As we brought our exploration of 2 Thessalonians chapter three to a close, our conversation took a deep dive into the intersection of faith and action. Paul's timeless message to the Thessalonian church echoed through the ages, challenging us to shun idleness while embracing the sanctity of work. He offered a blueprint for spiritual fortitude, urging the faithful to support each other through prayer and to remain vigilant against the forces of evil. Our discussion reflected on Paul's own metamorphosis from adversary to advocate, casting his teachings in a new light that underscored the transformative power of faith and the protection it affords.
Tackling the Christian ethos of work, Nick and Aaron unpacked the delicate dance between community support and the promotion of self-reliance. We traversed through scripture to remind ourselves that while the anticipation of Christ's return is vital, it should not deter us from daily toil and contribution to our communities. Our discourse reaffirmed that to work quietly and earn our keep is to live out Biblical principles, a testament to the depth of our conviction and the embodiment of our dedication to the tenets of our faith. Join us on this profound journey, and let's carry these teachings into our lives, letting them shape the way we interact with the world and with the divine.
As we brought our exploration of 2 Thessalonians chapter three to a close, our conversation took a deep dive into the intersection of faith and action. Paul's timeless message to the Thessalonian church echoed through the ages, challenging us to shun idleness while embracing the sanctity of work. He offered a blueprint for spiritual fortitude, urging the faithful to support each other through prayer and to remain vigilant against the forces of evil. Our discussion reflected on Paul's own metamorphosis from adversary to advocate, casting his teachings in a new light that underscored the transformative power of faith and the protection it affords.
Tackling the Christian ethos of work, Nick and Aaron unpacked the delicate dance between community support and the promotion of self-reliance. We traversed through scripture to remind ourselves that while the anticipation of Christ's return is vital, it should not deter us from daily toil and contribution to our communities. Our discourse reaffirmed that to work quietly and earn our keep is to live out Biblical principles, a testament to the depth of our conviction and the embodiment of our dedication to the tenets of our faith. Join us on this profound journey, and let's carry these teachings into our lives, letting them shape the way we interact with the world and with the divine.
Welcome back to the two fish podcast. My name is Nick, I'm Aaron and this week we're finishing up second Thessalonians, chapter three, and as Paul told us not to be lazy, that's right to fish community.
Speaker 2:We are not to be lazy so good luck to you this week? Is you listen into this and decide that you can't be lazy? Because that's what Paul's going to tell us?
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's rewriting the church of Thessalonians and saying, hey, you're getting a couple things that I would when I said you're getting it wrong, let's correct these things, be careful about the thing people that are telling you the wrong things. And here he's going to end it. And then he's going to say, hey, also be more like us. And he's going to break it down here. Let's start. Let's just get right into it. Let's start chapter three, verse number one. Finally, brothers, pray for us that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not all have faith, but the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord, about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness stead and to the steadfastness of Christ. Okay, those big chunk there, five verses five really good.
Speaker 2:first, yeah, there is quite a bit in this, it's another one of, like Paul's, just very bold and to the point prayers for this community.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and and it's not just this community version number one pray for us. That the word of the Lord we've said this multiple times in different episodes and different books of that we studied. He always turns it back to Christ. It's not about Paul, it's not about Timothy, it's not about Silas, it's a constant hey, I'm finishing this up, make sure you pray. He doesn't say pray for us. Well, he does say I'm sorry. He does say pray for us, but why that the word of the Lord? Pray for us so that we can continue to spread this word.
Speaker 2:Mine reads pray first that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes.
Speaker 1:Okay, that doesn't have him in it.
Speaker 2:And it says I will the beginning verses I asked you to pray for us. Okay, pray first, pray first that the Lord's message will be spread rapidly and honor and will be honored wherever it goes. So, yeah, he wants prayer, but he wants that prayer. He's taking Christ's message and and wherever it goes, that spreads rapidly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, verse number two and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not all have faith. Everywhere Paul and Timothy and Silas and Peter, everywhere they go, they're met with opposition, and even we're met with opposition today. Now again, us in the Western world, we're not persecuted like the rest of the world is. But we know how Paul story ends. He gets thrown into prison. He writes a lot of these books from a prison cell and in those books he says and I still have my joy because he knows this is just temporary, life's just temporary. He understands and he's saying may we be delivered from that. And I think he partners it with that first verse, because that's the goal. The goal is we need to continue to spread this. So please help us to be delivered from these guys so that we can continue our mission.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that that same mission, like this same first two verses here are still very prevalent today.
