When Paul mentions in his letter to the church in Thessalonica that he and his companions earned their living by their own labour while carrying out their mission there, the apostle first of all wishes to recall certain moral standards. Indeed, why should a church community feed people whom...
When Paul mentions in his letter to the church in Thessalonica that he and his companions earned their living by their own labour while carrying out their mission there, the apostle first of all wishes to recall certain moral standards. Indeed, why should a church community feed people whom it neither invited nor expected as guests, especially if those people intend to remain in the city for a long time?
Custom required hospitality for three days. Anyone could ask for lodging during that time without even explaining in detail who he was, where he came from, where he was going or why he had set out on his journey. But if a guest wished to stay longer, he could do so only with his host's consent. Anyone planning to remain on a mission for a long time had at least to give advance notice of his arrival, or, better still, arrange his stay in the city with the community or with the particular people with whom and at whose expense he intended to live. Yet there was a great temptation, under cover of talk about God's work, to take advantage of the not entirely voluntary hospitality of one's hosts, offered out of respect not so much for the guests as for the One in whose name they spoke.
But that was not the only point. This is also about simple responsibility, responsibility for God's work. And that is already a spiritual question, just like any question of responsibility or irresponsibility. This is simply because no spirituality is possible without a responsible attitude towards one's own life. The conviction that a local church community or one of its members is obliged to help you carry out the mission entrusted to you by God is an example of irresponsibility, and quite a striking one. Indeed, whether a task is entrusted by God or by a human being, the person responsible for it is that person alone to whom it was entrusted, and no one else.
One can count on help only if that same task has been entrusted not only to oneself, but also to someone else. If nothing of the kind has happened, one cannot count on anyone's help. It will, of course, be wonderful if voluntary helpers appear. But one cannot demand their appearance from either God or other people. And if there are no voluntary helpers, it means one must do one's work oneself, alone if necessary, provided, of course, that one is certain it has truly been entrusted by God.
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3:6 That walketh disorderly - Particularly by not working.Not according to the tradition he received of us - The admonition we gave, both by word of mouth, and in our former epistle.
3:10 Neither let him eat - Do not maintain him in idleness.