October 4 – 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Main Focus: Work is an act of worship

In this passage, Paul instructs the Thessalonian community to exercise church discipline on those refusing to work. Although there is nothing in 1 or 2 Thessalonians that explicitly links the idleness with the confusion about the end times, many think that the Thessalonians stopped working to await and proclaim the Lord’s coming. Others believe that the problem was merely one of lazy Christians exploiting the charity of wealthier Christians, and using their free time to meddle in others’ affairs. Whatever the cause of the idleness, Paul’s patience has evidently now run out (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12)

Paul strongly commands the community as a whole in verse 6 to discipline by disassociation those who are not working but are depending on others for a living. The community is to keep away from these idlers, which probably means excommunicating them. Paul takes the sin of these people seriously, but at this point he still regards them as “brothers”. “In idleness” (v.6) means “in an undisciplined, irresponsible, or disorderly manner.” These people are shirking their obligation to work. This behavior was not in accord with the tradition passed on by the missionaries regarding the necessity of working for one’s keep.

The missionaries had passed on the tradition about the need to work for a living both by example and through oral instruction. In vv.8-9 Paul refused to depend on others for his living. Indeed he took on a heavy workload of manual labor in addition to his ministry commitments in order to avoid being a financial burden to any Thessalonian Christian, even though (in contrast to the idle Thessalonians) it was his God-given right to be supported. He wanted to provide his converts with an example to imitate.

The problem is that idlers are not busy at work, but busybodies. There is a wordplay here in Greek: not “working” but “being a busybody, meddling”. Those who refused to work were exploiting their free time to meddle in others’ affairs. Paul forcefully commands the idle to get back to work, so that they may be financially independent. work quietly. The opposite of being nuisances or “busybodies”.

The community is to keep doing good and to discipline any unrepentant idlers. The community as a whole, particularly wealthier members exploited by the idle, might grow weary in doing good, but Paul calls on them to continue being charitable, albeit only to those who are deserving.

Paul believes it is very possible that some will ignore his warning and continue in their idle ways, so he instructs the community as a whole to take note of such people and have nothing to do with them. The purpose of this disassociation is so that the stubbornly insubordinate brothers will be ashamed, repent, and be restored to the community. Church discipline must always aim at renewing discipleship.