2 Thessalonians 3:14

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. NOTE THAT MAN - in your own minds, as one to be avoided (2 Thessalonians 3:6). THAT HE MAY BE ASHAMED, [ entrapee (G1788)] - 'made to turn and look into himself, and so be put to shame.' Feeling himself shunned by godly brethren....

14_If any one obeys not_. He has already declared previously, that he commands nothing but _from the Lord_. Hence the man, that would not obey, would not be contumacious against a mere man, but would be rebellious against God himself; (727) and accordingly he teaches that such persons ought to be severely chastised. And, in the _first _place, he desires that they be reported to him, that he may repress them by his authority; and, _secondly_, he orders them to be excommunicated, that, being touched with shame, they may repent. From this we infer, that we must not spare the reputation of those who cannot be arrested otherwise than by their faults being exposed; but we must take care to make known their distempers to the physician, that he may make it his endeavor to cure them. _Keep no company_. I have no doubt that he refers to excommunication; for, besides that the ...

6-15 Those who have received the gospel, are to live according to the gospel. Such as could work, and would not, were not to be maintained in idleness. Christianity is not to countenance slothfulness, which would consume what is meant to encourage the industrious, and to support the sick and afflicted. Industry in our callings as men, is a duty required by our calling as Christians. But some expected to be maintained in idleness, and indulged a curious and conceited temper. They meddled with the concerns of others, and did much harm. It is a great error and abuse of religion, to make it a cloak for idleness or any other sin. The servant who waits for the coming of his Lord aright, must be working as his Lord has commanded. If we are idle, the devil and a corrupt heart will soon find us somewhat to do. The mind of man is a busy thing; if it is not employed in doing good, it will be doing...

Verse 14. _IF ANY MAN OBEY NOT_] They had disobeyed his word in the _first epistle_, and the Church still continued to bear with them; now he tells the Church, if they still continue to disregard what is said to them, and particularly his word by this _second_ _epistle_, they are to _mark them_ as being totally incorrigible, and have no fellowship with them. Some construe the words δια της επιστολης with τουτον σημειουσθε. _Give me information of that man by a letter_-let me hear of his continued obstinacy, and send me his name. This was probably in order to excommunicate him, and deliver him over to Satan for the destruction of the body, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. The words of the original will bear either construction, that in the _text_, or that given above....

AND IF ANY MAN OBEY NOT OUR WORD BY THIS EPISTLE - Margin, “or signify that man by an epistle.” According to the marginal reading this would mean “signify, mark out, or designate that man to me by an epistle.” The difference is merely whether we unite the words “by the epistle” with what goes before, or what follows. The Greek would admit of either construction (Winer, p. 93), but it seems to me that the construction in the text is the correct one, because: (1)The requirement was to proceed to discipline such a man by withdrawing from him; (2)In order to do this it was not necessary that the case should be made known to Paul, for there was no supposable difficulty in it, and the effect would be only needless delay; * Paul regarded the right of discipline as residing in the church itself, and did not re

EXPOSITION CONTENTS.—The apostle now comes to the conclusion of his Epistle. He beseeches the Thessalonians for an interest in their prayers, that the gospel may be rapidly diffused and glorified by numerous conversions, and that he and his fellow workers may be enabled to preach it unhindered by the opposition of their enemies. He expresses his confidence that the Lord will preserve them from evil and render them obedient to his instructions, it being his earnest prayer for them that they might be directed into the love of God and the patience of Jesus Christ. The apostle then proceeds to admonish them on account of the disorderly conduct which many of them exhibited. He had heard that there were some among them who walked disorderly, and who, either from dread or from excitement on account of their belief in the immediate coming of the Lord, had desisted from their worldly employments....

AND IF ANY MAN OBEY NOT OUR WORD,.... Of command, to work quietly, and eat his own bread, now signified "by this epistle", particularly in 2 Thessalonians 3:12, NOTE THAT MAN; some read this clause in connection with the preceding phrase, "by this epistle", or by an epistle; and so the Ethiopic version, "show", or "signify him by an epistle"; that is, give us notice of it by an epistle, that we may take him under our cognizance, and severely chastise him, according to the power and authority given us by Christ; but that phrase rather belongs to the preceding words: and the clause here respects the notice the church should take of such a person; not in a private way, or merely by way of admonition and reproof, such as is given before rejection from communion; but by the black mark of excommunication; lay him under censure, exclude him from your communion, pu

2 Thessalonians 3:1. _Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:_ A most important request. What can the ministers of the gospel do, if their people cease to pray for them? Even if their own prayers be heard, as they will be, and a measure of blessing be given, yet it will be but a scant measure, compared with what it would be if all the saints united in their intercessions. Whenever we see the word of God very mighty in one place it ought to encourage us to pray that it may be the same in another place, for it is the same word and the hearts of all men are alike. The same spirit can give the same blessing in every place. Hence Paul says, «Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you.» Now, if any of you in your church are enjoying rich

III. THANKSGIVING, PRAYER, EXHORTATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Chapter S 2:13-3:18 _ 1. Thanksgiving and prayer (2 Thessalonians 2:13)_ 2. Prayer for the Word and for deliverance (2 Thessalonians 3:1) 3. Exhortations (2 Thessalonians 3:6) 4. Conclusions (2 Thessalonians 3:16) 2 Thessalonians 2:13 What blessed reasons are stated here to give thanks to God for what He has done for us and for all who believe! Brethren, beloved of

2 THESSALONIANS 3. FINAL COUNSELS AND EXHORTATIONS. The apostle (_a)_ asks for the prayers of the Thessalonian Christians on his own behalf (2 Thessalonians 3:1); (_b_) warns them against dis orderly conduct (2 Thessalonians 3:6); (_c_) concludes with a bene diction (2 Thessalonians 3:16)....