2 Thessalonians 3:14-18 … As Paul brings closure to his encouragement to the church, verses 14 and 15 deal with what we refer to today as “church discipline.” In most churches there is no church discipline whatever … anything goes … you can be a scoundrel through the week and be a saint on Sunday. But that’s not the scriptural model for consistent behavior as a Christian. The Bible calls for accountability in the church; members who will hold each other accountable for faithful living. That’s a very strong responsibility of the church; would that more churches practice church discipline. Very frankly, it’s one of the things we should look for, and pointedly ask about in a church we choose to join.
The letter closes with a personal note of prayer for God’s peace to be with the church in every circumstance. He even closes with his own personal signature (v.17), because this, like most of Paul’s letters, was probably written verbatim by a scribe who accompanied him. The final verse prays for God’s grace (unmerited favor and blessing) to be with all in the church, ending a wonderful revelation, clarification, and exposition of the end-time events that is forever a point of reference and assurance for Christians of every age.
By commenting, you agree to our Code of Conduct.