Some other thoughts and comments on the 2nd Reading:
Verse 6 (not included in this Sunday’s reading) really sets the tone for this section:
**6 We instruct you, brothers, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us: ** Some members of the community, probably because they regarded the parousia as imminent or the new age of the Lord to be already here (2 Thes 2:2), had apparently ceased to work for a living. The disciplinary problem they posed could be rooted in distorted thinking about Paul’s own teaching (cf 1 Thes 2:16; 3:3-4; 5:4-5) or, more likely, in a forged letter (2 Thes 2:2) and the type of teaching dealt with in 2 Thes 2:1-15. The apostle’s own moral teaching, reflected in his selfless labors for others, was rooted in a deep doctrinal concern for the gospel message (cf 1 Thes 2:3-10).
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7 For you know how one must imitate us: By imitating Paul they would be imitating Christ whom Paul always tried to imitate (see 1 Cor. 11: 1, etc.).
“A teacher demonstrates great confidence if he uses his own good actions to reprove his disciples. And so Paul writes, ‘You know how one must imitate us.’ And he ought to be a teacher more of life than of the word. Let no one think that Paul says this because of a boastful heart. The necessity of the situation in Thessalonica drove him to speak in this way, with a view to the advantage of the entire community.” [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 398-404), *Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians 5
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For we did not act in a disorderly way among you: **
Disorderly; other translations use the word “idleness” or “shirking of duty.” The idea is of what is (or used to be) called a “goldbrick.”
8 nor did we eat food received free from anyone: While Paul was preaching the gospel in Thessalonica he earned his daily bread by practicing his trade of tent-making. He also mentions this in a previous letter (see 1 Thess 2:9).
**On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you:
Paul presents his own example both positively and negatively. This is what we did, and this is what we did not do. Whenever he was free from preaching he worked with his hands to earn his livelihood.
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9 Not that we do not have the right: As he was their teacher they were bound to support him (see Luke 10:7; 1 Cor 9:13-14). But he wanted to be an example for them to imitate.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us: He wanted to encourage them all to engage in honest labor and so support themselves.
10 In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat: Even while he was present amongst them there were some who evidently were inclined to idle and let others provide for them. So he laid down a rule that no idler should be given free meals. This would not be true charity but would rather encourage the sin of idleness. While awaiting the
parousia, the Christian is to engage fully in his earthly tasks. Again, he echos an earlier exhortation to them in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.
**11 We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others: **Their disorderly lives consist in the neglect of fruitful work and great activity disturbing others. Instead of doing their own work idlers were interfering with the others who were working.
12 Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food: With all his authority as their Apostle in Christ he now appeals to them to change their lives and earn their livelihood by working peacefully and quietly, that is, not disturbing the others who worked. Every Christian is to support himself as he is able.
“This we must also keep in mind—that he who labors ought to perform his task not for the purpose of ministering to his won needs but that he may accomplish the Lord’s command, “I was hungry and you gave me to eat” (Matthew 25:35), and so on. To be concerned for oneself is strictly forbidden by the Lord in the words, “Be not concerned for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on,” and he adds “for the heathens ask after all these things” (Matthew 6:25, 32). Everyone, therefore, in doing his work, should place before himself the aim of service to the needy and not his own satisfaction. Thus, he will escape the charge of self-love and receive the blessing for fraternal charity from the Lord, who said, “As long as you did it to one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). Nor should anyone think that the apostle is at variance with our rule when he says, “that working they would eat their own bread.” This is addressed to the unruly and indolent, and means that it is better for each person to minister to himself at least and not be a burden to others than to live in idleness.” [Saint Basil the Great (after A.D. 370), *Rules Treated at Length Q,42,R]
Later in the letter (3:14-15), Paul reiterates his warning, and prescribes one way to address the problem of idlers and busybodies:
14 If anyone does not obey our word as expressed in this letter, take note of this person not to associate with him, that he may be put to shame.
15 Do not regard him as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.
Sorry for the bad formatting; let me try this again: