2 Thess. 2:9-17 Notes and Commentaries
J. Keithly Exegesis 2 Thess. 2:9-12 Introduction
INTRODUCTION: Though the Day of the Lord will eventually usher in a glorious day of millennial blessing for those left after the Tribulation and the return of Christ to earth, it will begin with a time of judgment, a day of wrath, as described in Revelation 6-19. While millions will come to Christ beginning with the sealing and salvation of 144,000 Jews (12,000 from each tribe of Israel) and extending to a great multitude of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev. 7), the world as a whole will be in stark rebellion and will follow after the man of lawlessness in blind obedience and worship. That such is the product of man's rebellion is obvious by the unrepentant heart described in several places even though the inhabitants of the world seem to know they are under the judgment of God's divine wrath (see Rev. 6:14-17; 9:20-21; 16:9, 11).
How is it that man, in utter defiance, even in the face of what is obviously the outpouring of God's wrath against man's sin, still raises up his fist in God's face and continues to follow after the beast and his system of government? The passage before us gives us insight into that question. Though there are issues beyond our comprehension here, it is centered around man's delusion and deception, which occurs as a result of God's judgment because of man's failure to love the truth. Many get all bent out of shape over matters like God's sovereignty, election, and predestination on one side, and on the other, the issues of man's free will or responsibility to believe. The fact is, however, God's Word teaches both elements of truth, and there is no place more evident than in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 and again in verses 13-14. Verses 9-12 deal with the unbelieving world and their responsibility and verses 13-14 with believers as the chosen of God, but through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and faith in the truth.
The Coming of the Lawless One and Satan's Deception (2:9-10)
2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be by Satan's working with all kinds of miracles and signs (note that Satan has supernatural powers) and false wonders, 2:10 and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.
The Rise of Antichrist by the Counterfeit Work of Satan (2:9-10a)
In these verses we actually see the second effect and detail regarding the man of lawlessness. The first was his unveiling, but this is quickly countered by the promise of his destruction by the manifestation of the parousia of Christ at His advent to earth. Now another detail is given, namely, the source of the lawless one's coming (parousia) and deceptive working in the world. It will "be by Satan's working." Literally, "whose coming is in accordance with a working of Satan." This answers the question, "Why and how will the lawless one be able to so quickly deceive the world into following him to the point they even worship him"? As it was also revealed to John in Revelation 13, it is because he is Satan's man; he is Satan-inspired, enabled, and indwelt, and evidently, the world will understand this and won't care.
... And the whole world followed the beast in amazement; they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: "Who is like the beast?" and "Who is able to make war against him?" The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months. So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God-to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven. The beast was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. He was given ruling authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation, and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed. If anyone has an ear, he had better hear! (Rev. 13:3-9).
Because of the mystery of lawlessness at work even today, such deception is actually not new. The masses have been deluded into following such tyrants and demonically-inspired men before as was so evident in the rise of Hitler. The difference seems to be one of degree. While most of the world recognized Hitler for who and what he was and finally gathered together to oppose him in World War II, just the opposite will occur when the man of sin is revealed. There will be those who resist the lawless one because of their faith in Christ, but the world as a whole will follow after the beast in amazement even to the point of believing that he is God.
The apostle explains that it is because his "coming is in accord with the working of Satan with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders," the very things God used to authenticate the message and lay the foundation for the church (see Acts 2:22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:12; Rom. 15:19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4). By the superhuman power of Satan, this will be redirected to accomplish Satan's deception on an unbelieving world.
"In accord with" represents the Greek preposition kata used here with the word "working" in the accusative case. In such a context, this construction is used "to introduce the norm which governs something." Sometimes, as here, the norm merges into the reason or the cause.69 With the restrainer removed, there is nothing to hinder the working of Satan. "Working" is energeia, "working, operation, action," but in the New Testament it is typically used of that which is supernatural, either of the enabling power of God or of satanic operations (Eph. 1:19; 3:7; 4:16; Phil. 3:21; Col. 1:29; 2:12; 2 Thes. 2:9, 11).
