Teks -- 2 Thessalonians 3:2 (NET)

3:2 and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: 2Th 3:2 - And that we may be delivered

And that we may be delivered ( kai hina rusthōmen ).

A second and more personal petition (Milligan). First aorist passive subjunctive of ruomai , old verb to rescue. Note change in tense from present to aorist (effective aorist).

Robertson: 2Th 3:2 - From unreasonable and evil men

From unreasonable and evil men ( apo tōn atopōn kai ponērōn anthrōpōn ).

Ablative case with apo . Originally in the old Greek atopos (a privative and topos ) is out of place, odd, unbecoming, perverse, outrageous, both of things and persons. Ponēros is from poneō , to work (ponos ), looking on labour as an annoyance, bad, evil. Paul had a plague of such men in Corinth as he had in Thessalonica.

Robertson: 2Th 3:2 - For all have not faith

For all have not faith ( ou gar pantōn hē pistis ).

Copula estin not expressed. Pantōn is predicate possessive genitive, faith (article with abstract substantive) does not belong to all. Hence their evil conduct.

Vincent: 2Th 3:2 - Unreasonable

Unreasonable ( ἀτόπων )

See on Luk 23:41, and comp. Act 25:5; Act 28:6. In lxx in a moral sense, iniquitous , Job 4:8; Job 11:11; Job 34:12. The word originally means out of place.

Vincent: 2Th 3:2 - All men have not faith

All men have not faith

See on Act 6:7; see on Gal 1:23.

Wesley: 2Th 3:2 - All men have not faith

And all men who have not are more or less unreasonable and wicked men.

JFB: 2Th 3:2 - that we . . . be delivered from unreasonable . . . men

Literally, men out of place, inept, unseemly: out of the way bad: more than ordinarily bad. An undesigned coincidence with Act 18:5-9. Paul was now at Corinth, where the JEWS "opposed themselves" to his preaching: in answer to his prayers and those of his converts at Thessalonica and elsewhere, "the Lord, in vision," assured him of exemption from "the hurt," and of success in bringing in "much people." On the unreasonable, out-of-the way perversity of the Jews, as known to the Thessalonians, see 1Th 2:15-16.

JFB: 2Th 3:2 - have not faith

Or as Greek, "the faith" of the Christian: the only antidote to what is "unreasonable and wicked." The Thessalonians, from their ready acceptance of the Gospel (1Th 1:5-6), might think "all" would similarly receive it; but the Jews were far from having such a readiness to believe the truth.

Clarke: 2Th 3:2 - Unreasonable and wicked men

Unreasonable and wicked men - The word ατοπων, which we translate unreasonable, signifies rather disorderly, unmanageable; persons out of their place - under no discipline, regardless of law and restraint, and ever acting agreeably to the disorderly and unreasonable impulse of their own minds

Clarke: 2Th 3:2 - For all men have not faith

For all men have not faith - The word πιστις is without doubt, to be taken here for fidelity or trustworthiness, and not for faith; and this is agreeable to the meaning given to it in the very next verse: But the Lord is faithful, πιστος δε εστιν ὁ Κυριος

There are many, even of those who have received a measure of the Divine light, in whom we cannot confide; they are irregular, disorderly, and cannot be brought under regular discipline: to these we cannot trust either ourselves or any thing that concerns the cause of God. But the Lord is worthy of your whole confidence; doubt him not; he will establish you, and keep you from any evil to which you may be exposed by these or such like persons.

Calvin: 2Th 3:2 - That we may be delivered // All have not faith

2.That we may be delivered. The old interpreter has rendered it, not unhappily, in my opinion — unreasonable ⁶⁹³ Now, by this term, as also by that which immediately follows, (τῶν πονηρῶν,) evil, Paul means wicked and treacherous men, who lurked in the Church, under the name of Christians, or at least Jews, who with a mad zeal for the law furiously persecuted the gospel. He knew, however, how much danger impended over them from both these classes. Chrysostom, however, thinks that those only are meant who maliciously oppose the gospel by base doctrines, ⁶⁹⁴ — not by weapons of violence, as for example, Alexander, Hymeneus, and the like; but for my part, I extend it generally to all kinds of dangers and enemies. He was at that time proceeding towards Jerusalem, and wrote in the midst of his journeyings. Now, he had already been divinely forewarned that imprisonments and persecutions awaited him there. (Act 20:23.) He means, however, deliverance, so that he may come off victorious, whether by life or by death.

