Christianity is NOT Another Form of Aristocracy - 1 Thessalonians 4-5

 1 Thessalonians 4:12 (ESV)

so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

In the Greek culture the more your rose in status, the less you did in manual work.  That was the reward for intellectual and social gain.   In the Greek aristocracy, those with the most worked with their hands less.   Those who did the work were the slaves and the working class.   However, those were also the main group that became the Body of Christ.  The aristocrats thought the preaching of the Gospel was foolishness.  The working class found strength, significance and, more importantly, freedom in Christ.    However, that brought to them the idea that since they were free in Christ, they no longer had to fulfill their obligations in life, i.e. working and providing for themselves and their families.   Add to this thought that the early church thought that Christ’s return was imminent and you find a group of believers who thought they could kick back and live off the church.  Paul wants them to know that there was three things wrong in their thinking:

1. Christ return is coming but that was not a reason to be idle.  That comes after the above verse, but it is significant to their thought process.   Yes, Jesus was coming, but idleness was not a quality the demonstrated Jesus will for them.  Paul wanted them to know they were to be found “working” when Jesus returns, not “resting.” 

2. In the above verse the reason for them to cease from their idle behavior is because it is not a good testimony to the world around them.   Paul emphasizes the fact that what we do on the inside of the church impacts those that are watching on the outside of the church.   

3. Paul also wants them to know they are not to live in a way that they, with intentionality, depend on others.    The Church did have a practice of showing brotherly love by caring for one another.  Note:

Acts 4:32 (ESV)

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

The phrase “everything in common” meant they shared food, clothing, homes, etc.  When people came to Christ they often loss their occupations and were tossed out of their families.  Paul wants to warn the church to not take advantage of that brotherly love simply because you don’t want to work anymore.   

Christianity was not another form of aristocracy.   Many false teachers were teaching the Gospel in that way.  Paul was providing teaching to prevent them from thinking that way.