The activity of Satan is described with the words, "with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders and with every kind of evil deception." "All" is the adjective pas, which, when used without the article, may include "everything belonging, in kind, to the class designated by the noun every kind of, all sorts of."70 Satan will reach into his bag of tricks to use everything he has at his disposal. These are defined as "miracles, signs, and false wonders."
"Miracles" is dunamis, "inherent ability, power," but it often is used of the outward expressions of power, "deeds of power" or "miracles"-that which is beyond normal human ability. This word stresses the fact of the performance or display of miracles or powers, while "signs and wonders" look at the immediate effect on the people in two different ways.
"Sign" is semeion, "a sign or distinguishing mark by which something is known."71 It refers to an event which is regarded as having some special meaning. This work points to the purpose and goal of the miracles from the standpoint of what the miracles are designed to communicate, i.e., the ideas and beliefs Satan wants to pawn off on the world. People will be thinking this man, this great leader of ours must be god incarnate because he does claim to be god and seems to have the power to prove it. He must be the answer to the world's needs; surely he and he alone can mold the world into unity and peace and give us a life of great prosperity.
"Wonders" is teras, "wonder, marvel." In the New Testament teras is always combined with semeion because it looks at another effect of the miracle or the dunamis in the sense it gets people's attention and causes them to marvel or stand in amazement at what they have seen. But Paul calls them "false" or "lying" (NASB) wonders. "False" is pseudos, "a falsehood, a lie." It may refer just to the wonders or (as is more probable) to both the signs and wonders or even all three nouns (miracles, signs, wonders). This looks at the purpose of these miracles as signs and wonders. They are designed to deceive. But this in no way denies the miraculous nature of the miracles. They are not like the slight-of-hand tricks of a magician. They are real, but they are designed to lead to belief in a lie (vs. 11). They are real miracles that are designed to deceive. Pseudos is the word Jesus used of Satan in John 8:44 as the one in whom there is no truth because he is a liar and the father of lies. This word often stands in contrast to aletheia, "truth" (cf. John 8:44; 1 Thes. 2:11-12).
Thus, the combination of these words or expressions are used to point to a supernatural component, but one with very definite and important religious implications, especially since the performance of such miracles implies divine power. In the life of the Lord and in the early church, they were used to authenticate the messenger and so his message. He was one speaking the truth. In the case of the apostles and prophets, they were those who became the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:22).72 But in the case of the apostle and prophets of the New Testament, they performed miraculous acts that authenticated a message that was in keeping with the Old Testament and its fulfillment. What will occur in the future is just the opposite.
The apostle Paul adds one more very interesting and explanatory statement, "and with every kind of evil deception." This clinches the previous statement. Literally, the text says, "with every kind of deception of unrighteousness." "Unrighteousness" may simply be an adjectival genitive, "unrighteous" deception, but it may also point us to the result, deception that leads to unrighteousness, or to the source, deception that proceeds from unrighteousness, which is probably best considering the context. However, maybe this is one of those plenary situations where all the grammatical possibilities could apply. Certainly, the deception proceeds from the evil nature of Satan's system and it will lead to an unrighteousness that is unparalleled in history.
But the question still remains, "Who is it that will fall for his schemes, and how could the world become so amazed by his miraculous powers and so deluded that it will follow after the lawless one?"
The Reason for the Deception in Those Who Are Perishing (2:10b)
The reason is indicated in the words, "directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth ..." What irony! First, those for whom the lying wonders are designed are described as "those who are perishing (tois apollumenois)," because they will follow "the son of destruction (apoleia)." The second stroke of irony is seen in the reason given. They will believe the lie of Satan because "they found no place in their hearts for the truth." Literally, "because the love of the truth they did not welcome." While this is an unusual expression, it points us to the fundamental reason why they will believe Satan's lie rather than believe the gospel that they might be saved. It will not be a matter of the evidence for the truth of Christ, but a moral matter. The Lord put it this way in John 3.
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.
