Sunday: Ordinary 33C, Proper 28C. Epistle

The obligation to work. 3:6-13

Introduction
In the final section of his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul gives some advice to the idle and disobedient. This section may rightly be titled "Godly Discipline." In his first letter, Paul had something to say of those in the congregation who would not work, 4:11f., 5:14. This problem might have been compounded by the belief that Jesus was about to return. At any rate, Paul again addresses this problem.

The passage
v6. Paul gives firm directions on the issue of idleness. His directions are "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Those who are "idle" act against the teachings of Jesus and therefore, Paul confronts their idleness (sloth), cf. Eph.4:28. They refrain from doing any work and therefore, as unemployed members of the church, do not contribute to the support of their Christian community. In fact, they are probably drawing on its financial resources.
v7-9. Paul is able to point to his own example as someone who supports himself financially while performing his gospel ministry. Although he pays his own way, he could rightly look for financial support cf.1Tim.5:17-18, yet for the sake of the gospel he earns his own keep as a tent maker. Paul has every right to look to the church for support, but he works at his living to set an example for his mission churches.
v10. Paul gives a summary of the work-ethic which was part of the tradition, or "sound teaching", which he had taught the Thessalonians when he was first with them. The translation, "if a man will not work, he shall not eat", misses the point somewhat. A free translation might go something like this, "if a person refuses to work, then don't let him eat."
v11. There is a group in the church, whom Paul knows well, who are "busybodies instead of busy." Not only do they live off others, they meddle in the affairs of others. They disturb the church with their mistaken views about the second coming of Christ.
v12. These members of the church, who exist on the bounty of others, must from now on exist on the fruit of their own labors. They must "settle down", calm down, in the sense of not going overboard with their second coming speculation.
v13. Addressing the majority of church members, Paul encourages them to act rightly. Most likely he is thinking of their behavior toward the idlers. The church should resist developing a handout mentality.

No gain without pain
Work is an essential element of the human condition. We were created to work. Adam and Eve were to tend the garden - to order the creation for the benefit of all, to "subdue" and to "rule" it. The only change in this creation ordinance came with the entrance of sin. Work is now cursed with frustration, and in this age it will always be so. "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground."
From the beginning, God reveals that work is a noble activity, yet it is not always seen this way. The ancient Greeks saw any form of manual labor as destructive of the human psyche. The hands-on type of work was something best done by slaves.
Although the Bible doesn't really give us an economic system for modern society, it does give us principles we can use to shape and test our work-ethic. So, let's see whether we can draw some Biblical principles from our passage for study, principles we can apply to our present circumstances.

1. Industriousness is a moral imperative, v6, 11-12.
The Bible encourages the application of our effort, energy, intellect and abilities, toward the ordering and ruling of God's creation. Industriousness is encouraged, it is seen as a virtue, while sloth is seen as an evil, Rom.12:11. As Jesus puts it, "a laborer is worthy of his hire."

2. Industriousness is to be encouraged, v6, 10, 13.
Paul commands the members of the church at Thessalonica to "keep away" from the idle brother. What he means by this is that they should break fellowship with this brother. This follows Jesus' words in Matthew 15:15-17. They should treat the person as they would "a pagan or a tax collector". A similar idea is found in 1 Corinthians 5:5 where Paul uses the phrase "hand this man over to Satan." It doesn't mean abandon the person, rather it means to break fellowship with them so that they will recognize their sin and be brought back into full membership of the Christian community.

3. Industriousness has a social face, v7-9.
Paul financed his mission from his own work rather than relying on the generosity of his new converts. Yet, on a number of occasions, he pointed out that he had every right to ask for the funding of his ministry by the new churches. The simple reason being that work is a much wider activity than just commerce. A poet writing poetry is just as industrious as a farmer harvesting grain. Both are working and their effort should be rewarded equally.

Discussion
1. Why should the idle not be idle?
2. Discuss the morality of accumulating the product of our own work and the removal of that product by government for the purpose of redistribution. (ie. is tax "theft"?).

