II Thessalonians 3:2 · Bible study
2 Thessalonians 3:2 Commentary: Prayer for Deliverance from Perverse Opponents
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegesis of Paul's request to be delivered from unreasonable and evil men, and the meaning of 'not all have faith.'
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul requests prayer for rescue from perverse, evil opponents, because saving faith is not possessed by everyone.
- Key words: ἄτοπος (atopos, out of place, disorderly, morally wrong); ῥυσθῶμεν (rhuōmen, aorist passive, ‘may be rescued’); πίστις (pistis, faith, with the article).
- Main debate: Does πίστις mean saving faith in Christ, or general trustworthiness/fidelity? The anarthrous (article present) construction favours ‘the faith.’
- Theological theme: Realism about opposition in gospel ministry; human unfaithfulness contrasted with divine faithfulness (verse 3).
- Best use: A basis for intercessory prayer for gospel workers facing active hostility; a caution against naive optimism about universal reception of the gospel.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not everyone holds to the faith.
WEB World English Bible 2000
and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith.
KJV King James Version 1769
And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for all have not faith.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and that we may be delivered from the unreasonable and evil men, for the faith is not of all;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and that we may be delivered from bad and evil men, for faith [is] not [the portion] of all.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And that we may be delivered from importunate and evil men: for all men have not faith.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y que seamos librados de hombres importunos y malos; porque no es de todos la fe.
E para que sejamos livres de homens corruptos e maus, porque a fé não é de todos.
et afin que nous soyons délivrés des hommes méchants et pervers; car tous n’ ont pas la foi.
und daß wir erlöst werden von den unverständigen und argen Menschen. Denn der Glaube ist nicht jedermanns Ding.
En opdat wij mogen verlost worden van de ongeschikte en boze mensen; want het geloof is niet aller.
e perché noi siamo liberati dagli uomini molesti e malvagi, poiché non tutti hanno la fede.
I abyśmy byli wyrwani od niezbędnych i złych ludzi; albowiem nie wszystkich jest wiara.
и чтобы нам избавиться от беспорядочных и лукавых людей, ибо не во всех вера.
也 叫 我們脫離 無理 之惡 人的手；因為 人 不 都是有信心。
And that we may be made free from foolish and evil men; for not all have faith.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · II Thessalonians 3:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Paul asks for prayer against opponents who are both perverse in their reasoning and actively wicked. The Greek word atopos (translated ‘unreasonable’) literally means ‘out of place’, someone disorderly, improper or absurd. Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and the Cambridge Bible connect these men to the hostile Jews at Corinth whom Paul encountered (Acts 18). Calvin extends the term to any treacherous enemy, whether false teachers or violent persecutors. Adam Clarke takes atopos to mean ‘disorderly’ and ‘unmanageable.’ On the second clause, ‘for not all have faith’, most commentators, including Calvin, Barnes and Matthew Henry, understand pistis as saving faith in Christ. The presence of the article (hē pistis) points to ‘the faith’, the Christian confession. Clarke argues it means ‘trustworthiness’ or ‘fidelity,’ but this is a minority view. The basic consensus: Paul realistically acknowledges that not everyone believes the gospel, which explains the opposition he faces.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Saving faith: The presence of the article (ἡ πίστις) points to the Christian faith as a body of belief; context of gospel opposition supports reading it as faith in Christ.
- Trustworthiness / fidelity: Adam Clarke argues from the immediate contrast with πιστός (faithful) in verse 3, and from the behaviour of the evil men who are untrustworthy.
- Combined meaning: Some interpreters see a double meaning: those who lack saving faith also lack trustworthiness; the same word carries both senses in Paul's usage.