The gospel will be preached to all the world in the Day of the Lord and millions will turn to the Savior and be saved (Rev. 7). It won't be a matter of not hearing the gospel, as the book of Revelation makes clear. Rather, it will be a matter of rebellion and loving the darkness rather than the light. When people reject the truth, it leaves them open to all manner of evil and false beliefs as Romans 1:18-28 and Ephesians 4:17-19 teach us. To reject the knowledge of God and the light God gives leads to a further darkening of one's understanding and a perverted mind that takes pleasure in every kind of impurity in the sphere of greediness for more and more.
The Judgment of God and the Deluding Influence (2:11-12)
2:11 Consequently God sends on them a deluding influence that they may believe what is false. 2:12 And so they will all be judged who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil.
"Consequently" (Greek, dia touto, "for this reason") looks back to the previous verse and the refusal to love the truth by those who are perishing. As such, it also introduces us to the consequence, the moral judgment of God. They consign themselves and are thus consigned to judgment. We must not lose sight of the fact the judgment here proceeds from man's own choice. Because of its immoral indifference to the truth, God will not only let the world believe a lie, but will send a deluding influence to promote it. "A deluding influence" is literally, "a working of error or delusion." "Working" is energeia, "working, operation, action," but in the New Testament, always of what is supernatural.73 "Error" is plane, a "wandering, roaming." In the New Testament it is used only figuratively of wandering from the path of truth in the sense of error, delusion, deceit, deception to which one becomes subject.74 We should contrast this with the powerful working of the Word in those who believe in 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
... Here God sends "a working of delusion" in the sense that to be misled by falsehood is the divine judgment inevitably incurred in a moral universe by those who close their eyes to the truth. But the true God is not the deliberate author of this infatuation; it is, as Paul put it in 2 Cor 4:4, "the god of this aeon" (cf. the "activity of Satan" in v 9 above) who "has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ."75
"That they may believe what is false" (eis to + the infinitive pisteusai, "to believe") points us to the intended result or divine purpose, that which is the product of failing to love the truth. But the text literally says, "that they might believe the lie." As in Romans 1:25, "lie" has the article and looks at something specific. What then is the lie? Some, as Bruce, believe it is,
... the fundamental truth that God is God; it is the rejection of his self-revelation as Creator and Savior, righteous and merciful Judge of all, which leads to the worship due to him alone being offered to another, such as the "man of lawlessness."76
While this is fundamental and lies at the root of all of man's unbelief, the context suggests the lie refers to verse 4, the belief that the man of lawlessness is God and has the ability to meet the needs of the world (see also 1 Thes. 5:1). Certainly also, this all goes back to Satan's original lie to Eve in claiming that by choosing to eat of the tree of good and evil, man can become like God (cf. Gen. 3:5; John 8:44).
With verse 12, the apostle takes us to the ultimate consequence of failing to love the truth so that they might be saved and avoid the lie of Satan. The NET Bible has, "and so they will all be judged," but the Greek text continues the preceding focus with the more forceful, "in order that they all might be judged." While Paul does not describe the nature of the judgment in view, several judgments come to mind: (1) the judgment to falling for the lie, (2) the judgments of the Tribulation, and (3) the judgment of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20).
The ultimate consequences for them will be condemnation. Failing to appropriate the truth of the gospel, they willingly choose wickedness instead. They cannot blame circumstances. Retrospect will show their own wrongly directed personal delight to be the cause of God's adverse judgment against them (cf. 1:9). What an incentive this powerful passage is for non-Christians to turn to God before the rebellion and delusion arrive.77
But the primary focus here is seen in the word order of the Greek text. Literally, "in order that they might all be judged, those who did not believe the truth, but (alla, a conjunction of strong contrast), delighted in unrighteousness." Thus, the focus is on the words, "who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil." Again, we are brought face to face with the root issue of man's unbelief. It's man's inherent desire to live in unrighteousness. This is expressed in "have delighted in evil." "Delighted" is eudokeo, "to think well of, approve, be well pleased, take delight or pleasure in." "Evil" is adikia, "wrong doing, injustice, unrighteousness, wickedness." It was used in 2:10, "every kind of deception of wickedness." But what is the fundamental issue or nature of man's wrong doing or unrighteousness? As from the very beginning when Adam and Eve swallowed Satan's big lie, is it not man's attempt to live life independently of God and to be, as constantly tempted by Satan, to become like God himself?
