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Neglect of Work. We instruct you, brothers, in the name of [our] Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us.[a] For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you.(A) Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.(B) 10 In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 3:6 Some members of the community, probably because they regarded the parousia as imminent or the new age of the Lord to be already here (2 Thes 2:2), had apparently ceased to work for a living. The disciplinary problem they posed could be rooted in distorted thinking about Paul’s own teaching (cf. 1 Thes 2:16; 3:3–4; 5:4–5) or, more likely, in a forged letter (2 Thes 2:2) and the type of teaching dealt with in 2 Thes 2:1–15. The apostle’s own moral teaching, reflected in his selfless labors for others, was rooted in a deep doctrinal concern for the gospel message (cf. 1 Thes 2:3–10).

16 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.(A)

IV. Final Greetings

17 This greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s. This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write.(B) 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

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