Humanitext Reader

New Testament · 2 Thessalonians §3.1-3.18

Request for Prayer and Warning Against Idleness

Passage 3 of 3 · Greek

Summary

The author asks for prayers for the spread of the gospel and for safety, while reaffirming the Lord's faithfulness. He then instructs the community to address those living in idleness, urging them to work quietly and advising how to treat those who disobey.

§3.1Τὸ λοιπὸν προσεύχεσθε, ἀδελφοί, περὶ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου τρέχῃ καὶ δοξάζηται καθὼς καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, §3.2καὶ ἵνα ῥυσθῶμεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀτόπων καὶ πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐ γὰρ πάντων ἡ πίστις.
Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as it happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.
§3.3Πιστὸς δέ ἐστιν ὁ κύριος, ὃς στηρίξει ὑμᾶς καὶ φυλάξει ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.
But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
§3.4πεποίθαμεν δὲ ἐν κυρίῳ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ἃ παραγγέλλομεν [καὶ] ποιεῖτε καὶ ποιήσετε.
And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.
§3.5Ὁ δὲ κύριος κατευθύναι ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εἰς τὴν ὑπομονὴν τοῦ χριστοῦ.
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
§3.6Παραγγέλλομεν δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ στέλλεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀδελφοῦ ἀτάκτως περιπατοῦντος καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὴν παρά δοσιν ἣν παρελάβετε παρʼ ἡμῶν.
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
§3.7αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἴδατε πῶς δεῖ μιμεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἠτακτήσαμεν ἐν ὑμῖν οὐδὲ δωρεὰν ἄρτον ἐφάγομεν παρά τινος, §3.8ἀλλʼ ἐν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἐργαζόμενοι πρὸς τὸ μὴ §3.9ἐπιβαρῆσαί τινα ὑμῶν·
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you.
οὐχ ὅτι οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν, ἀλλʼ ἵνα ἑαυτοὺς τύπον δῶμεν ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ μιμεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς.
It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
§3.10καὶ γὰρ ὅτε ἦμεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, τοῦτο παρηγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι εἴ τις οὐ θέλει ἐργάζεσθαι μηδὲ ἐσθιέτω.
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
§3.11ἀκούομεν γάρ τινας περιπατοῦντας ἐν ὑμῖν ἀτάκτως, μηδὲν ἐργαζομένους ἀλλὰ περιεργαζομένους·
For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
§3.12τοῖς δὲ τοιούτοις παραγγέλλομεν καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ ἵνα μετὰ ἡσυχίας ἐργαζόμενοι τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἄρτον ἐσθίωσιν.
Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
§3.13Ὑμεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί, μὴ ἐνκακήσητε καλοποιοῦντες.
As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
§3.14εἰ δέ τις οὐχ ὑπακούει τῷ λόγῳ ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, τοῦτον σημειοῦσθε, μὴ συναναμίγιυσθαι αὐτῷ, ἵνα ἐντραπῇ·
If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.
§3.15καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐχθρὸν ἡγεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ νουθετεῖτε ὡς ἀδελφόν.
Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
§3.16Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος τῆς εἰρήνης δῴη ὑμῖν τὴν εἰρήνην διὰ παντὸς ἐν παντὶ τρόπῳ.
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.
ὁ κύριος μετὰ πάντων ὑμὼν.
The Lord be with you all.
§3.17Ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ Παύλου, ὅ ἐστιν σημεῖον ἐν πάσῃ ἐπιστολῇ·
I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.
οὕτως γράφω.
This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.
§3.18ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετα πάντων ὑμῶν.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Notes

  1. 3.2οὐ γὰρ πάντων ἡ πίστις — The noun πίστις with the article (ἡ πίστις) refers to the Christian faith, and πάντων is a genitive of possession. It means "not all possess faith," explaining why the aforementioned evil men oppose the missionary work.
  2. 3.5εἰς τὴν ὑπομονὴν τοῦ χριστοῦ — The genitive τοῦ χριστοῦ can be interpreted either as a subjective genitive ("the steadfastness shown by Christ") or an objective genitive ("steadfastness toward or in waiting for Christ"). Given the context of chapter 2 concerning the anticipation of Christ's coming, the objective reading of enduring while waiting for Him is highly suitable.
  3. 3.6στέλλεσθαι ὑμᾶς — An accusative with infinitive construction functioning as the object of the verb παραγγέλλομεν. The middle infinitive στέλλεσθαι means "to withdraw oneself" or "to keep away," and combined with the preposition ἀπό, it conveys a disciplinary instruction to avoid certain individuals.
  4. 3.11μηδὲν ἐργαζομένους ἀλλὰ περιεργαζομένους — A wordplay (paronomasia) using two participles derived from the same root ἔργον (work): ἐργάζομαι (to work) and περιεργάζομαι (to busy oneself with other people's affairs, to be a busybody). It sharply contrasts "not working at all" with "working around others' business."

Cite this passage

New Testament, 2 Thessalonians §3.1-3.18. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0031.tlg014.humanitext-grc2:3.1-3.18

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