CONCLUSION: Certainly one of the key points of these verses is the very sobering truth that people can so resist the truth that God finally gives them over to greater and greater delusion where they literally wander further and further away so that they believe one lie after another. Plainly, there is no walking the fence, no neutral ground that men may take-either we respond to the revelation of God in Christ and His truth as we find it in the Bible, or we will believe Satan's lies. To love not the truth leads to rejecting the truth and ultimately to receiving Satan's and the world's lies.
This is a sobering thought and explains, at least in part, why people can be so easily duped into following the wildest and weirdest cults imaginable. As McGee has put it, "I have been simply amazed at some intelligent people who have sat in church, heard the gospel, rejected it, and then turned to the wildest cult imaginable. They will follow some individual who is absolutely a phony-not giving out the Word of God at all. Why? Because God says that is the way it is: When people reject the truth, they will believe the lie."
God is separating the sheep from the goats. God uses the best way in the world to do it. If people will not receive the love of the truth, then God sends them a "strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." What is the "lie"?78 When people are negative to God's truth, they become totally defenseless against the many deceptions of the devil. So in the Day of the Lord, they will be defenseless against the false claims of the lawless one (v. 4) and his perversion as they are centered in the Antichrist. As mentioned, it will be nothing more than a repeat of the same basic lie that deceived Eve in Genesis 3, only, in the man of lawlessness, that lie will be embodied in Satan's end-time master of deceit.
Application points:
vv. 9-12 Extra Exegsesis:
With these passages, Paul is trying to reassure these persecuted Christians that God will make things right in God's good time. God will vindicate their faith and their faithfulness.
(2:9) that is, the one whose [j]coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false [k]signs and wonders - This passage speaks about the coming of the Antichrist. Paul uses the same word 'coming" ἡ παρουσία from verses 1 and 3, and οὗ is the relative pronoun that refers to the lawless one in verse 8. The παρουσία means the state of being present at a place (1 Cor. 16:17; Phil. 2:12). When Christ returns at the end of the age, he will make his presence felt by the revelation of his power to judge the world (Mt. 24:4; 1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Pet. 3:4). The lawless one will mimic God's power under the influence of Satan, bringing false power, signs, and wonders to the Earth upon those who are perishing. Since the unrighteous will have no love for the truth, they will be deceived and follow the strong delusion that God permits from Satan (Col. 1:21; Eph. 4:17-19; Rom. 1:25).
(2:10) and with [l]all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. ... This verse describes the trickery of the lawless one and how it affects the deceived. Not only does he come with false signs and wonders, but also with any other plan to forward his deception. The word for deception, ἀπάτῃ, expresses the idea of seduction that comes from wealth (Mt. 13:22; Mk. 4:19), empty deceit (Col 2:8), a pleasure that involves one into sin, or deceptive trickery from an outside force (2 Thess. 2:10). Clearly the wicked will perish not only because of the schemes of the devil but because they did not have a love for the truth. This means "they did not love the truth" rather than "the truth did not love them." Jesus Christ, who is the incarnate Truth, has a love for his creation, desiring that no one perish but all come to repentance in faith (2 Pet 3:9). However, when He came to His own people (Jn. 1:11), they did not "receive" Him to be "saved". Consequently, Paul is declaring that since they do not receive this truth to be saved, their only other option is to perish (1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3). This death is described as being lost, fading from beauty and splendor, (Js. 11:11; Rev. 18:14) and of the way of the godless, which is lost in darkness (Ps. 1:6). Moreover, it emphasizes the failure to obtain what one anticipates, such as heavenly rewards (Mt. 10:42; Mk. 9:41) or lose their connection with God just as wine that has lost its flavor or sheep that have gone astray from their shepherd ( Jer. 27:6; Ezek. 34:4; Jn. 6:12).
