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th e things th a t properly belong to them selves. “Mind your own business,” is a Christian precept. P aul charges them to work w ith th e ir own hands: Chris tia n ity has no to leration for th e rich tram p any more th a n for th e poor tram p, no to leration for those who seek to live on th e indu stry of others, “work ing not a t a ll” (2 Thess. 3 :11 ; 2 Tim. 5 :1 3 ). The Thessalonian converts seem ingly were largely from th e poorer classes, earning a living by m anual labor (But see Acts 1 7 :4 ). P aul had already given them earn est instruction on th is point when w ith them , bu t he had to rep eat it again even afte r th is w ith even more emphasis (2 Thess. 3: 6-15). Some in Thessalonica belonged to th a t class of religionists who th ink th a t a life of faith is best proven by doing nothing (b u t ta lk ) and living off from the h ard work of other people. P aul would not to lerate th a t kind of piety. The purpose for which they were to work w ith th e ir hands was in order th a t they m ight “walk honestly (ra th er, becomingly) tow ard them th a t are w ithout (i. e., th e un sav ed ).” It is of the highest importance th a t Chris tians give those “ th a t are w ithou t” no ju st occasion to speak evil of the Gos pel (cf. Rom. 2 :2 4 ). Nothing is more unbecoming in a Christian th a n lazi ness and a disposition to burden other people w ith his support. Every Chris tian should work so th a t he “may have need of nothing,” b u t rath e r, may have to give to others who do need (cf. Eph. 4 :2 8 ). The p resen t w ar is driving this g reat tru th home w ith trem endous emphasis. TUESDAY, Ja n u ary 14. 1 Thess. 4 :13 . While in Thessalonica P au l’s preach ing had centered in Jesus the King (cf. Acts 17 :7 ) and His coming kingdom. Some of th e church had fallen asleep since P au l’s visit, and a fear had arisen th a t those who had th u s fallen asleep would not be sharers in th e glory of those who were still alive when the Lord Jesus, th e King, came. P aul now corrects th is erro r. He w rites, “We would not have you ignorant, breth ren , concerning those th a t fall asleep (or “ them which are falling asleep,” or “ are sleeping” ) : th a t ye sorrow not even as the rest, which have no hope.” It is of the highest importance th a t we clearly know th e tru th concerning our loved ones th a t sleep. Such knowledge
will banish much of th e needless sor row th a t darkens so many homes and dims every joy. Those who believe in Jesu s never die, they simply “ fall asleep.” The world says, “ they are dead.” God says, and every tru e believer echoes it, “No, they are not dead; they are simply sleeping” (cf. Luke 8 :52 ; John 11:11; 8 :51 ; 1 1 :2 6 ). W hat th e world calls death th e Bible calls “ sleep,” not to distinguish it from a sta te of consciousness bu t to distin guish it from a sta te of dissolution and to characterize it as a sta te of repose. While believers “ sleep” between what men call “ d eath ” and th e resurrection of the body of Christ’s retu rn , they are not unconscious, they are asleep as dis tinguished from being dead, they are not asleep in the sense th a t they are unconscious. The Bible clearly teaches us elsewhere th a t they are w ith Christ in a sta te of consciousness and exceed ing blessedness (cf. Phil. 1:21, 24; 2 c
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