John Calvin Commentary 2 Thessalonians 3:2

"and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for all have not faith." — 2 Thessalonians 3:2 (ASV)

That we may be delivered. The old interpreter has translated it, quite aptly in my opinion, as unreasonable. Now, by this term, and also by the one that immediately follows (τῶν πονηρῶν), evil, Paul refers to wicked and treacherous men who lurked in the Church, calling themselves Christians, or at least Jews who, with a fanatical zeal for the law, furiously persecuted the gospel. He knew, however, how much danger threatened them from both these groups.

Chrysostom, however, thinks that this refers only to those who maliciously oppose the gospel with base doctrines—not with weapons of violence, such as Alexander, Hymeneus, and others like them. But for my part, I extend it generally to all kinds of dangers and enemies.

Paul was at that time traveling towards Jerusalem and wrote this during his travels. He had already been divinely forewarned that imprisonments and persecutions awaited him there (Acts 20:23). He means, however, deliverance in the sense that he might emerge victorious, whether by life or by death.

All have not faith. This might be explained to mean, “Faith is not in all.” This expression, however, would be both ambiguous and more obscure. Let us therefore retain Paul’s words, by which he intimates that faith is a gift of God that is too rare to be found in everyone.

God, therefore, calls many who do not come to Him by faith. Many pretend to come to Him, while their hearts are actually very far from Him. Furthermore, Paul does not speak of all people indiscriminately, but merely directs his comments toward those who belong to the Church.

For the Thessalonians saw that very many people detested the faith; indeed, they saw how small the number of believers was. Hence, it would have been unnecessary to say this regarding outsiders; but Paul simply says that not all who make a profession of faith are genuine in that profession.

If you consider all Jews, they appeared to have a closeness to Christ, for they should have recognized Him by means of the Law and the Prophets. Paul, without question, specifically singles out those with whom he would have to deal. Now, it is probable that these were individuals who, while they had the appearance and outward claim of piety, were nevertheless very far from genuine piety. This was the source of the conflict.

To show, therefore, that it was not without good reason that he dreaded conflicts with wicked and perverse men, Paul says that faith is not common to all, because the wicked and reprobate are always mixed with the good, just as tares are with the good wheat (Matthew 13:25).

And we ought to remember this whenever we are troubled by wicked persons who nonetheless want to be considered part of the Christian community—that all men have not faith.

Moreover, when we sometimes hear that the Church is disturbed by base factions, let this serve as our shield against such causes of stumbling. For we will not only harm pious teachers if we doubt their faithfulness whenever domestic enemies harm them, but our own faith will also waver from time to time, unless we keep in mind that among those who boast of being Christians, there are many who are treacherous.