Further Exhortations of the Apostolic Team
2 Thess. 3:11-15
Introduction
We continue the exhortation of the Apostle and his team to the believers in Thessalonica. Before ending this short epistle. Paul and his team want to make sure that the Christians there will taught with the right doctrine, and most important is they apply this into their lives.
I. The Report (2 Thess. 3:11)
A. Some are walking disorderly in the church. The word disorderly here means conduct that is contrary to the rules of Christ. They were like undisciplined soldiers. Two things characterized them:
1. They are not working at all
2. They become busy bodies. Instead of working for their families and themselves and be a blessing to others, they were busy meddling with other peoples lives. Busybodies are people meddling, without authority, in the affairs of others (2 Thess. 3:11; 1 Tim. 5:13; 1 Pet. 4:15).
Illustration: Answer to Prayer Requires Preparation!
A rather lazy student noticed that a fellow student always recited her lessons well, so he said to her, “How is it that you always say your lesson so perfectly?” She replied, “I always pray that I may say my lessons well.” “Do you?” said the boy somewhat surprised. “Well, then, I will pray, too.” However, the next morning he could not even repeat a word of his assigned lesson. Perplexed, he ran to his friend and reproached her as deceitful. “I prayed,” said he, “but I could not say a single word of my lesson.” “Perhaps,” rejoined the other, “you didn’t study hard enough!” “I didn’t study at all,” answered the boy. “I thought I didn’t have to study after praying about it.”
Illustrations of Bible Truths.
II. The command to the disorderly (2 Thess. 3:12)
A. The word “command” appeared in verses four, six and ten. This is the fourth time Paul uses this word. Now he adds another word — “exhort.” Christians not only need commands, but they need exhortation. It is not enough to simply command. Christians need encouragement.
B. The command and the exhortation are done under the authority of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The head of the church.
C. Paul specifically addressed the “disorderly, or the busy bodies” to work quietly and eat their won bread. In other words, to provide for their own food to eat. This instruction gives us further insight into the behavior of these idlers.
1. Their false views about the return of Christ had evidently led them into a kind of excitement which they were seeking to spread from person to person as they went about from household to household.
2. Second, they eventually ran out of money and food and began to expect others to support them. Thus, Paul commands and urges them to settle down and then
to go back to work. Also, to mind their own business and stop meddling with other people’s lives.
Illustration: Lost in Drudgery
Most of us are spiritually inefficient because we cannot do certain things and remain spiritual. We can be spiritual in prayer meetings, in congenial spiritual society, in what is known as Christian work, but we cannot be spiritual in drudgery.
We are all capable of being spiritual sluggards; if we live a sequestered life and continually don’t do what we ought to do, we can develop a spiritual life, but in actual things we are easily knocked out. We are trying to develop a life that is sanctified and holy but it is spiritually inefficient—it cannot wash feet; it cannot do secular things without being tainted.
—Oswald Chambers, Christianity Today, Vol. 37, no. 11.
III. What if these busybodies refuse to follow these commands? (2 Thess. 3:13-15)
A. Several things we have to do.
1. Be not weary in well doing. they are not to grow weary in “doing good” and working for a living. “Weary” means, exhausted. A weary person loses his or her motivation to accomplish God’s will. He or she quits and gives up. This suggests that some might lose heart in struggling with their idle brothers. Doing what is right would include remaining examples themselves by working, by reprimanding the disorderly idlers of verse 10, and by refusing to support those who refused to work. To continue to support those who refuse to work is wrong for all concerned.
2. Paul says, “Note that man, mark that person. Single them out.” These people need to be singled out. Identify them and deal with them.
“And have no company with him, that he may be ashamed”. Have no company with them literally means to mix up with (1 Cor. 5:9). Don’t do joint things
together. Break close fellowship with this person. Do not show approval of their sin by your friendly fellowship with them.
“To make these people feel ashamed about themselves. Literally, ” that they may be ashamed,” or to produce a feeling of shame. This is an objective shame that changes conduct (1 Cor. 4:14; Titus 2:8). Idlers thus feel shunned by godly people.
Illustration 2: Separation from the Unclean Thing
The doctrine of separation from “the unclean thing” is neglected today by professing Christians, but it is still here in God’s Word. The context indicates that Paul is warning against Christians being “unequally yoked together with unbelievers” and urging us to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 6:14, 7:1). Such separation does not mean having no contact at all with unbelievers, “for then must ye needs go out of the world” (1 Cor. 5:10), whereas Jesus commanded: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). He also prayed to the Father “not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (Jn. 17:15).
He does demand, however, that we not compromise with unbelief or with the unclean thing. We are “born again” into the family of God through simple faith in the person and saving work of Christ, but the full manifestation and fellowship of our relation with the heavenly Father as His spiritual sons
and daughters is evidently, in this passage, conditioned on the vital principle of separation from all unbelief and filthiness of the flesh, with Jesus as our example (Heb. 7:16).
We are specially warned to “turn away” from those who, “having a form of godliness,” yet attempt to accommodate the naturalistic viewpoint of modern scientism within the Scriptures, thus “denying the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3.5). “Be ye separate, saith the Lord.”
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3. Yet count him not as an enemy. The idea here is regard. We are not to regard carnal believers as non-believers or enemies.
“Admonish” means to put in mind, warn. The idea is to provide instruction so as to correct behavior or belief. They must repent. Repentance is the key here. It is our role as Christians to advise others of dangerous consequences of their behavior.
Illustration/ Application: Importance of church discipline
Some people execute church discipline with a sense of hostility toward the offenders. This passage warns against that. We are not to develop an attitude of antagonism toward offending Christians but an attitude of kinship. The purpose of church discipline is not to administer punishment but to restore the believer to fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:5). That is why we do not use excessive discipline. When we go beyond the appropriate bounds of correction, we do not show love but unnecessary harshness. We must keep the welfare of carnal Christians in mind at all times. However, we do show love through admonition.
IV. Conclusion:
We must separate ourselves from fellow Christian who doesn’t follow the Lord’s commandments, who refuses to work, and become busybodies. We do this so that they will be ashamed. We are not to regard them as enemies but admonish them to change their behaviour.
