Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 40:2 (NA 1989)
Article: ‘If A Man Does Not Wish To Work. . .’ A Cultural And Historical Setting For 2 Thessalonians 3:6-16
Author: Bruce W. Winter

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TynBul 40:2 (1989) p. 303

‘If A Man Does Not Wish To Work. . .’ A Cultural And Historical Setting For 2 Thessalonians 3:6-16

Bruce W. Winter

In writing to the Thessalonians Paul reminds the church of the teaching he gave them concerning work when he was with them.

...with toil and labour we worked day and night, that we might not burden any of you. It is not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you the command, ‘If any one does not wish to work, let him not eat’ (εἴ τις οὐ θέλει ἐργάζεσθαι μηδὲ ἐσθιέτω). For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now we command and exhort such persons in the Lord Jesus Chris to do their work with quietness and earn their own living. Brothers, in the doing of good you must not grow weary (2 Thess. 3:8–11).

Paul repeats to the church his original exhortation elsewhere ‘to do their work, to earn their own living, as we charged you, so that you may command the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody’, 1 Thessalonians 4:10–12.

In a recent discussion of the refusal of certain Christians in Thessalonica to work, R. Russell has made the observation that ‘whatever encouraged their behaviour preceded these eschatological problems because disorderly behaviour existed from the beginning’.1 He argues that the problem was a social rather than an eschatological one. To what may this problem be attributed? number of suggestions have been made.

Russell himself argues that ‘the opportunities for employment were limited, and with scarcity of work idleness was more widespread and wages even lower’. Thus, as a result of unemployment, some had become poor and had received support from members of the congregation who had means.2 If this is correct, then Paul’s solution was an unsympathetic and

TynBul 40:2 (1989) p. 304

impractical one, for if any were unemployed through lack of job opportunities, then ipso facto they could not eat, 2 Thessalonians 3:10b.

A. Malherbe speculates that the fact that ‘the converts abandoned their trades and took to the streets (as Cynic preachers did), helps to explain Paul’s preoccupation with his own and his converts’ employment’.3 Dio Chrysostom in his Alexandr...

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