For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; (8) nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, (9) not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

(10) For even when we were with you, we commanded you this:  If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.  (11) For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.  (12) Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own Bread.

The Apostle Paul wrote the second letter to the Thessalonians.  The main point of the entire letter is to correct the wrong interpretation and application of end times.  There is indeed the any-moment possibility of Christ Jesus’ return but no one knows the time or day.  The principle is, we are to live as though the second coming will be today while working and leading our life as though it won’t be for years to come.  The key to work as Paul puts it, is to view it as a gift from God by working unto the Lord and not unto men.  Work is also a command from God.  Man is designed for work.  Work is a means of providing value and fulfillment to life – accomplishing something – figuring out a problem – gaining satisfaction. – putting food on the table without which there is no life.  Work is part of being fully human and occupies us so we are not idle.  Work has intrinsic value.

In a Greek world work was demeaning and meant being enslaved by the physical.  The Greeks felt the mind was good and matter was evil so they had slaves do the work.  The Thessalonian Christians were part of this culture.  Paul addresses this by saying those who were idle were in defiance of God’s principle of work as part of creation.  This is the third time Paul has addressed this so he is stern.  He calls for serious action against those who dont’ work.  He is talking about people who CAN work but won’t – calls them deadbeats and wants the other Christians to avoid them.

Paul also writes that he has provided an example for them to follow – he had a right and deserved to be supported by the Christian community (and was in some instances) but he set a pattern of how to live by earning his own living.  Example was the heart of his leadership – his words and the gospel he preached was the apostolic pattern to be followed exactly in his absence.