THE SIN OF IDLENESS

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on June 12, 2019 under PM Bible Study |

PM Bible Study Group: June 12, 2019 from 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12

Theme: As followers together of the Lord Jesus, we must confront idleness and model industriousness.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

In Chapter 1 of this little letter, we saw how the apostle Paul and his ministry partners offered a warm greeting to the Thessalonian believers and thanked God for their faithfulness. But as we came to Chapter 2, we saw that there was a practical matter that Paul wanted to deal with. It was the way in which false doctrine had been negatively impacting the Thessalonian believers. He wrote to correct their mistaken understanding about end-times events; and to offer encouragement to their hope in the coming of the Lord.

Chapter 3 deals with specific exhortations. But in offering these specific instructions in godly living, it may be that Paul was not completely finished with matters that concern the Lord’s return. Apparently, some had been checking-out of their responsibilities—and this may possibly be because of their mistaken ideas about the Lord’s return. But whatever their exact motive may have been, some folks within the Thessalonian church had grown to be idle and unproductive and ‘disorderly’ in their conduct. This was a problem that Paul had made quick reference to in his first letter—in 1 Thessalonians 5:14. That was where he had told them, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly …” The word ‘unruly’ in the original language (atakteō) means ‘to be lazy’ or ‘idle’. It’s the same word that is translated ‘disorderly’ and used three times (in verses 6, 7, and 11) in our passage this evening:

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12).

Now; in applying this passage to our own situation, we should always keep in mind that there are some within the body of Christ who—for physical reasons—cannot work as they used to. And even though there is still much that they can do for the body of Christ—through such necessary things as prayer and the offering of words of encouragement—we as the household of faith ought to have compassion on them and do what we can to provide for them. But in the Scriptures, even the widows who were to be cared for by the church were urged to give themselves to the task of “supplications and prayers night and day” (1 Timothy 5:5). So long as a believer has the ability to work in order to provide for their family, or to help out in the home, or to serve the body of Christ, they should faithfully do whatever God has given them the ability and calling to do.

A lazy Christian is simply a contradiction in terms. And so; in writing to these Thessalonian believers, Paul urged that, as followers of Jesus, we must confront idleness and encourage industriousness in the household of faith.

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Paul began by telling the Thessalonians …

1. WHAT TO DO WITH A LAZY BELIEVER (v. 6).

He wrote, “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.” It’s tempting, in such cases, to deal gently with such people; and perhaps to even be a little afraid of getting into something that would not seem to be our personal business. We’re tempted not to ‘offend’ someone who is manifesting chronic idleness. But Paul’s words show us that dealing with a disorderly believer in this way is a very serious and necessary matter; and he even evokes the name of the Lord in commanding the church to take action.

The nature of the sin is that of ‘walking disorderly’; or as we might translate this, ‘living a life-style of laziness’. It is held up in contrast to the ‘tradition’ or ‘practice’ that the Thessalonians had received from Paul and his co-laborers. Paul, as a missionary, was always busy in the work of the Lord. And as we see from his story in the Book of Acts, he didn’t even hesitate—when needed—to take on a side-job in order to support his work. He was a consistent example of Christian industriousness; and it would be impossible to have hung around him for very long and not have had that industrious rub-off on you!

Such industriousness is an inherent part of godly living. And laziness is contradictory to it. As it says in Proverbs 6:

Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.

How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man (Proverbs 6:6-11).

Elsewhere, Paul made it clear that faithful, practical living—manifested in good works—is a proper response to the promise of the Lord’s. In Titus 2:11-15, he wrote;

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14).

And note what Paul says in our passage is to be done with respect to a professing believer who is chronically and unrepentantly lazy. The other believers in the church are to ‘withdraw’ from him. This should be seen in the light of what Paul says in verses 14-15;

And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother (vv. 14-15).

