2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 Do not Grow Weary in Serving the Lord

2 Thessalonians, New Testament, Sermons

In verses 1-5, we learned that prayer is an act of worship. In this part, we learn that work is a part of worship also. This should not surprise us because our God has always been working up to now. God is introduced in Genesis chapter 1 as a worker. He created the heavens and the earth in six days. In the Old Testament, when God wants to involve people in his covenant plan, he calls people who are busy at work. Jacob has to work 14 years for Rachel. Moses is tending sheep when God appears to him in a bush. Joshua was a servant warrior. Gideon was threshing wheat. David was caring for his father’s livestock. Daniel worked as an administrator for King Nebuchadnezzar. Joseph worked hard for Pharaoh. In the New Testament, Jesus called men who were operating a fishing business. He himself the earthly son of a carpenter, who was also skilled in carpentry. Carpentry is really hard work. I have built and installed many shelves. It’s not easy. If you haven’t yet made a shelf, try it. Paul was a tent maker. He used that trade to support his ministry. God calls and uses hard-working people. Maybe you heard the story when the church hired Michael Angelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. [Pic 1] One time, he was spending a lot of time painting a corner that was in the darkness because there was not a lot of sun shining in that corner. Someone asked him why he was working so hard in that corner when not many people will see it. He answered that God will see it. This is the attitude of work before God. It is the attitude that Paul was teaching to the Thessalonian believers and us today.

Do not Grow Weary in Working for the Lord

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
Key Verse: 13:
“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.”

Look at verse 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.” As we know, being idle is opposite of work. Work is a gift of God, not a curse. It’s not a product of the fall. It existed before the fall starting with God’s work of creation. Man is the only part of God’s creation that not only works to survive but also to flourish. Baboons don’t write symphonies. Elephants don’t plant gardens. Squirrels have never built a cathedral. This is the work of human beings—interstate highways, computer systems, gas pipelines, jet engines, AI, etc. There are so many incredibly and complicated projects that make life here happier and much easier. It’s called the cultural mandate. Actually, the American cultural mandate is based on Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” God created mankind to take care of the world and make it flourish.

There are really three basic reasons today why you should do it. One, to provide for yourself, which includes your family. Second, to do good in the world through directly helping others or cultivating culture. Third, and most importantly, to bring God maximum glory. You bring God glory in your work by doing really good work. Every single person who works whether firefighter or school teacher or accountant or stay-at-home mom. Whatever it is God has given you to do it as an act of worship. Every maker and worker are called to serve God in his profession or trade, not outside of it. The only Christian work is good work well done. So, whether preparing a sermon or scrubbing a toilet all work is valuable. It is to be well done in that way. Then work will be a blessing to you, a blessing to others, and it will bring God glory.

That is why Paul starts this passage with a rebuke towards those who did not want to work. Look at verse 6 again. “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.” In latter verses, we’ll discuss some reasons why some members of the church did not want to work. But verse 6 comes across as a military order. It’s a command to the faithful in the church. It’s in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The command is to keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life. Now, the word “walking” there is an important qualifier. It points to this consistent pattern. This everyday existence that is unruly and disruptive. So, it’s not just an isolated incident but it’s a perpetual pattern of living. The word brother is used there which means fellow believer. Keep away from these fellow believers if they’re unruly or disruptive. Proverbs 21:24-26, “‘Scoffer’ is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. 25 The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. 26 All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.” Perhaps, this person or persons were not acting as believers should, but as scoffers. This is why Paul gave a direct apostolic command. This is not just good suggestion. This is the command as we can see with the weight of Jesus’ name behind it. It was a severe problem that had to be dealt with. As a good and responsible pastor, Paul did so.

In verses 7 through 10 and then in verse 12, Paul flexes his apostolic authority. The apostles were appointed by Christ to be authoritative teachers in the early church. The New Testament explains that the church is a building built on the word of the apostles and the prophets with its chief cornerstone being Jesus Christ himself. Paul was an apostle and he appeals to his authority in two ways in this passage. By his example and by his exhortation. His apostolic example is explained. Look at verses 7-9. “7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.” Paul said he had the right here to expect financial support. But deliberately gave up that right that he might be an example to the Thessalonians. He did it to be a model for them. Paul’s words could also be translated, “we did this so that you would imitate us.” Paul knew something going on in Thessalonica that he had to take this task. He had to take on this manner of life to be an example to them. Actually, while he was establishing the church in Thessalonica he was working hard as a tent-maker. In this attitude Paul proved himself to be a very mature servant leader. Selfish leaders use people for their own gain. Servant leaders use themselves up for the gain of others. They labor for the good of others. When you watch people in each of those two categories work you can tell. You can tell who’s working for their own gain. You can tell who’s serving and working for the gain of others. No doubt Paul’s work ethic carried weight. It carried the kind of weight that allowed for his message to be received that gave him respect and honor. Chuck Swindoll said, “Show me a lazy irritating Christian on the job. And I will show you an office store customer or shop that isn’t interested in that man’s message.”

