When Withdrawal Is Wise Series

The Thessalonian Christian had been foolish enough to give heed

to false teaching concerning the second coming. As a result some of

them were acting in a way contrary to the will of God. Their basic

problem was a lack of certain authority. They had been pagans all

their lives, and they had probably believed all kinds of superstition,

and so now as Christians they had to learn to accept the authority of

the Apostles, and this was not easy. Paul’s fist letter apparently

failed to solve the problem, and some of them had refused to get back

to work, even after they had heard his advice and commands. In this

second letter he has to use stronger language, and speak with as

great an authority as anywhere in the New Testament.

Paul knows that if Christians are not submissive to the Word of

God they will be at the mercy of every source of advice. These people

were basing their attitudes and actions on mere rumor that was

baseless, and not on the wisdom of God as revealed through the

Apostle Paul. Their concepts of the end were about as well founded

as those of the poet who confessed: “Absolute knowledge I have none,

but my aunt’s washer woman’s sister’s son heard a policeman on his

beat, say to a laborer on the street, that he had a letter just last week,

written in the finest Greek, from a Chinese coolie in Timbuctoo, who

got it straight from a circus clown, that a man in the Klondyke heard

the news, from a gang of South American Jews, about somebody in

Borneo, who heard a man who claimed to know of a swell society

female fake, whose mother-in-law will undertake to prove that her

7th husband’s sister’s niece, had stated in a printed piece, that she

has a son who has a friend, who knows when the world will end.”

It was on the basis of authority as remote as this that some of

them began to be idle and to wait for the Lord without working.

This disturbed Paul greatly, and he was determined that Satan

would not bring shame upon the name of Christ and His church by

this subtle means. His first strategy we have already considered. He

has destroyed the false theological foundation of those who are idle.

He has made it clear that the Day of the Lord is yet future, and that

Christians will know when it is near, and so until then they are to

work and carry on a normal and honorable pattern of life. They are

to live just as if they were sure the Lord would not come in their

lifetime. In other words, Paul has said they were not to use the

second coming as any excuse for laziness or idleness, for until we see

the signs we have no idea when the end will be. Now he goes on to

some specific and practical methods to be used by the faithful in

bringing those who are out of step back into harmony with what is

good Christian living.

It is a sensitive situation, and Paul approaches it diplomatically

and with all the kindness of his Christ-like heart. In the first verses

of this third chapter he strengthens their relationship and makes it

clear that they are one in Christ. They are seeking the same end,

which is the glory of Christ and the extension of His kingdom. In

verse 1 he calls them brethren, and he asks for their prayers. Paul

reveals his confidence in them and covets their prayers. He

acknowledges that they are God’s children, and so their prayers will

be a benefit to his ministry. Paul’s greatness was in his dependence

upon God, and in his recognition that the prayers of the common

Christian were of value and power in getting the Gospel to speed on

its way to success. R. A. Torrey sent out 5 thousand letters in 1901

asking for prayer as he took his world tour of evangelism. When he

reached Australia there were ten thousand praying, and 40 thousand

were praying in England everyday. He said, “Who could not preach

under such conditions, and is it any wonder that the marvelous

results followed that did follow.” I cannot doubt that the success of

Billy Graham is also due to the thousands who pray for him

constantly.

Paul knew this was the source of much of his success, and he

wanted these Christians to share in it. Paul was wise as a serpent

and harmless as a dove. He was going to lay down some rigid

commands, but he made it clear that it was in love. So often

Christians do the right thing in the wrong way. They let evil increase