2 Thessalonians 3:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It seems to me that he is not speaking here about dangers, but about men who contradicted and opposed his preaching, such as Hymenaeus and Alexander the coppersmith. "He greatly resisted our words" (2 Tim 4:15). Suppose someone were speaking about a paternal inheritance and said that not all are deemed worthy to serve in the royal army. In the same way, he speaks about wicked men from whom he desires to be delivered. They are such men as have been given over to unbelief.

By saying this, he also encourages them, the Thessalonians. Therefore there were great men among them, if they had such boldness that they could even free their teacher from danger and ease his preaching for him. For this reason we also say the same thing to you. Let no one accuse us of pride. Let no one among you, through excessive humility, deprive us of such great help.

We do not say this with the same intention as Paul. He said it because he wished to comfort his disciples. We say it in order to gather from it some great and good fruit. We firmly believe that, if all of you were willing with one mind to stretch out your hands to God in prayer for our lowliness, we would prosper in everything.

Therefore let us arm ourselves with prayer and supplications against our enemies. If the ancients fought in this way against men who were armed, how much more ought we to fight so against enemies who are unarmed? Thus Hezekiah put the Assyrians to flight. Thus Moses defeated Amalek. Thus Samuel defeated the inhabitants of Ashkelon. Thus Israel defeated the thirty-two kings.

Where weapons, battle array, and combat were needed, they left their weapons and fled to prayer. How much more ought prayer to be made here, where the work begun must be aided by prayers? But you will say, there the leaders prayed for the people, while you want the people to pray for their leader. I know this too.

But there the subjects were unfortunate and contemptible men. Therefore they were saved only by the boldness and virtue of their leader. Now, however, when the grace of God has increased, we find among the subjects many, or rather most, who in many respects surpass the one who governs them. Therefore you must not deprive us of your help.

Support our hands, that they may not grow weak. Open our mouth, that it may not be stopped. Pray to God. Pray to Him for this. Besides, only some part of what is done is of use to us, while everything is done for your sake. We have been appointed for your benefit, and we care for your advantage.

Pray, each one privately and also during the common prayer. See what Paul says: "that thanks may be given by many on our behalf for the gift granted to us through the prayers of many" (2 Cor 1:11). That is, that He may give grace to many. Among men, when the people gather and plead for condemned criminals being led to death, the king is moved by the entreaty of the multitude and revokes the sentence.

How much more will God be moved by your prayers, not because of your number, but because of your virtues. And we have a powerful enemy. Indeed, each one of you cares and is anxious only for himself, but we care for all together. We shepherds have been placed in that part of the battlefield which is more exposed to danger than the rest.

The devil attacks us more fiercely. In war also, the enemy tries before all others to strike the commander. Therefore all the soldiers rush together to the place where he is. Great confusion arises there, since each of the enemies strives to destroy him, while his own men surround him on every side with shields, wishing to save his head.

Listen to what all the people said to David. I say this not in order to compare myself with David. I am not so mad. I only wish to show the people's love for their leader. They said, "You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel" (2 Sam 21:17). See how they spared the elder?

I have great need of your prayers. Let no one among you, as I have said, through excessive humility, deprive me of this support and help. If we prosper, your condition also will become more glorious. If our teaching increases, the riches will pass to you. Hear what the prophet says: "Should shepherds feed themselves?" (Ezek 34:3).

Do you see how earnestly Paul asks for these prayers? Have you heard that Peter was brought out of prison because unceasing prayer was being offered for him? I am fully assured that your prayer, offered with such unanimity, will have great power. How far, do you think, the task of intercession before God and prayer for so many people surpasses our lowliness?

If I do not have boldness to pray for myself, much less do I have boldness to pray for others. Only the man who himself deserves approval and has obtained God's good favor is fit to ask God for mercy toward others. How can one intercede before Him for another when he himself has offended Him?

Yet because I embrace you with fatherly love, and because love dares all things, I offer prayer first of all for the health of your souls and bodies. I do this not only in church, but also at home. Truly no other prayer is so fitting for a priest as the one in which he prays and intercedes before God more for the people's good than for his own.

