2 Thessalonians 3:16

Conclusion of the Letter. Ch. 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18

16. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means Lit., But may the Lord, &c.; for there is a contrast between the directions just given and the peacefor which the Apostle prays. Peace was disturbed by an irritating kind of disorder in the Church, by wild rumours and alarms respecting the Parousia (ch. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2), as well as by the unrelenting persecution from without. St Paul has done his best to tranquillize his readers" minds, and bring them all to a sober and orderly condition. But he looks to "the Lord of peace Himself" to shed on them His all-controlling and all-reconciling influence. Christ is invoked as the Lord of peace(comp. 2 Thessalonians 3:5), just as God was called "the God of peace" in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (see note; and on the import of "peace" in St Paul, note to 1 Thessalonians 1:1). Christ is Lord and Disposer of the peace which the Gospel brings (comp. Colossians 3:15, R.V.). This St Paul asks, first (ch. 2 Thessalonians 1:2) and last, for the troubled and harassed Thessalonians.

"Always" represents a different Greek adverb from that so often used in these letters (1 Thessalonians 1:2, &c.); it denotes not on every occasion, but through all, "continually," as the same adverb is rendered in Luke 24:53; Hebrews 13:15: the Lord … give you peace at all times in all ways (R.V.).

Nor is it the Lord's sovereign peace alone, but the LordHimself, in His personal presence and authority (comp. Matthew 28:18; Matthew 28:20), Whom the Apostle invokes. The Lord be with you all, as in 2 Thessalonians 3:18, not excluding the "brother walking disorderly," who even more than others needs the presence of the Lordand the virtue of His peace. Comp. 1 Corinthians 16:24; 2 Corinthians 13:14, where the "all" of the Benediction has a like pointed significance; also note on 1 Thessalonians 5:27.