October 7, 2023

Passage Read: 2 Thessalonians 2-3
Meditation Verses: 3:7-9

Thought

This is a high bar. To work night and day, both to set an example and to provide for their own needs, even while Macedonian churches were sending gifts to aid them, that's exhausting. Did they take turns? He says they were not idle. Of course, if everyone else was working during the day, there would be few people to teach. If he preached in the marketplace during the day, he would mainly be reaching slaves and merchants and people who had no slaves to do their shopping. Then he would've expected people to come and learn during their evenings, so no one would have idle time! Ha! Try that today!

Application

It is good not to be characterized by idleness, but is it necessary to have no break, no rest from labors? The sabbath rule indicates that God thought it important enough to command a day of rest, so that we take time out to rest. So rest is important, but idleness is dangerous. But what about an eagerness to learn of Christ and to teach Him? Was this model a sustainable long-term model, or only suitable when first starting out in a city? There are indications that when the rest of the team could work or there were sufficient gifts, Paul gave his full time to ministry. So ministry time is not idle time, unless you're not actually doing anything.