Page 26 - Pauline Epistles Student Textbook

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quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that
you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (ESV)

In vv9-10, Paul initially urged the believers at Thessalonica to excel in their love for each other even
more. That is, to love their brothers and sisters beyond what they have been doing. Contextually,
this love should not be interpreted as extending even to non-
believers. There are many passages in the Bible that teaches us to
love non-believers (Matt 5:43-48; cf. Luke 6:27-36). An important
dependent clause is this; “for you yourselves have been taught by
God to love each other” (v9b). The prophet Isaiah appeared to have
seen the future glory of Zion. In that time, in reference to the
children of Israel, they will be taught by the LORD (Isa 54:13). This
should be after the inauguration of the New Covenant when all the
promises to Israel would have been realized. The prophet Micah also hinted that in the last days,
probably in reference to the New Covenant, the God of Jacob will teach many nations so that they
walk in his paths (Mic. 4:2). In quoting Isaiah 54:13, Jesus said that “they will all be taught by God”
(John 6:45). It appears that “Paul once again takes new covenant language originally describing Israel
and applies it to the predominantly Gentile church of Thessalonica.” Probably, God was teaching
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them how to love through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Secondly, Paul urged them to lead quiet lives by means of minding their own businesses and to work
hard with their own hands (vv11-12). Leading quiet lives could mean staying out of the spotlight and
disassociate themselves from the politics and the culture of the people of Thessalonica. That is
plausible and convincing, but it is highly subjective. Just as Gene L. Green argues that leading quiet
life has to do with “retiring from public activity, whether from the tribunal or from politics in
general. . . We can assume that the apostle is calling believers to stay out of public/political
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affairs.” On working hard with their own hands, some scholars have suggested that that could have
been caused by the fact that the Coming of Jesus for Thessalonians appeared to be imminent. Thus,
some believers at Thessalonica saw no need to work because our Lord Jesus Christ was going to
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come at any time. But if that was true, the apostles could have ceased to work. Instead, they
worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone (cf. 1 Thess. 2:9).

Another interpretation should be sought. It appears that some people were just lazy. They were
failing to take care of themselves by providing for their daily needs and probably those of their own
family members. It could also be a correct suggestion by some scholars—even though highly
speculative—that some poverty-stricken people who by Christian obligation were being helped by
the better-off members of the Christian community. That could have caused those being helped to
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begin exploiting those better-off members. If that is true, then, it appears that the practice was not
well received as it did not reflect Paul’s instructions given to the new converts earlier on (v11b). The
aim for the exhortation in the previous two verses was twofold; winning of the outsiders’ respect
and non-dependence on anyone (v12). Obviously, Paul is not denouncing helping the poverty-
stricken because he is one of the apostles who champions the rendering of help to the poor and the

45 D. A. Carson, ed., NIV Zondervan Study Bible: Built on the Truth of Scripture and Centered on the
Gospel Message, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), 2443.

46 Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians: The Pillar New Testament Commentary, 210.

47 Wanamaker, The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistles to the
Thessalonians, 162.

48 Ibid., 163.

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