*H For the rest, brethren, pray for us that the word of God may run and may be glorified, even as among you:
Ver. 1. May run. That is, may spread itself, and have free course. Ch.
* Footnote * Ephesians 6 : 19
And for me, that speech may be given me, that I may open my mouth with confidence, to make known the mystery of the gospel,* Footnote * Colossians 4 : 3
Praying withal for us also, that God may open unto us a door of speech to speak the mystery of Christ (for which also I am bound):*H And that we may be delivered from importunate and evil men: for all men have not faith.
Ver. 2. From troublesome, or importunate men. In the Greek, is signified men who act unreasonably, absurdly, &c. Wi. — For all men have not faith. Faith is a gift of God, which he is not obliged to give but to whom he will. S. 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.
*H But God is faithful, who will strengthen and keep you from evil.
Ver. 3. From evil. It may either signify evil things, or the evil one, the devil. Wi.
*H And the Lord direct your hearts, in the charity of God and the patience of Christ.
Ver. 5. Or, according to the Greek, may the Lord direct and carry your hearts to the love of God, and to the expectation of Jesus Christ.
*H And we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly and not according to the tradition which they have received of us.
Ver. 6. Charge, or declare; or by the Greek, we command. — In the name of our Lord. This may signify a separation by excommunication. Wi. — That you withdraw, &c. S. Chrysostom upon this place, S. Austin, Theophylactus, and others understand S. Paul as speaking of a kind of excommunication. But S. Chrys. on v. 13. and 14. seems to restrain its meaning to a prohibition for the guilty to speak to any body, unless they spoke to him, if their conversation tended to exhort him to repentance. Theophylactus likewise remarks that this punishment was formerly much dreaded, though now not in use.
*H Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing: but in labour and in toil we worked night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you.
Ver. 8. Burthensome. By the Greek, he understands those who being idle, and not keeping themselves employed, lead a disorderly life. Wi.
* Footnote * Acts 20 : 34
You yourselves know. For such things as were needful for me and them that are with me, these hands have furnished.* Footnote * 1_Corinthians 4 : 12
And we labour, working with our own hands. We are reviled: and we bless. We are persecuted: and we suffer it.* Footnote * 1_Thessalonians 2 : 9
For you remember, brethren, our labour and toil: working night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God.*H Not as if we had not power: but that we might give ourselves a pattern unto you, to imitate us.
Ver. 9. If I, to whom you are indebted for the preaching of the gospel, have yielded my claims, unwilling to receive any thing from you, and even labouring with my own hands for the necessaries of life, how are those to be borne with who do nothing, and yet will be supported at another's expense? for S. Paul had witnessed amongst them some of this idle disposition. Estius.
*H For also, when we were with you, this we declared to you: that, if any man will not work, neither let him eat.
Ver. 10. Not work. By prying with curiosity into other men's actions. He that is idle, saith S. Chrys. will be given to curiosity. Wi. — The apostles, like our Lord, were fond of introducing popular saying or axioms. Another, and not unlike the former, is found in one of the Jewish rabbies, Zeror:
*H Now we charge them that are such and beseech them by the Lord Jesus Christ that, working with silence, they would eat their own bread.
Ver. 12. Eat their own bread, which they work for, and deserve, not that of others. Wi.
* Footnote * Galatians 6 : 9
And in doing good, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not failing.*H And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.
Ver. 14. Here the apostle teaches that our pastors must be obeyed, and not only secular princes; and with respect to such as will not be obedient to their spiritual governors, the apostle, (as S. Austin affirmeth) ordains that they be corrected by admonition, by degradation, or excommunication. Cont. Donat. post Callat. c. iv. 20. & l. de correp. & grat. c. iii.
*H Yet do not esteem him as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.
Ver. 15. Do not regard him as an enemy. A necessary introduction for those whom Providence has placed over others, to admonish and correct them, but with charity and peace; so that we neither be, nor give them occasion to think we are their enemies. Wi. — He is your brother; compassionate his weakness; he is a sick member of the same body of which you are one of the members; the greater his infirmity, the greater should be your charity and anxiety for his cure; the greater excommunication separated the delinquent from the communion of the Church, making him in our regard as a heathen or a publican. But he is not here speaking of this kind, for he allows the faithful to speak to him for his spiritual advantage. Calmet.
*H The salutation of Paul with my own hand: which is the sign in every epistle. So I write.
Ver. 17. The salvation of, &c. The apostle gives them this caution, for fear the faithful might be deceived by fictitious letters. For they had already received one of this kind, which had terrified them, by foretelling that the day of judgment was at hand. This deception he is here anxious to remove, signing the present communication with his own hand, and sealing it with his own seal. For although the rest of the epistle had been written by another, these words to the end were written by himself. Estius. — All the civilities of this great doctor of grace terminate in wishing it to his friends. This is his genuine character, because it is the love and continual effusion of his heart. V. — Amen. This the congregation added after the epistle had been read, and from this circumstance alone has it found a place here. Polus synopsis Criticorum, p. 1003, vol. 4.