5 Now may athe Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Warning Against Idleness
6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, athat you withdraw bfrom every brother who walks cdisorderly and not according to the tradition which1 he received from us.
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you;
8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread1 free of charge, but worked with alabor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,
9 not because we do not have aauthority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.
10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are abusybodies.
12 Now those who are such we command and1 exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ athat they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
13 But asfor you, brethren, ado not grow weary in doing good.
14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this1 epistle, note that person and ado not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.
The result of their interpretation of an imminent return of Christ was that some of the more excitable ones quit their jobs. His return was one of the important and recurring subjects of conversations with them. They added to that by becoming busybodies—spending their time talking excitedly but doing no work—and so their minds were continually disturbed, excited, by what they thought were signs of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. They were convinced that the Day of the Lord was already happening, and in a very short time Christ Himself would make His appearance.
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