Speaker 2:Yeah there are still people that do not believe and people that need to hear us, the two fish community, share the word of Christ and and share our experiences so they can hear that and see the change we went through since we've accepted Christ. And that was a big part of what Paul is doing when he's going from community to community. As we know, Paul was one of the people that was actively seeking Christians originally to basically to kill him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he was hunting them down like no, we're not going to do this. He was met on the road to Damascus and Jesus blinded him and sent him into community where another guy they met up and it all it all changed Paul's life and which is how it got his name. Yeah, when he got insane Paul, he was it was Saul. What is?
Speaker 1:yours? Does your version use the word wicked and evil men?
Speaker 2:Yes, wicked and evil people, Okay so.
Speaker 1:I think, as you're saying that story, it made me the reminder me of yes, he was that wicked and evil men or people, so he knew firsthand what these people are like, which I'm sure in the back of his mind that probably puts a little more to his prayer.
Speaker 1:Hey, help deliver us from these souls that I used to be, so that probably has a lot more personal meaning there. Verse three but the Lord is faithful. Again he turns it to the Lord he was and again he will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you. He again takes the time to give them an uplifting. They make sure you continue to pray to be guarded. But you guys have done so well.
Speaker 2:I think I like a word, and yours better than I do mine. Mine reads but the Lord is faithful and he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one. I believe you said he will establish you. Did you? Does your say establish?
Speaker 1:Yes, he will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
Speaker 2:I think that a lot better. Like that that just reminds me of. It's often talked about like you're gonna have a change, you're gonna be born again, right, like we're told over and over you're born again. And that word Establish to me is more significant because there's a. There's like a before and then a Christ entered and he establishes you as this new person. Like you have a change of heart. The way you see things different, the way you Interpret the world becomes different.
Speaker 1:There's a new foundation, yeah like I really like that.
Speaker 2:I would. You should highlight that word in your bible Um it's more than just, more than just make you strong.
Speaker 1:Yeah like.
Speaker 2:it's not just gonna make you strong, he's going to Give you a new foundation that you can stand on to fight the evil one. That's good and he's gonna guard you from that evil one. But you gotta have his foundation first.
Speaker 1:Yeah, may the Lord and direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. Keep, continue to keep your your eyes on the prize there. Verse number six, moving on. Now we commend you, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. So pause there, he's. Hey, pray for us, pray for our vision, pray for the ministry. That the word can go on. Your guys are doing a good job. Make sure you continue to do that good job and stay Established, like to stay grounded there. Now he's gonna say, but there's more. You know what I mean. So now verse number six. Now we command you, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. Let's pause right there. The word idleness is not which we were kind of talking beforehand. It's not like an idol, like we're idol worshiper or something.
Speaker 2:This is idol hands.
Speaker 1:Yes, like lazy lazy, let's keep going. Verse number seven for you yourselves. No, you ought to Imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you. He's using their themselves as an example. Nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but we toil and labor. We worked night and day. That we might not be a burden to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so verse seven and mine. Once again I'm in the NLT version for every man. Bible Verse seven for me read a little different, for you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy.
Speaker 1:No, yours uses the word.
Speaker 2:Uses the word lazy when we were with you. But once again, though you can't like I'm sitting here reading this, like we can't mix this up with your. Your works. Gain your faith.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah correct like.
Speaker 2:But when you receive that faith and you, when you are Established by Christ, go back to that word established when he establishes you. That does not mean that you could sit on your hands and be idle. Yeah, he's still got work for you to do and you can go back to that beginning prayer. Brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray first of the Lord's message will spread rapidly. Be honored wherever it goes. Well, you have been established by Christ. You received his word and now you have a responsibility of taking it elsewhere.
