Reflections on 2 Thessalonians 3

2 Thessalonians 03 (Contemporary English Version)


1. Finally, our friends, please pray for us. This will help the message about the Lord to spread quickly, and others will respect it, just as you do.
2. Pray that we may be kept safe from worthless and evil people. After all, not everyone has faith.
3. But the Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm.
4. He has made us sure that you are obeying what we taught you and that you will keep on obeying.
5. I pray that the Lord will guide you to be as loving as God and as patient as Christ.
6. My dear friends, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I beg you not to have anything to do with any of your people who loaf around and refuse to obey the instructions we gave you.
7. You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn't waste our time loafing,
8. and we didn't accept food from anyone without paying for it. We didn't want to be a burden to any of you, so night and day we worked as hard as we could.
9. We had the right not to work, but we wanted to set an example for you.
10. We also gave you the rule that if you don't work, you don't eat.
11. Now we learn that some of you just loaf around and won't do any work, except the work of a busybody.
12. So, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask and beg these people to settle down and start working for a living.
13. Dear friends, you must never become tired of doing right.
14. Be on your guard against any followers who refuse to obey what we have written in this letter. Put them to shame by not having anything to do with them.
15. Don't consider them your enemies, but speak kindly to them as you would to any other follower.
16. I pray that the Lord, who gives peace, will always bless you with peace. May the Lord be with all of you.
17. I always sign my letters as I am now doing: PAUL.
18. I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to all of you.
    
    

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    Following Paul's instructions to the Thessalonians in chapter two about last things and, in particular, the Day of the Lord, he now expresses confidence that the Lord will "strengthen and guard you from the evil one." and that they "are doing and will do what we command." (3:3, 4) Paul's confidence that they would continue to be obedient to instruction was not based on their ability but on the Lord's.
    
    Having expressed confidence that "in the Lord" they would continue to "do what we command," Paul proceeded to give a command. This is his strongest word of instruction to them, giving some indication of how serious he considered the situation. And what situation was that? It was the idleness or laziness of certain members of the church. They were not working and thus were freeloading off of other members and "interfering with the work of others." (3:11) He called it irresponsible behavior. Paul touched on this issue in his first letter to the Thessalonians but the offending members had evidently not corrected their behavior. Now stronger action was required. Paul commanded them to "keep away from every brother who walks irresponsibly." (3:6) He had already commanded them earlier, when he was with them, that "If anyone isn't willing to work, he should not eat." Since the offenders had not changed they were now to keep away from them.
    
    To the offenders Paul also has a command: "Now we command and exhort such people, by the Lord Jesus Christ, that quietly working, they may eat their own bread." (3:12) The members were to take note of those who did not obey this command and not associate with them. The intent was to shame the offender so he would become obedient. They were not, however, to treat the offender "as an enemy, but warn him as a brother." The tone of this instruction seems directed to the members individually rather than action that should be taken as a church body.