What is clear: Paul asks for prayer because not all people respond positively to the gospel, and some actively oppose it with both perverse reasoning and wicked behaviour.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of ἄτοπος (unreasonable) | The word literally means 'out of place' and is used in a moral sense of perverse, improper, or disorderly behaviour. | Barnes and the Cambridge Bible point specifically to the hostile Jews at Corinth who opposed Paul; Calvin broadens it to any kind of wicked and treacherous enemy in the church or outside it. |
| Identity of the evil men | They are people who actively oppose the spread of the gospel, both in reasoning and in action. | Some commentators (e.g., Gill) propose these are false teachers within the church; others (most Reformed tradition, based on context of Acts 18) identify them as Jewish opponents from outside. |
| Meaning of πίστις (faith) in verse 2 | The word has the article (ἡ πίστις), so it refers to a specific body of belief or trust, 'the faith.' | Most commentators (Calvin, Barnes, Matthew Henry) take it as saving faith in Christ. Adam Clarke argues it means 'trustworthiness' or 'fidelity,' citing the contrast with 'the Lord is faithful' in verse 3. |
| Whether Paul is pessimistic about evangelism | Paul acknowledges that not everyone believes, which is a sober but realistic assessment. | Some traditions emphasise this as a warning against universalism; others highlight it as a motivation for urgent prayer that the word would 'run and be glorified' (v.1). |
| Connection to verse 3 | God's faithfulness (πιστός) stands in contrast to human faithlessness. | Clarke uses the contrast to argue that πίστις in v.2 must mean 'trustworthiness.' Others see a contrast between the lack of saving faith in some people and God's unwavering faithfulness to His people. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes 2 Thessalonians from Corinth around AD 52, during his second missionary journey. Acts 18 describes the fierce resistance he met from the Jewish community there: ‘the Jews opposed themselves and blasphemed’ (Acts 18:6). This matches the opponents Paul describes here, men who were both unreasonable (out of place) and evil. The term atopos appears just five times in the New Testament, always with a negative moral sense. In Luke 23:41, the thief on the cross uses it to say Jesus has done ‘nothing amiss.’ In Acts 28:6, it means ‘harm’ or ‘unusual event.’ But Paul’s adjective is stronger, he pairs it directly with ponēros (evil), creating a compound picture of men whose thinking is distorted and whose actions are malicious.
Thessalonica itself had a large Jewish population, and when Paul first preached there, ‘the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took some wicked men of the rabble’ (Acts 17:5). So the Thessalonian believers knew firsthand what such opposition looked like. Paul’s prayer request is therefore concrete: he wants to be rescued (rhuomai, a strong verb meaning to draw out of danger) from men who will not listen to reason and who actively work against the gospel.
Literarily, verses 1, 2 form a single prayer request. Verse 1 asks that the word of the Lord may ‘run’ (spread quickly) and be glorified. Verse 2 immediately names the obstacle: wicked people who hinder that spread. The connection is deliberate, gospel advance often meets human resistance. Paul does not treat this as surprising. Instead, he invites the church to share in spiritual warfare through intercession.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for 2 Thessalonians 3:2. The manuscript tradition is stable for both the wording and the presence of the article before πίστις.
Reception History
From the early church Fathers through the Reformation, this verse was read as a practical prayer against opponents of the gospel. Chrysostom identified the enemies as those who maliciously oppose the gospel with false doctrine. Calvin extended the passage to all kinds of danger and enemy, not just doctrinal opponents. Wesley used the verse to remind believers that unbelief makes people unreasonable and wicked. In Methodist tradition, the verse has been a staple of intercessory prayers for missionaries facing persecution. The minority interpretation of πίστις as 'faithfulness' (Clarke) never displaced the more common reading as saving faith. Across denominations, the passage has comforted Christians who struggle with seeing the gospel rejected, it anchors hope in the Lord’s faithfulness rather than in universal acceptance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Recognise the enemy for what he is, Paul names the opposition as ‘unreasonable and evil.’ These are not ordinary disagreements but deep-seated perversity that opposes God’s word.
- Pray for deliverance, not merely endurance, The aorist subjunctive rhusthōmen suggests a decisive rescue. Paul does not ask to survive opposition but to be set free from it.
- Acknowledge that faith is not universal, The phrase ‘not all have faith’ (with the article) is a sober admission. The gospel does not persuade everyone; some remain hardened.
Five-point outline
- A prayed-for ministry, Paul asks for intercession as he works. He depends on the church’s prayers.
- The danger of ‘out of place’ people, Atopos describes those who distort priorities, champion side issues and derail the gospel.
- Wickedness beneath unreasonableness, Paul links intellectual perversity with moral evil. False teaching and bad character go together.
- Rescue as God’s answer, Verse 3 immediately follows: ‘But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.’ God’s faithfulness meets human faithlessness.
- Patience in a partially believing world, Not everyone has faith. The church must work and pray without being discouraged by unbelief.
