Art Toombs Ministries 

Online Bible Commentary

Do Not Grow Weary

 

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. 17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (NKJV)

 

Paul continues on the theme of encouraging the Christians at the church in Thessalonica to do what is right, as he closes out his second letter to them. Christians are always commanded to do the right thing, as defined by the Bible, not by the culture. God’s ways are not man’s ways. If we are truly Christians, Christ followers, we will follow His teachings as found in the Bible. Our lifestyle, our walk, will be obedient to His word. 

Paul’s instructions to the church at Thessalonica are God’s instructions to all Christians. He instructs us to “not grow weary in doing good” (v.13). 

There are many roadblocks and frustrations that will tempt us to not do good, the right thing. But we are not to lose heart, not to allow ourselves to be frustrated, not tire of doing the right thing. We are to press on despite the obstacles, which will always be in our path. 

Living the Christian lifestyle means walking in obedience to the Lord no matter what stumbling blocks are put in our path by the world. It means faithfully staying the course, trudging through the mud and rocks of the world and the arrows of the evil one, always pressing on towards the goal, the goal of hearing “well done my good and faithful servant.”  It is not easy. But it is well worth it. 

But there are some Christians who stray from the path of obedience. They lose heart; they allow themselves to be frustrated or swayed by the world. They turn from a lifestyle of obedience to a lifestyle of sin. 

How should we, as Christians, respond to them?  First of all we should “note that person” (v.14a). The literal Greek uses the word “semeioo” which means to distinguish or mark. Once we have identified him, we are to “not keep company with him” in the hope that he will be shamed into abandoning the sinful lifestyle (v.14b). 

The Christians who has strayed is not to be regarded “as an enemy”, but he is to be “admonished as a brother” (v.15). He is to be warned, but not excommunicated from the church. He is to be rehabilitated, but not excluded. He is to be supported in his rehabilitation, but not supported in his sin. 

Paul then closes this letter with a blessing and a greeting. The blessing is Paul’s prayer that “the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all” (v.16). As we walk in obedience to the Lord, let us be ever mindful that He is always with us helping us along our way. He carries us through the rough spots, when we give ourselves to Him. 

Next comes Paul’s greeting. Although we commonly use the term “Paul writes”, it is known that he used a secretary, an amanuensis, to write his letters as he dictated them. Paul takes the pen from his secretary at this point to write the greeting himself. Paul’s handwritten offer of God’s grace at the end of each letter proved it to be genuinely his (vv.17-18). 

This second letter to the church at Thessalonica covered some topics that are hard to teach. Not only are they hard from a theological standpoint but they are sometimes hard to hear. Topics such as the Rapture, the Tribulation, Hell, the Antichrist, and sinful lifestyles are not topics that most Christians want to think about. 

However, teaching on these hard topics is necessary. It is important that we know that there is judgment for doing bad, and that we should not grow weary of doing good.