2 Thessalonians 3:10-11 10For even when we were with you, we commanded this to you, that if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat. 11For we hear that some people are living an undisciplined life by not working but being busybodies.
Paul addresses one of the problems present in the church: laziness! The mission team made it clear in their visit that Christians should work hard to support themselves. Verse 10 seems harsh but is necessary in many situations. If a person who can work but does not work, that person should go hungry. Laziness and being a Christian are incompatible. If God has given us strength to work, then we must work. It is interesting that Paul and his colleagues taught the Thessalonians this principle since they appeared to have only a short time with them. The two canonical letters that we have to this church imply extensive teaching of basic Christian lifestyle to these new believers. It is possible that when Timothy returned to Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:2), this was one of the topics he taught the church.
The serious problem about which Paul spends a considerable portion of this letter appears in verse 11. Word has reached him that some people were living an undisciplined life. Undisciplined (ataktōs) is the same word from verse 6 and the verb from verse 7. The strong nuance it has in this passage is “laziness.” There were some people who were being busybodies and meddling and not working to support themselves. The word busybodies is a play on words with the word working (peri “around” with ergazomenous “working”). They were getting into matters that were not important and neglecting what really need to get done. They were running around in circles and not focused on what mattered. Their priorities were all mixed up. Paul is attempting in a strong way to redirect the church about how to help these type of people refocus and be disciplined in their work ethic.
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