The fallout from the rampant rumors about an already present Parousia manifests itself in many ways in the Thessalonian church. Having addressed the panic and fear that had assaulted some Christians who were convinced by the rumors, Paul now turns to another related result - idleness.

Paul had mentioned people who were idle or disorderly (an adverbial form of the same root) in his first letter to the Thessalonians (4:11-12; 5:14). Apparently the problem persisted. This is such an important issue to Paul and the Thessalonian community that he devotes more space to discussing the topic of idleness than he does to any other except the Second Coming itself.

Although today's epistle text is characterized by a voice of command and authority, Paul nevertheless tempers his directives with genuin…