Textual notes Abbreviations, Bibliography

It is true, many think that manual labor is a Mexican. Yet, work is an essential element of the human condition. In our age we are affected by what's called the "Protestant Work Ethic" which promotes work as an ennobling activity. Of course, it is argued that the "Protestant Work Ethic" has spawned capitalism, but it is more likely that greed has spawned capitalism. It is one thing applying our ingenuity and effort to better our lives and the lives of our fellows, it is another to apply the ingenuity and effort of our fellows to better our own lives.
None-the-less, there are many who are wary of the Protestant infatuation with work. Exploitation, production, consumerism, ownership.... we rightly wonder if these things reflect a Biblical work-ethic. "Haves" and the "have nots", producers and the consumers, do these divisions in society also derive from the Protestant Work Ethic?
Given this reservation, the points made in the main study probably still apply:
1. Industriousness is a moral imperative
Some years ago an "alternate" was arguing why he should get the dole when he had no intention of working. He said there weren't enough jobs to go around, so by him not working he was giving someone a chance to get a job who really wanted to work. The problem is that industrious creativity is an essential element of a humanity created in the image of God. Take this from us and we become less than human. We; therefore, as Christians, can't support the creation of a dependent social security subculture, but nor can we support the present acceptance of a pool of unemployed. A just society must provide meaningful employment for its citizens.
2. Industriousness is to be encouraged
It is always dangerous to take an exhortation which is for the Christian community and extend it to society. We have to be wary of such a move. Yet, it is surely right to encourage people to act morally for the mutual benefit of all members of the community. Not only is it ethical, it is human. Positive and negative reinforcement is a proper tool with which to encourage people to use their time, energy, intellect, abilities.... to contribute to the good of their society and be rewarded for that contribution. If this means encouraging people to work for the dole, so be it. In the end, the most pragmatic form of negative reinforcement is simply to let people face the consequences of their behavior - "if a man will not work, he shall not eat."
3. Industriousness has a social face
Paul's work served, not his own gain, but the gain of his community. This attitude of Paul's serves to expose the horror of rampant capitalism.
At the heart of capitalism is the notion that others will share in my rampant greed. The evidence is that in a free capitalist society the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Greed has to be controlled and there are two ways we can do this. First, we have to provide an equal access to our nations resources. There is nothing wrong with accumulating resources, accumulating capital, as long as it doesn't deny the industry of others to accumulate. Second, we have to be willing to share our abundance, for the more we have the easier it is to have more. Taxation is a most wonderful social tool when it is used to distribute the abundance of the few to the paucity of the many, although It is not much use when it becomes a tool to fund the overspending habits of our political masters.

v6
en onomati tou kuriou Ihsou Cristou "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" - This is a very authoritative command indeed, for a "command" in "the name" means that the command is given under the authority of Jesus.
paradosin (iV ewV) "teaching" - tradition. The word "teaching" is better translated "tradition". The implication is that there is a body of teaching from Christ, and Christian Prophets, which was accepted in the Christian church and which Paul and the other apostles passed onto the new believers. For us, this body of teaching/tradition is now found in the New Testament, but for them it came directly from the apostles. Those who are "idle" act against this tradition and therefore, Paul rightly confronts their idleness, cf. Eph.4:28.
ataktwV adv. "idle" - in idleness. The word "idle" can mean something like "disorderly", but idleness carries the best sense here.
stellesqai (stellw) inf. "to keep away from" - to avoid. Because of their failure to submit to the teaching of the church on this matter, Paul directs that the brotherhood withdraws fellowship. The church had a responsibility toward the offenders and the withdrawal of fellowship would force them to see their offence and so help them align themselves to the Christian ethic.

v8
mocqw/ (oV) "toiling" - hardship. Paul toiled at his profession so that he might not eat the food that belonged to others without paying for it. He functioned this way so that others might imitate his behavior. He lived what he taught. He argues this point fully in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. He said he lived this way that he might share in the blessings of the gospel - the salvation of the lost and the building up of the Christian fellowship. In simple terms, the love of the brotherhood expresses itself in the building up of our brothers and sisters, not in feeding off them. By this love the reality of Christ's presence is displayed to a broken world. Therefore, believers must maintain the highest ethical behavior, within the Christian community, because it serves as the most powerful display of Christ's presence in the world.

v10
parhggellomen (paraggellw) imperf. "we gave [you this] rule" - we charged. We have great difficulty in trying to identify the source of this work-ethic. Many scholars simply say "it belongs to the universal realm of common sense", Stephen Neil. Yet, it would be very dangerous for the church to adopt the ethic of the age and incorporate it in its "tradition". Findlay argues it is more likely that the Old Testament is the source of the work-ethic of the early church. Yet, the ethic may well have originated from Jesus. We know Jesus worked as a carpenter/builder, Mk.4:3. Above all, he came to do the Father's work, cf. Jn.4:34, which work he finished at great cost to himself, Jn.15:24. The believer, saved on the basis of Christ's work, is fruitful in every good work, Col.1:10, cf. Gal.4:4, 2Thess.2:17, 2Tim.2:21; he is a steward of God's riches, cf. Matt.25:14-30, and a servant of his neighbor, Matt.15:40. Jesus establishes the Christian work ethic when he says, "the labourer is worthy of his hire", Luke.10:7.
ou qelei (qelw) "will not" - does not wish. The translation, "if a man will not work, he shall not eat", misses the point somewhat. A free translation might go something like this, "if a person refuses (does not want/wish) to work, then don't let him eat." This is not a "wise" saying like, "he who does not work does not eat", rather it is a command. If a brother is not willing to work, not willing to try to get a job, then don't give them anything to eat out of the common purse of the Christian fellowship. We are obliged to work for our living and not bludge off the generosity of others.

Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons

2 Thessalonians

Notes