingdom and does not need additional troubles from within. He closes the verse with the Lord be with you all, which means that Paul had left no one out of his prayer of peace, and that included the ones who were disobedient. Paul wanted to see harmony among these believers because if there was harmony, then there was strength in the assembly. Division is like a disease because disease weakens the physical body and division weakens the church body. Paul prays for peace and peace always brings strength and unity.
2 Th 3:17 (KJB)
The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.
Salutation - Greetings
Token - Sign
Paul may have been the one who penned the letter but it was done under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Paul had given them greetings which he did in every epistle which he wrote to the different churches. Maybe there were false epistles circulating around and Paul wanted them to know that he gave an official greeting in his own handwriting. He wanted the greeting to be personal because of his personal love and desires for each of the churches he was associated with.
2 Th 3:18 (KJB)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Paul wanted the church at Thessalonica to be bathed in the grace of Christ. Grace is a synonym for salvation, for one is saved only by the grace of God. Grace also under girds the strength of the believer as it had in the life of the Apostle Paul on many occasions. This signature was common in his epistles giving it the genuine love which pervaded the whole life of Paul.
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