2 Thessalonians 3:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.

NIV: Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed.

NASB: If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person so as not to associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.

CSB: If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don’t associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.

NLT: Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed.

KJV: And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

NKJV: And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.

Paul instructs the Thessalonian church about how it should treat an unrepentant idle member. He refers to that person as someone who does not obey what he has written in 2 Thessalonians. Because the content of that letter was inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16), it carried full authority. Paul commands the faithful believers to clearly identify a disobedient, idle person, and withhold social contact from him until he repented and quit being idle. This seems to imply a less-severe form of rejection than what Paul prescribed for profound sin in 1 Corinthians 5.

Christians are called to fellowship with each other (Hebrews 10:25), not ostracism. Disconnection from other believers is not meant to be taken lightly. As in all such instructions in the New Testament, the purpose of social separation is to spur the offender to repentance. This starts with a sense of shame. The disciplinary action was intended to be remedial—seeking healing—not punitive—seeking to inflict pain. Parallel to this idea, Paul outlined the course of action spiritual Christians should take when a brother is caught in a transgression. The pattern is to "restore him in a spirit of gentleness," while keeping watch on themselves so they would not be tempted (Galatians 6:1). This need for compassion is also reflected in the next verse.

Second Thessalonians 3:6–15 addresses the sin of idleness. Paul calls on the church at Thessalonica to avoid any brother who makes idleness habitual. He reminds his readers that he and his associates were not idle when they were in Thessalonica. They did not assume they'd be pampered, rather they refused to eat without paying for the meal. They had the right to receive financial and material support for their ministry, but they chose to labor to the point of exhaustion so they would not burden anyone. Their hard work served as an example for the Christians to follow. Paul explains that idleness had turned some members of the church into busybodies, and he prescribes the disciplinary action the church should follow to put an end to idleness.

Paul expresses confidence that the Thessalonians would do what he commanded. He addresses the sin of idleness in the lives of some of the believers at Thessalonica, commanding the church to avoid an idle brother. Paul also points to his own example of diligence, when he refused to rely on charity. Paul clearly separates charity for the needy from foolishly supporting those who are merely lazy: If anyone is not willing to work, don't feed him. The letter ends with a prayer for peace among the Thessalonian believers. Paul also assures his readers that 2 Thessalonians is authentic because it bears his signature.

The prior chapter explained the events which would precede the ''day of the Lord:'' a time of severe judgment. Among these were a time of deep spiritual rebellion and the rise of a figure referred to as the ''man of lawlessness.'' Chapter 2 ended with a reference to the Thessalonians being established in good works. This chapter continues that theme, focusing on the need for Christians to exhibit a strong work ethic. This extends to the way the church applies charity, not wasting it on those who are capable of work, but simply choose not to. These thoughts complete Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians.

Second Thessalonians follows Paul's earlier letter to the same group of Christian believers. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul had praised them for their faithfulness and given them reassurances about the day of the Lord. This included teachings on the rapture and a description of death as ''sleep'' from a Christian viewpoint. In this second letter, Paul corrects possible misunderstandings about those ideas. Among his teachings here are the importance of a good work ethic and God's impending judgment on sin, including judgment on those who persecute the Christian church. Paul also provides the Thessalonians with reassurances that they have not somehow missed out on Christ's return.