For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
If any is unwilling to work, neither should he eat, a charge against walking disorderly and living as busybodies without working, to work quietly and eat one's own bread, which concerns refusal to work and not inability to work. It corrects the error that the nearness of Christ's coming justifies abandoning ordinary work, requiring instead the use and improvement of God-given abilities in useful labor that blesses others. Paul illustrated it by his own pattern of laboring night and day at self-supporting work while preaching, eating no one's bread for nothing so as not to burden others, though he had the right to support. Work is ordained by God and is honorable and beneficial to body and mind, bringing happiness and strength through useful employment, while idleness is sinful and brings evil results. Therefore those able but unwilling to work should not be maintained in idleness by others, in order to move them to duty, yet unavoidable poverty, affliction, widowhood, and inability to work must be met with mercy and tender compassion, and true beneficence teaches and trains the poor to provide for themselves.
Setting and Original Meaning
The command was first spoken in person while with the Thessalonians at Thessalonica on the sea coast after labor at Philippi, and was then repeated in writing with authority in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The spoken giving came when present with them, and the written repeating carried the same authority for observance.
In the letter the command stands joined to prayer for the free course of the word and to prayer for deliverance from unreasonable and wicked men. It stands joined also to confidence in the Lord's faithfulness to establish and keep from evil, and to direction of hearts into the love of God and patient waiting for Christ. With it stands a charge to withdraw from every brother walking disorderly and not after the received tradition, and a charge not to be weary in well doing.
It was directed against believers who refused to work with their hands, who walked disorderly, working not at all but as busybodies. Those so walking were commanded to work with quietness and eat their own bread. It corrects the error that the soon coming of Christ justified abandoning ordinary work. Christians are still to work quietly, earn and eat their own bread, and use and improve God-given abilities in useful work that blesses others.
The words mean if any is unwilling to work, neither should he eat. They concern refusal to work, not inability to work. They require healthful, balanced use of the physical powers, with harmonious, equal exercise of all powers to keep the living machinery unclogged by feebleness and disease, each part bearing its burden and not leaving the muscles inactive while the brain bears too much.
Duty and Blessing of Work
Work is good for all, and it stands as a duty rather than something to be avoided, while idleness is sin, contrary to the word of God, and no one guilty of it is guiltless before God. Those able to work should do so rather than expect others to provide their food and support, and to treat work as sinful and urge others to abstain from it leads them into error. God ordained work for the beings He created, no one in His great domain was made to be idle, and happiness increases and powers develop through useful employment. Labor is honorable, dignified, and beneficial to body and mind, a blessing that exercises and strengthens the system, keeps people from the dangers of idleness, and when done habitually and persistently disciplines fallen human beings.
Keeping the living machinery unclogged by feebleness and disease requires harmonious, equal exercise of all the powers, with every part bearing its burden and physical power used proportionately with mental power. The muscles must not be left inactive and weak while the brain bears too much, for neglecting such balanced exercise harms health, and teaching itself lacks vitality unless all parts of the human machinery are equally exercised. Active hands and minds find less time to heed temptation, while idleness produces much sin because idle hands and brains are ready for Satan to control, and being useful and denying self to help others gives the most healthful pleasure. In schooling this order calls for giving one third of the time now occupied in book study with the mental machinery to learning the right use of the physical powers, covering the whole circle of obligations to self, to the world, and to God, since physical labor does not prevent cultivation of the intellect.
Physical labor is not degrading, belittling, or drudgery fit only for others, and it is no hindrance to gospel ministry, for ministers are not excused from it by preaching. Labor to support oneself and others is to be commended, and honest work can support oneself and others, honor God, and serve alongside ministry without weakening a minister's appeals. Skill in ordinary crafts and common work is a gift from God to be used to honor Him in everyday toil, and such labor can give access to people otherwise unreached. Refusal to work for a living is wrong and brings evil results upon the one refusing, producing laziness at the foundation of many shipwrecked lives, extravagance, and every evil. Indolence leaves family members without needed comforts, so when not zealously engaged in God's work a person should labor with the hands to provide for the family.
Paul's Self-Supporting Example
The command was lived out at Thessalonica itself, where night and day labor and travail in self-supporting work went hand in hand with preaching the Word, eating no one's bread for nothing, so as not to be chargeable to anyone and to leave a pattern to be followed. That pattern was set among believers who refused to work with their hands, walked disorderly, worked not at all but as busybodies, and were therefore to work with quietness and eat their own bread. The labor extended even into the night so as not to burden the church.
