In 1988, Edgar Whisenant, a NASA rocket engineer turned prophecy teacher, wrote a booklet titled 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. He predicted that Jesus would return to rapture the church sometime between 11 and 13 September, and that tribulation would begin on 3 October.

Over three million copies of this booklet circulated in the months leading up to September 1988. Taking Whisenant's predictions seriously, thousands quit their jobs and sold their homes in anticipation of Jesus' return. The predicted dates came-but not Jesus.¹⁸

Date-setters usually end up as up-setters: date-setting encourages impatience and restlessness, while discouraging productive living. This was what had happened in the Thessalonian church.

Misled by false prophets who said that Jesus had returned (see 2 Thessalonians 2:2), some believers had quit their jobs. After all, if the world was ending, why bother to work for a living? These people ended up living off the generosity of the church. The problem was probably only in its early stages when Paul wrote his first letter (see Day 14) but had since become more serious, threatening peace and unity in the community. With so much free time, these freeloaders and loafers had become busybodies, indulging in gossip (2 Thessalonians 3:11).

So Paul had to deal with them more forcefully now. Twice (vv. 6, 12), he invoked no less than the Lord's authority (and not his own) to give instructions addressing the problem. The apostle commanded the church to ″keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us″ (v. 6). The believers were not to have fellowship with freeloaders who disobeyed Scripture with regard to work and ignored Paul's example of working for a living (vv. 6-10).

This command seems harsh, especially as throughout the New Testament and in Paul's own writings, Christians are repeatedly instructed to be generous to those in need. But here, Paul is making a distinction between those who are unable to work, and those who are unwilling to work. Those who cannot work due to disability or because no work is available deserve our help. But no help is to be offered to those who have ability and opportunity, but simply refuse to work because it is easier to depend on others. Paul gets tough on them: ″The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat″ (v. 10).

The church was to withdraw fellowship (v. 6) and withhold food (v. 10) from the idlers, for they did not deserve any help. Instead, these freeloaders had to find work and start paying for their own food: ″Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat″ (v. 12). Instead of wasting their life, Paul tells them, get back to living in a purposeful and productive way.