2 Thessalonians 3.6-15-Final Major Section of the Body of Second Thessalonians (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday September 21, 2025

Second Thessalonians Series: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15-The Final Major Section of the Body of Second Thessalonians

Lesson # 56

2 Thessalonians 3:6 marks a transition from the contents of 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 to the contents of 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, which constitutes the final major section of the body of Second Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now, we command each and every one of you brothers and sisters by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to disassociate yourselves from any brother or sister who is living an undisciplined lifestyle. Consequently, they are not living according to the traditions, which they received from each one of us. 7 For you yourselves are well aware of the manner in which each and every one of you for your own benefit are under obligation to make it your habit of imitating each one of us. For each one of us absolutely never conducted ourselves in an undisciplined manner among each one of you. 8 Absolutely never did anyone of us eat bread from anyone without paying. In fact, on the contrary, because each one of us worked to support ourselves night and day by means of difficult, yes exhausting hard work in order to not impose a financial burden on anyone of you. 9 By no means because each one of us absolutely does not possess authority. In fact, on the contrary, in order that each one of us would give ourselves as an example for the benefit of each and every one of you. The purpose of which is that each and every one of you would for your own benefit make it your habit of imitating each one of us. 10 For in fact, when each one of us was living among all of you, each of us was issuing this command to each and every one of you: “If and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that anyone is at this particular time absolutely refusing to make it their habit of working to support themselves and we agree that there are some who do, then this person must not eat.” 11 For each one of us at this particular time hear some are living an undisciplined lifestyle, absolutely refusing to work to support themselves. In fact, on the contrary, acting in their own selfish interests as busybodies. 12 On the other hand, such individuals, we command, yes in fact, we encourage and exhort by means of the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ that they make it their habit of eating their own bread by making it their habit of working in a manner characterized by an unobtrusive tranquil lifestyle. 13 But in contrast each and every one of you brothers and sisters, who are performing actions, which are characterized as being divine good in quality, do not become discouraged. 14 But, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that someone is absolutely refusing to obey our command through this epistle, then each one of you must for your own benefit continue to make it your habit of publicly identifying him for the purpose of making it your habit of not associating with him in order that he would become ashamed. 15 Correspondingly, each and every one of you must not regard him as an enemy. In fact, on the contrary, each and every one of you must continue to make it your habit of providing him with instruction as a brother. (Pastor’s translation)

When Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to keep away from every one of their number who disobeys his apostolic teaching to work, this separation would be the result of going through the process of church discipline mapped out by the Lord Jesus Christ for His disciples in Matthew 18:15-17.

The contents of 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 echo 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and 5:14.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 Also, for your own benefit to make it your habit of making it your ambition to live a quiet life, of attending to your own business, of working to support yourselves with your own hands as each one of us has commanded each and every one of you. (Pastor’s translation)

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now, each one of us is authoritatively exhorting and encouraging each and every one of you brothers and sisters to begin to make it your habit of providing the undisciplined with instruction and continue doing so. Each of you begin to make it your habit of encouraging the discouraged and continue doing so. Each one of you must continue to make it your habit of helping the weak. Each of you must continue making it your habit of being patient toward everyone. (Pastor’s translation)

Now, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-15 reveals that soon after writing First Thessalonians some in the Thessalonian Christian community were living undisciplined lives by not working for a living.

Therefore, the first command in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 appears to be prophetic in that through the ministry of the Holy Spirit Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were warning the Thessalonians that some of them would revert to their pre-conversion, unregenerate lifestyle of not working for a living.

Now, in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, the verb peripateō (περιπατέω) is modified by the adverb of manner ataktōs (ἀτάκτως), which pertains to not submitting to discipline and order.

It is related to the adjective ataktos (ἄτακτος), which appears in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 and means “those who are undisciplined” since the word pertains to not submitting to discipline and order and specifically, the word pertains to refusing to work for a living.