This was not because there was no power or right to be supported as a minister, but in order to present an example of quiet industry and to avoid laying a burden on fellow believers. The example was deliberate self-denial of a legitimate claim for the sake of instruction.
Preparation for such self-support had been made by learning the tentmaker's trade in its higher and lower branches, so that the common branches could be worked when circumstances demanded. Since tentmaking did not bring returns as quickly as some other lines of business, necessities were at times supplied only by the strictest economy. Yet toil-worn hands did not weaken ministerial appeals.
Honest work of this kind supported both self and others, honored God, and stood alongside Christian ministry rather than hindering it. Skill in ordinary crafts is a gift from God to be used to His honor in everyday toil. Such labor also opened access to people who might not otherwise have been reached.
Charity Discipline and Compassion
Those who are able to work but unwilling to do so should not be supported with food in idleness and should not expect others to provide their living. Hardworking people are not required to maintain those who waste time, fail to make effort, and neglect ordinary duties. A person able to earn a living should not depend on others for support, and the command concerns refusal to work, not inability to work. It corrects the belief that Christ's soon return meant abandoning ordinary work, calling instead for quiet work and eating one's own bread after the pattern of self-supporting labor that would not burden others.
Withholding support from the able but unwilling is intended to move them to take up their duties and to prevent disorder, harmful idleness, dependence, and burdening fellow believers. Requiring work for food teaches the money-value of strength and time. Help should instead open opportunities for people to work and develop their own ability to provide for themselves, since giving support in a way that encourages idleness and dependence harms them. Forgiving others does not cancel just obligation, and praying to be forgiven as we forgive does not forbid requiring what is justly due, nor does it lessen any duty to obey.
The rule does not justify turning away unavoidable poverty, and those who are unfortunate, afflicted, widowed, worthy poor, confined to bed and unable to work, and even those who cannot pay through unwise management must be shown mercy, tenderness, and compassion without imprisonment, oppression, harsh treatment, or exploitation in prices and wages. Poverty may result from misfortune, and one who asks for food is not to be turned away on that ground alone. Poverty caused by wasted time, lack of diligence in business, lack of economy and good management, and a careless loafing spirit calls for correction and reform, since aid that leaves those faults unchanged is wasted and ineffective. Encouraging indolence by such aid harms the receiver.
Strength is a trust from God just as property is, and the poor are as accountable for the use of strength as the rich are for the use of means. The wealthy are not required to support those who have health and can support themselves. The idle must reform, husband time, use God-given strength and time to provide for their own families, have something to give to sustain God's cause instead of receiving help and burdening others, and avoid vexing those with means or injuring the cause. True beneficence is more than giving gifts, pennies, and old clothes; it takes liberal interest in welfare, teaches the improvident poor economy and self-care, opens opportunities to work, trains widows and fatherless, young and aged, afflicted and crippled who can work to provide for themselves, and gives with worthy purpose to advance God's cause and relieve need through small quiet kindnesses.
Support must be withheld even from one's own son if he will not work for his own support, persists in his own way and evil companions, and brings suffering of mind and reproach on home and God's cause. To keep feeding and clothing him in that course justifies his evil course and shares guilt for it. Letting him learn self-support by work stops making it easy for him to continue injuring others, tempting and alluring other youth away from uprightness, and increasing in evil doings. Idleness is sin and must not be encouraged by supporting idle men and women with private gifts or church money. Even a man in good physical health who has property and has no need to work for his own support is still to labor to acquire means to advance God's work, while every man, woman, and child is to be educated to practical useful work and industrious habits, guarding influence over others in diligence.
Education and Spiritual Application
Useful physical labor belongs to the gospel plan, and learning a trade is not degrading but the way to become self-supporting and useful to others. When enshrouded in the pillar of cloud God directed Israel that every youth should be taught some line of useful employment, so that Jews both wealthy and poor taught their sons and daughters some useful trade in addition to literary instruction. The purpose was that when adverse circumstances arise no one would be dependent on others but would be able to earn his own bread and provide for his own necessities, and knowing how hard money is to obtain would not spend means foolishly. Paul illustrates the command because he learned the tentmaker's trade in its higher and lower branches so he could work at the common branches when circumstances demanded, and because tentmaking did not bring returns as quickly as some other lines of business he at times supplied his necessities only by the strictest economy. Those able to work should not depend on others for food and support, and therefore missionaries should be trained in practical skills so they can provide for themselves, serve others, and teach others to work. The right use of oneself includes the whole circle of human obligations to oneself, to the world, and to God, elevating labor so physical power is used proportionately with mental power, and applied to schooling one third of the time now occupied in book study with the mental machinery should be occupied in learning lessons in the right use of one's own physical powers.