Speaker 2:Yeah and taking it to your friends and your family. It isn't that. Oh, I'm saved, I don't have to do anything now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think he's talking at all about Salvation or about. I think he's literally saying don't be lazy.
Speaker 1:Oh and I like how yours says lazy, there and again. That's what I want to reiterate. This is not a salvation issue where, hey, you need to work for your salvation, or pass that earlier. He says, for not all have faith. That's those people I'm talking now about you people and, like you said and I think we've said it before, like Christian being in Christ, follower was not the check the box. Now life is free and easy. It gets harder because our standards are the higher.
Speaker 1:So he's saying and he gives the example, it's a physical example we didn't eat anyone's bread, that thing you worked for, we didn't take any of it without paying for it. Now, I'm sure people helped them out as they went, and in other books he does they. You know, people put him up and stay with them and they're generous to them. But he says we, we work night and day that we may not be a burden. They did not come into this town to say, hey, we're mess or I'm an apostle of Jesus, now feed me.
Speaker 1:I don't know exactly what book it's in, but I believe Paul said he was a tent maker. So they would come into a town and they would make tents to sell, to make money to provide for themselves. Wow, they were doing their main job, which was spreading the word. He had to get a side gig to help pay fund the main work. He didn't ask for donations. He didn't cut they didn't come into a town to be a burden on people, for them to take care of him. I'm gonna work for myself to be able to do this and he's and he's telling Thessalonians be like us, not like the lazy people. What do you got to say?
Speaker 2:I think of this and Paul Paul was the preacher of the time and he's saying don't live off the church. No like, don't live off of handouts, and so much of our Society now Expects a handout. Yeah and they don't.
Speaker 1:They don't want to work for it now there is a specific view where God says take care of these people. But he it's, but it's also to the church.
Speaker 2:But I don't. I also I don't think that's ever meant to be a lifetime commitment of taking care of those.
Speaker 1:The orphans in the widows is what I was specifically thinking of. But yes, you're right, I do think that orphan needs to grow up and not be Well. He's always gonna be an orphan, but not be a. Dependent dependent forever in the widow. It could be a season while she's getting back on her feet, yeah.
Speaker 2:I think it's meant to be something the church steps in. You're in the midst of a tragedy and life is a struggle. Yeah, there's a responsibility to help those people get back on their feet, but not to permanently allow them to be idle and a burden and a burden because Paul and Timothy and Silas, they are bringing something to the table.
Speaker 1:They're doing the work. They're doing the Lord's work, but they're also working to provide for that. You read verses like that and you wonder yes, we need to love people, yes, we need to take care of people, we need to be generous, we need to do anything. But there's clear verses, clearly says and it uses the word, my Bible uses the word poil and labor. That's not, I don't know, that's that's. You're working for your money.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I'm not saying you need to swing hammer or you need to dig in the ground to be a farmer. That's not what I'm saying. You can. You can sell insurance. You can be a real estate. You can be a real estate. That's not what I'm saying. But they're working for their money. It's not laziness.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have a in my Bible. There's like these little side notes or pictures and like additional whatever key points I guess. Mine says what is the point of second Thessalonians Question mark and under it says while you're waiting for the second coming, get to work. Ooh, like, and I and I think that's both physically and spiritually probably spiritually and physically would be the correct order of that Like you have work to do for the Lord and you need to be providing for your family and taking care of your family. Like it is not just sitting on your hands waiting for the second coming.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, there you go.
Speaker 2:You're to look forward to it and continue to live a life to be ready for it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but there's still work to do. Yep, that's good. I love it.
Speaker 2:Verse nine. Here, it wasn't that we didn't have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule Whoever does not work should not eat. So Paul rolled into town and was like you're not working, you don't deserve to eat.
Speaker 1:I feel like we were kind of not rubbing the border of what we wanted to say. But now I wanted to be harsh and Paul just says straight up look, you don't fish, you don't eat.
