2 Thessalonians 3:12-Paul, Silvanus and Timothy Command, Encourage and Exhort the Undisciplined to Work to Support Themselves

2 Thessalonians 3:12 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. (Lecturer’s translation)

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy here in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 issue a command to those members of the Thessalonian Christian community who were living an undisciplined lifestyle by refusing to work to support themselves financially and meddling in the affairs of others.

The command required that these individuals make it their habit of eating their own bread by making it their habit of working to support themselves financially in a manner characterized as an unobtrusive tranquil lifestyle.

These three men not only commanded these undisciplined individuals in the Thessalonian Christian community to do this, but they also encouraged and exhorted these individuals to eat their own bread by working in a manner characterized by an unobtrusive tranquil lifestyle.

Therefore, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy commanded, encouraged and exhorted these disobedient, undisciplined members of the Thessalonian Christian community to make it their habit of working in a manner characterized by an unobtrusive tranquil lifestyle.

They issued this command by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, which echoes the basis for the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 since the basis for the command in this verse was also the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice, that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are directly addressing the members of the Thessalonian Christian community who were living an undisciplined lifestyle because the contents of Second Thessalonians like First Thessalonians would have been read in all the house churches in Thessalonica.

This is indicated by the fact that Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 ordered that the contents of First Thessalonians would be read in all the house churches in Thessalonica.

The command here in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 stands in contrast to the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, which required the Thessalonian Christian community practice church discipline in relation to those in their community who were not working but were idle, which was in disobedience to Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching.

2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 presents Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s example as the first reason as to why the Thessalonians must obey the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:6.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 presents the prohibition each of these three men issued the Thessalonian Christian community on a regular basis while living with them as the second reason why they should obey the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:6.

2 Thessalonians 3:11 presents the explanation for the previous two reasons presented in 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10 for obeying this command in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 and so therefore, 2 Thessalonians 3:7-11 presents the explanations for the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:6.

The commands in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 and 12 stand in contrast to each other because the latter was addressed to those in the Thessalonian Christian community who were living an undisciplined lifestyle by refusing to work to support themselves financially while the former was addressed to those in this community who were not guilty of living an undisciplined lifestyle.

The noun hesuchia pertains in this context to an untroubled state free from disturbances and speaks of working in a peaceful, quiet and mild manner.

Therefore, this word indicates that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were commanding those in the Thessalonian Christian community who were living an undisciplined lifestyle to eat their own bread by working in a manner which is characterized as an “unobtrusive tranquil lifestyle.”

This word hesuchia stands in contrast with the accusative masculine plural present middle participle conjugation of the verb periergazomai (περιεργάζομαι), which appears at the end of 2 Thessalonians 3:11.

This word pertains to acting as a busybody since it speaks of behaving as one who meddles intrusively and unprofitably in the affairs of others.

Therefore, the former pertains to an “unobtrusive, tranquil lifestyle.

Therefore, hesuchia expresses a lifestyle that is totally antithetical or opposite to the lifestyle expressed by the verb periergazomai.

The prepositional phrase meta hēsychias (μετὰ ἡσυχίας), “in a manner characterized as an unobtrusive tranquil lifestyle” in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 is presenting the manner in which those living in an undisciplined lifestyle were to make it their habit of working to support themselves financially.

Therefore, this prepositional phrase is expressing the idea of working “in a manner characterized by an unobtrusive tranquil lifestyle.”

Now, the cognate verb hēsychazō (ἡσυχάζω) of this noun hesuchia (ἡσυχία) appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and means “to lead a quiet life”.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now, concerning the topic of Christian love, each one and every one you possesses absolutely no need whatsoever for any one of us to write to any one of you at this particular time because each one of one, each of yourselves are taught by God for the purpose of making it your habit of divinely loving one another. 10 For indeed, each and every one of you are making it your habit of practicing it for the benefit of your spiritual brothers and sisters located throughout Macedonia. However, each one of us are authoritatively exhorting and encouraging each one of you brothers and sisters to make it your habit of excelling even more. 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. (Lecturer’s translation)

In 2 Thessalonians 3:12, the verb parangellōpertains to giving instructions to or direct somebody with authority to do something.

Therefore, it is expressing the idea that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were communicating in writing to each member of the Thessalonian Christian community the command that they eat their own bread by working quietly to support themselves financially.

The verb parakaleō is expressing the idea of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy exhorting those members of the Thessalonian Christian community who were living an undisciplined lifestyle to eat their own bread by working to support themselves in a manner characterized by unobtrusive, tranquil lifestyle.

These three men exhorted them to do so in the sense that they authoritatively trained these individuals work to eat their own bread by working to support themselves in a manner characterized by un unobtrusive, tranquil lifestyle.

The verb parakaleō is expressing the idea of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy causing those members of the Thessalonian Christian community who were living an undisciplined lifestyle to be encouraged to eat their own bread by working for a living to support themselves.

The word is expressing the idea of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy filling those in the Thessalonian Christian community who were living an undisciplined lifestyle with courage or strength of purpose to eat their own bread by working to support themselves in a manner which is characterized by unobtrusive, tranquil lifestyle.

Consequently, this would raise these individuals’ confidence in God.

Therefore, this verb parakaleō is expressing the idea of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy exhorting and encouraging those members of the Thessalonian Christian community who refused to work for a living but rather were meddling in the affairs of others that they eat their own bread by working to support themselves financially in a manner characterized by an unobtrusive lifestyle.

By encouraging them, I mean that these three men would fill these disobedient members of the Thessalonian Christian community with courage or strength of purpose to eat their own bread by working to support themselves in a manner characterized by an unobtrusive, tranquil lifestyle so as to raise their confidence in their relationship with God.

By exhorting them, I mean that they would train the hearts of these disobedient members of the Thessalonian Christian community to eat their own bread by working to support themselves in a manner characterized by an unobtrusive, tranquil lifestyle so as to compel obedience in every area of their lives in order that they might live their lives in a manner worthy of God.

Paul is using the figure of hendiadys with these two verbs which indicates that the verb parakaleō is intensifying and advancing upon the idea expressed by parangellō, which is that of issuing a command whereas the former expresses the ideas of encouragement and exhortation.

Therefore, the idea expressed by this figure is that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy were not merely issuing the disobedient members of the Thessalonian Christian community the command to work to support themselves but were also encouraging and exhorting them to do so since obedience to this command will result in accomplishing the Father’s will and rewards at the Bema Seat.

The prepositional phrase en kyriō Iēsou Christō (ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ), “by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ” here in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 indicates that Paul, Silvanus and Timothy issued this command to the disobedient, undisciplined members of the Thessalonian Christian community “by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

It parallels the prepositional phrase en onomati tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou (ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” in 2 Thessalonians 3:6.

The latter is expressing the idea that these Paul, Silvanus and Timothy issued the command in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 “by means of the name (i.e., the authority) of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The noun kurios (κύριος), “Lord” contains the figure of metonymy which means that the Lord Jesus Christ is put for His authority over the Thessalonian Christian community and in particular those who were refusing to work for a living in disobedience to Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic command to do so.

So therefore, Paul, Silvanus and Timothy’s command, exhortation and encouragement addressed to those in the Thessalonian Christian community who were living an undisciplined lifestyle was based upon the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.