This wasn’t just part-time work Paul and his team were doing. Verse 8 is clear they work day and night. Look at verse 8 again. “Nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.” Toil and labor are the words Paul used to describe their work. This is work with much more than selfish motivation behind it. He’s not just wanting to earn his daily bread. He’s working for them. He’s laboring to be their example. Desiring to glorify God. When you have this inherent internal motivation. You’ll do anything to achieve what you want to achieve. What should be our motivation and drive? It’s God’s glory. When that’s our motivation. We can’t work hard enough. We can’t be resourceful enough. We can’t find more tools to do our job well enough. Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do work at it with all of your heart as working for the Lord not for men. Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” Paul lives as an apostolic example, but there’s also apostolic exhortation. These are the commands in verse 10 and verse 12. In verse 10, he calls back to an order that he had given them while he was with them. Look at verse 10. “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” Paul’s saying hunger is a great motivator. If an able-bodied person is hungry the best thing to do is not give him a loaf of bread but get him a job. In the pioneering stages of America, there was a famous colony called Jamestown. There were some men from high standing who came to look for gold. They were not interested in working for food. But as time passed, they were running out of food and soon would starve. The leader of the colony, John Smith, foresaw the disaster at hand. So, he commanded all the men to work based on verse 10, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” [Pic 2] Suddenly, all the men worked because they wanted to eat. And John Smith led them with his own example.

On top of this, those not working were causing trouble in the church. Look at verse 11. “For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life doing no work at all but acting like busy bodies.” Paul says, “You’re not busy but you’re busy bodies.” According to the dictionary, a busybody is a meddling or prying person. The church had a group of meddlers in it. Undisciplined people with no real business of their own. And when you have no business of your own. You’re all up in everybody else’s businesses. But early on in this passage. Paul labels these people unruly and disruptive. That they’re out of line to use military language. They are so unoccupied by meaningful work that they spend their days stirring up drama in the community and drama in the church. This kind of activity is actually quite serious. Listen to the apostle Peter. First Peter 4:15, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” (KJV) I also like the Expanded Bible Version, First Peter 4:15, “Do not suffer for murder, theft, or any other crime, nor because you trouble other people [as a meddler/troublemaker].” (EBV) Incredible, troublemaker believer, sounds like an oxymoron. So being an undisciplined busybody puts you in company with murderers and thieves. That’s rough company. All the more reason to find meaningful work that you do well. And as Paul instructs you work unto the Lord.

And so, at this point we just need to stop and ask why has this problem arisen here? Why were there some in the church who are causing problems? Why were they doing no work at all? There were a few contributing factors to why these believers in Thessalonica did not work. The first problem was Greek philosophy. Thessalonica was a Greek city of about 250,000 people. This would have been a very fairly sophisticated place. And because of the influence of Greek philosophy, especially, Aristotle and Plato, who promoted what was called philosophical dualism. Physical labor in their world view was looked down upon. The life of the mind was valued and prized that was enlightenment. But working with your hands was for the lowest of classes. It was for slaves. So, the Greeks were allergic to work at least in the form of physical labor. Like the gentry in Jamestown who were from the upper class, who despised manual labor. Another probable contributing factor was the influence of bad eschatology. In Thessalonica, there had been some false teaching about the day of the Lord or the day of Christ’s return. And that has led to people who just wanted to sit around and do nothing. You know if the Lord’s about to return, why invest in the future? Why build a business? Why toil and sweat if it’s all just going to burn up and go away anyway? Why recycle?

