The Word Made Fresh
1And finally, friends, pray for us so that the word of the Lord might quickly spread and be honored everywhere, just as it has been among you, 2and pray also that we be protected from evil and wicked people, because not everyone is faithful. 3But the Lord is faithful, and will strengthen and guard you from evil. 4The Lord has assured us that you are doing as we ordered, and will continue to do so. 5May your hearts be turned to God’s love and the Lord’s faithfulness.
6We are telling you, friends, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to avoid those “believers” who are lazy, and are not living as we have taught. 7You know how you should copy our behavior. We weren’t resting on our laurels when we were with you. 8We paid for everything we ate, and we worked hard night and day so that you wouldn’t be burdened. 9We could have burdened you – we have that right – but we did not. We gave you an example to imitate. 10Even when we were there, we told you that anyone unwilling to work should not eat.
11We have been told that some of you are lazy, that you act busy but really do nothing. 12Through our Lord Jesus Christ we command everyone to work quietly and earn their own living. 13Friends, never tire of doing what is right.
14Watch out for those who refuse to obey our instructions. Don’t have anything to do with them, and perhaps they will feel ashamed. 15Don’t treat them as enemies, but warn them as friends.
16May the Lord of peace always grant you peace in every way. May the Lord be with all of you.
17I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. This is my mark in every letter; it’s the way I write. 18May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Commentary
1-5: He is eager to get on with his mission and asks for their prayers to speed the work along. It is obvious that this is not one of Paul’s letters from prison. Indeed, many scholars believe that 1 Thessalonians is the earliest of all the letters of Paul that have been preserved and this one, if it is indeed Paul’s, must have followed on it in short order.
6-15: One final complaint has reached him, however. Some among them have apparently become freeloaders, and Paul will have none of that. He emphasizes his own industry (compare 1 Thessalonians 2:9). Have nothing to do with those who don’t contribute to the work, he says. Curiously, though, he doesn’t want them to be completely cut off. The point is to shame them into doing their part.
16-18: He closes the letter with his own handwriting, saying it is the mark in every letter he writes. All his letters do not include this note about his own handwriting (but see 1 Corinthians 16:21, Galatians 6:11, Colossians 4:18, and Philemon 1:19), but it may be the case that he appends the final phrase or sentence in each letter’s closing. So far as I know, no manuscript has yet been found in which an obvious change in penmanship is evident at the closing — in other words, the original letters have never been found, only copies.
Takeaway
As followers of Jesus Christ, don’t sit back in the church and watch others do all the work. Get involved. The skills, abilities, and understandings that God has given you are not intended for you alone, but for the work of building up the body of Christ.