If Job, rising from sleep, immediately offered such abundant prayers for his children according to the flesh, how much more must we do the same for our spiritual children? But why do I say this? If we offer prayers and supplications for all of you, though we correspond so little to the greatness of this calling, then it is still more just that you should do the same for us.

When one man prays for all, great boldness and excessive confidence are revealed. But when many gather together to pray for one, nothing blameworthy can be found in this. Each one does this not by relying on his own virtue, but on the number and unanimity of those who pray. This always appeases God above all.

"For where," He says, "two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mt 18:20). If Christ is in the midst where only two or three gather together, how much more will He be in the midst of you? What one man cannot obtain when he prays alone for himself, he will obtain when he prays in the assembly of many.

Why? Because, if his own virtue has no power, the common unanimity will have great power. "For where," He says, "two or three are gathered." Why did He say two? Why will You not be present with one who is in Your name? Because I want all to be joined together and not separated from one another.

Therefore let us be joined to one another. Let us bind ourselves mutually with the bonds of love. Let nothing separate us. If anyone accuses another, or is grieved by anyone, let him not hide it in his soul, either from his neighbor or from us. I ask you for this mercy. Come to us, rebuke us, and receive explanations from us.

It is written, "Question your friend. Perhaps he did not do it. And if he did, let him not do it again. Question your friend. Perhaps he did not say it. And if he said it, let him not repeat it" (Sir 19:13-14). We shall either justify ourselves, or, if condemned, ask forgiveness and try not to do the same again.

This will be useful both for you and for us. If you perhaps accuse us unjustly, you will be corrected when you learn the true state of affairs. And if we sin through ignorance, we too can be corrected. Inattention to this will bring you no profit. Punishment awaits those who speak any idle word.

Meanwhile, we could deliver ourselves from accusations both false and true. We could be delivered from false ones by proving their falsehood. We could be delivered from true ones by not doing the same thing again. Indeed, one who must care for so many necessarily does not know many things, and through ignorance he errs.

If each of you, having his own house, wife, children, and servants to govern, sins much against them, whether they are many or few, this happens though they are so easy to count. He does not do so willingly, but is compelled either by ignorance or by the desire to correct something. How much more may we err, presiding over so numerous a people?

May the Lord increase you still more and bless you, small and great. Although great care is needed for a multitude of people, we nevertheless pray unceasingly that this care may increase for us, and that this people may multiply still more and become numerous and countless. Fathers likewise, though a multitude of children often brings them cares, do not wish to be deprived of any one of them.

In everything, we and you have equal advantages. The chief blessings are the same for us and for you. I do not partake of the sacred table more, and you less. We approach it equally, both I and you. If I approach first, this must not be considered anything important. Among children too, the eldest first stretches out his hand toward the food, yet nothing more comes from this. All our advantages are equal for all.

The saving life which strengthens our souls is given to all with equal honor. I do not partake of one Lamb, and you of another. We all partake of one and the same. We all have one and the same baptism. We all have been deemed worthy of one and the same Spirit. We and you hasten toward one and the same kingdom. We are all equally brothers of Christ. Everything is common among us.

In what, then, does my advantage over you consist? In cares, labors, anxieties, and sorrow for you. Yet nothing is sweeter to us than this sorrow. So too a mother, grieving over her children, rejoices in her grief. She cares for her children and rejoices in these cares. Though care in itself is unpleasant, when it concerns children it gives great pleasure.

I have begotten many of you, yet even after this I suffer the pains of childbirth. Mothers according to the flesh first suffer birth pangs and then give birth. Here, however, even until our last breath there are birth pangs, and the fear remains lest someone, even after birth, prove to have been born untimely.

And yet I strongly desire to endure such sufferings. Even if another, as often happens, has begotten someone into spiritual life, I still am anxious for the one born. We do not beget from ourselves, but everything belongs to the grace of God. If I and another both beget from one and the same Spirit, then no one errs who calls those begotten by me his children, and those begotten by him mine.

Think on all these things and stretch out your hands, that you may serve for our glory, and we for yours, on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we all be deemed worthy to meet that day with boldness in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore I ask: does the Apostle desire anything other than that everyone who boasts should boast in the Lord (2 Cor 10:17)? Nothing is so opposed to this thought as for each person to boast of his merits as though he had acquired them himself, and not the grace of God. The question concerns the grace that distinguishes the good from the evil, not the grace common to both good and evil.

