Just today's text within itself is fascinating. It clearly indicates that the problem of stealing was ongoing in the Christian community at Ephesus. It declares the responsibility of work. It states a Christian ethic in earning. All three of those things contain surprises.
First, consider the significance of the ongoing problem of stealing by Christians revealed in the words, "Let him who steals steal no longer."
The attitudes of some congregations of Christians include these: (1) "When a believing, penitent person is baptized into Christ, he or she immediately ceases all ungodly behavior, all ungodly attitudes." (2) "If a baptized person does not immediately and abruptly begin behaving as a mature Christian after baptism, it is the church's responsibility to kick him/her out of the fellowship and keep the church pure." (3) "Everyone knows what is right! What is godly is self-evident to every person!"
Observation one for your consideration: Paul wrote about real problems to real people. If Paul clearly stressed a problem in a letter to a congregation, that congregation had that situation or problem. For example, when Paul wrote Romans 12-15, the Christians in Rome struggled with the problems of arrogance, proper treatment of others, proper attitudes toward government and its authorities, properly godly conduct, judging each other, and proper treatment of the weak. When Paul wrote Colossians 3-4, Colossian Christians struggled with keeping their focus on Christ, with behaving as God's community, with living in peace with each other, with appropriate family relationships, and with proper attitudes in owner-slave relationships as Christians. Paul did not discuss other congregations' problems--he discussed their problems!
Observation two for your consideration: The people Paul wrote were first generation Christians who [for the vast majority] left generations of idolatrous behavior to enter Christian behavior. The people Paul wrote in the letters to congregations did not have Christian mothers and/or fathers or Christian aunts and/or uncles to learn from or to set examples for them. They were the first Christians in their families! They previously lived in idolatry! In the society they left, it was okay to get drunk; or to be what Christians called sexually immoral; or to use anger to dominate people; or to steal! For many of them, it was a major transition to go from a socially acceptable behavior to an evil behavior--when the behavior under consideration had not changed!
This situation is increasingly a problem for today's congregations. We cannot convert people culturally different from us to Christ [whether it be from an inner-city environment or from an ethnic group with roots outside the USA] and refuse to let them be an active part of our faith community! We cannot look upon such people as second class Christians! The adjustment problems are as much "ours" as "theirs."
Perhaps the most striking statement Paul made is read in 1 Corinthians 7:21-24: "Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called."
Paul in this context wrote to Christian slaves who were household slaves in non-Christian families. Non-Christian families often bought slaves for a dual role: (1) to work for the family the home and (2) to do sexual favors for members of the family. To refuse the requests of an owner could result in death. Paul said to Christian slaves (1) do not worry about existing as a slave with no rights. (2) You do not have to escape from slavery to be a Christian. (3) If you are able to be free, that is fine. If you are not able to be free, that is also fine. (4) In human circumstances you may be trapped in slavery, but the Lord regards you as free. That is not at all the attitude we would express today! It is easy to tell the rest of the world how they should act when we are not in their situation and do not confront their problems!
There were Christians at Ephesus who lived by stealing. Paul said stop! Stopping is your choice! God and Christ cannot be properly represented by people who use and exploit others! You cannot tell a person how much your God loves him or her while you steal from him or her! If God loves the person enough to forgive him or her, you must love him or her enough to care about the person instead of selfishly stealing from him or her.
Second, consider the responsibility of the Christian to work. Christians are to labor, personally involving themselves in doing things that are good [honorable]. Christians do what is good in God's eyes rather than society's eyes. Remember, society and culture were basically idolatrous. Christians do not do what is socially acceptable [in a godless society] or culturally tolerated [in a godless world]. They do what is good.
In their world, the vast majority of labor involved agriculture or building. Labor was manpower intensive. Most honorable labor [by God's standards] involved physical exertion. Christians did not seek to escape labor by stealing, but embraced labor by physically investing themselves in their work.
Third, consider the objective of Christian work. Their dedication to work involved more than providing for themselves. Not only did they labor to provide for their own needs, but they worked in order to have something to share with those in need. God's people always have been devoted to helping those in need [as an example of this truth, read Deuteronomy 15:1-18 and 24:19-22]. Helping those in need is not "a responsibility of convenience and desire," but a Christian objective in his or her work. Being benevolent is not an option but a goal.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 8