2 Thessalonians Chapter 3
Begins with "Finally".
2021-2, Vss 1-5 are a sort of "it might get worse before it gets better" paragraph. Paul asks them to pray for him as he preaches the gospel, that it might be accepted where he is as it was in Thessalonica. He also asks to be delivered from "wicked and evil men", and contrasts them with those who have faith. The implication is that those who do have faith will be "with them", and the unsaved will be against them. But we have to remember that it is the unsaved he is trying to reach, also. We must put ourselves before these wicked and evil people, and preach to them, and leave it to God to either save them, or to protect us from them. This is totally irrational by worldly standards. Why would we intentionally put ourselves into harms way in order to do good to those who will likely want to harm us as a result of our efforts? This is, in fact, the Great Commission. Go, and do good, for those who will more than likely hate you for your efforts. And keep doing it. And don't be upset at those who do you harm. This is difficult to wrap ones head around.
2025- Vss 1-5 seem almost like a closing, almost like the letter was to end there, but then more was added. Not a lot more...I wonder if all his letters, or any of his other letters do this same thing. They seem to be closing, and then they start something new. Like a preacher saying just one more point and then we'll close and the last point goes 22 more minutes. It has that feel.
2021-2, In vs 6, Paul gets down to some "correction". There has been very little of this in the letters to Thessalonica. It seems that somehow, some in the church have decided it is ok to "mooch" off others, to "retire" and live on charity. Paul says that is not correct, and is not the example that he and others set for them when they were there. Paul often appeals to his own example as a lesson of how things should be done. You have to set the bar pretty high to be able to make this case.
2022 - Here is vs 6:
6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. [2Th 3:6 ESV]. Looking at this in 2022, this is a very strong statement. Paul says he is "commanding" this, and doing so in Jesus' name. It is a command from God. Not a command to work, but a command to those who ARE working to keep away from those who are not working. Is this about daily physical work, earning a living so you can feed yourself? Or is this about not working to further the gospel? Or could it be that some were furthering the gospel but expecting everyone else in the church to support them as they did so...MSB references vs 14. MSB says that this was about obedient Christians not associating with disobedient Christians. MSB explains that there were false traditions and true, and that Paul's traditions were the inspired teachings he had given. All this from MSB is interesting but really answers no questions at all. There are verses about the false traditions:
3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) ... 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men." [Mar 7:3-4, 7-8 ESV]. These verses do, I think, have a bearing here. But how is this walking in idleness? I don't see how you get that from these verses. Here is the only other scripture MSB lists:
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. [Col 2:8 ESV]. So if this is what Paul was thinking about, there may have been a teaching that to follow Christ you had to give up your job and spend all your time studying. Paul certainly did not set this example. We can get into the whole "called to study", or "called as evangelists" and so on, but the "tradition" about that from Paul was that you keep making tents while you're doing all that because it is still your own responsibility to support yourself. Even so, we know that Paul did accept offerings in various places from other churches for the furtherance of his work. So...you should expect to support yourself in the work to which God calls you, but also accept gifts provided by supporters, through God's will and prompting of those benefactors, since that will allow you to devote still more time to God's work. Perhaps there were people just sitting around the church, eating provided food, waiting to receive enough money to "be a missionary to Africa".
Yes, as Paul goes on he makes it clear that "doing God's work" does not entitle you to free room and board. But...Paul says he was "entitled" to such pay, but that his example to them was not to take that to which you are entitled? Like, you have to at least be WILLING to work. Maybe that is the division.
2024 - I think the NASB95 is perhaps a better translation for understanding to whom Paul refers in this command: 6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. [2Th 3:6 NASB95]. It says keep away from BROTHERS who lead an unruly life. So we are talking about nominally saved people who's lives, who's lifestyles, are not focused on furthering the gospel and living according to Jesus' example. BUT...as I read on in the chapter Paul seems to clarify that he is speaking of those who fail to support themselves, and end up relying on the church to supply their need for food...and by extension, everything else. So he would be calling unruly those who can't focus on a job enough to keep it, or who think it is ok to quit a job until after they finish helping with the Christmas program while expecting to be supported by others during that time. Maybe. The passage never really says what these brothers to be avoided are actually doing - if anything - that makes them think they should be supported. But that idea is there in that Paul says the work he was doing DID entitle him to church support, but he never asked for it, and others, doing less than he did, shouldn't ask for it either.
2024 -God does not expect us to starve in order to serve at church - especially if our family is going hungry in order for us to serve. He does expect us to give of both time and resources, as we are blessed by God, and have excess, and have time that we can devote.
2023 - Here is "imitate" again. Paul says all should conduct themselves in the world as he did:
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, [2Th 3:7 ESV]. Just exactly how far are we to go with this? How literally are we to take it? Surely Paul didn't mean they ought to dress like him and talk like him. Is this command to imitate always about how we are to support ourselves? I don't think Jesus continued to be a carpenter after he turned 33. So that wouldn't apply to both he and Paul...This is going to be an interesting study when I get to it.
vs 10 includes the phrase "...If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat". And this was among the brethren in the church. Even in church, where charity to others is the rule of the day, if you don't work, you don't eat. Seems there were some in Thessalonica who felt entitled, or who just decided to take advantage of the brotherly love of Christians, in order to "retire" and live off the labor of others. So being against giving welfare to those who will not work is a Biblically sound attitude. Doesn't say the able bodied only, it says all. Each according to his abilities comes to mind.
Vs. 13, "...do not grow weary in doing good." More about works.
2021-2, This is interesting:
11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. [2Th 3:11 ESV]. The contrasted "busy" words are ergazamai, and periergazamai. Not at all working, but working at nothing. I know of no English word that has ergazamai as it root, but still an interesting contrast.
2022 - Maybe these two words are the key. Perhaps they were hanging out at church organizing the hymn books, and wanting to receive money for room and board for their efforts. I think it is implied that these were more than capable of organizing the hymn books AND holding down a full time job. As in the work was insufficient for the pay they were demanding. We ought not provide for someone like this. Paul could work, and he did so when the support was less than he needed. And when his ministry - his teaching and preaching - was so intense and continuous that he had no time to work, and his ministry was deemed critical to what the church needed, THEN he was entitled to support. And apparently Paul set this bar very high for himself, and expected others to do likewise.
[2Th 3:14-15 KJV] 14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count [him] not as an enemy, but admonish [him] as a brother.
These two verses give us the proper way to deal with those who will not "eat their own bread". Shut them off. They don't eat at your table. But when they come around, explain what is required, and don't be holding a grudge against them.
(What a long section of reading for a single day, when yesterday only a single chapter of Acts was on the schedule. Ought to be a little more even way of doing this.)