Children are to be given useful work and taught patient industry, and daughters in particular are to be taught useful labor, self-support, and the calls of duty rather than encouraged in indolence. Idleness is sin and produces much sin, for it weakens moral strength and leaves the idle open to temptation, while active hands and minds do not find time to heed every temptation the enemy suggests and idle hands and brains are ready for Satan to control. Children are called to be useful and to deny themselves to help others, which gives the most healthful pleasure ever enjoyed, and this requires cultivation and proper development of the physical being together with the mental, since physical labor does not prevent cultivation of the intellect. The Waldenses applied the principle through persevering labor, carefully cultivating even poor mountain land, teaching their children economy, self-denial, forethought, and care, and regarding labor as a wholesome discipline for fallen human beings.
Treating manual labor as degrading drudgery fit only for others is wrong and brings evil results, producing laziness at the foundation of many shipwrecked lives, extravagance, and every evil. That sentiment appears when white people refuse to wait on themselves or cultivate land and raise food, crowd into cities to live by scheming rather than by patient toil, and make themselves dependent on the labor of Black people in the cotton fields. The remedy is learning and doing useful physical labor, with Black people taught how to cultivate and raise their own food so they are not dependent, and white people taught to do their own work instead of holding to non-working sentiments, since patient, joyous labor brings health to the mental, moral, and physical powers and educating people to engage in useful physical labor is the highest and most abiding missionary work. Selling possessions is meant to spread the truth, not to provide for people who can earn their own support. Those who attend meetings for material benefits should instead labor with their hands to provide for their families and have something to give to sustain the cause of God and of present truth.
The duty to work applies to spiritual and religious life as well as to earthly affairs, so one who has surrendered to God must actively resist sin by looking to Jesus, use every available means, and bring every energy to laboring with God. Faithful service joins physical labor with the effort to grow in spiritual knowledge and to use abilities in winning souls to Christ, and such work is neither degrading nor a reason for discontent. Those who refuse to share the light God has given them are spiritual idlers. As those unwilling to work should not expect to be fed, they should not expect to keep receiving His rich grace as spiritual nourishment or to gain more light.
If any is unwilling to work, neither should he eat, a charge against walking disorderly and living as busybodies without working, to work quietly and eat one's own bread, which concerns refusal to work and not inability to work. It corrects the error that the nearness of Christ's coming justifies abandoning ordinary work, requiring instead the use and improvement of God-given abilities in useful labor that blesses others. Paul illustrated it by his own pattern of laboring night and day at self-supporting work while preaching, eating no one's bread for nothing so as not to burden others, though he had the right to support. Work is ordained by God and is honorable and beneficial to body and mind, bringing happiness and strength through useful employment, while idleness is sinful and brings evil results. Therefore those able but unwilling to work should not be maintained in idleness by others, in order to move them to duty, yet unavoidable poverty, affliction, widowhood, and inability to work must be met with mercy and tender compassion, and true beneficence teaches and trains the poor to provide for themselves.
Setting and Original Meaning
The command was first spoken in person while with the Thessalonians at Thessalonica on the sea coast after labor at Philippi, and was then repeated in writing with authority in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The spoken giving came when present with them, and the written repeating carried the same authority for observance.
In the letter the command stands joined to prayer for the free course of the word and to prayer for deliverance from unreasonable and wicked men. It stands joined also to confidence in the Lord's faithfulness to establish and keep from evil, and to direction of hearts into the love of God and patient waiting for Christ. With it stands a charge to withdraw from every brother walking disorderly and not after the received tradition, and a charge not to be weary in well doing.
It was directed against believers who refused to work with their hands, who walked disorderly, working not at all but as busybodies. Those so walking were commanded to work with quietness and eat their own bread. It corrects the error that the soon coming of Christ justified abandoning ordinary work. Christians are still to work quietly, earn and eat their own bread, and use and improve God-given abilities in useful work that blesses others.
The words mean if any is unwilling to work, neither should he eat. They concern refusal to work, not inability to work. They require healthful, balanced use of the physical powers, with harmonious, equal exercise of all powers to keep the living machinery unclogged by feebleness and disease, each part bearing its burden and not leaving the muscles inactive while the brain bears too much.