There is a grace with which our nature is endowed, according to which we are rational animals and are distinguished from beasts. There is also a grace with which our nature is endowed, by which, among men themselves, the beautiful are distinguished from the ugly, the talented from the dull, and everything else of this kind. But the man whom the Apostle restrained was not exalting himself above beasts, nor above another man in any natural gifts that may exist even among the worst of men. Rather, in his pride he was attributing to himself, and not to God, something that belonged to the good life. For this reason he deserved to hear: “For who distinguishes you? What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor 4:7). The capacity to have faith belongs to nature. But does the actual possession of this faith belong to nature? For not all have faith, although the capacity to have faith belongs to all.

After they marveled at seeing His ascent, they nevertheless rejoiced that He was going to heaven, for the Head precedes the members. In this is their hope. They heard the voice of the angel: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus will come in the same way as you saw Him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11). What does “in the same way” mean? He will come in the same form, so that Scripture may be fulfilled: “They shall look on Him whom they pierced” (Jn 19:37). He will come in the same way. He will come to men. He will come as man. But this will be the God-man. True man and God will come, in order to make men gods. The heavenly Judge ascended into heaven. The voice of the heavenly Herald sounded forth. For us this is a weighty reason not to fear the coming judgment. For He ascended into the heavens. Those who saw this announced it to us. Those who did not see believed. But others, unbelieving, mocked, for not all have faith.

The Apostle Paul often likens believers collectively, that is, the Church, to the body of Christ, and individual believers to His members; see Rom 12:4-5, 1 Cor 6:15, 12:27. Augustine develops this image further. Compare Zech 12:10 and Rev 1:7.

“Remembering how quickly and easily the faith was established among them, and how, by contrast, it encountered many contradictors in Corinth, the Apostle joyfully dwells on the former and desires deliverance from the latter. He speaks as if saying: ‘You are better than the Corinthians. May God grant that the Corinthians, those around them, and all everywhere may be like you. You are glorious. Do not allow any disorderly persons among you to dishonor the whole community by their unruly conduct.’ By the wicked and evil men of whom Saint Paul speaks, one may understand unbelievers, or those of corrupt and false faith, or those who merely bear the name of believers. The first kind may include fanatical Jews, who everywhere rose up against the Gospel themselves and often incited pagans to do the same. The second kind may include Jews who could not abandon the Old Testament law. In general, however, it is safer to hold to the thought of St. John Chrysostom and other ancient interpreters. Here the Apostle means the contradictors and opponents he encountered in Thessalonica, and those who openly rose against him in Corinth (Acts 18:12)” (Bishop Theophan).

Sometimes he cries out without ceasing, thereby producing confusion and not allowing others to listen to the force of the word. Wicked is poneron, which implies cunning and evil intent.

Perhaps these are people who spoke less and acted more, constructing plots and placing obstacles on every path of apostolic activity.

Saint Chrysostom understands here those who contradict and oppose: "The Apostle speaks here of those who refuted his preaching, rose up, and fought against the dogmas of the faith."

"He speaks of people who contradicted and opposed his preaching, like Hymenaeus and Alexander the smith. For he says, 'He greatly opposed our words'" (2 Tim 4:15).

Some wished to define more precisely the relation of these persons to faith, relying on the words that follow: "for not all have faith." But since faith can have more than one meaning, they differed in opinions.

"Not all have faith" can be understood thus: not all have the Christian faith. This points to those who do not believe at all.

Or: not all have the right faith. This points to those who have accepted Christian teaching, but do not hold it rightly, distorting it by their own speculations.

Or: not all have true faith. This points to those who, though they believe rightly, do not live according to faith. Their faith is weak and does not have enough intensity to order their morals according to its spirit.

From this it is clear that by the persons of whom Saint Paul speaks, one may understand either unbelievers, or wrong-believers and false believers, or those who bear only the name of believers, perhaps the indifferent.

As people of the first kind one may count the fanatical Jews, who, rising up everywhere against the Gospel themselves, often stirred up the Gentiles to the same.

