A Prayer for Encouragement. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.
Dear Saints,
The Apostle Paul cannot do without prayer, whether for himself or for others. This is an important indication of where his real hope is and what he depends on, for his life and success. We would do well to learn from him and imitate him. After telling the Christians about the hope that they have in the coming revelation of the Lord, he prayerfully wishes them a blessing.
Divine Benefactors (v. 16). The wish of Paul is also an appeal to the Lord Jesus and the Father. The basis for this is the love of the divine pair, who by grace – that precious word again, have loved us and assured us of eternal hope. We are able to walk in confidence because God reached out in love to us. We can ask with the Apostle, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?
Desired Benefits (v. 17). The content of one’s prayers is indicative of where one’s heart really is. It makes sense for Paul to pray that the Thessalonians would be Comforted. The trials and suffering that the Christians went through must have been as painful for Paul. It is akin to a mother whose child is afflicted with a disease that causes him suffering. The mother can only agonize over the child’s pain and hope that the child will pull through. Paul cannot even visit Thessalonica. He can only wish them comfort. But he also hopes that they will not be _Comfortable_. He wants them to be active in work and word. The external threat posed by persecution was not as grave as it seemed.
The believers had excelled in spite of it. But the internal threat to their integrity was a different matter. We will deal more with this in chapter 3, but the word they spoke needed to be accompanied by deeds that matched it. The disparity between work and word is a threat to be aware of.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.