Duty and Blessing of Work
Work is good for all, and it stands as a duty rather than something to be avoided, while idleness is sin, contrary to the word of God, and no one guilty of it is guiltless before God. Those able to work should do so rather than expect others to provide their food and support, and to treat work as sinful and urge others to abstain from it leads them into error. God ordained work for the beings He created, no one in His great domain was made to be idle, and happiness increases and powers develop through useful employment. Labor is honorable, dignified, and beneficial to body and mind, a blessing that exercises and strengthens the system, keeps people from the dangers of idleness, and when done habitually and persistently disciplines fallen human beings.
Keeping the living machinery unclogged by feebleness and disease requires harmonious, equal exercise of all the powers, with every part bearing its burden and physical power used proportionately with mental power. The muscles must not be left inactive and weak while the brain bears too much, for neglecting such balanced exercise harms health, and teaching itself lacks vitality unless all parts of the human machinery are equally exercised. Active hands and minds find less time to heed temptation, while idleness produces much sin because idle hands and brains are ready for Satan to control, and being useful and denying self to help others gives the most healthful pleasure. In schooling this order calls for giving one third of the time now occupied in book study with the mental machinery to learning the right use of the physical powers, covering the whole circle of obligations to self, to the world, and to God, since physical labor does not prevent cultivation of the intellect.
Physical labor is not degrading, belittling, or drudgery fit only for others, and it is no hindrance to gospel ministry, for ministers are not excused from it by preaching. Labor to support oneself and others is to be commended, and honest work can support oneself and others, honor God, and serve alongside ministry without weakening a minister's appeals. Skill in ordinary crafts and common work is a gift from God to be used to honor Him in everyday toil, and such labor can give access to people otherwise unreached. Refusal to work for a living is wrong and brings evil results upon the one refusing, producing laziness at the foundation of many shipwrecked lives, extravagance, and every evil. Indolence leaves family members without needed comforts, so when not zealously engaged in God's work a person should labor with the hands to provide for the family.
Paul's Self-Supporting Example
The command was lived out at Thessalonica itself, where night and day labor and travail in self-supporting work went hand in hand with preaching the Word, eating no one's bread for nothing, so as not to be chargeable to anyone and to leave a pattern to be followed. That pattern was set among believers who refused to work with their hands, walked disorderly, worked not at all but as busybodies, and were therefore to work with quietness and eat their own bread. The labor extended even into the night so as not to burden the church.
This was not because there was no power or right to be supported as a minister, but in order to present an example of quiet industry and to avoid laying a burden on fellow believers. The example was deliberate self-denial of a legitimate claim for the sake of instruction.
Preparation for such self-support had been made by learning the tentmaker's trade in its higher and lower branches, so that the common branches could be worked when circumstances demanded. Since tentmaking did not bring returns as quickly as some other lines of business, necessities were at times supplied only by the strictest economy. Yet toil-worn hands did not weaken ministerial appeals.
Honest work of this kind supported both self and others, honored God, and stood alongside Christian ministry rather than hindering it. Skill in ordinary crafts is a gift from God to be used to His honor in everyday toil. Such labor also opened access to people who might not otherwise have been reached.
Charity Discipline and Compassion
Those who are able to work but unwilling to do so should not be supported with food in idleness and should not expect others to provide their living. Hardworking people are not required to maintain those who waste time, fail to make effort, and neglect ordinary duties. A person able to earn a living should not depend on others for support, and the command concerns refusal to work, not inability to work. It corrects the belief that Christ's soon return meant abandoning ordinary work, calling instead for quiet work and eating one's own bread after the pattern of self-supporting labor that would not burden others.
Withholding support from the able but unwilling is intended to move them to take up their duties and to prevent disorder, harmful idleness, dependence, and burdening fellow believers. Requiring work for food teaches the money-value of strength and time. Help should instead open opportunities for people to work and develop their own ability to provide for themselves, since giving support in a way that encourages idleness and dependence harms them. Forgiving others does not cancel just obligation, and praying to be forgiven as we forgive does not forbid requiring what is justly due, nor does it lessen any duty to obey.
The rule does not justify turning away unavoidable poverty, and those who are unfortunate, afflicted, widowed, worthy poor, confined to bed and unable to work, and even those who cannot pay through unwise management must be shown mercy, tenderness, and compassion without imprisonment, oppression, harsh treatment, or exploitation in prices and wages. Poverty may result from misfortune, and one who asks for food is not to be turned away on that ground alone. Poverty caused by wasted time, lack of diligence in business, lack of economy and good management, and a careless loafing spirit calls for correction and reform, since aid that leaves those faults unchanged is wasted and ineffective. Encouraging indolence by such aid harms the receiver.
