A Plea for Intercession. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2.
Dear Ambassadors of the Risen Lord,
In an indication of the close relationship he has with the Thessalonians, Paul and his companions ask for prayer.
Speed (v. 1). Paul asks the believers to pray that the gospel may spread quickly. He desires to see what happened in Thessalonica replicated elsewhere. This desire is also a veiled complement to the Thessalonians for their sincerity when they received the gospel.It is good to note that the Thessalonians received the gospel in unfavorable circumstances, yet their faith became the yardstick by which the faith of others was measured.
Safety (v. 2). Paul is constantly alert to the danger posed by enemies of the gospel. The Thessalonians are aware of this as well because their neighbors had run Paul out of town, not too long before (Acts 17:5-10).In a way, this request for prayer is paradoxical. Paul knows that he will be persecuted. He knows that he will encounter opposition to the gospel. Yet he prays that God will deliver him from the wicked. While Paul is willing to suffer, he also wants to spread the good news as quickly as possible. He sees the people who stand in his way as being fronted by the enemy, so the prayer for deliverance is aimed more at the expediency of spreading the gospel than at personal safety. It is not to say that Paul enjoyed persecution. It is that he had more important concerns. Is personal comfort more important to you than the fate of the lost?
Your Loving Pastor Chris.