Discernment In Fellowship

II Thessalonians 3:6-15

Today’s New Testament passage brings us to the end of Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica.  In this passage he finishes his teachings to the believers with two basic instructions, one about with whom believers should be fellowshipping, and the other about idleness.  Let’s see what the Lord can teach us today.

Parents often teach their children that they need to watch out with whom they associate with, that someone’s bad character can easily rub off on to them, influencing their conduct and behavior.  This is not only true with children, but with adults, as well. As our passage opens, Paul instructs the Thessalonian Christians to withdraw from fellowship with other believers who are “walking disorderly”, meaning they are consciously not following what the Bible teaches (vs. 6).  Paul considers this instruction important enough that he repeats it at the close of this passage, as well (vs. 14-15).

The Bible teaches us to not associate with those who deliberately, and purposefully sin.  To do so could draw us into their behavior. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he also instructed the believers to cut off fellowship with someone who was living blatantly in sin, refusing to amend their lifestyle (I Corinthians 5:9-13).  Jesus, too, gave instructions on how the church was to handle those in sin, by bringing them before the church leadership, and then if they refused to listen, to disfellowship from them (Matthew 18:15-17).

Paul instructs that when the church leadership confronts a straying brother or sister, it is not to be done in a contentious or hateful manner, filled with self-righteous pride and condemnation (vs. 15).  The purpose of disfellowship with sinful believers is not to be a final, permanent rejection of them. Rather, it is to hopefully lead the person back into repentance.

The second issue that Paul brought up as he finished his letter to the Thessalonian church was about a problem that was happening with some of the Christians there.  Some Thessalonians believed that Jesus’ return would happen real soon, so they quit their jobs to sit and wait, and to be rescued from their struggles and persecution.  Because they were not working, these believers were becoming dependent on other believers, and a burden to the church which was forced to support them. They were wasting time which could have been used in helping those who truly were in need.  They were also becoming busybodies and gossips, spending their idle time spreading rumors and hearsay (vs. 11-12). They may have thought they were more spiritual by eagerly waiting for the Lord’s return, but they were only drifting into sin.

Paul then gave himself and his fellow associates as examples (vs. 7-12).  Paul and the other missionaries definitely believed that Jesus would one day return.  However, they didn’t just sit back and idly wait for that to happen. They worked hard.  Paul had the right as an apostle to receive support from the churches he established. However, he chose to earn his own living and to be an example (vs. 8-9).  We also, today, believe that Jesus could return at any time. That is not an excuse to be lazy. Contrariwise, it should spur us on to be diligent workers for the Lord.

The hard-working Christians in Thessalonica were tired of supporting these lazy ones, and were ready to give up all charity.  Paul, though, reminded them that there were still some who were genuinely in need, and these should not be neglected (vs. 13).

We should never give up in doing good to those in need, even if there are some who might misuse Christian charity.  And as obedient Christians, we need to be careful of our fellowship with habitually disobedient believers, and those who follow false doctrines and teachings.