Speaker 2:Right, you know what I mean. What does that teach a man to fish? He can eat forever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you give a man a fish, he can eat for a day.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Teach a man to fish, he can eat for a lifetime. Or don't teach a man to fish, it's not that hard. I think that's the parks and wreck how it finishes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's to that or don't teach him because it's not that hard. Yeah, but yeah, it's, it's straight up. Hey, this is the example and here's how we're going to do it. If you're not willing to work, let him not eat. Here's the other thing. He's not telling it to the person. Hey, if you don't work, you are not going to be able to eat. He's saying this to the whole church about that person, for even with you we were. If anyone is not willing to eat, let him not eat. Oh yeah, if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. There's he's saying to the community hey, if he's struggling in a season, yes, let's take care of him, let's live life together. But if he's purposely just sitting around, let him sit around. He's not going to eat, allow it. I mean, that feels harsh to say that sounds harsh, and I and I give that little room there to say, hey, in a season of life, we need to be community, we need to take care of each other, but if you're not willing to do, try, nah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I think verse 11 here is going to continue to go on there, but, like the thought going through my head right now, up to this point Paul's been pretty courteous to the Thessalonians and know the second coming to the Lord hasn't come, and all this and here we're getting into, like the Paul, the correction Paul.
Speaker 2:Yeah he is ending his letter with correction. Verse 11 brought me to this. Yet yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives and you're living in a place refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. And the name of the Lord, jesus Christ, we appeal to such people, no, we command them. Settle down and get to work, like Paul is hammering this home, like he's putting it down. So apparently not only did Thessalonians at this point, they thought the second coming in, jesus already came, so they gave up.
Speaker 2:Yeah like these people are like oh, here it came, we missed it. Yeah, now we're just going to sit back and apparently we're all going to die and Paul's telling them no.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Get to work. We don't appeal to it, we command it. Yeah, get off your butt and go get a job.
Speaker 1:Mine. Mine reads the end there of verse 12 to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Like you say, not only are you to work, but do it quietly.
Speaker 2:I left. I left that out. Earn your own living.
Speaker 1:Yeah, earn your own living yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm just excited about the get to work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well and, but don't make a scene about it. Yeah, just do it. There's no, you don't need a praise for it, just do the job.
Speaker 2:You don't need to be boasting in your work, yeah, or?
Speaker 1:demand hey, look at me, look what I'm doing. I should be my thought processes. Look at me, look what I'm doing. I need, I should, I deserve more Is get your head down and do your job. Now, if God chooses to bless you, if that's in his plan to give you more, then by all means take that blessing. Be generous with the blessing, but understand where it comes from. But it says put your head down, do it quietly and do your own work.
Speaker 2:I think that flows right into verse 13. And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. While you're doing your work, yeah, make sure you're you're doing good work.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you're, and you're sharing the message like he starts this out with let it spread rapidly, as you're doing your work, it should be good work, so your physical work should be good, but I would also say, in the midst of doing that good work, you should be sharing generous yeah, being generous with the blessing Again he's going to get harsh.
Speaker 1:I feel like, just for a second, he was first 14. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter again we're talking about this particular chapter putting your head down and working, working for a living, taking note of that person and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed to not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. So he said don't just write him off. You need to. You need to put his name down and have nothing to do with him. But he's not an enemy, he's a brother. And I feel like that's that error. That's that room. Then, to come alongside and do community, to warn him. Hey, this is what you're doing. This is why you've been set aside here. I'm keeping you at a distance. There are some people in our lives we really just need to keep out of distance. You know what I mean. It's hard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but yeah, and so far enough that they're not going to affect you. Far enough that they're going to learn because you don't, you don't work yet, don't eat. You're not coming over to my house and eat my free food. You know what I mean. You're not trying, but close enough that we can say, hey, man, this is why Let me, let me do life with you, let me help you to be better, and maybe that's that season we're talking about. We need to come alongside someone. But if it's not, hey, you're just far enough. Just far enough where you're not going to affect me, but hopefully you can see, as Paul and Timothy and Silas were saying, use us an example. You're over here, but I want you close enough that I can warn you and you can see me as an example.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my verse 15, don't think of them as enemies, but speak to them in a way. But speak to them as you would to a Christian who needs to be warned. Yeah, so he's kind of pointing to these people as being non believers. I think earlier he was saying stay away from Christian brothers who are lazy, and now he's kind of pointing to maybe these aren't even Christians because they're that lazy. Yeah, but that doesn't mean you write like you were saying you don't, you can't write them off completely. You're making note of them, yeah.
