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Written by Dick Mills

"And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business..." (1 Thes. 4:11).

Study is the key word here. Although not the same Greek word translated study in 2 Timothy 2:15 ("study to shew thyself approved."), its meaning is similar.

The King James translation of both words as "study" often leads people to think they refer to academic instruction or scholarship, when they actually have no connection at all with mental activity.

In this verse from Thessalonians, the word "study" is a compound Greek word whose definition reads: "to make an effort," "to be ambitious," "to make it a point of honor," "to exert oneself from a sense of love," and "to be motivated by an intense desire." In other words, Paul is saying here: "Have no other ambition than that of a quiet, industrious life."

The existing society in Paul's day was given to riots, community unrest, mob incitement, and meddling in the affairs of others. Paul is telling the believers in Thessalonica to have a different goal. Their neighbors loved to be idle, to carry gossip and rumors, to stir up strife and contention.

Some of this activity had crept into the church. Paul urges the believers to march to a different drumbeat: "Make it your aim to dwell safely and securely in a quiet, peaceful setting."

One version reads: "Keep yourself from all gathering of the idle, the restless, and the dissatisfied." To "study to be quiet" in the Greek suggests an all-out effort to maintain a lifestyle that is tranquil, serene, calm, and peaceful. It is worth it. The results can be lasting peace and harmony.

Source: The Spirit-Filled Believer's Daily Devotional by Dick Mills
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers