2 Thessalonians 3:6-18, Warning the Idle

If you believed Jesus was going to return any minute, would you go to work today? Would you clean the house? Would you take the kids to school? And if you were a lazy sort to begin with, you might justify your behavior with great spiritual passion. But you would be shamefully wrong to behave this way.

^3:6 And we charge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you keep away from all brothers or sisters who are living idly and not by the traditions we delivered to you. ⁷ For you yourselves know how it is necessary to imitate us. Because we were not idle among you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it, but with labor and toil, night and day, we worked so as not to be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We did this, not because we didn’t have the right to support, but so that we might make ourselves a pattern for you to imitate. ¹⁰ In fact, when we were with you, we gave you the charge that if anyone doesn’t want to work you shouldn’t let him eat. ¹¹ For we hear some among you are behaving idly and not working but being busybodies. ¹² These people we charge and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and eat their own food. ¹³ At the same time, brothers and sisters, don’t be discouraged from doing good. ¹⁴ Now if anyone does not obey our word in this letter, take note not to associate with them so that they might be shamed. ¹⁵ Don’t treat them like an enemy but admonish them as a brother or sister.

¹⁶ Now the Lord Himself give you peace through everything in every place. The Lord be with all of you. ¹⁷ Here is a greeting in my own hand, I Paul, which is a sign in every letter. So I write. ¹⁸ The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with all of you.

Paul must now deal very directly with some in the congregation of the Thessalonians who have taken up a lifestyle of idleness. They aren’t working and so are depending on the congregation for their sustenance. Paul doesn’t say this was because of their belief in the imminent return of Jesus, but that is a false conclusion from a true belief. It is contrary to the traditions Paul delivered to the Thessalonians. By traditions, Paul does not mean things that are done just because they’ve always been done that way. These are critical teachings about the gospel and how to live as believers that come from the Rabbi of rabbis, Jesus the Messiah. And part of this teaching is the responsibility of all to work to provide for their needs.

Paul urges keeping away from those among them who are living contrary to these traditions. He phrases it as not associating with them purposely, shunning them you might say, with the intent of shaming them into right behavior. They are to treat them as enemies, as unbelievers, and cast them out of the church, but use social pressure to bring them in line. This is a form of discipline that can be very effective. Shame is a powerful tool all cultures use to motivate conformity to right behavior.

Paul not only taught the need to work to provide for oneself, he and his team modeled it. Though they had the right to get support from the Thessalonians to carry out their ministry, they chose to work and earn their own room and board. Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 9 as well, explaining to the Corinthians that he and Barnabas had the right to receive payment, but chose not to in order to bring no offense to the gospel. Other apostles did receive payment, so it wasn’t wrong, but, as he tells the Thessalonians, he wanted to model for them the pattern to follow. It was “necessary” for them to imitate him.

Not only were some of the congregation not working but they were being busybodies. They were meddling in the affairs of those who were working. They were being burdens to the body of Christ. And Paul does not say that if they don’t work, they can’t eat, but if they don’t want to work, they cannot eat from the earnings of others. There are those who want to work but cannot, due to illness or injury. These idlers didn’t want to work and, so, of course, weren’t. They cannot live on the dole of the church.

At the same time, the congregation shouldn’t be discouraged from doing good. There are genuinely needy people among them who should be helped. And though Paul doesn’t describe it, there are better ways to help than others.

Paul has finished what he needed to teach the Thessalonians, and so he concludes his letter with a blessing, the blessing of the Lord’s peace and presence. The peace of Christ, as he told the Colossians, is to be the rule in the church (Colossians 3:15). And he reminds the Thessalonians not to receive any letters as if from him if they don’t have his signature personal writing. Paul no doubt used an amanuensis or secretary to write what he dictated in his epistles. But at the end he had become accustomed to putting something in his own handwriting as evidence that this was from him. Couldn’t that be forged? Of course. But it was a custom that helped authenticate his letters. Of course, they were also delivered by people whom the church also knew as members of Paul’s team or associated with Paul, likely also bearing his seal. This was just one more way of identifying what truly came from him.

Paul commends every member of the church, even the idlers, to the grace of the Lord Jesus.