All have not faith. This might be explained to mean, “Faith is not in all.” This expression, however, were both ambiguous and more obscure. Let us therefore retain Paul’s words, by which he intimates that faith is a gift of God that is too rare to be found in all. God, therefore, calls many who do not come to him by faith. Many pretend to come to him, who have their heart at the farthest distance from him. Farther, he does not speak of all indiscriminately, but merely animadverts upon those that belong to the Church: for the Thessalonians saw that very many held faith in abhorrence; ⁶⁹⁵ nay, they saw how small was the number of believers. Hence it would have been unnecessary to say this as to strangers; but Paul simply says that all that make a profession of faith are not such in reality. Should you take in all Jews, they appeared to have nearness to Christ, for they ought to have recognized him by means of the law and the prophets. Paul, there can be no question specially marks out those with whom he would have to do. Now, it is probable that they were those who, while they had the appearance and honorary title of piety, were nevertheless very far from the reality. From this came the conflict.

With the view of shewing, therefore, that it was not groundlessly, or without good reason, that he dreaded contests with wicked and perverse men, he says that faith is not common to all, because the wicked and reprobate are always mixed with the good, as tares are with the good wheat. (Mat 13:25.) And this ought to be remembered by us whenever we have annoyance given us by wicked persons, who nevertheless desire to be reckoned as belonging to the society of Christians — that all men have not faith. Nay more, when we hear in some instances that the Church is disturbed by base factions, let this be a shield to us against offenses of this nature; for we shall not merely inflict injury upon pious teachers, if we have doubts as to their fidelity, whenever domestic enemies do them harm, but our faith will from time to time waver, unless we keep in mind that among those who boast of the name of Christians there are many that are treacherous. ⁶⁹⁶

TSK: 2Th 3:2 - delivered // unreasonable // for

delivered : Rom 15:31; 1Co 15:32; 2Co 1:8-10; 1Th 2:18; 2Ti 4:17

unreasonable : Gr. absurd

for : Deu 32:20; Mat 17:17, Mat 23:23; Luk 18:8; Joh 2:23-25; Act 13:45, Act 13:50, Act 14:2; Act 17:5, Act 28:24; Rom 10:16; 2Co 4:3, 2Co 4:4

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: 2Th 3:2 - unreasonable men // wicked men

Their prayers are here desired by the apostle with respect to their persons, which relates to the prayer desired before with respect to the word; for the apostle and his fellow labourers met with such men that did oppose them, and by that means were hindered in their work of the ministry, and the free course of the word obstructed. What were these men? Were they the persecuting Gentiles? They met with such: or the envious, malicious Jews? They met with such also; and here at Thessalonica in particular, and which followed Paul to Berea, Act 17:1-34 . Or were they false brethren crept into the church? As he complains of his perils by them, 2Co 11:26 ; which some think most probable, by what he adds, for all men have not faith even of those that make profession. Why may not we take in all these? But whoever they were, he styles them, first,

unreasonable men men out of place, as the word imports; taken either literally, for vagrants, wanderers, not keepers at home; or such as follow the apostle from place to place, to hinder his ministry. Or logically, for men that argued absurdly, and kept to no sound topics in reasoning; either false teachers among the Jews, or the heathen philosophers, such as he met with at Athens, whom he disputed with Act 17:1-34 . Or morally, for men that had corrupt principles and practices, that kept not to the duty of their place and station, ( desordonnez, French translation), and wandered out of the path of righteousness. We render it unreasonble men; men transported with fury and passion against all reason, as we read of the Jews, Act 17:5 . Or such as acted contrary to reason, as the apostle speaks of such Jews in the former Epistle, who were contrary to all men, foridding them to preach to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, 1Th 2:15,16 . Or men of sensual lives, living more like brutes than reasonable creatures. Secondly,

