The Deeper Meaning of “If You Don’t Work, You Don’t Eat”
If Any Would Not Work, Neither Should He Eat
Hi Mike,
I was hoping I could get your feedback on something I’ve been thinking about recently. In 2 Thes 3:10 Paul tells us this:
2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
Traditional Christianity believes this to mean that if a person is not employed in a wage-earning job that they should not eat physical food. That may be true, but I’m focusing on the spiritual meaning of this verse, and here are the two scriptures the Spirit immediately placed on my heart.
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
So what Paul is really telling us in 2 Thes 3:10 is that if we refuse to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, we should not eat the spiritual nourishment of the Tree of life (Christ).
What are your thoughts on this. Mike. I would like to get your perspective, thanks for all you do for Christ and the Body of Christ.
Sincerely,
C____
Hello C____,
I am very pleased to see the spiritual insights the Lord is giving you.
You are exactly right about the spiritual meaning of that verse.
We just naturally want to be spoon fed for years, and very few are given to personal Bible study. When we are doing nothing on our own to feed ourselves, then we will certainly have nothing to give to others as we are also admonished:
Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
What Christ did, and what we must do under such spiritual circumstances, is to refuse to continue spoon-feeding them our loaves and fishes for which they have done no work:
Joh 6:24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus [loaves and fishes].
Joh 6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
Joh 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Joh 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but [labor] for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Teachers have a God-ordained place in the experience of all who come to Christ:
1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Just like Christ feeding the multitudes twice with loaves and fishes, the time came for that to stop:
Mar 8:19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
Mar 8:20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
Mar 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
The point Christ is making, as any good teacher knows, is that we as His students need to begin to support ourselves and to “work out [our] own salvation, with fear and trembling”, while at the same time acknowledge that in reality it is God who is working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure:
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
So while we acknowledge that it is God who works in us both to will and to do His will, we still tremble at all these admonitions:
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Tit 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
I will conclude our discussion with this admonition from the holy spirit which is found at the end of Hebrews 5 and at the beginning of Hebrews six:
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Heb 6:1 THEREFORE leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.
Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Being a babe in Christ is as essential to our spiritual birth as is being “the first man Adam”. However, remaining a babe in Christ is spiritual suicide which is impossible for us to change or remedy.
Fortunately for us all, “with God all things are possible” even the “impossible”:
Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
The Lord can and will melt the hardest heart, and He can also inspire and empower the least spiritually ambitious.
Your brother who wants to have to give to him who is in need,
Mike
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