Strength is a trust from God just as property is, and the poor are as accountable for the use of strength as the rich are for the use of means. The wealthy are not required to support those who have health and can support themselves. The idle must reform, husband time, use God-given strength and time to provide for their own families, have something to give to sustain God's cause instead of receiving help and burdening others, and avoid vexing those with means or injuring the cause. True beneficence is more than giving gifts, pennies, and old clothes; it takes liberal interest in welfare, teaches the improvident poor economy and self-care, opens opportunities to work, trains widows and fatherless, young and aged, afflicted and crippled who can work to provide for themselves, and gives with worthy purpose to advance God's cause and relieve need through small quiet kindnesses.
Support must be withheld even from one's own son if he will not work for his own support, persists in his own way and evil companions, and brings suffering of mind and reproach on home and God's cause. To keep feeding and clothing him in that course justifies his evil course and shares guilt for it. Letting him learn self-support by work stops making it easy for him to continue injuring others, tempting and alluring other youth away from uprightness, and increasing in evil doings. Idleness is sin and must not be encouraged by supporting idle men and women with private gifts or church money. Even a man in good physical health who has property and has no need to work for his own support is still to labor to acquire means to advance God's work, while every man, woman, and child is to be educated to practical useful work and industrious habits, guarding influence over others in diligence.
Education and Spiritual Application
Useful physical labor belongs to the gospel plan, and learning a trade is not degrading but the way to become self-supporting and useful to others. When enshrouded in the pillar of cloud God directed Israel that every youth should be taught some line of useful employment, so that Jews both wealthy and poor taught their sons and daughters some useful trade in addition to literary instruction. The purpose was that when adverse circumstances arise no one would be dependent on others but would be able to earn his own bread and provide for his own necessities, and knowing how hard money is to obtain would not spend means foolishly. Paul illustrates the command because he learned the tentmaker's trade in its higher and lower branches so he could work at the common branches when circumstances demanded, and because tentmaking did not bring returns as quickly as some other lines of business he at times supplied his necessities only by the strictest economy. Those able to work should not depend on others for food and support, and therefore missionaries should be trained in practical skills so they can provide for themselves, serve others, and teach others to work. The right use of oneself includes the whole circle of human obligations to oneself, to the world, and to God, elevating labor so physical power is used proportionately with mental power, and applied to schooling one third of the time now occupied in book study with the mental machinery should be occupied in learning lessons in the right use of one's own physical powers.
Children are to be given useful work and taught patient industry, and daughters in particular are to be taught useful labor, self-support, and the calls of duty rather than encouraged in indolence. Idleness is sin and produces much sin, for it weakens moral strength and leaves the idle open to temptation, while active hands and minds do not find time to heed every temptation the enemy suggests and idle hands and brains are ready for Satan to control. Children are called to be useful and to deny themselves to help others, which gives the most healthful pleasure ever enjoyed, and this requires cultivation and proper development of the physical being together with the mental, since physical labor does not prevent cultivation of the intellect. The Waldenses applied the principle through persevering labor, carefully cultivating even poor mountain land, teaching their children economy, self-denial, forethought, and care, and regarding labor as a wholesome discipline for fallen human beings.
Treating manual labor as degrading drudgery fit only for others is wrong and brings evil results, producing laziness at the foundation of many shipwrecked lives, extravagance, and every evil. That sentiment appears when white people refuse to wait on themselves or cultivate land and raise food, crowd into cities to live by scheming rather than by patient toil, and make themselves dependent on the labor of Black people in the cotton fields. The remedy is learning and doing useful physical labor, with Black people taught how to cultivate and raise their own food so they are not dependent, and white people taught to do their own work instead of holding to non-working sentiments, since patient, joyous labor brings health to the mental, moral, and physical powers and educating people to engage in useful physical labor is the highest and most abiding missionary work. Selling possessions is meant to spread the truth, not to provide for people who can earn their own support. Those who attend meetings for material benefits should instead labor with their hands to provide for their families and have something to give to sustain the cause of God and of present truth.
The duty to work applies to spiritual and religious life as well as to earthly affairs, so one who has surrendered to God must actively resist sin by looking to Jesus, use every available means, and bring every energy to laboring with God. Faithful service joins physical labor with the effort to grow in spiritual knowledge and to use abilities in winning souls to Christ, and such work is neither degrading nor a reason for discontent. Those who refuse to share the light God has given them are spiritual idlers. As those unwilling to work should not expect to be fed, they should not expect to keep receiving His rich grace as spiritual nourishment or to gain more light.