"But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing." — II Thess. 3:13
For whatever reason, a situation had developed in the church at Thessalonica in which some of the members of the fellowship were guilty of "disorderly conduct (3:11)." That disorder is defined as "working not at all, but are busybodies." It was not moral mischief into which these folk had fallen, nor doctrinal heresy, but irresponsibility and idle meddling in the affairs of others.
Out of this incident, the Holy Spirit instructs us in several areas. We are taught, for example, the responsibility of Christians to be self-sustaining. Insofar as it is possible, the orderly believer will be self supporting. Paul admonishes them sharply; "… we exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread ( v.12)." The honest poor are always pitied in scripture, but the negligent are reproved. If a man cannot work, or truly cannot find work, he may be excused, but the able bodied are given no quarter.
A second area addressed here is that of "minding one's own business." "Busybodies," or meddlers in other men's matters (gossips, e.g.) do not come off well in scripture. Peter exhorts, "… let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters (I Pet. 4:13)." And Paul discredits certain widows who "… learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not (I TIm. 5:13)."
Probably we would be very slow to label this as "disorderly conduct," but that is what the Word of God calls it, and so ought we. It is a fine illustration of the high level of conduct to which scripture calls us as believers. No less interesting, however, is the counsel given to the orderly believes regarding how to relate to those who were here indicted. "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us (v. 6). "The reasons for shunning the companionship of disorderly fellow believers are at least two; first, as a disciplinary action designed a community reproof designed to heighten their awareness of their impropriety and second, to prevent the disorder from spreading. Companionship with disorder, as with sin, makes one susceptible to catching the disease.
Should the word of exhortation, and the community reproof fail to restore these wayward saints to order, the rest of the congregation is instructed, "If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother ( v.14,15)." Here is the prescription of discipline, and the disposition that is to accompany it: "Count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." (Clearly, fellowship, in the early church, was precious and to lose it was a high price to pay. We could learn a lot from that today!)
What interests me in particular is that the "well doers" are not instructed to forsake either the disorderly or the church. There was no call to separation from the church because of the misconduct of a few. The aim was clearly for "… reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (II Tim. 3:16)." If we are in the right when trouble comes to the church, this passage makes it clear that our calling is not to abandon ship, but to plug the leak. Our call from God is to do everything possible to rescue the faltering brother, not let him drown. It may be difficult, and it may take time. But if we are "doing well," "let us not be weary in well doing!" Be an asset, not a liability. That is the divine order. To "cut and run" may be more comfortable— for a while, but it is not more Christlike, nor more consistent with the Word of God.
For HIS praise,
"Pastor" Frasier
For whatever reason, a situation had developed in the church at Thessalonica in which some of the members of the fellowship were guilty of "disorderly conduct (3:11)." That disorder is defined as "working not at all, but are busybodies." It was not moral mischief into which these folk had fallen, nor doctrinal heresy, but irresponsibility and idle meddling in the affairs of others.
Out of this incident, the Holy Spirit instructs us in several areas. We are taught, for example, the responsibility of Christians to be self-sustaining. Insofar as it is possible, the orderly believer will be self supporting. Paul admonishes them sharply; "… we exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread ( v.12)." The honest poor are always pitied in scripture, but the negligent are reproved. If a man cannot work, or truly cannot find work, he may be excused, but the able bodied are given no quarter.
A second area addressed here is that of "minding one's own business." "Busybodies," or meddlers in other men's matters (gossips, e.g.) do not come off well in scripture. Peter exhorts, "… let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters (I Pet. 4:13)." And Paul discredits certain widows who "… learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not (I TIm. 5:13)."
Probably we would be very slow to label this as "disorderly conduct," but that is what the Word of God calls it, and so ought we. It is a fine illustration of the high level of conduct to which scripture calls us as believers. No less interesting, however, is the counsel given to the orderly believes regarding how to relate to those who were here indicted. "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us (v. 6). "The reasons for shunning the companionship of disorderly fellow believers are at least two; first, as a disciplinary action designed a community reproof designed to heighten their awareness of their impropriety and second, to prevent the disorder from spreading. Companionship with disorder, as with sin, makes one susceptible to catching the disease.
Should the word of exhortation, and the community reproof fail to restore these wayward saints to order, the rest of the congregation is instructed, "If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother ( v.14,15)." Here is the prescription of discipline, and the disposition that is to accompany it: "Count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." (Clearly, fellowship, in the early church, was precious and to lose it was a high price to pay. We could learn a lot from that today!)
What interests me in particular is that the "well doers" are not instructed to forsake either the disorderly or the church. There was no call to separation from the church because of the misconduct of a few. The aim was clearly for "… reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (II Tim. 3:16)." If we are in the right when trouble comes to the church, this passage makes it clear that our calling is not to abandon ship, but to plug the leak. Our call from God is to do everything possible to rescue the faltering brother, not let him drown. It may be difficult, and it may take time. But if we are "doing well," "let us not be weary in well doing!" Be an asset, not a liability. That is the divine order. To "cut and run" may be more comfortable— for a while, but it is not more Christlike, nor more consistent with the Word of God.
For HIS praise,
"Pastor" Frasier
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