wicked men so that whoever they were, whether Jews or Gentiles, teachers or the common people, learned or unlearned, they were wicked; and whatever was meant by the former word, yet this is plain; and the word imports either men that are laborious in wickedness, or that by their wickedness create labour and trouble to others. And such the apostle met with at Thessalonica, Jews who took to them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and drew Jason and others before the rulers, assaulting his house, Act 17:5,6 : and indeed wherever they came, they met with such kind of men. Through the lusts of men’ s hearts, and the enmity and malice of the devil, faithful ministers will meet with opposition, and such as will hinder what they can the free course of the word. And therefore the apostle desires prayer to be delivered from them, ina rusywmen , the word signifies a rescue by strength from some impending or incumbent evil, oft used, Luk 1:74 Col 1:13 1Th 1:10 . And he desires deliverance rather for the gospel’ s sake than his own. And though it is honourable to suffer for the gospel, yet it is desirable to be kept out of the hands of such men as these. The apostle subjoins the reason why men are thus,

for all men have not faith He needed not say this of infidels, which all men know to be without it, and therefore it is thought the apostle here means professors. There may be true faith wanting where faith is professed. Faith is sometimes taken for fidelity, a moral virtue, and some think is meant here, because it follows in the next verse by way of antithesis: But the Lord is faithful. But rather, I take it for a theological grace; for that true evangelical faith which purifies the heart, and worketh by love, and brings forth the acts of obedience to all God’ s commandments. Had they this faith they would not be unreasonable and wicked. But can we suppose such to be in the church? As well as those, 2Ti 3:5 , whom the apostle describes to have a form of godliness under all that wickedness he there mentions. But let men have civility, sobriety, external devotion, and profession, yet if they oppose the gospel, in the power, purity, and progress of it, they may be styled unreasonable and wicked men; and from such men we may pray, as the apostle desired here: Good Lord, deliver us. And it is the duty of people with respect to their faithful ministers, and the work of the gospel in their hands, to pray that they may be delivered from such men.

Haydock: 2Th 3:2 - From troublesome // For all men have not faith

From troublesome, or importunate men. In the Greek, is signified men who act unreasonably, absurdly, &c. (Witham) ---

For all men have not faith. Faith is a gift of God, which he is not obliged to give but to whom he will. St. Paul here assures us that he finds nothing but obstacles in his great work, nothing but enemies of the truth, and nothing but men who resist the inspirations and calls of God, opposing the preaching of the gospel. He exhorts them not to be scandalized at what they see him suffer, but to return thanks to God, who has vouchsafed to call them, giving them an understanding and docile heart. (Calmet)

Gill: 2Th 3:2 - And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men // for all men have not faith

And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men,.... Either from the unbelieving Jews, see Rom 15:30 who were the avowed enemies of the Gospel, and did all they could to hinder the spread of it; and who were the implacable and constant adversaries of the apostle; who often lay in wait for him, and opposed him, and gave him trouble in all places, stirring up the people against him: or from the false teachers, and those of their party, who are the false brethren by whom he often was in perils; who were enemies of the cross of Christ, and great hindrances to the spread of the Gospel; being men of absurd principles, and of wicked lives and conversations, whereby they perverted the Gospel of Christ, brought a reproach upon it, stumbled some, and overthrew the faith of others; and from these the apostle desires to be delivered:

for all men have not faith: no man has faith of himself, it is the gift of God, and the operation of his Spirit; and it is only given to the elect of God, who are ordained unto eternal life, and therefore it is called the faith of God's elect; all mankind have it not, none but Christ's sheep; and the reason why others have it not is, because they are not of his sheep. This is a truth; but rather the true sense of the words is, that all that are professors of religion, and members of churches, and even all that are preachers of the word, have not faith. They may have an historical and temporary faith and the faith of miracles, and even all faith but the true faith; they may profess to believe, and yet not believe, as Simon Magus, and his followers seem to be intended here; for this is given as a reason why the apostle desired to be delivered from the above men. The Jews say ^o, that

"he that studies not in the law, לאו ביה מהימנותא, "there is no faith in him"--and it is forbidden to come near him, or to trade with him, or to walk with him, "because there is no faith in him".''

The apostle seems to allude to this custom.