“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have [free] course, and be glorified, even as [it is] with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all [men] have not faith.” (2Th 3:1-2 AV)
Paul wrote this letter from Corinth. The unreasonable and wicked men of which he speaks are the opposition to the gospel in the city of Corinth. Corinth was notorious for their worldliness and carnality. It was so pervasive, the church there could not escape the temptations of their culture. Paul was hitting his head against the wall because the opposition was being unreasonable. It wasn’t simple disagreement or resistance. Their antagonism was unreasonable. To think the above prayer request is asking for the impossible, Thessalonica is proof that these things can happen! The gospel had free course in Thessalonica. The entire city did not go after Christ, but at least they did not react in antagonism that was unreasonable. A bit of resistance is good. It causes people to develop a critical thinking mind. With a critical thinking mind, the soul can accept a well thought out truth. Emotional decisions are limited. So, a bit of resistance is a good thing. Why this passage? I think the LORD is giving the world one last chance before Jesus returns. The church is running out of opportunities. Now is the time to pray this very prayer!
Sometimes, things do not have to be as difficult as they are. They are made difficult, so that discouragement from success is the result. Have you ever been in circumstances when the opposition doesn’t want you to succeed but they do not come right out and say it? They try to appear accommodating, but in reality, they do everything they can to work against your success. The rules seem to develop according to your ability to meet them. If you conform to one demand, they give you another. Rather than give you an entire set of rules or expectations upfront, their demands change. Their goal is to frustrate you enough that you will quit. Seeming to be sympathetic to your failure, they never do voice their opposition. They appear to want you to succeed, but they “have to enforce the rules”. I remember decades ago, my home church had a thriving bus ministry. They bought used buses. The state regulated the buses and eventually, only a brand-new bus could pass inspection. The church was priced right out of a bus ministry. Next came their Christian summer camp. Everything was fine until the health department continued to change regulations to make it impossible for churches to meet the standards placed on them by the state. The state won’t come right out and say they want the gospel to fail. After all, we have religious liberty in this nation. However, what they will do is create unreasonable circumstances that cause churches to fail.
This is what Paul is speaking of. A designed and sophisticated system of roadblocks placed at the right time to discourage the preaching of the gospel. Remember the protests held in front of abortion clinics? Now, I don’t think it is wise for those who support life to harass patrons of an abortion clinic, so some laws passed were reasonable. However, a believer in the UK was arrested for silent prayer near such a place. He was arrested for thinking something that was offensive to the abortion industry. One more regulation. One more law. We have an opportunity here. As Paul stated, the most effective thing we can do is pray. Over the next few years, we can turn back the roadblocks placed in the way of the gospel by electing the right people. But prayer is the chief weapon of the church. So, pray that unreasonableness is defeated. Pray the gospel might once again have free course. We may have gained a divine reprieve. But until our world turns back to God, all we are doing is delaying the inevitable. God will judge. Jesus is coming back. But we can stay the hand of God if the world turns to God. The only way that is going to happen is if God’s people pray, and pray some more, that the unreasonableness of the lost world be turned back. Won’t you pray?
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