The Commandment To Work / El Mandamiento De Trabajar
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Introduction
Introduction
Have you ever heard about the Puritan work ethic?
The puritans where a group of believers who wanted to purify the Church of England’s worship such that it would return to be faithful to the Bible.
Many others refer to it as the Protestant work ethic since the puritans belonged to the Protestant branch of the church.
Essentially, the Protestant work ethic is a common understanding that because of our faith we are commanded to work hard, be disciplined, and be frugal (wise administrators/stewards of our wealth and goods).
The Puritans believed that faithfulness to God affected our daily lives, even our work lives. We must not only worship God through our church, read the Bible, pray, but we must also worship God through hard work in whatever vocation God has called us into.
The Protestant/Puritan work ethic exists in contract to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that said our worship to God is centered upon our church attendance and receiving the sacraments.
Some sociologists believe that those countries that were greatly impacted by the Protestant Reformation saw an increase in industry and wealth production because of their belief that hard work was a way to worship God.
Today, we read about the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians in which he addresses the need for the believer to work hard! We will consider:
The problem - idleness
Paul’s example - he worked hard
The consequences:
The church must exhort those who do not want to work
The church must teach on the importance of hard work
I. The problem - idleness
I. The problem - idleness
I. El problema - la ociosidad
I. El problema - la ociosidad
The Thessalonian church was facing a serious problem. Partly, this problem was related to a wrong understanding Jesus’ second coming.
not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
no pierdan la cabeza ni se alarmen por ciertas profecías, ni por mensajes orales o escritos supuestamente nuestros, que digan: «¡Ya llegó el día del Señor!»
Many people in the church either thought the Lord’s second coming was near and others thought it had already occurred.
Some people reacted to this news by leaving their jobs to focus solely on the second coming of the Lord Jesus.
The problem was that no where in the Bible are we commanded to leave our jobs or our daily responsibilities to wait for the second coming of the Lord Jesus.
They were acting out of a wrong understanding of the Bible.
The problem became even more serious when this was affecting the whole congregation and a spirit of idleness was prevailing among the people of God
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
Hermanos, en el nombre del Señor Jesucristo les ordenamos que se aparten de todo hermano que esté viviendo como un vago y no según las enseñanzas recibidas de nosotros.
Paul, with the authority of the Word of God, calls out those who were idle and disruptive.
He describes them as being idle and disruptive. The word idle appears in verse 6, 7, and 11. This word is translated in various ways in various Bible translations:
Disorderly
Idle
Irresponsible
Undisciplined
More and more people had started leaving their jobs, not because they were waiting on the Lord Jesus’ second coming, but rather because it is way more confortable to not work. Work requires effort, use of our mind, use of our strength, it is tiresome, it could be uncomfortable, it could even be boring/monotonous.
So, these early Christians saw idleness as a more attractive option.
In fact, many of the could have been excusing themselves by saying that they did not work because they were actually being more spiritual than those who did work; for they were waiting for the Lord’s second coming.
The problem, is that they were simply deceiving themselves. They were much more content with being lazy busybodies instead of working as they were supposed to.
We know this because of v. 11.
We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.
Nos hemos enterado de que entre ustedes hay algunos que andan de vagos, sin trabajar en nada, y que sólo se meten en lo que no les importa.
This verse demonstrates they were not spiritual at all but enjoyed roaming from house to house. They were busybodies. Since they were not working, they were going from house to house eating other people’s food and wasting other people’s time.
These people were not working not because they were sick or disabled. There are real reasons why somebody is not able to work:
Disability/Illness
They are too young or too old
They are in school to complete a degree or technical training (but this in itself is also work)
They were let go from their job and are in the process of searching for a new opportunity
What would happen to the church in Thessalonica if this continued?
Pretty soon, there would be no church.
We know that the church of God exists by the power of the Holy Spirit. However, let us never forget that monetary resources are needed to keep the work going.
This erroneous attitude was a serious threat to the church of God.
How would Paul begin to address this problem? He would do it through his own example.
II. Paul’s example - he worked hard
II. Paul’s example - he worked hard
II. El ejemplo de Pablo - trabajó arduamente
II. El ejemplo de Pablo - trabajó arduamente
Paul had nothing to be ashamed of. He did not live off the income of the people of God.
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,
Ustedes mismos saben cómo deben seguir nuestro ejemplo. Nosotros no vivimos como ociosos entre ustedes, ni comimos el pan de nadie sin pagarlo. Al contrario, día y noche trabajamos arduamente y sin descanso para no ser una carga a ninguno de ustedes. Y lo hicimos así, no porque no tuviéramos derecho a tal ayuda, sino para darles buen ejemplo.
As an apostle, Paul had a certain right to live off financial assistance by the congregation.
