If any one will not work, let him not eat'. Explain the circumstances which led to this statement.

Answer Details

"If any one will not work, let him not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13): the circumstances

This statement was made by Paul in his second letter to the church at Thessalonica. It arose out of a particular problem that had developed in that congregation.

• The problem of idleness among some believers: When Paul first preached to the Thessalonians, he had proclaimed the second coming of Christ (the Parousia). Some members misunderstood this teaching and concluded that since the Lord's return was near, or had already come, there was no point in continuing their normal daily work. They therefore abandoned their jobs and lived in idleness.
• Living as busybodies at others' expense: These idle members did not merely stop working; they became busybodies, meddling in other people's affairs and depending on the labour of the hardworking members of the church for their upkeep. Their conduct was disorderly and a burden on the community.
• Paul's own example of hard work: Paul reminded them that when he was among them, he did not eat any one's bread without paying, but worked night and day with toil and labour so as not to burden any of them. Though as an apostle he had the right to be supported, he chose to work in order to give them an example to imitate.
• The command Paul had already given: Even while he was still with them, Paul had laid down the rule, "If any one will not work, let him not eat." He now repeats and enforces it because the idleness had persisted.

Against this background Paul commanded the believers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother living in idleness and not according to the tradition they had received. He urged the idle to settle down, do their work quietly and earn their own living, and charged the rest not to grow weary in well-doing. The saying therefore condemns wilful idleness and upholds the dignity of honest labour as a Christian duty.