As people of the second kind one may count the Judaizers. While accepting the Gospel, they did not wish to abandon the Old Testament law.

Or they may be those who, while accepting the apostolic preaching, did not agree to its chief dogma concerning the Godhead of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. Such were the Ebionites.

Or they may be those who attempted to mix their previous errors with Christian truths, like Simon the Magician. These two kinds of evil and wicked men had already appeared by the time the epistle was written.

They could have existed or appeared in Corinth, and Saint Paul could have had them in mind. But it cannot be asserted that he had precisely them in mind, since there is no indication, not even a small one.

Therefore it is safer to hold the thought of Saint Chrysostom and our other ancient interpreters. Here the Apostle means in general those who contradict and oppose, such as he had already met in Thessalonica.

Such men also clearly rose up against him in Corinth (Acts 18:12 and following). It is inappropriate to understand persons of the third kind here.

One could easily be delivered from them either by a word of exhortation or by strict judgment. This was later done in Corinth with the incestuous man.

Here too the Apostle threatens to act in this way, if those who do nothing but behave disorderly do not obey his command (2 Thess 3:11).

"For not all have faith." The thought is not that faith does not go to all, or that it is not appointed for all, as though God did not want all to believe and had appointed some to unbelief and destruction.

For the Lord is the Light "who enlightens every man coming into the world" (Jn 1:9). Therefore, when sending the Apostles to preach, He commanded them to enlighten all nations by faith (Mt 28:19).

The Apostle simply wished to say that not all believe. Not all believe because not all wish to believe.

Why someone wishes or does not wish something cannot always be understood and interpreted, for the heart of man is deep. But in relation to faith in Christ, one may safely suppose that they do not wish to believe because they have no concern for the salvation of the soul.

They have no concern for salvation, and they do not wish to listen to words about this salvation. They have other interests, another structure of mind and character.

It is unpleasant for them to listen to a word that runs counter to this structure and requires them to change it. The cause of their having become so disposed is, of course, their previous life and present circumstances.

Yet man always forms himself and always has the power to conduct his affairs as he judges. However much he is damaged by the common fall and by his own personal evil deeds, a healthy side always remains in him.

Through it he may bow before the obviousness of truth. The obviousness of the divine character of the Gospel truth was everywhere presented by the Apostles to the point of undeniable tangibility.

The unbelievers are without excuse. Of course, there is much that is incomprehensible here.

The preaching is one and the same. The persons preaching are one and the same. The heavenly testimonies accompanying it are one and the same.

Yet some from the mass of those listening believe. Others do not believe. Still others even become hostile and oppose.

But there is nothing fatalistic or absolutely predestined here. The fault in everything lies in human free will.

In the word of God we do indeed meet expressions suggesting that some have been assigned to destruction and unbelief, and are called those who are perishing.

Others are assigned to faith and salvation, as those "appointed to eternal life" (Acts 13:48), and are called those being saved. But in the same word of God it is also explained that this occurs according to God's foreknowledge (1 Pet 1:2) and prescience (Rom 8:28).

God foresees where a man will incline, and so He appoints it to be. He does this not indifferently, but arranges everything so that man may choose the good path.

Only when nothing helps does He leave him in the hands of his own will. All this is known to God and decided from eternity.

It is decided because one loved destruction, and another salvation. God gave man freedom and does not violate its rights.

We have a certain inclination to refer many things to fatal decrees and to resolve many things for ourselves in that way. In reality, everything is formed by man's free will and by the strictest laws of divine righteousness and goodness.

So also in the present case, at the words "not all have faith," one may say that not all are suited for faith, or not all are capable and worthy of it.

It is like soldiers, not all of whom are admitted to serve in the royal palaces, but only the capable and trustworthy, as Oecumenius and Theophylact say after Saint Chrysostom.

But the real truth is one: faith is not theirs because they did not wish to believe. These interpreters express this in many other places.

In the present place, blessed Theodoret says, "To call is God's work, but to obey is ours. So also the Lord said in the holy Gospel, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink' (Jn 7:37)."

"And: 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me' (Lk 9:23). For He does not compel by necessity, but seeks a good will."