Deeper Reflection
PAUL’S PRAYER FOR THE THESSALONIANS CONSISTS OF two petitions: “God may make you worthy…may fulfil…” (v.11). But the two petitions are not unrelated. The latter petition builds on the former.Paul prays for the divine fulfilment of “every purpose/desire (eudokia) for goodness” (v.11b) in the Thessalonians’ lives. The “purpose” can be divine or human. Eudokia “while at times applied to human intentions, is a near-technical term for divine will or plan, synonymous with God’s ‘counsel,’ ‘will’ and ‘purpose’”²² – “the good works that God desires to accomplish in accordance with His purpose”²³. Tom Wright translates the verse as: “God…may complete every plan He has to do you good.”²⁴ But in the context, the “purpose” seems to be human: “every good purpose of yours” (v.11, NIV 1984). Nevertheless, theologically, the “purpose” is both divine and human. Our “good purpose” is never humanly defined and created, but formed by and conformed to the purpose and will of God as revealed in His Word. It is similar to the “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10), and we “work out” our salvation as “God works in” us (Phil 2:12-13). Paul also prays for the divine fulfilment of “every work of faith” – the Christian life in action and authenticity – of the Thessalonians.The divine fulfilment of our purpose for goodness and our faith in action is by divine empowerment – “by His power” (v.11). Every of our spiritual development and accomplishment by devotion, discipline and diligence is God’s gift. It is always divine empowerment and divine fulfilment.

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²² Gary S. Shogren, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan, 2012), 258 ²³ Gary S. Shogren, 258 ²⁴ Tom Wright, The New Testament for Everyone (SPCK, 2011), 458