2 Thessalonians 3 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 51 to 52, near the end of Paul's eighteen-month stay in Corinth
Location
Written from Corinth to Thessalonica, a busy commercial port city in northern Greece
Audience
The Thessalonian congregation, a working-class urban church meeting in homes
Situation
Paul asks for prayer, then addresses members who have stopped working and are living off the community while meddling in others' affairs. He points to his own example of paying his way by manual labour night and day, and tells the church to warn such people without treating them as enemies.
Key Background
Many in a Greek city depended on a wealthy patron who supported clients in exchange for public loyalty, and some converts appear to have transferred that arrangement onto the church, expecting to be fed. Manual work was looked down on by the leisured classes, so Paul, a tent and leather worker, is deliberately claiming a low-status trade as a credential. Excited expectation of Jesus' imminent return seems to have made the problem worse, and the closing note about writing the final greeting in his own large handwriting authenticates the letter against the forgery worry raised earlier.
Finally, and for us — that the would and be just like it was with you.
And pray that we’d be from and harmful people — because not everyone the message.
But the Lord is — he’ll you and protect you from the
We’re in the Lord about you — that you’re doing what we’re telling you, and that you’ll keep doing it.
And may the Lord your toward and The
Now we’re you, brothers and sisters, in the of our Lord Jesus The One: stay away from any brother or sister who lives an life and doesn’t follow the we passed on to you.
You already know how you should We weren’t undisciplined when we were with you,
and we didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, we worked hard — day and night — and so we wouldn’t be a financial on any of you.
It’s not that we don’t have the to be supported — we absolutely do. But we wanted to give you a to follow.
In fact, when we were with you, we gave you this "If someone to they don’t get to eat."
We’re saying this because we hear that some of you are living undisciplined lives — not but being
People like that — we’re instructing and urging them in the Lord Jesus The One — down, do own work, and own
As for the rest of you, brothers and sisters — of
If anyone doesn’t follow what we’re saying in this letter, of that person and with them — so they’ll the of it.
But don’t treat them like an — them like you would a brother or sister.
Now may the Lord of himself give you at all and in every The Lord be with all of you.
This is in my own handwriting — Paul. This is how I every letter. This is what my handwriting looks like.
The of our Lord Jesus The be with all of you.