2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

In this passage Paul deals with the issue of disorderliness (NKJV) or laziness.  There were people associated with the Thessalonian assembly who were not working but were relying on others to meet their needs.  This was not, apparently, an issue raised by the church.  Paul dealt with it while he was there (3:6,10) and had briefly mentioned it in the first letter (1 Th. 5:14, unruly in NKJV, same word as disorderly in 2 Th. 3:6,7,11).  Perhaps whoever carried the first letter to the church had returned with a report that it was still a problem.   

Specifically, some were not working at all, but (were) busybodies (3:11).  “Busybody” is an interesting word, a compound word that includes the term for “hard labor.”  They were working hard, not at their work but in sticking their noses into the work of others.  As Thayer’s Lexicon puts it: “they were officiously inquisitive about others’ affairs.”  Do you know anyone like that?  Are you ever like that?

Paul again (cf. 3:4) uses the term command, and not once but three times (3:6,10,12).  Does this indicate he is trying to place a strong emphasis on this matter?  Yes!  Does it mean he is merely being dictatorial? No!  He can use this term because he is passing along a message from the LORD.  Hard work goes all the way back to Genesis 2 when God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden.  Often, in the Proverbs, hard work is encouraged on God’s people and the lazy man is warned.  Jesus acknowledged the value of hard work in the Parable of the Talents (Mt. 25:26).  It is interesting that Paul mentioned the issue in the letter to Titus, referring to the Cretans as lazy gluttons.  It was likely a “Roman Empire” problem as the elite were often free from the need to work.  It was likely that those who did have to work had a dream of someday being able to take life easy like some around them. 

Thus Paul “commands” them.  But don’t think Paul just came down hard on them.  He communicated God’s truth in two other ways.  He refers in 3:6 to tradition.  You may have a negative view of this term.  Perhaps all you know is the papa in Fiddler on the Roof singing Tradition! Tradition!  And you remember how he had to sacrifice all his traditions for the sake of his daughters.  You may even remember how Jesus criticized the Jews of His day for their traditions, with the result being you don’t think tradition is important. 

STOP!  Fiddler on the Roof is not the Bible.  Jesus only criticized traditions that were against the command of God (Matt. 15:3-6).  Tradition is important.  Even if you consider yourself a very non-traditional person, I am telling you that you have a whole host of traditions in your life.  Traditions are simply the agreed upon ways in which we put into effect the commands of God.  A body of believers must agree to certain ways they will go about doing the will of God together.  For example, one of Paul’s traditions was, If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat (v10). 

We need to have traditions in our lives, our homes and our churches.  They need to be well thought out ways to maintain faithful obedience to God’s will.