After all, he was dedicated 100% to the preaching of the Gospel.
It is safe to see he was the apostle who was most used by God to spread the Gospel in Europe and Asia Minor.
He certainly had a right to have the people of God take care of his physical needs.
However, Paul did not do such a thing. Not only did he not take food for free, he also worked day and night to meet his personal needs.
Elsewhere in the Bible we are told of his trade. Paul was a tentmaker. In we are told how he stayed in the home of Priscilla and Aquila, while staying in Corinth, because he too was a tentmaker and worked with them.
Paul, did not use his status as an apostle as an excuse to not get his hands dirty and get his hands dirty doing the job of a tentmaker.
It is a very sad reality, but the ministry seems to be a confortable place for the lazy.
It is an embarrassment to the church of God to see pastors failing to visit the sick, failing to counsel, failing to evangelize, failing to pray, failing to plan the worship service, failing to teach Bible studies.
It is an embarrassment to see many ministers who live of the income of hard working church folk while they rarely experience a honest hard days’ work.
This does not mean we must not support our minister financially. The Bible speaks about the minister being worthy of his wages (). Nevertheless, he must make sure they are well earned and he is in fact fulfilling the work of the ministry.
Paul uses himself as an example because this allowed him to, in good conscience, exhort the disobedient:
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
Porque incluso cuando estábamos con ustedes, les ordenamos: «El que no quiera trabajar, que tampoco coma.»
III. The church’s responsibility: exhort those who do not want to work
III. The church’s responsibility: exhort those who do not want to work
III. La responsabilidad de la Iglesia: exortar a los que no quieren trabajar
III. La responsabilidad de la Iglesia: exortar a los que no quieren trabajar
Paul has a drastic measure. Those who do not want to work should not eat.
B. Teach on the importance of hard work
B. Teach on the importance of hard work
This would necessarily require the brethren to stop feeding the lazy busybodies who do not want to work.
Paul is even more clear in verse 11 and 12.
A. Exhortar a los que no desean trabajar
A. Exhortar a los que no desean trabajar
2 Thes 3:11-12
B. Enseñar acerca de la importancia del trabajo
B. Enseñar acerca de la importancia del trabajo
We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.
Nos hemos enterado de que entre ustedes hay algunos que andan de vagos, sin trabajar en nada, y que sólo se meten en lo que no les importa. A tales personas les ordenamos y exhortamos en el Señor Jesucristo que tranquilamente se pongan a trabajar para ganarse la vida.
He calls the busybodies to settle down, work, and pay their own way.
He calls them, not to stop looking for the Lord’s second coming, but rather to wait upon the Lord while at the same time living a disciplined and responsible life as they wait for his coming.
We are called to go to the office, go to the construction site, flip burgers, was cars, sell insurance - whatever it takes, we are called to be a hard working people.
This mean, that as the church of God, we are called to exhort those in our midst who seem to be averse to work. We must call them to repentance and show them the need to be a hard working contributing member in our society.
The church should not approve of laziness.
Christian parents should teach their children the importance of hard work.
Christians in general should value the importance of earning a living to support one’s family and support the work of the church of Christ.
Paul knew that many would follow his command and stop helping the busybodies. However, there may have been less discerning believers who would stop helping people altogether. For this reason he adds:
2 Thes 3:
And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
Ustedes, hermanos, no se cansen de hacer el bien.
By this, he asks the believers to continue helping those who are truly in need. There are those who are not able to work for various reasons.
However, this too requires much care.
Example: the early church faced the need of supporting widows. But even, this required much care.
speaks about the care we should take in supporting widows financially.
Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
1 Timoteo 5:3-8
Reconoce debidamente a las viudas que de veras están desamparadas. Pero si una viuda tiene hijos o nietos, que éstos aprendan primero a cumplir sus obligaciones con su propia familia y correspondan así a sus padres y abuelos, porque eso agrada a Dios. La viuda desamparada, como ha quedado sola, pone su esperanza en Dios y persevera noche y día en sus oraciones y súplicas. En cambio, la viuda que se entrega al placer ya está muerta en vida. Encárgales estas cosas para que sean intachables. El que no provee para los suyos, y sobre todo para los de su propia casa, ha negado la fe y es peor que un incrédulo.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Why must we work hard?
Is it simply because this will make us wealthy?
Is it simply because hard work is part of the curse upon Adam?
We must work because we were created in God’s image.
God gave is creativity
God gave us intelligence
God gave us unique gifting that must be exercised
God gave us a family, in many cases, and we are called to provide for them
God
Ultimately, providing for our family is a sign of true faith and a sign of a true believer:
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
El que no provee para los suyos, y sobre todo para los de su propia casa, ha negado la fe y es peor que un incrédulo.