2 Thessalonians 3:6-8

Response to the Undisciplined

3:6 But we command you, brothers and sisters, ¹  in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined ²  life ³  and not according to the tradition they ⁴  received from us. 3:7 For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline ⁵  among you, 3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. ⁶  Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked ⁷  night and day in order not to burden any of you.

2 Thessalonians 3:11-12

3:11 For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, ⁸  not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. ⁹  3:12 Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their own food to eat. ¹⁰ 

[3:6]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.

[3:6]  ² tn Or “unruly, out of line.” The particular violation Paul has in mind is idleness (as described in vv. 8-11), so this could be translated to reflect that.

[3:6]  ³ tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).

[3:6]  ⁴ tc The reading “you received” (παρελάβετε, parelabete) is found predominately in Western witnesses (F G 1505 2464 pc), although the support of B and the Sahidic version strengthens the reading considerably. The reading “they received” is found in two different forms: παρελάβοσαν (parelabosan; in א* A [D*] 0278 33 pc) and παρέλαβον (parelabon; in א² D² Ψ 1739 1881 Ï). (παρέλαβον is evidently a correction of παρελάβοσαν to the more common spelling for the third person aorist form). The external evidence is divided fairly evenly, with παρελάβετε and παρελάβοσαν each having adequate support. Internal evidence leans toward “they received”: Given the second person reading, there is little reason why scribes would intentionally change it to a third person plural, and especially an archaic form at that. There is ample reason, however, for scribes to change the third person form to the second person form given that in the prior context παράδοσις (paradosis, “tradition”) is used with a relative clause (as here) with a second person verb (see 2:15). The third person form should be regarded as original.

[3:7]  ⁵ tn This is the verbal form of the words occurring in vv. 6 and 11, meaning “to act out of line, in an unruly way.”

[3:8]  ⁶ tn Grk “we did not eat bread freely from anyone.”

[3:8]  ⁷ tn Grk “but working,” as a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started with the word “Instead” in the translation.

[3:11]  ⁸ tn Grk “walking in an undisciplined way” (“walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s way of life or conduct).

[3:11]  ⁹ tn There is a play on words in the Greek: “working at nothing, but working around,” “not keeping busy but being busybodies.”

[3:12]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “that by working quietly they may eat their own bread.”