(2:11) For this reason God [m]will send upon them [n]a deluding influence so that they will believe [o]what is false ,- Since they have rejected the gospel, God begins to execute judgment upon them by sending a strong delusion so they can't distinguish between the truth of the gospel and the falsity of Satan. Paul comments in other passages where God allows sinners to indulge in the sin and errors they have approved (Ps. 80:12-13; Rom. 1:24; 2 Tim. 4:4) by giving the man of lawlessness the ability to propagate these lies. God will "send" this strong delusion: The idea here is someone, whether human or transcendent, is dispatched to communicate a message (Lk. 20:11; 2 Cor. 9:3). In the context of this passage, the sending is an idea of moving from one place to another. It takes on the meaning to instruct, commission, or appoint. Therefore, God has appointed this strong delusion just as he did when he hardened the Israelites in the Old Testament (Isa. 6:9-10). For example, God sent a spirit to energize false prophets before Ahab and Jehoshaphat to bring down their alliance (1 Kgs 22:19; 2 Chr. 18:18-22).
It's important to recognize that God does not cause their unbelief, but he sets the stage for them to demonstrate it. For example, an undercover cop doesn't participate in the evil of setting someone up, he simply pretends to follow so that the trap is set to capture the evildoer. Genuine believers will not be deceived in this way because we have been "saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth (NASB v.13)."
(2:12) in order that all may be judged, having not believed the truth but delighted in unrighteousness]. The purpose of πέμπει in the previous verse is contingent upon the purpose of εἰς τὸ πιστεῦσαι. Therefore, the ἵνα κριθῶσιν πάντες clause depends on εἰς τὸ: "that all might be judged." Most scholars syntactically agree that this is a purpose clause because God is sending the delusion to fulfill the destiny of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
Furthermore, the aorist active participle πιστεύσαντες "having believed" is used eight times to describe believers (Mk. 16:16; 2 Thess. 1:10; Heb. 4:3), and negatively, of those who did not believe (2 Thess. 2:12; Jude 5). Unlike believers, who are producing the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5), the wicked are sowing corruption and reaping the consequences. The use of these two aorist participles strengthens the idea that Paul was thinking about the path they had chosen when they rejected the gospel more than the lifestyle that resulted from the choices they made. These warnings by Paul were a sober reminder to the Thessalonians not to be shaken in mind or alarmed by deception (v. 2-3) so they would avoid perishing with the world. His purpose in admonishing the Thessalonians was to care for their souls. In the remaining verses (v. 13-16), Paul reminds them they have been saved by the truth of the gospel for the glory of the Lord, who loves and comforts their hearts.
SW EXEGESIS - 1 Thess. 2:13-17
2 THESSALONIANS 2:13-15. STAND FIRM, AND HOLD THE TRADITIONS
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you [r]from the beginning for salvation [s]through sanctification [t]by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, [u]that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter [v]from us.
"But we are bound (opheilo) to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord" (v. 13a). The wording in this verse is similar to that in 1:3. This is an unusual expression of thanksgiving in that the Greek word opheilo suggests obligation-we ought to give thanks-we are bound to give thanks. Some scholars have suggested that this reflects reluctance on Paul's part to give thanks for these Thessalonian Christians. Others believe that this language, being uncharacteristic of Paul, suggests that someone other than Paul wrote this letter. But it seems better to take Paul's words at face value-that he is truly thankful for their growing faith and their love for one another.
"because God chose you from the beginning (either ap arches or aparchen) for salvation" (v. 13b). This verse introduces the idea of election-God's having chosen some people and not having chosen others. In the Old Testament, God chose Abraham and his descendants, the Israelites. The idea of election carries over into the New Testament (John 15:16; 17:6; Ephesians 1:4; 2:10). However, in the Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14), Jesus concludes by saying "For many are called, but few chosen" (Matthew 22:14), which suggests that many are called, but only the elect have chosen to respond.
