What is a Busybody? 2 Thessalonians 3:11

“We hear” is present tense implying that ongoing reports indicated that this was a persistent problem the church needed to address. A string of three present participles further illustrate both the persistence and the nature of the problem. Possibly the NASB translation best preserves the original structure of the Greek clauses under consideration in this verse.

The apostles had heard that certain believers were—

(1) “leading an undisciplined life,” 
(2) “doing no work at all,” but 
(3) “acting like busybodies.” 

The first of these three clauses, translated “living in idleness” in the RSV, repeats the charge which originated in v. 6.

The next two participles go into detail about this improper lifestyle; a lifestyle which had been adopted by certain members of the church.

“They are not busy; they are busybodies”

Paul here uses a little wordplay. These people were not “busy,” that is, engaged in productive activities (ergazomai), but were “busybodies,” that is, engaged in unproductive activities (periergazomai).

By adding the preposition "peri" to the verb "ergazomai" implies activity that lies outside the sphere of constructive or productive labor. Such “busybodies” could disrupt the work of the church either with their passivity or with their activity. The idler’s were a disruptive influence in the church. They were either engaged in activities that they had no business being involved in, or else were being a hinderance to activities in which they should have been found a help.

Periergazomai occurs only here in Paul’s letters, but seems to indicate persons who had ignored the apostolic admonition “to lead a quiet life” and to “mind your own business” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

People like this would have found rationalizations for their behavior. The meddler would claim to help, the gossip would purport to share needed information, and the lazy always would consider “supervision” their preferred form of participation. These people raise the ability to justify unchristian behavior to an art form; disguising obstructionism behind a mask of cooperation.

What is a Busybody? 2 Thessalonians 3:11

When Paul says, “We hear,” his use of the present tense implies that this is an ongoing problem that the church needed to address. In his presentation of the problem, he uses three present participles, which further illustrates the problem as being perspicuous.

What the apostles had heard was that certain believers were—

(1) “leading an undisciplined life,” 
(2) “doing no work at all,” and 
(3) “acting like busybodies.” 

The first clause repeats the charge which originated in v. 6.

The next two clauses detail this improper method of living by certain people in the church.

“...not busy working; just busybodies” (CJB)

These people, who should be productive members of the local church, are instead hampering the work of the church as a whole. Doubtless their own assessment of their lives would have been one of rigorous support of and for the work of the church, the assessment of those who were actually doing that work was quite different.

This, then, becomes a watch-point for all believers. Are we putting our noses into places where they do not belong? Are we meddling into the affairs of others where we have neither place nor right to be? Are we helping to advance the work of the gospel, or are we hampering it be actions or our lack of action?