2 Thessalonians 3:5

And(or But) the Lord direct your hearts "The Lord" is still Christ: see note, 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

"May He direct(or guide) you as Lordof His people, Shepherd of the sheep" (John 10). The Apostle expects his Thessalonian flock to follow hisdirections (2 Thessalonians 3:4); but above both himself and them is the Supreme Director of hearts, Whose guidance he invokes. For the transitional, contrastive But, comp. notes on ch. 2 Thessalonians 2:16 and 1 Thessalonians 3:11. "Direct your hearts" is a Hebraism, used in the LXX to translate the words rendered "set" or "prepare the heart" in our Version (Psalms 78:8; 1 Chronicles 29:18 ‚ &c.) It denotes giving a fixed direction, a steady purpose, as to "stablish the heart" (ch. 2 Thessalonians 2:17) signifies to give a sure position. On directsee also 1 Thessalonians 3:11.

into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ A. V. marginand R.V., patience of Christ. Patience(or endurance) is what the Greek noun signifies in ch. 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (see note), and in the other numerous examples of its use in the N.T. For the way in which "Christ's endurance" is made a model for our own, see 1 Peter 2:19-24; 1 Peter 3:17-18; 1 Peter 4:1-2, and Hebrews 12:2-3. Elsewhere St Paul speaks of His sufferingsas shared by His people (2 Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 3:10, &c.); and if the sufferings, surely the patience. The Thessalonians were eagerly awaiting His return (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2); let them wait for it in His patient spirit. Had the Apostle wished to speak of waiting forthe glorified Christ, he would surely have called Him, as so often in these Epistles, "the Lord Jesus."

Christis in this place the patient Christ, who "endured the cross" and the "contradiction of sinners," fulfilling the prophetic ideal of Jehovah's suffering Servant, Isaiah 53; comp. 1 Peter 2:21-25; Matthew 11:29-30, &c. The Greek article is therefore not otiose, but has its distinctive and graphic force Christ as the prophets foresaw Him, and we know Him: the patience of the Christ. Comp. Romans 15:3, "The Christdid not please Himself;" Ephesians 4:20, "You did not so learn (get to know) the Christ," the great Ideal. We wish that the Revisers had seen their way to restore to us the expressive definite article in such passages.

To "love God" was the Lord's "great and first commandment" (Matthew 22:36-38); it is the soul of religion (see Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 8:1-3; and 1 John, passim). "God our Father has loved" the Thessalonian believers (ch. 2 Thessalonians 2:16); Christ must teach them to reciprocate the Divine love, and in the strength of this love to endure evil and sorrow even as He Himself endured.