The Problem of the Idle: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.

The final section. Practical matters.

Pray for us. Even apostles needed prayer. That the message of the Lord may spread rapidly. Trecho—run. The word as a runner, sprinting through the world.

And be honored. Doxazo—glorified. Just as it was with you. The Thessalonians were the model of reception. May others receive similarly.

And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.

Delivered from wicked and evil people. Rhuomai—rescued, snatched from danger. Atopos and poneros—out of place and actively harmful. Corinth had its opponents.

For not everyone has faith. The simple explanation. Some rejected. Some opposed. Not all believed.

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

The Lord is faithful. Pistos ho kurios. The contrast to faithless humans. He will strengthen—sterizo. Protect—phulasso. From the evil one. Ho poneros—the evil one. Satan himself.

We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command.

Confidence. Peitho—persuasion, trust. In the Lord—the basis. That you are doing. Present tense. And will continue to do. Future. The commands obeyed.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

The prayer: direction. Kateuthuno—make straight, guide. Your hearts. Into God's love—experiencing it, living in it. And Christ's perseverance. Hupomone tou Christou—either the patience Christ showed or the patience focused on waiting for Christ. Both true.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.

The command. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The highest authority. We command. Parangello—military order.

Keep away from. Stello—withdraw, avoid. Every believer who is idle and disruptive. Ataktos—the undisciplined, the disorderly.

What had happened in Thessalonica?

Some believers, convinced the Lord's return was imminent, had quit working. Why labor if Jesus was coming tomorrow? They stopped their trades. They stopped providing for their families. They became dependent on the church. And worse—they became busybodies. Having nothing productive to do, they meddled in others' affairs.

And does not live according to the teaching you received from us. The teaching had been clear. Paul had addressed this in the first letter. The idle ignored it.

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it.

Follow our example. Paul had modeled the alternative. Not idle when we were with you. He had worked. Nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. No mooching. No freeloading.

On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

Night and day. Nuktos kai hemeras. Continuous. Laboring and toiling. Kopos and mochthos—exertion and hardship. So that we would not be a burden. The deliberate choice. Financial independence.

We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.

The right was real. Apostles could receive support. But Paul had waived it. To offer a model. Tupos—pattern. For you to imitate. Mimeomai—to copy.

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."

The rule. Blunt. The one who is unwilling to work—not unable, but unwilling. Shall not eat. The church was not to enable laziness.

We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

The report had come. Some among you—insiders, church members. Idle. Disruptive.

They are not busy; they are busybodies. The wordplay: me ergazomenous alla periergazomenous. Not working but overworking—in the wrong direction. Interfering. Meddling. Stirring trouble.

Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.

Such people. Directly addressed. We command and urge. Both terms. In the Lord Jesus Christ. The authority.

Settle down. Hesuchia—quietness, rest from agitation. Earn the food they eat. Work for your bread. Simple.

And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

The others—the majority who were faithful. Never tire. Me ekkakeo—don't grow weary, don't lose heart. Of doing what is good. Keep at it. The idle shouldn't discourage the diligent.

Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed.

Special note. Semeioo—mark, note particularly. Do not associate with them. Sunanamignumi—mix together with. Social distance. In order that they may feel ashamed. Entrepo—to turn in on oneself, to be ashamed. The purpose was restoration, not rejection.

Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.

Not as an enemy. Echthros. They were still brothers. But warn them. Noutheteo—admonish, put in mind. As a fellow believer. Adelphos. Family discipline, not excommunication.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

The benediction approaching. The Lord of peace. Eirene—shalom. Give you peace. At all times. En panti kairo. In every way. En panti tropo. Comprehensive peace.

The Lord be with all of you. All—including the idle, if they repented.

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.

Authentication. After dictation to a scribe, Paul took the pen. His own hand. His distinctive script. The signature.

This is how I write. Remember this. If a letter didn't have Paul's handwriting, it wasn't from Paul.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Grace. Charis. The final word.

The Lord Jesus Christ.

With you all.

All.

The faithful and the wayward.

The workers and the idle.

All.

Grace for all.

But work while you wait.

The Lord is coming—but earn your bread in the meantime.

Stand firm.

Work hard.

Grace be with you.