So therefore, here in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, the adverb of manner ataktōs (ἀτάκτως) means “undisciplined” since the word pertains to not submitting to discipline and order.

Therefore, it speaks of a member of the Thessalonian Christian community living an undisciplined lifestyle, which is identified in 2 Thessalonians 3:7-15 as not working and being idle, which Paul says here in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 is in defiance of his apostolic teaching.

Thus, this word ataktōs (ἀτάκτως) speaks of a member of the Thessalonian Christian community living an “undisciplined” lifestyle as a result of rejecting Paul’s apostolic teaching for each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to work and not be idle like many in their culture were doing in the first century who were unregenerate.

There have been several reasons put forth by bible scholars and expositors as to why some in the Thessalonian Christian community were disobeying the apostolic command to work for a living and not be idle.

Paul does not identify the specific reason or reasons as to why some were not working in this community.

Needless to say, there has been no consensus among bible scholars and expositors as to the reason or reasons why some were not working.

Steve Lewis presents several possible reasons, which could answer the question as to why some of the Thessalonians were disobeying the apostolic command and lists the following:

The Character Flaw of Laziness: Some have suggested that the Thessalonians had an inherent character weakness toward indolence which was the cause of their idleness.

The Trauma of Persecution: Another view is that the trauma resulting from the intense persecution of the Thessalonian believers was causing them to despair of their lives, and a corollary effect was that they gave up their normal work activities.

The View of Labor as Degrading: Some have suggested that there was a general prejudice in the Greek mind against all manual labor.

The Self-Proclaimed Authority of Some: Some have proposed that a small group of believers was exercising a self-appointed spiritual ministry within the Thessalonian church, and that they were claiming the right of support from the church as a result.

I hold to the interpretation that some in the Thessalonian Christian community were reverting back to the pre-conversion or pre-justification days in which they did not work but were idle, which was prevalent in Graeco-Roman culture in the first century A.D.

Lewis rejects this view stating that “There is no evidence for the existence of a ‘laboring’ class of Christians from whom a few ‘enlightened’ believers were allowed to gain their livelihood.”

Lewis is right.

However, there is plenty of evidence that Graeco-Roman culture despised work and the Thessalonians were immersed in that culture before their conversion to Christianity.

We must not forget that slavery was an institution in the Roman Empire which enabled many who were freemen and women to forgo working for a living because they had slaves to do that work for them.

Some reject this interpretation by stating that this rejection of labor was predominate in the upper classes in Graeco-Roman society and Paul’s churches, like the Thessalonian church, were not populated with the upper classes.

This is an argument from silence.

Paul does however address those in the Christian community who were wealthy (cf. 1 Tim. 6:17-18) with regards to the use of their wealth.

He also addresses the proper conduct with slave owners who had money (cf. Col. 4:1).

Thomas Constable writes “The Greeks deplored manual labor and relegated it to slaves as much as possible. But the Jews held it in esteem; every Jewish boy was taught a trade regardless of his family’s wealth. Work itself is a blessing and working with one’s hands should never be despised by Christians. A man who is willing to work with his hands demonstrates his love for his brethren by being willing to humble himself to provide for his own needs so that he does not depend on others but provides for himself.”

Warren Wiersbe writes “The Jews honored honest labor and required all their rabbis to have a trade. But the Greeks despised manual labor and left it to their slaves. This Greek influence, plus their wrong ideas about the doctrine of the Lord’s return, led these believers into an unchristian way of life.”

Craig Keener writes “The origin of this group of idlers in the church might be the Greco-Roman aristocratic disdain for manual labor, or a mistaken belief that the day of the Lord had come and canceled the need for such labor (2:2). More likely, they may have pursued a philosophic, specifically a Cynic, lifestyle (see comment on 3:11–12). Idlers were known to pass their days in the marketplaces of Greek cities (including Thessalonica—Acts 17:5); some may have been genuinely converted but not given up their previous lifestyle.”