In previous blog posts, we saw that Paul calls for distancing oneself from those who deviate from the truth. We find a similar call in 2 Thessalonians 3. This time, the issue is not deviant teaching, but an unruly walk.
2 Thessalonians 3 ISA
6 But we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks in an unruly manner, and not according to the tradition they received from us.
Keeping one’s distance
The Greek word translated here as “withdraw” (stellesthai) literally means to retreat or keep one’s distance. It describes not so much a definitive break, but rather consciously staying at a distance from someone who walks in an unruly manner.
Once again, the standard is the tradition Paul had passed on. The brothers he speaks of were not walking in accordance with that teaching. In the verses that follow, Paul shows what that unruly walk consisted of.
Walking in an unruly manner
The context reveals that Paul is speaking about brothers who refused to work. In doing so, he points to his own example.
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, for we did not behave in an unruly manner among you,
8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and effort we worked day and night, so as not to burden any of you.
It is well known that Paul could certainly have claimed support. In 1 Corinthians 9, he explains at length that an apostle has the right to live from the gospel. Yet, he did not exercise that right. He did not call for support nor ask for contributions from people. Why not? Because he did not want to hinder the gospel of Christ in any way (1 Cor. 9:12). The gospel is a message that God bestows everything freely and that man can contribute nothing to it. Paul therefore viewed it as a privilege to proclaim the gospel freely himself. However, when believers supported him of their own accord, he accepted it with gratitude (Phil. 4:10-19).
unwilling to work
Next, Paul mentions the brothers who deviate from his example.
9 Not that we do not have the right, but to set ourselves as an example for you, so that you might imitate us.
10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If anyone is unwilling to work, neither let him eat!
This does not concern people who are unable to work, but rather those who are unwilling to work. They busied themselves with all sorts of things, except their own work.
In verse 11, Paul writes:
11 For we hear that some among you are walking in an unruly manner, doing no work at all, but busying themselves with superfluous things.
The Greek word translated here as “busying themselves” is a compound of the words for “around” and “work.” The picture is that they occupied themselves with all kinds of things, except the work they actually ought to have been doing. One possible explanation is that some, due to their strong expectation of Christ’s coming, believed that working was no longer necessary. Both letters to the Thessalonians show that this expectation was very much alive. Be that as it may, Paul disapproves of this attitude.
His instruction to them is simple:
12 Now we command and exhort those who are such, in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. withdraw
Paul gives a different instruction to the other brothers:
“Keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner.”
Once again, the call is not arbitrary. Paul does not call for distancing oneself because of a personal disagreement, but because some were not walking in accordance with the tradition they had received from him.
Here, too, we see the same pattern as in the previous blog post. There, the issue concerned those who deviated from Paul’s teaching; here, it concerns those who did not walk in accordance with that same teaching. In both cases, the standard is the tradition Paul had passed on. That is why he calls for distancing oneself from those who deviate from it.