Paul was not a guy who liked to mince words. If he saw problem, he addressed it straight on. Well there was an obvious problem in Thessalonica and Paul addresses it with the believers living there on at least three occasions. The problem? There were people in the church that would not work and meet there own needs. The first time Paul brings this up is in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, where he writes:

1Th 4:9 – 12 –  About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.

Here are a few points we need to recognize from this passage?

1. “About brotherly love…do so even more…” – Caring for yourself is a display of love to others.
2. “As we commanded you…” – this is past tense. It is a command that Paul had given when he was with them. Here he reinforces that command.
3. “That you may walk properly…” – Working to care for your own needs is proper, it is the way we should live.
4. “Not be dependent on anyone.” = We are not to ask others to provide for us if we are able to do the work on our own.

Paul wasn’t done with his instruction on this subject. He addresses it again in 2 Thessalonians 3.

2Th 3:6 – 12 – Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother who walks irresponsibly and not according to the tradition received from us. For you yourselves know how you must imitate us: We were not irresponsible among you; we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and struggled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us. In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.” For we hear that there are some among you who walk irresponsibly, not working at all, but interfering with the work of others. Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ that quietly working, they may eat their own food.

For further understanding of this passage, here is a segment from Chapter 4 – God’s Plan in the New Testament, from Breaking the Broken.

There is a lot here, so let’s take this passage one step at a time. Just like Paul did in 1 Thessalonians 4, he makes this a “command,” but this time the command is different. This command is very serious. This is the only command, in all of Paul’s writings, which is given “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Could Paul have been any more serious when he made this command?

Paul “appeals” to them to pray fervently in Romans 15. Nine different times Paul “urges” people to display unity, to love, to live sacrificially for Christ, and to walk worthy of their calling, but here Paul “commands them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The importance of what is coming next cannot be overstated. It could be argued that Paul believes this is the most important message he is going to deliver to the Thessalonians.

Paul introduces what is so important. They should “keep away from every brother who walks irresponsibly and not according to the tradition received from us.” Paul actually instructs them to break the relationship, but what was the tradition of Paul? That he worked hard to provide for his own needs. Paul says those who don’t do this are “irresponsible.” Notice that Paul refers to those who do not work as “irresponsible”
three times.

Paul reminds them that he and God’s coworkers had a right to support, but they did not accept it because they did not want to be a “burden.” If these believers worked so they weren’t “a burden,” then wouldn’t the opposite be true? Those who are able to work, but don’t, are a burden. Paul also worked hard to set an example for others to follow. If working to care for your own needs is an example worthy of following, then those who do not work live a pattern that should not be imitated. Paul believed so strongly in this teaching that if any of his coworkers did not support themselves, they did not eat.

Paul started this teaching and he ends this teaching with a command in the name of the “Lord Jesus Christ.” How much more of a priority can he put on this instruction? There is not any other passage of Scripture that Paul wrote with this high of a priority. So what was the final command in this section? To work quietly and eat their own food.

Final words are important. They are the last thing heard and often the first thing people remember. Living out God’s plan to work and independently provide for our own needs is the final instruction Paul gave to the Thessalonian church. Paul believed it, preached it, demanded it for his companions, and personally lived it out. Living out God’s plan was a really big deal to Paul.  (Breaking the Broken Pages 56 – 57).

There is a progression to this teaching of Paul on work. When he was in person he made it a command that people cared for their own needs. When he wrote the first letter he compared working for our provision to loving our brothers and emphasized again that this was a command. The last time he wrote about it he really made it clear. It is a command in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and if someone isn’t willing to work then they should not be provided food by others.

God provided ways for people to gain dignity and work for their own food. Providing for others, if they are able to care for themselves, is not good for them or the one serving.

To provide real hope and healing in your community, order your copy of
Breaking the Broken today.