Illustration hooks
- The voice of dissent in a board meeting, One person keeps pulling every discussion off-topic with irrelevant objections. The group cannot move forward. That ‘out of place’ behaviour mirrors the unreasonable opponents Paul faced.
- Running a race with someone throwing sticks, The word ‘run’ in verse 1 suggests the gospel sprinting forward. Some people actively throw obstacles. Paul wants deliverance not because he is weak but because the race matters more than the distraction.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God allow certain people to block the gospel’s progress?, Paul doesn’t answer that here, but he shows that praying against opposition is a biblical response.
- Can I really trust God when so many people reject Him?, The sober truth ‘not all have faith’ is balanced immediately by ‘the Lord is faithful.’ Unbelief does not make God unfaithful.
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to look honestly at the resistance the gospel meets in the world, and at how we can support those who bring it. Paul does not hide behind spiritual jargon; he names the problem as unreasonable and evil people. Yet he does not despair, because the Lord’s faithfulness is greater. Use these questions to help your group think biblically about opposition in ministry.
Discussion questions
- Look at the Greek word atopos, which means ‘out of place.’ In what ways do people today ‘put things out of place’ when they reject the gospel?
- Paul asks for prayer to be delivered from these men (verse 2). Why is it important to pray for rescue rather than just for patience?
- The second half of verse 2 says ‘not all have faith.’ How does this statement challenge any assumption that the gospel will always be well received?
- Read verse 3 immediately after: ‘But the Lord is faithful.’ Why does Paul contrast human unbelief with divine faithfulness here what comfort does this give?
- Adam Clarke argued that ‘faith’ in this verse means ‘trustworthiness’ rather than saving faith. Does that change how you read Paul’s reason for wanting deliverance?
- How can a church support its missionaries and pastors against the kind of opposition Paul describes, without becoming fearful or bitter?
- Think of a situation where you have seen the gospel hindered by someone who was ‘unreasonable.’ How might this passage shape your prayers for that situation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 32:20 | He said, “I will hide my face from them. I will see what their end will be; for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. |
| Matthew 17:17 | Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.” |
| Matthew 23:23 | “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. |
| Luke 18:8 | I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” |
| John 2:23 | Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did. |
| John 2:25 | and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man. |
| Acts 13:45 | But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. |
| Acts 13:50 | But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that "unreasonable" in this verse translates a Greek word meaning disorderly and unmanageable, not simply irrational. He also insists that "faith" here means trustworthiness or fidelity, not saving faith, since the next verse contrasts untrustworthy people with the Lord who is truly faithful.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes focuses on the Greek word atopos, meaning out of place, to describe people who give distorted importance to certain things while undervaluing others. He distinguishes between well-meaning but misguided people who put things out of their proper order and genuinely wicked people whose aims are bad. Paul prayed to be delivered from both kinds.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary identifies the "unreasonable and wicked men" as the fanatical Jews at Corinth who blocked the Gospel until Gallio's judgment removed them. It notes Paul's softened, veiled phrasing in saying "all men have not faith" — a gentle way to describe those who are not just unbelieving but actively hostile.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotator ties the prayer for deliverance from wicked men directly to the fact that not everyone possesses faith. Those who lack faith are the source of the unreasonableness and evil from which believers need protection.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the reason Paul prays for deliverance from wicked men is that not all who claim faith truly have it. Many professors and even preachers possess only a temporary or historical belief, not saving faith. This makes them dangerous opponents of the gospel.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies the unreasonable and wicked men as the Jews who opposed Paul at Corinth, noting a striking parallel with the events recorded in Acts. Their hostility stemmed from a complete lack of Christian faith, the only antidote to such perversity. The Thessalonians, who received the gospel readily, might assume others would do the same, but these opponents were far from that readiness.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights Paul's remarkable humility: though mighty in prayer himself, he still asked the humblest believers to pray for him and his coworkers. This mutual prayer is how the communion of saints is sustained, especially at a distance. Paul's foremost request was for the gospel to run freely and be honored.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent focuses on the Greek word translated "unreasonable," showing it literally means "out of place." He points out that the Septuagint uses it in a moral sense for iniquity or wickedness, so the original meaning carries the idea of something fundamentally misplaced rather than simply illogical.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a sharp line: those who lack faith are not merely uninformed but are unreasonable and wicked to varying degrees. For him, faith is the basic condition of right thinking and moral living, so its absence is both an intellectual and a spiritual failure.