God chose these Thessalonian Christians "for salvation." While salvation in the Bible is sometimes being saved from one's enemies, in the New Testament it usually has an eschatological character-i.e., end of time events-God's judgment-heaven and hell.
"through sanctification (hagiasmos) of the Spirit" (v. 13c). The word hagiasmos has to do with sanctification-the act of making a person holy. It is closely related to the word hagios, which is most frequently translated "saint" in the New Testament. Just as salvation is a gift of God, so also is sanctification. We are not capable of making ourselves holy. Sanctification requires action by the Holy Spirit.
"and belief in the truth" (v. 13d). The deceiver (Satan) has convinced many people that it doesn't matter what we believe as long as we are sincere. That runs counter both to scripture and to our everyday experience.
"to which he called you through our Good News" (euangelion) (v. 14a). The call of God came to these Thessalonian Christians "through our euangelion"-our Good News-our Gospel-the Gospel that Paul and his companions had preached to them (see 1 Thessalonians 1:5).
"for the obtaining of the glory (doxa) of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 14b). The word "glory" is used in the Bible to speak of various wonderful things-but it is used especially to speak of God's glory-an aura associated with God's appearance that reveals God's majesty to humans.
In this verse, then, Paul is saying that God has called these Thessalonian Christians to the truth (v. 13) so that they might obtain their share of this glory which Christ shares with God the Father.
"So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions (paradosis) which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter" (v. 15). In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul spoke of Timothy bringing him "good news of your faith and love" (1 Thessalonians 3:7)-and being encouraged by their standing firm in the Lord (1 Thess. 3:8). Now he encourages them to continue standing firm in the face of tempters and deceivers (2:1-4).
He encourages them to "hold the traditions (paradosis) which you were taught by us, whether by word or letter." The word paradosis (tradition) has a checkered place in the New Testament, because much of the opposition to Jesus came from men who were wedded to the traditions of men rather than the word of God (Matthew 15:2-6; 7-13; see also Colossians 2:8).
2 THESSALONIANS 2:16-17. THE LORD JESUS COMFORT YOUR HEARTS
6 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort" (paraklesis) (v. 16a). Now Paul offers a benediction-a prayer that Jesus and God who loved and comforted Paul and his companions (v. 16) might also comfort the Thessalonian Christians (v. 17).
"comfort and good hope through grace" (charis) (v. 16b). Hope is life-giving. Life without hope is drab and meaninglessness. As one example, prisoners serving indeterminate sentences (sentences with no clear end-date) cope less well than prisoners who can calculate the number of days until they will be released. They cope less well, because their fate is unclear-because they have nothing definite for which to hope-no end-date by which to measure their progress.
"comfort (parakaleo) your hearts" (v. 17a). See the comments above (verse 16) on the word paraklesis, which is related to the word parakaleo in this verse. Parakaleo (v. 17) is a combination of two words, para (near) and kaleo (to call), and means to call near-to invite-to beseech-to exhort. Paul is praying that the Lord Jesus and God the Father might comfort these Christians by calling them near-by inviting them-by helping them to feel God's presence. I might be exaggerating the difference, but I see parakaleo as a somewhat softer word than paraklesis (v. 16), which I see as a spine-stiffening word.
"and establish you in every good work and word" (v. 17b). Knowing Paul, we can be sure that he chose the words "work" and "word" carefully.
"good work." Looking ahead to the next chapter, we find that work is a problem in Thessalonica. Paul has learned that some of the Thessalonian Christians are "living in idleness," so he counsels the rest of the community "to keep away from believers who are living in idleness" (3:11, 6). He notes that, when he was in Thessalonica, he toiled day and night to provide his own support (3:7-9). He counsels, "Anyone unwilling to work should not eat" (3:10).
"word." Psalm 19:14 comes to mind here. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, (O Lord), my rock, and my redeemer."
Our words have power to injure or to heal-to lift up or to tear down-to enlighten or to spread darkness. Just as Paul prays that God will establish good work among these Christians, he also prays that God will help them to speak good words-words of faith-healing words-words that lift up-words that enlighten.
