- May 27, 2004
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My brothers and sisters in Christ, once again I am in need of your assistance. I'd like to know what you think about 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15.
Thanks
Thanks
Halley's Bible Handbook said:The Disorderly (6-15), were lazy people who, taking advantage of the charitable disposition of the church (I Thessalonians 4:9-10) and, making their expectation of the immediate appearance of the Lord an excuse for abandoning their ordinary occupations, were claiming the right to be supported by the brethren who had means.
Paul, though he was an ardent advocate of charity toward those who were really in need, and though he spent a good deal of time gathering offerings of money for the poor, yet he spared no words in condemning the able-bodied who could but would not work. In these verses he positively forbids the brethren to support such people; even commands the church to withdraw fellowship from them.
2 Thess 3:15bleechers said:Which verse in particular? There is a lot of meat in the passage.
The first distinction I would make is that this passage has to with bothers (i.e. Christians) as opposed to the Titus parallel which deals with "hereticks".
Even so, when was the last time your local church "shunned and shamed" a brother? Try that and some CCM artist will write some "How-come-the-church-doesn't-love-enough" song and win 4 Dove awards...
jcright said:Personally, I'm not sure that we really need to point fingers at other groups and point out where they are wrong in order to reveal the truth of the bible. It's been my thought that the pastor should preach the truth so that we know the lies when we see/hear it and therefore take the appropriate action as we see necessary.