1 Thessalonians 4:11-Paul Describes Three Practical Manifestations of Divine-Love

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more. 11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. (NET)

1 Thessalonians 4:11 is composed of three infinitival clauses and a comparative clause.

These three infinitival clause have the force of a command.

These three infinitival clauses are in addition to the infinitive clause perisseuein mallon (περισσεύειν μᾶλλον) which appears at the end of verse 10.

Together, they are expressing the idea that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were exhorting and encouraging each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to make it their habit of excelling even more in practicing divine-love for the benefit of one another.

These three infinitival clauses are also completing the thought of the verb parakaleō, which appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:10, which begs to be defined.

We noted in our study of verse 10 that this verb parakaleō is expressing the idea that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are encouraging the Thessalonians to continue to make it their habit of practicing divine-love more and more for the benefit of their spiritual brothers and sisters located throughout the Roman province of Macedonia in the sense of filling them with confidence to do this.

Also, this verb is expressing the idea that they were exhorting the Thessalonians in the sense that they were authoritatively training them through instruction to continue to make it their habit of practicing divine-love more and more for the benefit of their spiritual brothers and sisters located throughout the Roman province of Macedonia.

Therefore, these three infinitival clauses are identifying specifically for the reader what Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were exhorting and encouraging the Thessalonians to do.

Furthermore, they are clearly connected to the Thessalonians continuing to make it their habit of practicing divine-love for the benefit of each other.

Thus, they are addressing the Thessalonians’ conduct in relation to the non-Christian.

However, by continuing to make it their habit of practicing divine-love for the benefit of each other, the non-Christian in their periphery would know that they were disciples of Jesus Christ since He taught His disciples that by practicing divine-love all people would not they were His disciples (cf. John 13:33-34).

The first infinitival clause philotimeisthai hēsychazein, “to aspire to lead a quiet life” and the verb parakaleō, “we urge” are expressing the idea of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy exhorting and encouraging each member of the Thessalonian Christian community for their own benefit to make it their habit of making it their ambition to live a quiet life.

So this first infinitival clause in verse 11 and the verb parakaleō in verse 10 are expressing the idea of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community leading lives, which are free from disruption or commotion by refraining or abstaining from disturbing activity.

In other words, if they continue to make it their habit of making it their ambition to lead a quiet life, they would not be disturbing each other in the community.

Paul is not addressing the Thessalonian Christian community’s conduct in relation to the unregenerate but rather with each other.

This interpretation is indicated by the fact that each of these infinitival clauses in verses 10 and 11 are connected to the Thessalonians continuing to make it their habit of practicing divine-love for the benefit of each other.

Remember, in verse 10, Paul affirmed that the Thessalonians were doing it and then he exhorts and encourages them to make it their habit of excelling in doing this.

Furthermore, the second infinitival clause required the Thessalonians make it their habit of attending or minding their own business.

If they were meddling in each other’s business then, they would be disturbing each other and not living a quiet life which refrains from disturbing their fellow-believer.

Therefore, if the Thessalonians continue to make it their habit of making it their ambition of living a quiet life rather than disturbing each other, then they will be practicing divine-love for the benefit of each other since the practice of divine-love does no wrong to one’s neighbor (cf. Rom. 13:10).

The second infinitival clause prassein ta idia, “attending to your own business” and this verb parakaleō, “we urge” are expressing the idea of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy exhorting and encouraging each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to make it their habit of attending to their own business.

Consequently, they won’t be meddling in the affairs of each other.

It would be an expression of divine-love if they refrained from meddling in each other’s lives by attending or minding their own business.

This interpretation is supported by the contents of 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, which records Paul admonishing the Thessalonians to work for a living and not be idle and busybodies.

Like the first infinitival clause, the second is connected to the practice of divine-love by the Thessalonians.

If they mind their own business by attending to their own affairs, they would be practicing divine-love in relation to each other.

They would not be practicing divine-love for the benefit of each other if they meddled in each other’s affairs.

Therefore, if they continue to make it their habit of attending to their own business rather than meddling in each other’s business, then they will again be practicing divine-love for the benefit of each other since again the practice of divine-love does no wrong to one’s neighbor (cf. Rom. 13:10).

The third infinitival clause ergazesthai tais idiais chersin hymōn, “working to support yourselves” and this verb parakaleō, “we urge” are expressing the idea that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were exhorting and encouraging each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to make it their habit of working to support themselves.

Consequently, they won’t be a financial burden to each other.

Consequently, they would be continuing to exercise divine-love for the benefit of each other.

Therefore, if they continue to make it their habit of working to support themselves, rather than being a burden to each other financially, then they will be practicing divine-love for the benefit of each other since the practice of divine-love does no wrong to one’s neighbor (cf. Rom. 13:10).

In 2 Thessalonians 3:12, Paul commands the Thessalonians to work quietly in order to earn a living.

2 Thessalonians 3:12 Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their own food to eat. (NET)

In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul asserts that if anyone in the Thessalonian Christian community was unwillingly to work for a living, then neither should they eat.

In Ephesians 4:28, the apostle Paul commands the Ephesian Christian community to work with their own hands as well in order that they would be able to share with each other.

Ephesians 4:28 The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need. (NET)

The reason why Paul exhorts the Thessalonian Christian community to work in both 1 and 2 Thessalonians is that the Greek culture despised work or manual labor in general because of their use of slaves, unlike the Jewish community which embraced the concept of working.

Warren Wiersbe writes “For the most part, the Greeks despised manual labor. Most of the work was done by slaves. Paul, of course, was a tentmaker; and he was careful in Thessalonica to set the example of hard work (see 1 Thes. 2:6; 2 Thes. 3:6ff).”[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.”[2]

The comparative clause which brings to an end verse 11 is presenting a comparison between two ideas.

The first is the Thessalonians receiving exhortation and encouragement in this letter to make it their habit of excelling even more in the practice of divine-love, making it their ambition to live a quiet life, attending to their own business and working with their own hands to support themselves.

The second is Paul, Silvanus and Timothy commanding the Thessalonians to do this very same thing when they were in their physical presence.

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 177). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[2] Constable, T. L. (1985). 1 Thessalonians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 703). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.