In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'
Proverbs is replete with such kinds of instruction.
And, again, I believe you’ve misread what Jeff wrote, and if you knew Jeff, then you wouldn’t be insulting him by such a question or insinuating he had. And to the contrary, God certainly does expect us to “help ourselves.”
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First of all, my mother was a famous pioneer as a reading specialist, so I know there is nothing wrong with my reading comprehension. I do not think it is an insult to ask someone to clarify what they said. As to God telling us to “help ourselves,” I find that some serious twisting and taking scripture out of context. “Consider the lilies of the field....” Are you Jeff’s official apologist?