Speaker 1:You're keeping them out of distance, but you're, you're in community and you're trying to help them, which, again, I feel like there's a lot of Christians today that say, oh, we can't judge them. Oh, we can't judge people, we don't want to judge people. There is a level of judgment right here, in this circumstance, hey, they're not your enemy, but they need to be warned that what they're doing is wrong. They need, they need to be told hey, look, you don't fish, you don't eat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you don't fish. No, I don't fish, I can't stand the taste of fish, but you eat. I don't eat the fish.
Speaker 1:I cook chicken. But yeah, no, you're right. I think this can be applied, probably applied to both, but for nonbelievers, you're not my enemy, I want to help be able to do it by yourself.
Speaker 2:Once again, you can't get it confused with your works. Earn your faith.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is not faith, this is life.
Speaker 2:This is life. This is not being lazy, as I'm going to go back to is Christ establishes you. That does not mean that you get to sit on your hands and do nothing. Yeah, for the rest of your life. That is not the point of Christianity. That is not the point of being a Christ follower.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we said this a bunch to. I feel like I've said that like eight times this episode. But you're you're. Our lives as Christians should be testimonies. What is different that should always be pointing to Jesus. Is that hard? Yes, Are we always perfect? Absolutely not, but there should always be room there and our lives should be a testimony to hey, why you? I knew you, You're not like you were. What happened? What happened? Oh, I'm glad you asked. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I remember you see you at the bar every Friday night. Well, I haven't seen you in months. What's up with out? Why ain't coming? What bar you going to now? Yeah, well, let me tell you I'm not going to bar, going to church on Sundays.
Speaker 1:I can't stay out late on Saturdays because I got to get up early on Sundays. It's good finishing out here, finishing the letter. The second letter, first, number 16, now made the Lord of peace himself. Give you peace at all times, in every way. The Lord be with you all. I, paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of, this is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine. It is the way I write the grace of our Lord, jesus Christ. Be with you all. This is, I feel like it's a smoother way To say what he says in the beginning a lot of his books I'm the apostle of Jesus, you can trust this. Here. He's doing it a little more kindly here. I think, hey, you can, you can, you can. This is guaranteed because I wrote this myself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it also Points back to I think it was in chapter one, where there was he kind of warned them of people that are maybe writing other letters pretending to be Paul. Hmm, and he's saying no, look, here's how I sign my name. This is how I sign my letters. Yeah, these are the words I use. That's how I wrap it up. This is my signature. This is the official letter of Paul.
Speaker 2:This is authentic if you get anything else, it's not. It's kind of like getting those ups text, hmm, that are fraudulent, and if you click on you lose like thousand dollars on bank account. Well, if you follow an incorrect letter from Paul, you think the second coming of Jesus already came. Yeah and Paul saying this is my logo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good logo. I like that for again. Verse 18 the grace of the Lord, jesus Christ, be with you all. It's not. You're not gonna be perfect. You're not gonna get it right a hundred percent of the time. You might go through seasons of laziness. Hopefully you're in community, there for people to come around side you. Luckily, we have God's grace there for when we do come up short. I love it. This is gonna great, great chapter.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the second, the second, look yeah it's been a good book and one of the the fun things to this Bible, I have the beginning of every book. There's like key concepts, so the key concepts of second Thessalonians Thanks, suffering prayer, second coming. Work hard so give thanks, you are gonna suffer prayer. There will be a second coming that hasn't came yet. While you're waiting for that giga butt to work.
Speaker 1:That's good to fish community. That's the challenge. Those five things are you hitting those? If you're not hitting them hard, well, level, are you hitting maybe? Which ones you need to work on? And I think I'll go ahead here at the end of this chapter and add one more to that. Let's the sixth one make sure you're subscribed, make sure you follow and share these episodes so that we can continue our mission to spread God's word through the To fish community and through the to fish podcast. We'll see you next week. You.