Doctrinal misconception has led to practical misconduct. The people in Thessalonica, they were like the Millerites of the 19th century. In America in the middle of the 19th century, William Miller, stirred up a great deal of controversy when he predicted the end of the world. That it would be somewhere between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844. And by using mass mail and printing, Miller spread his message and he picked up about a hundred thousand adherents. And these people who believed him sold their belongings. They quit their jobs. They headed for the hills where they awaited for the end. When Jesus didn’t return, Miller of course changed the date. When Jesus failed to return a second time, Miller overhauled his theology. And he became the founder of what we know now as the Seventh-day Adventist church. And that’s just one example of movements that result in idleness because of a bad reading of eschatology. Today, we sometimes say to meddlers or troublemakers, “You have too much free time on your hands.” We want to encourage them to work so we can get a break from them when they are occupied somewhere else. There is another famous American saying based on the Bible, “Idle hands are the workshop of the devil.” So, you can see how these people would need to be directly addressed. And Paul does so with his apostolic authority.

Verse 12 is a new apostolic command directly aimed at the idle people. Look at verse 12. “12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”[a] He says work in a quiet fashion and eat your own bread. This is very similar to something that he’s told them in the first letter. First Thessalonians 4:11, “…and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.” Here in the second letter the tone changes though a bit. In the first letter he’s urging them. Now he’s commanding them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see the difference. They’re not following through in their obedience. So, he appeals to his apostleship. He appeals to the weight of his authority and the apostolic authority that he has.

Let’s look at Paul’s encouragement for the church. Especially, to those who were working hard for the Lord and others. Look at verse 13, “But as for you do not grow weary in doing good.” This was a well-timed encouragement from Paul in this passage because he knows these non-contributing lazy busybodies. They were sucking the life out of the church. They took and took, but they didn’t give. They critiqued the faithful work that the good are doing. But they did no work themselves. One Christian leader was criticized for his work by idle people. He answered them, “I like what I’m doing better than what you are not doing.” So, in spite of all that, Paul says keep going. Keep showing up. Keep doing good work. Keep contributing to the church’s ministry. Keep serving each other along the way. I like what DL Moody once said, “I may get weary in the work but not weary of the work.” That should be our hearts as well, especially when we’re serving the Lord. We’ve got to be ready and not grow weary. People are going to have real needs and we need to be eager to help. Not so spent that we can’t. Not so burned out that we’re too cautious to help. There’s a lot of good to be done. And we need to keep doing it. There’s no retirement in the kingdom. You just keep doing that work. When Christians retire, they change jobs but they don’t change bosses. They’re still working for the Lord. That’s the way it goes. Let’s not grow weary in doing good. And continue to follow the Lord and wanting to seek and bring him glory in our midst.

I thank God through Bible study and the example of many people in UBF I learned a hard-working spirit. When I got married before graduation, Maria supported my last quarter at UIC. She also supported me as a full time Bible teacher for our first 7 years of marriage, while working as a nurse and raising up 4 children. She also supported me to obtain a teaching certificate from NEIU and a Master’s in Education from UIC. Later I decided to work as a teacher for 6 years in CPS. And 19 years as an international teacher at KIS to support my family and God’s work—so altogether 25 years as a teacher. Especially, God’s word encouraged me to work hard. Luke 9:23, “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” I had to carry the cross of supporting my family, at the same time, the cross of serving and supporting God’s work. Once, there was a leak in our roof when we lived on 820 S. Miller. I didn’t do anything, then I read in Ecclesiastes 10:18, “Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks.” So, I repented of my idle hands and got up on the roof to try to fix it. Many Christians became hard-working people because of God’s commands and encouragement. When I wanted to give up my math studies in my senior year because it was too difficult, God’s servants encouraged me not to give up. Because of their encouragement and prayers of my wife, I did not give up and got it by God’s grace.