The goal of such a withdraw should always be ‘redemptive’ in nature, and intended to bring conviction to the lazy believer so that they repent before the Lord and are restored to the fellowship of their brethren. We should understand this to mean that a first and a second warning ought to first be given (see Titus 3:10). It may even suggest that ‘the Matthew 18 process’ ought to be carefully followed and applied; and that a series of loving confrontations had occurred (Matthew 18:15-20). But clearly, Paul’s words teach us that this is not a sin to ignore. It is something that absolutely must be dealt with within the church family.

Note further how Paul gives the Thessalonian church …

2. WHAT EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW INSTEAD (vv. 7-9).

The example of faithful Christian industriousness happened to be Paul himself—along with his co-workers. Paul once said, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). In our passage, he wrote in verses 7-8a; “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge …” In verse 6, Paul said that the lazy believers in question were not conducting themselves “according to the tradition which you received from us.” And this tradition of ‘industrious Christian living’ wasn’t just put into words. Paul demonstrated it in action. He said in verse 8b that he and the others “worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you …” They did not do as these lazy Christians were doing—that is, sitting around and being waited upon by others. (In Acts 28:3, even after he had been shipwrecked in Malta, and the native Maltans had built a fire for the survivors, Paul was quickly to work helping to collect firewood. It’s safe to expect that if Paul held a conference in one of our churches today, he’d be helping to stack the chairs afterward.)

Now; Paul stressed in verse 9 that he and his ministry partners worked and labored hard to take care of their own needs, “not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.” These missionaries had a right to expect to be supported in their work. But they chose to forgo that right in order to serve as an example to the Thessalonians of industrious living. This would not be the first time that Paul chose strategically to refrain from exercising his right. He also did so before the Corinthian church in order to yank the rug out from out of false teachers who were taking the church’s money. He wrote;

For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless, we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:9-12).

We who are followers of Jesus ought to make sure that we set the example of industrious and productive living for others. We should always behave as Paul said in Colossians 3:23; “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men …”

Now; Paul not only set the example by his own living, but he set the standard by his teaching too. He went on to tell the Thessalonians …

3. WHAT PRINCIPLE TO APPLY (vv. 10-11).

It has, in fact, become a principle that is familiar and often-quoted by the people of this world. He wrote; “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (v. 10). Now; we need to once again stress that this does not have application to those who ‘cannot’ work. For believers who—for whatever reason—sincerely do not have the ability to work, the hand of love and care needs to be faithfully extended. But for those who ‘can’ but ‘will not’ work, no help should be given. In love, such a professing brother or sister should be allowed to suffer hunger; because this will become the motivation to repent.

Paul went on to explain in verse 11 why this hard principle was necessary: “For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.” Apparently, some were presenting themselves as believers—and were ‘walking’ among the community of faith—but were behaving in a disorderly (that is, “lazy”) manner. They were even becoming “busybodies”. To be a “busybody” (pariergos) literally meant to be a ‘with-worker’. It describes someone who is meddlesome in the affairs of others. Because they don’t have ‘business’ of their own, they seem to be minding the ‘business’ of other people all the time. Paul once warned that the church should not to allow a ‘widow’ to be put on the list of widows in the church too soon; because “they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not” (1 Timothy 5:13). Believers are urged in the scriptures not have a reputation for being busybodies (1 Peter 4:15).

And so; what is the cure? Paul goes on to say …

4. WHAT A LAZY BELIEVER IS TO DO INSTEAD (v. 12).

He wrote; “Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” In short, they are to get a job and get to work—thus to cease taking from others, and thus learning to provide for themselves and their family with the work of their own hands. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 4:28;

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need (Ephesians 4:28).

Whenever it is possible to do so, it is a matter of loving service in the name of Christ to help believers—within the household of faith—to do this. What a testimony to the world it is when we do so!

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The Lord Jesus also spoke to this matter—and particularly in the light of His promised return. He said;

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:32-37).

May we not be found ‘sleeping’ in the Lord’s work when He comes! Instead, may the Holy Spirit help us—as His followers—to be industrious all our days; so that He finds us in His pleasure when He returns.

EA