I say hung up because they take the literal understanding before the spiritual understanding.
"nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate. For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”…
The important clauses being: "not to be a burden"...and "not that we lack this right". Paul (relating the Word of God) is telling us that we should not take advantage of/depend on others to satisfy our basic needs (not that they did not have a right as church leaders to expect a meal and housing for their work as church leaders). Why? Because, if others have to care about us first (we depending on them), they cannot care about their walk with the Lord and will not eat from their input - service!
The Lord gives us
all gifts and with those gifts we are expected to serve the Lord first
and foremost. And, this goes both ways, if we neglect our gifts in order
to wait on / work for others who do not work for themselves not using
their God given gifts, then they suffer and we will suffer and no one
eats from their input - serving the Lord. The Parable of the Talents and
the Scripture telling the story of Mary and Martha (who busied herself
neglecting the Lord) supports this scriptural understanding as does
Romans 12 and 16 and 2 COR 10:15-16 ~ "Nor do we boast and claim credit
for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith
will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be
extended... preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where
no one else is working."
Yes, real work is involved but it is work of the Holy Spirit in us, not the 'work' of this world that makes us right with God. 2 Thessalonians is about our work for the Lord, to make our life a representation of His Kingdom.
Yes, real work is involved but it is work of the Holy Spirit in us, not the 'work' of this world that makes us right with God. 2 Thessalonians is about our work for the Lord, to make our life a representation of His Kingdom.
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