2 Thess. 2:13-17, A Prayer for Standing Fast (1)

For whom is Paul praying? Again, the Church of the Thessalonians.

We should note how Paul refers to them.

·       They are brethren beloved by the Lord.  This is a term of endearment; but it is also the basis for some other wonderful things he says concerning them.

·       From the beginning they were chosen by God for salvation.

·       This salvation was to be through the work of God (sanctification by the Spirit ) and by the response of the Thessalonians (through … belief in the truth).

·       This salvation also required that they be called by God, which He did through the preaching of the gospel by Paul, the gospel of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

·       This salvation would be for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This theme we spoke of in our previous post. 

I encourage you to meditate on these truths, because they are true of every believer in Christ.  Not only do you want to reckon these things to be true of you; you also want to reckon them to be true of believers for whom you pray.

To whom is Paul praying?

He gives thanks to God (v13), and entrusts the believers to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father (v16).

What words, phrases, titles, names are applied to God by Paul?

·       In v16 Paul addresses our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  The added reflexive pronoun emphasizes Christ as significant in this prayer.  The Father is the giver of every good and perfect gift.  The Son, for one thing, is the head of the Church, and will lead His people as their Good Shepherd.  For another thing, it is both the Son and the Father who have done what is recorded in the last half of v16.

·       Who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace (v16b).  Paul describes God according to what He has already done in Christ.  We have been loved; everlasting comfort has been given, as has good hope by grace (how I love that truth about God).  What Paul will go on to pray for is that the Thessalonians will continue to experience these things until they have been perfected.  This is how we ought to pray: to recognize that what we ask for, God has already been giving to us.  That kind of thing encourages our faith.

What moves Paul to pray?

Paul is praying for help so that the Thessalonians will stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught.  He commands them to do this; but then prays for them that they will be able to do this.  Paul does this regularly; so should we.  When we encourage someone to take a path to please God, we need to stop and pray with them and then keep on praying for them to be able to stay on the path to its end.