Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
from the ambition of those who abuse their powers, so as to infringe upon the rights of their brethren.
There was a danger, lest the Thessalonians, having had from the beginning the preaching of the
gospel from Paul’s mouth gratuitously, 709 should lay it down as a law for the future as to other
ministers; the disposition of mankind being so niggardly. Paul, accordingly, anticipates this danger,
and teaches that he had a right to more than he had made use of, that others may retain their liberty
unimpaired. He designed by this means to inflict the greater disgrace, as I have already noticed
above, on those that do nothing, for it is an argument from, the greater to the less.
10 He that will not labor. From its being written in Psalm 128:2 —
Thou art blessed, eating of the labor of thy hands,
also in Proverbs 10:4,
The blessing of the Lord is upon the hands of him that laboreth,
it is certain that indolence and idleness are accursed of God. Besides, we know that man was
created with this view, that he might do something. Not only does Scripture testify this to us, but
nature itself taught it to the heathen. Hence it is reasonable, that those, who wish to exempt
themselves from the common law, 710 should also be deprived of food, the reward of labor. When,
however, the Apostle commanded that such persons should not eat, he does not mean that he gave
commandment to those persons, but forbade that the Thessalonians should encourage their indolence
by supplying them with food.
It is also to be observed, that there are different ways of laboring. For whoever aids 711 the
society of men by his industry, either by ruling his family, or by administering public or private
affairs, or by counseling, or by teaching, 712 or in any other way, is not to be reckoned among the
idle. For Paul censures those lazy drones who lived by the sweat of others, while they contribute
no service in common for aiding the human race. Of this sort are our monks and priests who are
largely pampered by doing nothing, excepting that they chant in the temples, for the sake of
preventing weariness. This truly is, (as Plautus speaks,) 713 to “live musically.” 714
2 Thessalonians 3:11-13
11. For we hear that there are some which 11. Audimus enim quosdam versantes inter
walk among you disorderly, working not at all, vos inordinate nihil operis agentes, sed curiose
but are busybodies.
satagentes.
709 “Gratuitement et sans luy bailler aucuns gages;” — “Gratuitously, and without giving him any remuneration.”
710 “De la loy et regle commune;” — “From the common law and rule.”
711 “Aide et porte proufit;” — “Aids and brings advantage.”
712 “En enseignant les autres;” — “By instructing others.”
713 The passage alluded to is as follows: “Musice, Hercle, agitis aetatem“ —(“By Hercules, you pass life musically”) Plaut.
Mostellariae, Act in. Sc. 2, 40. — Ed.
714 “Plaute poete Latin ancien, quand il vent parler de gens qui viuent a leur aise, il dit qu’ils viuent musicalement, c’est a dire,
en chantres. Mais a la verite on pent bien dire de ceux-ci, en tout sens qu’on le voudra prendre, qu’ils viuent musicalement;” —
“Plautus, the ancient Latin poet, when he has it in view to speak of persons who live at their ease, says that they live musically,
that is to say, like singers. But truly it may be well said of those persons, in every sense in which one might choose to take it,
that they live musically.”
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John Calvin