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12 Now [de] them that are such [toioutos] we command [paraggello] and [kai] exhort [parakaleo] by [dia] our [hemon] Lord [kurios] Jesus [Iesous] Christ, [Christos] that [hina] with [meta] quietness [hesuchia] they work, [ergazomai] and eat [esthio] their own [heautou] bread. [artos]KJV-Interlinear
12 Now such persons we command
and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own
bread. NASB
Now for such persons,
is a reference to the busybodies of the previous verse.This then is Pauls advice and Gods command.
Stop promoting annoying
activities, stop meddling, stop burdening others with your do-gooder attitude,
stop your hypocritical pattern, stop spreading false or distorted ideas, and all
of this is wrapped up in, stop eating the bread of others, but eat your own
bread.
What is bread?That is the bread of life, spiritual food,
Bible doctrine.
In other words, when a
person interferes with someone else's life, uninvited, obnoxious and intrusive,
with mis-information, then the other person will have
a tendency to become defensive, and sour against Christianity.This diminishes their growth, and the
busybody is in effect stealing the doctrine right out of their mouth (soul), so
to speak.
Anytime you become an
annoyance, anytime you promote false doctrines, anytime you mess up
Christianity with your bothersome, burdensome, and annoying rhetoric or
activities, this becomes a turn-off for others.That in turn delays or defers their spiritual life.What is their rightful food (doctrine), has
been removed because the busybody has placed a bad taste in their mouth.
If the hearer is indeed
positive, they may come around at some later date, when they hear correct
doctrine, or when life s circumstances, drives them to God.
But that is no credit
to the one who has interfered with their previous opportunities at a spiritual
life.
So Paul states clearly,
stop, cease, desist with what you are doing, you busybody. Remain quiet (stop your activity) and eat your
own food (correct food of doctrine), and thus grow up with the proper
knowledge, gain correct understanding, and acquire the proper and legitimate wisdom,
before you go back to face people.
A Christian who is
clueless as to what they are doing, does more damage than a dozen unbelievers.God uses prepared believers, not do-it-your-selfers who do not know straight-up from straight-down.Can a doctor practice medicine before he has
finished his training?Thus
self-appointed busybodies lead only to trouble. Get prepared, first, and stay
out of the way until you are prepared.
Eph. 4:28
28 Let him who steals
steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what
is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. NASB
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