In verses 14 to 15 Paul goes further and tells them what to do if the disruptive group don’t obey his teaching and his example. Look at verses 14-15, “14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” If they don’t do it going forward after the reading of this letter. If they don’t do this then the church needed to apply church discipline. So, to cross-reference this passage with Jesus’ own words in Matthew 18:15-17, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Of course, to the Jews at that time, when someone was considered as a Gentile or tax collector, it meant to avoid them. We find in Paul’s case the brother was not listening to anyone in the church. So, he was already in the third stage of church discipline and should be treated as a Gentile or a tax collector. What Paul says is you need to take special note of them, which is just a way of marking them out. This is a charge from Paul to be clear and unambiguous about who the problem people are. Mark them out. Next, the command is not to associate with them. So beyond being aloof toward them as it said in verse 6. This goes a step further. Do not associate with him. And you’re to do this not just for your own well-being, but so the unruly one will feel the shame of what he’s doing in the church. He needs to be well aware that he’s not in good standing. And it has to do with his idle disruptive way of living. Now to our modern sensibilities this shame language is a bit controversial because we view shame as this horrific feeling that we should never have to feel. But shame is what we should feel about our bad behavior. You know feeling shame for that harsh unfair thing you said to your child. Or feeling shame for that sin you keep committing that should not occur in your life. That’s not an unhealthy thing. It’s like the emotion of anger. We should be angry when we see injustice or crimes against the innocent happening. Quite often shame will catalyze change and growth and maturity. It’s actually useful. Remember after Adam and Eve sinned they covered themselves because of shame. What can be unhealthy and very bad is shaming. Shaming and shame are different things. Shaming doesn’t stop at saying you’ve done something terrible. Shaming says you’re terrible. We often hear in our society—body shaming, height shaming, IQ shaming, etc. That can be a bad thing which is why we should praise Jesus all the more that he took our sin and our shame upon himself on the cross. When he died for us, he took our guilt. When he died for us, he took all our shame away. And replaced it with his righteousness. One of the main reasons I wanted to accepted Jesus’ death on the cross was because the Holy Spirit convicted me of my shame and guilt, due to my sins. That’s why we don’t have to be people who live in shame. But we can use shame properly to motivate. And if you’re someone who’s never looked to Christ to remove your guilt. To remove your shame. To wash away your empty stains or your ugly stains. Look to Jesus today and trust in him for your salvation. Shame because of our sins is the first sign to acknowledge that we are sinners and need a Savior to take away our shame and guilt.

And then Paul adds verse 15. Look at verse 15. “Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” He does it to keep their hearts soft. Because you read through verse 14. You take it in light of verse 6. You can get really ugly. But in verse 15, he says some things to keep our hearts soft. He says the idle and the busy body is not your enemy. don’t hate him. Admonish him as the brother. He’s your brother and you’re taking this task with him because you love him. And you want to see him flourish. And you don’t want to see him destroy himself and his relationships with his unruly and undisciplined way of life. You see the good approach to discipline in the church is restoration—that’s the goal. You set about doing this because you want the person restored to fellowship. You want them restored to the Lord’s table. You want them flourishing in their work and labor. You want them to be a hard-working and productive believer for his personal happiness and for the glory of God. May we all follow Paul’s example and work and live for the glory of God. May God help us not to grow weary in doing the good work he has prepared for us. Amen.
Footnotes
a. 2 Thessalonians 3:12 Greek to eat their own bread

b. Based on message by Jay Lisner:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9OvZHRcGY

2 Thessalonians 3 6-15 presentation

Bible Study Questions:

Do not Grow Weary in Working for the Lord

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15:

Key Verse: 13:

“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.”

 

  1. What circumstances prompted Paul to address the issue of idleness in this passage? How does the background of the Thessalonian church inform our understanding of these verses?

 

  1. Verses 6-9. Paul commands the church to keep away from those who are idle. What does this reveal about the importance of community standards and accountability within the church?

 

  1. In verse 10, Paul mentions, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” How does this principle apply to our understanding of work and responsibility in the Christian life today?

 

  1. Paul refers to his own behavior as a model (verses 7-9). What can we learn from Paul’s example in our interactions with others in the church?

 

  1. In verses 14-15, Paul instructs the church on how to deal with those who do not obey his letter. What balance should be struck between discipline and love in these situations?

 

  1. How does idleness relate to spiritual health according to this passage? What are some potential spiritual consequences of being idle in faith?

 

  1. How can we apply Paul’s teachings about work and community in our own lives and churches today? What practical steps can we take to encourage a strong work ethic among believers?

 

  1. In verse 1, Paul asks for prayer that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly. How does this connect with the themes of work and effort found in verses 6-15?

 

  1. How should the church support those who are struggling to find work or are unable to work for legitimate reasons, and how does this relate to Paul’s admonishments?

 

  1. How do themes of discipline, community, and personal responsibility in this passage reflect broader biblical teachings found elsewhere in Scripture?

 

Warning Against Idleness

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. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.[a]

13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:12 Greek to eat their own bread
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